ADT's new CMO, VP of dealer sales newcomers to industry

BOCA RATON, Fla.—ADT went outside the security space to find its new chief marketing officer and its new vice president of dealer sales. Both new hires say they'll put the skills they honed working in other industries to good use at ADT.

Jerri DeVard, who most recently was executive vice president, chief marketing officer of Nokia, was recently appointed senior vice president, chief marketing officer for ADT.

She starts her new job on March 31 and succeeds Tony Wells, who ADT said is leaving after two years as CMO. Wells, who represented ADT last year on the CBS reality show “Undercover Boss,” will remain with ADT for several months to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.

Jim Vogel, who started his job as VP of dealer sales on March 17, joins ADT from Allstate Insurance, where he was VP of the Midwest region and directed the design and successful launch of the Allstate Auto Dealer Program, according to ADT, which is based here.

DeVard will lead the company's marketing efforts across its residential, small business, and health business units. “She will oversee all strategic, operational and financial aspects of the company's integrated marketing programs, including brand advertising, digital marketing, communications, lead generation, sponsorships, and other initiatives,” the company said in news release.

DeVard, whose past experience also includes a variety of various marketing leadership positions in Fortune 100 companies, including the roles of senior vice president, marketing and brand management for Verizon Communications; and CMO, e-consumer for Citigroup, said her varied career has given her a broad perspective.

“My career has allowed me to look at issues and challenges from a 360-degree angle and not just maybe from a more nuanced focus from a particular industry,” she told Security Systems News. She said companies she previously worked for have included cosmetics company Revlon, packaged-goods company Pillsbury and gaming company Harrah's.

DeVard said that every company needs the same marketing basics. “The role of the marketer is to build value in the brand, drive customers and create desire and good marketers do that by differentiating the brand, making it relevant and making it profitable,” she explained.

DeVard said that won't be a challenge working for ADT, a company of which she has been a customer for more than 12 years. “No one has the brand name recognition awareness that ADT has, as well as the history of serving customers,” she said. “We're the largest and also the best and we want to make sure the customer knows that.”

DeVard will report to ADT CEO and President Naren Gursahaney, who praised her knowledge and abilities.

Vogel, whose experience before he worked for Allstate included spending seven years as VP and general manager of alternative markets for Qwest Communications, told SSN that his work in those other industries actually had a lot in common with what he'll be doing for ADT.

“In particular with Allstate and Quest, the common thread there is the critical importance of customer loyalty and satisfaction from the perspective of a recurring revenue stream,” Vogel said. “The model is very similar in how you approach the growth opportunities.”

ADT said Vogel “will be responsible for developing and executing the company's long-term strategy to grow and optimize the ADT Authorized Dealer Program.” He'll report to residential business President Alan Ferber.

ADT over the past year culled about 100 dealers who weren't equipped to handle new wireless interactive services like ADT Pulse.

Vogel said ADT has been “raising the standards in terms of our dealership network and as we bring on new dealers we are ensuring that they're up to speed in terms of the information systems, the customer relationship management systems and of course the security technology systems that are going to allow the consumers to have a very positive experience.”

Currently, Vogel said, ADT has “more than 300 [dealers] nationwide and in Canada, and they contribute the better part of 50 percent of our consumer residential business.”

But the company is looking for more, he said. “We think there are terrific opportunities out there for good strong dealers to come on board, so we have the dealer development team on recruiting new points of distribution where we have some voids,” he told SSN.

He said ADT has “a terrific business model for our dealers” and aims to have it become the “very best business model not just in the industry, but the best business model in North America.”