Catherine Hamilton

Trestle Solutions Inc.

I build trestles that get Marketing programs from “here” (strong regional player) to “there” (ready to compete on the national stage).

Using a framework that makes Marketing transformation PREDICTABLE and FASTER, I will create a change vision + structure + execute with you or on a project basis, for you.

You’re a CMO or VP Marketing in a $20-$500 million company that’s unifying after long-term growth, starting EOS, or consolidating post-merger or acquisition who realizes that fractional, expert support will accelerate change - it can't be done off the "side of your desk."

Or a CEO who’s activating change and needs an interim Marketing leader to light the fire during an extended search for the right permanent resource. (I’ll onboard them too!)

Transformation is chaotic (IYKYK 😉).

And having the path, the plan, and a Marketing transformation expert at your side accelerates change and gets you to results faster. Companies with trestles:

🚀 Smashed an all-time monthly leads record within 10 months.

🚀 Untangled a 25-brand portfolio into a powerful unified brand that changes lives. (And saved $120K in annual regional media costs.)

🚀 Built a digital customer journey that became the template for all countries in the global model and teed up 25% more leads (and counting) from existing buyers.

🚀 Optimized their sales enablement touchpoints and tools, bringing Marketing and Sales together for the first time, and pivoting to a “shared responsibility for leads” mindset.

🚀 Uplevelled people, processes, and vendor partners, creating a Marketing infrastructure that can scale with growth. (And they posted 20% YOY last fiscal.)

Fractional CMO and Marketing Transformation Consultant I Founder & CEO

WSAudiology

During an extended search for a permanent Marketing leader, the CEO brought me in to oversee their large-scale rebrand project execution (US + global stakeholders, consolidate 36 brands to 1) and realign the team. Spearheaded evolution of the legacy Marketing program into the lead engine they needed to fuel significant growth plans. I also onboarded the new Marketing executive and ensured a smooth hand-off to that permanent role.

Interim CMO

me&ideas inc.

Working corporate from the agency side:

Account leadership for a $300 million US-based client with global stakeholders. Transformed the mix of traditional and digital Marketing programs + a focus on evolving brand and culture. Multiple new location launches with compressed leadgen targets.

Execution of a global brand for a business unit in Austria.

Account Director, North America

Connect Hearing

It's a challenging mission: sell a solution people don’t want to buy, at a price they don’t want to pay, for a problem they don't want to have. 

I was responsible for Marketing transformation, strategy, lead generation programs & conversion to qualified scheduled appointments. Brand strategy, traditional + digital media, client journey, acquisition & greenfield (new build) centres growth plans, call centre inbound & outbound lead generation. Optimized leadgen streams with North America and global stakeholders.

*Senior executive team: $80 million company, 400 staff, 130 retail locations
*Multi-year 10+% upside in lead generation
*Re-engineered a 9-person call centre, increasing productivity by 30% while positively impacting team KPIs and client satisfaction

Vice President of Marketing

I joined shortly after Connect Hearing was acquired by Sonova. Immediately executed a national rebrand (consolidating 23 brands into 1) along with a culture plan that unified disparate teams across the country. Transitioned from Operations “order-takers” to a professional Marketing team with an integrated IMC plan to effectively drive lead generation.

*Created a segmentation & customer lifecycle program that grew CLV 3x over CAC
*Development of the first national public relations program and content strategy
*Negotiated two national partnerships that extended reach beyond paid media into member-based communities

Director of Marketing

Suburbia Studios

Suburbia was a nationally recognized agency that created innovative, effective, and award-winning retail campaigns and brands. "Measure twice, cut once" is a phrase I've repeated often from my tenure there.

Key clients included Coastal Community Credit Union, Mic Mac Mall (Halifax) and Woodgrove Centre. Account management, brand development and re-positioning, campaign planning and execution, budget control and results measurement. This was a contract position.

Retail Accounts 

Dollar Financial Group

Retail financial at the $500+ million revenue level with more than 900 outlets across North America. Exceeded annual lead growth targets (always upward trending). Achieved 20% YOY growth.

This dynamic role involved strategic planning and execution of Marketing plans, ROI measurement, budget control, national advertising and sales promotions, qualitative & quantitative research, customer retention and loyalty programs and national merchandising within a complex regulatory environment. Multiple acquisitions. Also started with a franchise group; unravelled that to an owned model.

Senior Marketing Manager, North America

Focused on tourism, environment, hospitality and non-profit sectors. Accounts included Tourism Victoria, Ministries of Environment and Health, The Royal BC Museum, University of Victoria, Accent Inns, Quality Inns, United Way, Credit Union National Association (US). 

Client liaison and leadership, planning, estimating, budget control and project management. Pitching new business with senior management. Development of successful Marketing, brand, and rebrand campaigns. Use of Account Planning principles for qualitative research.

Account Manager

Helping Marketing leaders keep ALL the balls in the air during Growth l MarComm Leader I Brand Implementor I Builder of Content Frameworks I Rider of Road+Mountain+Gravel Bikes

I help VPs of Marketing in midmarket companies scale up. That’s my core work.

Because let’s be real—scaling marketing isn’t just “more marketing.” It’s an evolution. Bigger markets, bigger teams, bigger expectations. And it all needs to happen while still delivering today’s results.

No one prepares you for this part. Not your MBA. Not your last role. Definitely not the playbook that worked when the company was smaller. Yet here you are, staring down aggressive growth goals, needing to level up your marketing function—fast.

That’s why I created 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲-𝗨𝗽 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆.

Think of it as your "Batphone" to me. A direct line to an expert who’s been where you are – getting Marketing ready for the big leap from regional to national.

✅ Monthly strategic boardroom sessions to map out what scaling means for your department 
✅ “Ask Me Anything” calls to tackle roadblocks in real-time 
✅ Proven playbooks & templates so you don’t have to start from scratch 
✅ A true sounding board—because big decisions shouldn’t be made in a vacuum

Scaling marketing doesn’t have to be a solo sport. If you need a Batphone, let’s talk.

But what if you’re not at the scaling stage yet? What if marketing isn’t bringing in buyers in the first place? I saw that gap too.

So I teamed up with two experts—each a specialist in their field—to build 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀.

Mass marketing is dead. Leads ≠ Buyers. And if the wrong buyers keep showing up, no amount of marketing spend will fix it.

That’s why we created a 30-day accelerator that aligns marketing and sales to attract High Value Buyers—the ones who are ready to invest now.

If you’re a Founder or CEO of a high-touch B2C business ($10M-$20M revenue, 50-100 employees) and you’re tired of wasting money on marketing that isn’t helping you sell, let’s talk.

📩 DM me with “BATPHONE” if you’re scaling up Marketing to support ambitious company growth.

📩 DM me with “MTS” if you want to help your buyers to buy and your sellers to sell.

Pursuit Collection

Art Direction + Brand partnerships

Clients: InterGen • Pursuit • Thinkific • UBC • Genstar

Creative Consultant, Design, Art Direction

Flipp Advertising Inc.

Art Director

McCann

Clients: Bayer CropScience, Vecova, Alberta Ballet

Art Director/Designer

Foundry

Designer

BMIR

Agrium, Crescent Point, Churchill Construction and Big Brothers & Sisters.

Manasc Isaac Architects

As an Interior designer I collaborated on Interior design projects for commercial, government and educational facilities by incorporating sustainable design solutions. Enhancing the function and quality of interior spaces from conceptual development to creating mill-work drawings, mood boards and spacial planning.

As a graphic designer I developed a re-fresh of the corporate brand and re-design for the company's website, as well as producing other in house design collateral.

Huguenot

As my first job out of design school, I had the opportunity to work in an Irish design firm working with commercial and local clients such as Supervalu and Fota Island. Producing a broad range of design solutions from logos, brochures, and packaging to larger scale environmental graphics and advertising.

Junior designer

Andrea Merkl is creator, writer, designer and change maker. She is an advocate and forerunner of conscious leadership and purpose driven marketing, working with purpose driven companies to implement positive change and social impact.

With a background in Visual Communications, she is a vetted creative thinker with over 15 years of experience in the design and advertising industry. Her portfolio reflects her passion for innovative and strategic communications.


Creative : andreamerkl.cargo.site
Book : giftofinfidelity.ca
Course : Conscious Co-Parenting
Get in touch : hellomerkl@gmail.com

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The Battle

Catherine Hamilton

Andrea Merkl (she / her)

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