Cindy Oelke is a marketing strategy consultant and freelance writer for Outlook Business Solutions. She lives in Omaha, Neb. with her husband Jerry O’Brien. They are avid travelers and enjoy exploring different parts of the world. They recently moved into a condo so that they would have the freedom to shut the door and leave. They’re also excited that they no longer have to scoop snow or rake leaves.
Cindy holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and a Bachelor of Finance degree from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She has over 20 years of experience in philanthropy and 30 years of experience in strategy, marketing and communications. She has developed strategic plans, launched new product lines and created a crisis communication plan for a major business.
Most recently, she has worked in the non-profit sector as a philanthropy officer and capital campaign consultant. Before joining the non-profit world, Cindy was in marketing at ConAgra Foods and General Mills. She loved to manage the Cinnamon Toast brand because of the different demographic targets and advertising campaigns.
In addition to her professional work, she is also very involved in the community. She currently sits on the Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless board in the Omaha Metro area. She was a member of Leadership Omaha and a founding member of Omaha Venture Group. Other local boards she has been a member of include Heartland Family Service, Youth Emergency Services and Shakespeare on the Green. She was also the National Director of Graduate Women in Business.
A little-known fact is Cindy was in the first Peace Corps group to volunteer in Ukraine in 1992. She worked with a startup bank and was able to help create investment policy. She also helped create a Russian language program for English speakers wanting to learn Russian. Cindy started her writing career in Ukraine when she wrote articles for newspapers in the U.S. about her experiences. She also wrote for a Ukrainian business journal. Cindy taught her first MBA course through Wayne State University in Lviv, Ukraine. At that time, she taught Finance, which was her undergraduate degree. She later taught International Business and Marketing at the MBA program at Buena Vista University located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Cindy is excited to join Outlook Business Solutions as a writer and marketing strategist. As a person with vision issues, she’s eager to begin working at Outlook Business Solutions to help businesses manage their marketing strategy.