Movers & shakers: Traci Elder, Little & Co.

Age, title: 35, director of new business and marketing

Marketing executive Traci Elder, recently hired as director of new business and marketing at Minneapolis strategic design firm Little & Co., will promote the brand of a firm recognized for helping clients launch and build leading brands in a variety of industries.

Little & Co. describes itself as a firm that specializes in design-driven solutions that help firms build brands, strengthen workforces, launch products and connect with customers. Clients include Lowe's, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Medtronic and Target.

"We have decades-long relationships with some of the top brands in business across key industries," said Elder, who also is an expert in designing customer experiences. "My job is to get more people to know our story and our capabilities."

Elder said Little & Co., founded in 1979 by Chairwoman Monica Little, has everything she was looking for — design professionals who have transformed major brands from the inside out to help make them successful.

"I was looking for an organization that understands that today's most-successful brands deliver a consistent experience across every touch point, from sales to support," Elder said. "Little gets this and works with clients every day to use design thinking to solve their business problems."

Elder joined Little & Co. in January after six years at Best Buy, where she had most recently served as director of experience design, marketing and operations at Best Buy Connect, a start-up, private-label broadband service that she helped launch. She also worked in partnership development, product management and strategy at Best Buy's Geek Squad. Elder has a B.A. degree in international relations and Spanish from Concordia College.

A: I understand firsthand the balance our clients are trying to strike between creative and business goals. I believe that adding my point of view to the design conversations at Little will only enhance our ability to deliver rich, game-changing and profitable ideas to our clients.

Q: How will you approach generating new business?

A: We've brought to market literally some of the most recognizable brands and campaigns in history. I plan to use every tool at our disposal to tell our story to potential clients.

Q: Why should one of those prospects bring its business to Little & Co.?

A: Everyone is experienced, talented and brings a designer's eye to not only the visual creative, which is always stunning, but also to the business strategy supporting it. The talent is diverse, on purpose, since we believe bringing strong ideas from individuals with unique work and life experiences will lead to the best solutions.