Pamela Kao Ohno
Principal



Ms. Ohno has over a decade of marketing and market research experience and specializes in the consumer products and retail sectors. She has researched and analyzed over 40 industries, producing high-level profiles which have helped sales executives become industry experts quickly. Her research skills have allowed clients to identify critical business trends, opportunities, and challenges in a variety of market segments. In addition, she has an extensive background in classical marketing/brand management and has been responsible for small and large consumer brands, regional marketing platforms, and ethnic marketing initiatives. She also has experience in new product/concept development and worked on several successful new product launches.

Ms. Ohno began her marketing career with Fortune 500 brand leader General Mills, where she worked on a diverse set of consumer brands and held positions of increasing responsibility. She faced the challenge of growing mature brands, such as Cheerios and Bisquick, by developing product-driven events, new advertising, and flanker introductions. She expanded her expertise by managing child-oriented snack brands and taking on the fickle world of kid marketing. She managed new products in the cereal division and led the national launch of Team USA Cheerios, the first cereal ever developed for the US Olympic Team. Responsible for regional marketing in the Southeast, she was successful in creating new market-specific programs to address ethnic and sports marketing opportunities. Her efforts led to General Mills first major sponsorship of a NASCAR team ($6-$8MM investment) which gave the company’s brands a stronger presence among retailers. After taking a leave to raise her two growing boys, Ms. Ohno returned to the workforce as a researcher/writer for Savvy client, First Research, analyzing industries and writing profiles with a focus on specialty retail. First Research was acquired by Dun & Bradstreet in 2007 and subsequently merged with Hoover’s.

Ms. Ohno holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Purdue University where she was a commencement speaker. She also holds an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University where she served as Vice President of the Graduate Management Association and received a Dean’s Service Award. She is an active volunteer in the public school system and Little League baseball programs. Ms. Ohno is the founder of the Ponte Vedra Athletic Association’s Home Run Derby – a fundraiser for local youth battling lymphoma.