Arif Sitabkhan

About Arif Sitabkhan

For a bunch of hairless apes, we\'ve actually managed to invent some pretty incredible things.” - Ernest Cline, Ready Player OneWith 20+ years of experience in Global Marketing Innovation and New Product Development I provide strategy development, ideation, concept development, design agency management, consumer research and business case development. More recently, I built a service based business from scratch that allowed me to grow my General Management experience. My strengths are being creative while also being very business focused, the ability to speak with technical teams and my strong foundation in my background with technical development and R&D. I have a strong technical background as well as a well rounded marketing acumen, with a wealth of experience globally on innovation, innovation methodologies and processes to come up with new product pipelines. Additionally, through my Entrepreneur experience, I broadened my strengths in Direct Sales, Operations and Financial management. My passions are adding value to a company and its employees, relentlessly ensuring that what I am doing has a positive influence on society. This is also how and why I founded and developed Smash My Trash, which had such an amazing sustainability story.Let’s connect!

Experience

1. Chief Innovation Officer - Fractional

   Duallie Luggage Corporation

   Jun 2023 — Present · Cleveland, OH, US

   Duallie Luggage is an innovative start-up luxury luggage brand based in Cleveland, OH. As the fractional Chief Innovation Officer, I lead key areas including Marketing and Strategy, Product Development, Consumer Research, Competitive and Trend Analysis, and oversee partnerships with external design and engineering firms.Strategic Development & ValidationCo-led the strategy for our luggage concept by driving product development and consumer research efforts to answer two critical questions: Define the specific target groups who would most benefit from the concept and can we design and manufacture it successfully?Consumer Research & InsightsAuthored concept statements and conducted quantitative research to validate the concept and identify user segments. Personally led and moderated four consumer focus groups, engaging with diverse audiences to refine the concept and define core user personas. These insights informed the development of three buyer personas, which now serve as the foundation for our branding and marketing strategy.Project LeadershipCreated a detailed project charter outlining key development criteria to maintain focus and prevent scope creep. Managed the selection process for external design and engineering partners, ensuring alignment with our goals and vision.Competitive & Market AnalysisConducted in-depth competitive and trend research, resulting in a comprehensive Blue Ocean map covering 10 key competitors within our target price category. These findings shaped the refinement of our luxury luggage concept, positioning us uniquely in the market.

Education

• Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Marketing, Entrepreneurship

• Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Marketing and Entrepreneurship

• Saint Ignatius High School

  High School Diploma

• University of Michigan

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Chemistry