Christopher Olberding

Brand Technology Marketing

I've spent nearly two decades operating at the intersection of these three disciplines — building brands from scratch, leading digital transformation at scale, and running the campaigns that connect the two. From founding and growing a marketing agency to leading enterprise strategy as a VP, the through-line has always been the same: using technology to make brands matter more.

Brand Built them from nothing, reshaped them at scale.

Technology From writing code to leading digital transformation.

Marketing 450+ campaigns, from startup scrappiness to enterprise precision.

What I Do

Product Strategy

Roadmap and go-to-market from zero to scale

Team Leadership

Built and led teams of 3 to 25 across product and engineering

Brand Architecture

From naming to visual identity systems at enterprise scale

Campaign Strategy

450+ campaigns from startup scrappiness to enterprise precision

Frontend Development

Modern web platforms, React, TypeScript, design systems

Data & Analytics

Measurement frameworks, BI, and data-informed decisions

Where I've Been

2020 – Present

VP of Digital Strategy

Financial Services Company

Leading digital transformation across consumer-facing platforms. Overseeing product, design, and engineering teams building the next generation of banking experiences.

2015 – 2020

Director of Product

Enterprise SaaS Platform

Built and scaled a product organization from 3 to 25 people. Launched a self-service platform that grew to 10K+ monthly active users within 18 months.

2011 – 2015

Senior Engineer & Tech Lead

Digital Agency

Designed and built web applications for clients across healthcare, education, and media. Introduced modern frontend practices and mentored junior developers.

2007 – 2011

Web Developer

Startup & Freelance

Cut my teeth building everything from marketing sites to early web apps. Learned that shipping matters more than perfection.

How I Work

Start with the problem, not the tool.

Every engagement begins by understanding the real constraint, not jumping to the trending solution.

Write it down.

If a strategy can't be explained in plain language, it's not a strategy yet.

Ship, then refine.

Iteration beats perfection. The first version teaches you what the second version should be.

Build around the mission.

Small, trusted teams with clear ownership outperform large organizations every time.

Measure what matters.

The most important metrics are rarely the ones that come out of the box.

Stay technical.

Leaders who can't read the code, read the data, or sketch the wireframe are managing blind.

Shaped By

The thinkers and ideas that permanently changed how I see my work.

Systems thinking Donella Meadows Every problem is a system. Change the system, not the symptom.

The Cycle Tim Wu Every open technology eventually gets captured. Then the cycle restarts.

Design as ethics Don Norman Every design decision is a decision about who gets included.

Legibility vs. reality James C. Scott The map is never the territory, especially when institutions draw it.

Stoic pragmatism Marcus Aurelius Control what you can. Release the rest.

Range over specialization David Epstein Generalists find what specialists miss.

Outside of Work — A

Fatherhood

The most important work I'll ever do. Two kids who keep me honest and humble.

Arsenal

Lifelong Gooner. The hope and heartbreak are part of the deal.

Cello

Late starter, slow learner, completely hooked.

Philosophy & History

Stoics, systems thinkers, and the patterns that repeat across centuries.

Watercolor

The only medium that punishes you for trying to control it.

Sci-Fi

Still convinced the best business books are actually Asimov novels.

Outside of Work — D