The Marion Group / Fmr. CEO, Jabra, Viadux, Altec Lansing
Vicki Marion leads The Marion Group, a boutique consulting group that has worked as a team since 1996 developing differentiated consumer electronics products, global brands and successful companies. The firm focuses on go-to-market initiatives from product development and manufacturing through commercial launch and effective worldwide sales distribution. Ms. Marion often operates as a hands-on CEO, GM or CMO, management advisor and executive team mentor-coach.
She brings to those assignments rich experience across many areas of corporate management and financing and merger/acquisition and over 20 years as President/GM/CEO building strong teams and growing profitable companies. Ms. Marion gained her growth and profitability orientation working in turnaround management environments early in her career and then in start-up environments where cost of capital is high and cash is king. She is best known for her success as CEO of JABRA Corporation, a fast growth San Diego startup that developed hands-free communication devices including the first Bluetooth wireless headsets. The company earned its investors a 28 times return when sold in 2000 to GN Netcom, a world leaders in business headsets.JABRA developed a renowned commercial brand that is still flourishing as a brand now applied across many consumer electronics product areas.
Ms. Marion has also led Altec Lansing, a company marketing music speakers, headphones and other accessories, served on the executive staff of Plantronics, Inc. and was CEO of Viadux, Inc a venture-backed developer of DSL and IP Networking equipment for telecom and cable companies.Her career also included a series of executive positions including acting as President at IRT Corporation, a public company engaged in the development of x-ray inspection equipment for printed circuit boards and government R&D, and she headed the contracts and patents group of General Atomics, overseeing negotiation of all business agreements and the development of new entities such as the San Diego Supercomputer Center housed at UCSD.
Ms. Marion has been an active member of the San Diego business community.She was the founding President and Chairman of the San Diego Telecom Council, now EvoNexus and also served on the boards of CONNECT, San Diego Economic Business Development Corporation, the San Diego Venture Group and Vice President and Director of Athena and Director of its Athena Foundation. She has been an angel investor locally.
Ms. Marion served on the Board of the Wireless Division of the Consumer Electronics Association and is a featured speaker on the subjects of consumer product marketing, turnaround management, financing, team development, mentoring, brand development and angel investing.