OIA Hires Christie Hickman as VP of Market Insights
OutdoorHub 05.23.13
Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) announces the hire of Christie Hickman as vice president of market insights. Hickman brings more than 20 years of experience in research, insight and strategy to her new role.
“We are excited to welcome Christie to the OIA leadership team. Her extensive experience in working with high profile clients like Proctor & Gamble, Walmart and Sony Electronics; her knowledge gained as a specialty wine retailer; combined with her social media expertise will be a great asset to OIA and our members,” said OIA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer. “The outdoor industry faces significant shifts in consumer expectations and best business practices, and we look forward to Christie helping our members better understand their path to success.”
Christie Hickman comes to OIA from J.D. Powers, where she was the acting director and senior manager of consumer insights and strategy and responsible for their social media research group. Christie led the team that specialized in conducting consumer quantitative and qualitative social media research and analysis for numerous Fortune 500 consumer package goods and retailer clients.
Hickman started her career in insights at an integrated marketing agency called Upshot Marketing in Chicago where she was a vice president, managing a 30+ person staff across the account services and creative teams. Her clients included the cosmetics division of Proctor & Gamble (Oil of Olay, Max Factor and Cover Girl brands), Microsoft and Sony Electronics, where she led market research efforts for building brand and communication strategies. Christie and her husband shared a passion for living in the mountains, so they moved to Colorado in 2001 and opened a boutique retail wine store. Eventually, Christie returned to independent consulting for clients like PepsiCo, 7UP, Walmart, Gatorade, Nike and Colgate-Palmolive, to name just a few.
“The outdoor industry membership is facing unprecedented shifts in consumer behavior,” said Hickman. “It is vital that small specialty brands and retailers have the same level of market insights as the most sophisticated brands in the world. Outdoor Industry Association will play a significant role in making this happen, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
Hickman graduated Cum Laude from the University of Arizona, Tucson, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts. She will officially join the OIA management team on June 3.
