The StiehlWorks Team

StiehlWorks has over three decades of experience studying customers and markets to help our clients achieve their goals. Whether it is understanding the needs of your diverse customers (so-called “Voice of the Customer” projects), defining predictive internal measures, or the strategic planning and design of your next product or service offering, StiehlWorks can help you. We have conducted studies for Fortune 500 companies, utilities and corporations, from "dot coms" to hardware suppliers. Our clients have also included non-profit and government agencies, health charities and industry associations. We have also assisted our clients with unique strategic planning activities based upon customer input..

StiehlWorks takes a comprehensive approach to creating and using the Voice of the Customer to develop customer-driven internal business metrics, execute customer satisfaction surveys and choose among competing improvement strategies, as described in the Barnes&Noble.com "Best Seller" Pain Killer Marketing. We have applied these techniques to client issues ranging from how to gain more customers at a neighborhood movie theater to how to sell more products in a worldwide market for a Fortune 500 company. The techniques work equally as well for non-profits in finding more volunteers, finding more donors or crafting the messaging for communications and events.

StiehlWorks products (CDs, DVDs, and Books) may be purchased HERE. These products give stories and examples of the approach to the Voice of the Customer described in Pain Killer Marketing and used by Chris and Lorraine Stiehl.

Chris StiehlChris Stiehl

Chris Stiehl is a market research and strategic consulting professional. Chris helps companies and non-profits understand their customers and choose among alternative actions to influence them. He has over 35 years experience working in and for Fortune 500 companies. Chris is skilled in strategic planning, marketing and market research, competitive analysis, engineering and in management.

Chris has an undergraduate degree from the UC-San Diego and advanced degrees in Experimental Psychology and Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan. He also studied with international quality leaders such as Dorian Shainin while at Polaroid, W. Edwards Deming while at Cadillac, and Bradley Gale and Ray Kordupleski while at Pacific Gas & Electric.

Besides teaching at several major universities from coast to coast, Chris co-authored the best-seller Pain Killer Marketing and contributed a chapter to 42 Rules For Driving Success With Books. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as well as on the Leadership Council of the Pediatric Diabetes Research Center at UCSD in San Diego. Along with Lorraine (see below), Chris co-hosted the 2003 Super Bowl Gala for LifeSharing, the organ donation organization for San Diego.

Chris and Lorraine were honored as the "Family of the Year" by the San Diego Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at their Dream Ball Gala in 2008.

 

Lorraine Stiehl

Lorraine Stiehl has provided marketing and fundraising support, and strategic planning guidance, for numerous charitable organizations during her 25-year career in non-profit management. She has also provided strategic planning, marketing and sales management support for multiple software and new technology companies.

While working for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Lorraine opened chapters in 17 new markets in 14 states. During her tenure she was named "National Executive Director of the Year" and "Staff Member of the Year" on separate occasions. After retiring from her professional career at JDRF in 2001, Lorraine became active as a volunteer. Currently, she serves as the national volunteer chair for grassroots advocacy for JDRF. In this role, she leads a team of 16 regional volunteers on the Grassroots Leadership Team, 150 volunteer state leaders and 80,000 volunteer advocates. In May, 2010, Lorraine was named "Volunteer of the Year" for JDRF for her work in government relations and grassroots advocacy (click HERE).

Through StiehlWorks, Lorraine was instrumental in helping the Lymphoma Research Foundation develop their chapter structure in the western states. She recruited, trained and managed volunteer advocate leaders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Seattle and Phoenix. Lorraine also helped to coordinate advocacy efforts for the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act (Prop 71). She is an active volunteer for the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine. Last winter she was the only patient advocate serving on the consortium's committee for their groundbreaking celebration. Lorraine is a volunteer consultant for the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, as well as the 101 Artists' Colony, the Hydrologic Research Center and United Through Reading.

Lorraine has completed Voice of the Customer research assignments for StiehlWorks for more than a decade, including for non-profit entities and for industrial customers. These efforts have taken her from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to Switzerland.

Lorraine and Chris are proud to have been selected as Patient Advocate Coordinators for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). In this role, Lorraine and Chris will educate, excite and empower stem cell advocates in California and the world at large.

 

Michele Huie

Michele Huie has recently joined StiehlWorks as a Research Associate. Michele is a positive and creative communications and research professional. She has significant well-rounded experience in non-profits and industry. She has directed communications and marketing activities for 12 years in technology, law and health care fields. Michele has managed new revenue streams for health charities, including translating technical scientific material to engage advocates and clients in research. Michele has conducted research on website design, as well as managed press releases, written and placed advertising and directed marketing and communications for national health care organizations.

In addition to her charity work, Michele has directed the communications and marketing efforts for tech, health and law-related companies, including business development, advertising strategies (including creative work), publicity, interviews and sales proposals.

Michele has her Bachelor's Degree in History and Political Science from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Michigan), including a year of study at Oxford University, Oxford, England.

Michele is a volunteer of KIPP Adelante Preperatory Academy in San Diego and serves as co-chair on the Marketing and Communications Committee for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Michele adds her talents to Chris and Lorraine at StiehlWorks as a research, marketing and communoications professional with deep passions for studying markets and communicating with patients or customers.

 

Jessica Ching

Jessica Ching partnered with the Stiehlworks team in 2010. Jessica has over 20 years of marketing experience in the consumer and medical technologies industries. She has held various strategy and marketing leadership roles at large corporations, start-ups, and on the agency side. Most recently Jessica was Director of Marketing for Abbott Laboratories managing the business unit for a new medical device. During her tenure at Abbott she specialized in new product commercialization, strategic planning, operational management, and launching new brands into the marketplace. Prior to Abbott, Jessica worked for Toshiba Computer Systems, Gateway Research Group, Samsung, Dexcom, and Mazda Motors. 

Over the past 10 years Jessica has served on boards of directors at the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.   Jessica earned a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Hawaii and an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California.

Jessica looks forward to adding her talents to the StiehlWorks projects involving marketing and market research for industry and patient advocacy.