Mal McElroy
Mal McElroy
Senior Manager, Marketing
I lead MOT’s marketing function with a growing team of creative and lead generation professionals. My passion lies in solving problems, thoughtfully telling stories, and exercising both left- and right-brain skills in my day-to-day role. From managing key parts of our sales funnel, to collaborating with department leads, to creative brainstorming and messaging, my role allows me to connect with others and think outside of the box in a growing (and increasingly competitive) industry.
// contact
- mal.mcelroy@maskedowltechnologies.com
- 859.421.7608
// Q & A
The parts of my role that I love
I love that every single day I wake up both excited and totally scared. Joining a startup (in an unfamiliar industry) after leaving the corporate world was certainly a big leap of faith. I was employee #1; the only other person in the room that first day of launching an industrial solutions company on a mission to do things differently. I recognize the beauty in seeing MOT grow in front of my eyes and how lucky I am to have incredible leaders and innovators by my side. Most of all, I love my team. Partnering with and learning from them daily has been a highlight of my role. I’m so grateful for their insights, ideas, and talents.
What excites me about Masked Owl Technologies
No project or solution is ever the same. I came from a business where there was a strong renewal aspect and a highly established, world-class catalog of services. In our industry, every project, customer, and manufacturing system is different. It’s been eye-opening to learn about industrial automation and to be a part of building behind-the-scenes processes and strategies. I’ve been involved in areas I never imagined I would be – like product marketing, building a sales funnel, writing scripts and elevator pitches, video campaigns, and more. Not to mention, we have great partnerships that have led to opportunities involving everything from charity flag football (on Detroit’s Ford Field, of all places!) to NASCAR. Yes, a startup environment can be scary – but for me, it’s a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead. What’s the best that can happen?
A professional accomplishment I’m proud of
A while back, my colleague told me I was a great writer. I enjoy writing and I practice it daily (both professionally and through a whole lot of hand-written mail). In my role, it’s taught me how to embrace mistakes and take a step back to ask the right – and often difficult – questions. What do I want to say? Is it compelling? Overly embellished? What language is working and not working? How can I simplify without losing the message’s integrity? Most of the time, I need to make a lot of edits. That’s the nature of the skill and the truth when you’re a rookie. I’m always learning, but I smile when I think of my progress.
Personal/fun facts
I grew up in the Bluegrass, the center of some of the best horse races and most beautiful farms in the world. I spend most of my time in Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio (I’m based in Columbus). Midwest is best?! After hours, you can find me painting; a lifelong passion and true source of joy. I also love to visit art exhibits/museums, spend time with my amazing family, spoil two really special English Springer Spaniels, and connect with lifelong friends.
