Healthcare IT marketing leadership

Marketing leadership that turns strategy into pipeline.

I help healthcare technology teams build brand, demand generation and pipeline that sales can actually see. I bring 15+ years of marketing leadership, 12+ of them in healthcare IT, and I'm looking for my next full-time VP or Director of Marketing role. I'm also available for fractional work.

Portrait of Susan Berndt
$2.05MARR from one demand-gen campaign
$6MMarketing-attributed revenue
growth in 18 months
$30M+Outstanding pipeline supported
by marketing programs
10+Events managed each year, from industry trade shows and user conferences to employee summits and customer symposiums

Services

The full marketing function, or the one piece you're missing.

Whether I'm leading your marketing team full time or supporting it as a fractional partner, these are the areas where I add the most value.

Marketing Strategy

Annual plans, positioning and budgets tied to revenue goals, with clear KPIs from day one.

Marketing Consulting

An experienced outside view on your funnel, tech stack, team structure and go-to-market.

Brand Marketing

Messaging and brand refreshes that speak to TPAs, health plans and payers.

Demand Generation

Targeted, ABM-style campaigns built to create pipeline, with attribution so you can see what worked.

Digital Marketing

Website, SEO and AEO for AI search visibility, email and HubSpot automation that runs smoothly.

Content Marketing

Thought leadership, podcasts, case studies and sales collateral that earn trust with buyers.

Growth Marketing

Testing, funnel reporting and sales and marketing alignment so results build quarter over quarter.

Social Media Marketing

LinkedIn-first programs, paid and organic, that grow executive presence and industry reach.

Who I work with

I already speak your buyers' language.

Healthcare IT has long sales cycles, layered buying committees and plenty of acronyms. I've spent more than a decade marketing to these audiences, so we can skip the learning curve and get to work.

  • Benefits Administration PlatformsSelling to health plans, TPAs and self-funded employers
  • Clearinghouse & Claims TechnologyClaims and data exchange for payers and health plans
  • Workflow & Digital MailroomAutomation and document intake for health plans
  • Payer & Health Plan TechnologyOperations and plan administration for payers
  • Member Portals & EnrollmentEnrollment, self-service and member experience
  • Healthcare EquipmentProvider and facility buyers

How we work together

Full time, fractional or project-based.

My goal is a full-time leadership role, and I'm also open to fractional and project work. Here are the most common starting points.

Full time

VP or Director of Marketing

A hands-on marketing leader who joins your team for the long term, builds the function and partners closely with sales, product and customer success.

  • Building and growing the marketing team
  • Strategy, budget and pipeline goals tied to revenue
  • Attribution and reporting for leadership and the board

Ongoing

Fractional Marketing Leader

A part-time VP or Director of Marketing who joins your leadership team, sets direction and works alongside your people.

  • Marketing strategy, budget and roadmap
  • Team coaching, hiring and agency management
  • Pipeline and attribution reporting for leadership

Project-based

Campaign & Program Builds

A defined project with a clear finish line, built and launched together with your team.

  • Demand generation or ABM campaigns
  • Content creation and design direction
  • Rebrands, website relaunches and SEO/AEO

Advisory

Strategic Advisory

Regular working sessions for founders and marketing leaders who want an experienced partner to think with.

  • Marketing audits and 90-day plans
  • HubSpot and tech stack reviews
  • Practical AI workflows for marketing teams

The process

From first call to measurable results.

  1. Listen

    We talk through your goals, your buyers, what's working and what isn't. I learn from your sales, product and customer teams.

  2. Assess & plan

    I review your funnel, content and tech stack, then share a focused plan with priorities, budget and KPIs.

  3. Build together

    We launch the programs side by side. I stay hands-on with campaigns and reporting while supporting your team.

  4. Measure & grow

    Regular reporting on leads, pipeline and ROI, so we keep investing in what works and adjust what doesn't.

Track record

Results from inside healthcare IT teams.

VBA2024 to 2026 · Benefits Administration Platform

Fractional Marketing Leader, then Director of Marketing

  • Joined as a fractional leader and was brought on full time after six months, building the marketing function from the ground up.
  • Designed a targeted demand-generation campaign that produced $2.05M in minimum-commitment ARR.
  • Created the company's first marketing attribution framework for leads, campaign ROI and pipeline.
  • Launched the "Care Beyond Code" podcast and hosted two in-person annual user conferences that beat attendance and sponsorship goals.
  • Formed the first Executive Advisory Board of 10 TPA leaders to help shape roadmap and messaging.
Perspecta2023 to 2024 · Provider Data Management

Director of Marketing

  • Moved sales and marketing from Salesforce to HubSpot for integrated reporting and attribution.
  • Led a brand refresh and new content to better reach target buyers.
  • Supported internal and external communications for the TalisPoint merger, and led the sales team for six months.
Smart Data Solutions2016 to 2023 · Workflow Automation & Digital Mailroom

Marketing Coordinator to VP, Marketing & Customer Experience

  • Built B2B marketing plans that drove $6M in attributed revenue growth in 18 months.
  • Helped integrate two acquired companies, aligning business plans and bringing their marketing efforts together under one brand.
  • Ran event marketing for 20+ conferences a year and hosted semi-annual customer symposiums.
  • Implemented HubSpot across sales, marketing and service, and grew traffic through SEO and a website relaunch.
  • Hired and led 15+ people across marketing, sales and customer service.
Susan Berndt

About Susan

A player-coach who likes building things.

I started my career as a graphic designer and worked my way from marketing coordinator to VP, which means I've done most of the jobs on a marketing team myself. I'm just as comfortable shaping strategy with a leadership team as I am building a campaign in HubSpot.

My favorite work is helping growing healthcare technology companies turn good products into strong brands and steady pipeline. I bring structure and reporting, and I build real relationships with sales, product and customers along the way.

I also use AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT and Replit to move faster on content, campaigns and reporting, always with human review built in. I'm based in Lakeville, Minnesota, and work remotely with teams across the country. I'm looking for my next full-time leadership role, and I'm also open to fractional work.

Core competencies
Demand Generation & Pipeline GrowthAccount-Based MarketingAttribution, KPI & Funnel ReportingSales & Marketing AlignmentHealthcare Technology MarketingBrand & MessagingContent & Thought LeadershipTrade Shows & Event MarketingCustomer ExperiencePublic & Analyst RelationsMarketing Tech Stack ManagementBudget, Agency & Vendor ManagementTeam Leadership & HiringMerger & Acquisition CommunicationsAI-Enabled Marketing
Tools & platforms
HubSpotSalesforceGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Search ConsoleSEO / AEOEmail MarketingLinkedInWordPressAdobe Creative SuiteClaudeChatGPTReplitMicrosoft Office

Let's talk

Ready to grow your pipeline?

I'm looking for my next full-time VP or Director of Marketing role in healthcare IT, and I'm also open to fractional engagements. Recruiters, hiring managers and founders are all welcome to reach out.

Based in
Lakeville, MN · Working remotely nationwide
Book a 30-minute call