Candace McKeever
cbondmck@impactstrategiesllc.com
Candace McKeever is a managing partner in Impact Strategies providing full service multi-media consulting and production services with a specialization in strategic marketing, live event production.
With more than 17 years of experience with music, live events, television and strategic marketing; Candace has demonstrated a proven ability to develop and grow corporate divisional revenues and profits. She has assisted numerous blue chip brands in developing entertainment driven initiatives that connect with consumer lifestyles. Clients include Starbucks Entertainment, Anheuser-Busch, Essence Magazine, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Diageo, VIBE Magazine, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The NAACP, Reach Media Inc. The Tom Joyner Morning Show, CodeBlack Entertainment, Translation Advertising, Hidden Beach Recordings LLC the NRDC and many others.
Serving most recently as Vice President and General Manager of Essence Entertainment, Candace was responsible for the day-to-day management of the division and oversaw the development of all business initiatives in the areas of film, television, music, radio and live entertainment. In that position, she achieved a 49% increase in divisional operating profits through innovative business partnerships and improved operational efficiencies.
It was there that she produced the Essence Music Festival, the nation’s largest R&B and Soul music festival in New Orleans, LA attracting over 250,000 attendees. She successfully oversaw negotiations with the City of New Orleans resulting in a 5 year multi-million partnership deal. She also produced the Essence Music Festival TV Special on UPN and the Essence Awards, delivering its first ever profit. In this position, she successfully built alliances with a number of blue chip consumer companies including American Express, AOL, Budweiser, Burger King, Chevrolet, Cingular Wireless, Clorox, Daimler Chrysler, Nokia, Coca Cola, HBO, JC Penney, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, McDonalds, Pepsi, Southwest Airlines, State Farm, Touchstone, Universal Studios and Warner Brothers.
Prior to this position, Candace held the position of VP of Ancillary Business Development for de Passe Entertainment where she was responsible for the development and implementation of all ancillary business ventures and marketing in association with de Passe Entertainment broadcast and film properties including The Temptations miniseries on NBC, Motown 40 special on ABC, and the 2001 NAACP
Image Awards.
From 1992–1997, she held the position of Vice President of Catalog and Special Markets for Motown Record Co. While at Motown, she executive produced over 100 music titles. In this position, she had a demonstrated track record in successfully leveraging entertainment assets across multimedia platforms and generating substantial revenue and profit growth. For her achievements, she was selected to participate in the London School of Economics leadership program sponsored by PolyGram Records. She was also selected by the President of PolyGram North America to be part of the national corporate “think tank” on strategic multi-media issues.
She received her B.A. with honors from Harvard University and her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee, a Board member of the American Red Cross of Southern California and serves on the National Finance Committee for the Obama for America campaign.
