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REI Groupon Marketing

Groupon hires REI's Craig Rowley for top global marketing job

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

May 7, 2019 | 3 min read

Groupon has appointed Craig Rowley as global chief marketing officer, replacing Vinayak Hegde who jumped ship to Airbnb last year.

GROUPON CMO

Based in Seattle, Rowley will report to chief operating officer Steve Krenzer / Groupon

Joining from outdoor retailer REI, where he has been vice-president of marketing since 2015, the marketer will be tasked with overseeing Groupon's global marketing channels and developing the brand. Based in Seattle, he will report to chief operating officer Steve Krenzer. He has been in the role since March.

Krenzer said the exec's "customer-centric approach" would be a key driver as the business continued to expand the Groupon local marketplace.”

Rowley joins as the business is looking to stave off slumping sales at home and abroad. Last week, it reported a decline in worldwide revenues to the tune of 8% in Q1, noting revenues of $578.4m, hurt by lower customer traffic derived from email and SEO.

"I’m excited for the opportunity to help develop the next chapter of Groupon’s brand story as we build the daily habit in local commerce,” said Rowley.

“Given Groupon’s scale, there is a huge opportunity for us to fuel a deeper brand connection with our millions of customers and merchants around the globe. I look forward to working with our talented teams to deliver a more compelling customer experience and to drive meaningful results for Groupon.”

Prior to REI, Rowley held a variety of North American and global executive positions at agency-side at Saatchi & Saatchi, Carmichael Lynch and Young & Rubicam.

REI Groupon Marketing

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