Frahm joins Benchmark as chief marketing officer

Waltham, MA According to Benchmark, Heather Frahm has joined the company’s senior leadership team in the newly created role of chief marketing officer (CMO). Frahm has earned national acclaim as a digital marketing thought leader and pioneer and has addressed audiences nationwide, including at conferences for CBI, Digital Summit and Search Engine Strategies.

As CMO, Frahm will be responsible for Benchmark’s brand strategy, advertising, market research, marketing communications, customer experience and marketing automation and will be a key contributor to the company’s growing innovation strategy.

In 1998, she co-founded Boston-based Catalyst, a search engine marketing firm specializing in serving Fortune 500 companies. In 2006, Frahm and her co-founder sold the company to a subsidiary of global ad conglomerate WPP, and she continued serving as the company’s president until 2013.

“Heather brings a fresh perspective to our industry and the ability to leverage data and content to create meaningful online experiences to engage people with our mission to elevate human connection,” says Tom Grape, Benchmark’s founder, chairman and CEO. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know her over the years on both a personal and professional level. She shares our commitment to putting people first, and her unique approach to business, problem-solving and innovation will be an invaluable asset as we embark upon expanding Benchmark into new areas.”

An accomplished business leader and entrepreneur, Frahm began her career in financial services. Before co-founding Catalyst in 1998, she served as an assistant vice president for BankBoston’s commercial lending financial institutions group and was a member of its internet marketing team. She also held positions at State Street Bank and Trust, Donaldson Lufkin, & Jenrette, and Goldman Financial Group.

“After helping care for my own mother, I have a deep appreciation for the work that Benchmark does and for Tom as a fellow entrepreneur,” said Frahm. “Benchmark’s mission, to keep its residents, families and associates connected to what’s meaningful and possible at every stage of life, is one that changes lives, and I look forward to helping fulfill that mission by touching even more people in the months and years to come.”