POSITION OVERVIEW

This CEO will take a seed-funded (but venture backed) startup, refine the business model, and grow the company with a significant equity stake in its success. Critical to this process are four skills (1) creating and implementing a marketing plan that targets, enrolls, and supports college students, (2) developing and leveraging close partnerships with state colleges and universities within each state in which Quottly operates, and (3) expanding the scope of services offered by the company to its student (and potentially its college) audience— (4) managing the creation of course data bases within each targeted state.

Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Read on...

THE COMPANY

Quottly aims to be the Expedia of College Classes. It offers a market exchange that allows students enrolled at one college to locate, compare, and enroll in courses from other colleges. Quottly creates no courses of their own, nor are they an indiscriminate aggregator of digital course catalogs (eg, American Academy, CollegeSource). Think Expedia (or Priceline) rather than Yellow Pages.

The company’s model is based on these premises--

• While other companies focus on reducing student debt after it is incurred, Quottly finds the best transferable courses across all schools within a state’s college system.
• 43% of 4-year students transfer credits annually, spending 25M hours per year.

• Quottly optimizes course plans while saving students up to 50% per course by unbundling education.
• Quottly uses a combination of state articulation agreements, per-institution transfer agreements, and information on past transfer acceptances to know what classes will count for credit at a student’s school of record.
• Quottly can innovate without permission from universities.
• Students can save 40-50% per credit and 18-40% of their total degree.
• Quottly automates the entire enrollment process for transfer courses.
• Quottly charges students for hasslefree “on-site” enrollment and Robo advising.
• Quottly is the sole solution for students looking to reduce their spending (and debt) while in college.

The Team

• Melissa Guzy, Managing Director and Founder of Arbor Ventures and early stage investor in big data, financial tech and digital commerce in Asia
• James Gibson, Technology Lead. James has an MSF from the University of Florida and is responsible for the proprietary technology infrastructure that drives the company’s ability to build out their platform state-by-state.

Current Assets

• Proprietary SaaS-based platform currently implemented statewide in California and Florida
• Highly successful private beta test in Florida, netting 600 sign-ups in one week.
• Seed funding and venture backing

The Investors
Arbor Ventures invests in entrepreneurs who have a deep understanding of their markets and the tenacity to build successful companies. Based in Hong Kong, and with a principal focus on financial software, the firm has developed an interest in higher education, how it is financed, and how students pay for it. Quottly is an outgrowth of this interest.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the board and working closely with the technical and marketing teams, this CEO will be charged with the following—

• Together with the investors and current tech leader, develop and implement a working business plan for (1) scaling Quottly, state by state, (2) launching marketing campaigns targeted at students in those states that have been selected, and (3) identifying new services that might be added to the company’s core business
• Build small marketing, operations, and other functional teams to support this rollout
• Create partnerships with public colleges (both 4-year and 2-year) within target states, finding areas of mutual value creation
• Develop partnerships that create additional services and revenue streams for the company
• Develop a “playbook”, or template, for rolling out Quottly in new states
• Work with the investors to evaluate growth and M&A opportunities

THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY

For a talented executive ready to step into a first-time CEO role (or for an experienced CEO who recognizes Quottly’s potential position and is willing to take a step back in cash in order to secure an attractive equity package), this position offers the following career benefits—

• The chance to hit the proverbial home run through equity participation and an eventual liquidity event
• The chance to actually build a company—to take ownership of its team and go-to market strategy
• The chance to work with experienced and universally respected seed investors
• The chance to make a real impact on college affordability and improve access to higher education
• The chance to do this without the requirement of relocation or commuting

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is currently (1) a CEO, President, COO, or GM of a consumer-focused company—but one who is in a position to trade cash for equity, or (2) a CMO or EVP/SVP of Marketing for a consumer-focused company—but one who is ready and able to step into a first-time CEO role. This individual has specific, ongoing experience launching and sustaining marketing campaigns directed at consumers. Experience in not-for-profit higher education marketing is a plus. In addition, experience in strategic partnering with key channel constituents (college or other) is a plus. This individual would preferably not come from, or be affiliated with or have a connection to, a for-profit school within the past five years.

Specifically, the new CEO will have--

• Grown a team from at least 5 to at least 25 people, with significant experience hiring (on interview/hiring panels) onto their own team
• Experience either in a startup or in a high-growth division of a larger company
• Previous P&L and budget responsibility
• A Consumer / Product Marketing background (not necessarily 100%, but at least some)
• A deep understanding of what it means to disrupt an industry, the challenges involved, and how to mitigate the risks involved
• Experience working with investors and a board
• A degree from a state college is also a plus—such an individual may show greater understanding and empathy for today’s state college students and their financial burden

The CEO will be working long hours to drive the success of the company. This involves a range of personal attributes: resilience - able to handle the ups and down of building an early stage company; integrity - someone the investors can trust; specific passion for Quottly and its mission to reduce student debt; high EQ - good peripheral vision as to what is coming and how to deal with people and they will have to raise money beyond the seed.

In addition, s/he will demonstrate flexibility and adaptability; a great work ethic; strong leadership skills; an ability to analyze and evaluate one’s own (and other’s) performance and to develop plans to improve performance; excellent presentation skills; willingness to take responsibility for both success and failure; a thick skin; self-confidence; a positive attitude about self, company, marketplace; and a strong desire for success.

COMPENSATION

Compensation will include salary, performance bonus, and significant (founder) equity commensurate with the individual’s experience.

TRAVEL

Travel will be no more than 20%.

CONTACT

Resume should be sent as a Word document to Ralph Protsik and Barb Piercecchi, and also posted on the BSG website, www.bsgtv.com. No phone calls please.