
Brian Parrish
Verified Expert in Marketing
Marketing Expert
Atlanta, GA, United States
Toptal member since August 7, 2025
Brian is a healthcare marketing leader with 25+ years of experience across provider, payer, and health information technology (HIT) solutions. As a CMO at CVS Health, he drove brand and growth strategy for data and population health businesses. He also oversaw global marketing for a public UK company and built and sold the nation's largest HIT marketing agency, leading strategic marketing for 250+ firms. Brian's strategic, hands-on approach drives real results—not just vanity metrics.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- B2B
- Demand Generation
- Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies
- Omnichannel Marketing
- Product Marketing
- Strategy
- Team Leadership
Work Experience
Principal
Twelve84
- Delivered a full GTM strategy and onboarding playbook for a national physician group, supporting enterprise readiness and operational scale.
- Drove double-digit campaign engagement and pipeline growth for a shiftwork safety company by building verticalized account-based marketing (ABM) programs across pharma, utilities, and food manufacturing.
- Supported PE-backed teams in aligning sales and marketing through demand generation, brand strategy, and performance tracking frameworks.
Go-to-market Consultant
Shape Health, LLC
- Developed and launched a comprehensive go-to-market strategy and messaging framework that positioned Shape Health for successful expansion across New Mexico employer and health system markets.
- Delivered a complete brand foundation—personas, narrative, and multi-channel campaign architecture—resulting in a clear, actionable roadmap for marketing activation and sales enablement.
- Built and implemented scalable playbooks for content, influencer, and social strategy that established Shape Health’s identity and readiness for investor outreach and market traction.
Head of Integrated Marketing Growth
Unlock Health
- Directed demand generation and ABM programs aimed at senior marketing and growth leaders across leading US health systems, positioning Unlock Health as a strategic partner.
- Generated $3.2 million in quarterly pipeline growth via tailored campaigns, onsite engagements, event-driven outreach, and precision-targeted messaging.
- Secured 30+ C-level and VP-level meetings, converting 11 into sales-qualified opportunities within a 90-day window.
Chief Marketing Officer
CVS Health
- Boosted marketing qualified leads by 224% year-over-year, significantly expanding the sales pipeline and accelerating revenue growth.
- Directed go-to-market strategies for innovative wellness and data analytics offerings targeting CVS Caremark, Aetna, employers, and health plans.
- Implemented targeted paid search and intent-based digital campaigns, generating 25,000+ high-intent prospect interactions on the ActiveHealth website.
- Created and launched a refreshed HDMS brand identity aligned with CVS Health's enterprise standards, enhancing market positioning.
Vice President of Marketing
The Craneware Group
- Spearheaded 232% revenue growth and contributed to strategic expansion through the acquisition of Sentry Data Systems.
- Built The Craneware Group brand from the ground up—driving identity development, messaging, and digital platforms for a healthcare software business of over $180 million.
- Led brand activation and demand generation campaigns across a complex suite of solutions, increasing awareness and accelerating pipeline growth.
- Developed and executed annual marketing plans with measurable KPIs, ensuring alignment between marketing activity and company-wide growth objectives.
Executive Vice President
Merge
- Managed 30 FTEs and a $6 million client portfolio spanning 50+ healthcare IT and services companies.
- Transformed the agency into a multi-million-dollar integrated marketing firm, driving its acquisition by Myelin in 2015 as a core member of the executive team.
- Spearheaded product marketing initiatives in partnership with cross-functional teams and external partners, streamlining go-to-market strategies.
- Monitored and optimized client service delivery, driving year-over-year improvements in customer satisfaction scores.
Project History
Rebrand and GTM Overhaul for a Health Analytics and Population Health Business
- 224% — Increase in Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs)
- 25,000+ — High-intent Prospect Interactions on the ActiveHealth Website
A CVS Health subsidiary, ActiveHealth was struggling to generate employer and broker engagement for its population health and analytics business. Despite strong capabilities, the brand was outdated, the value proposition was unclear, and lead generation was inconsistent. In short, conversion rates were low, marketing lacked focus, and the sales team had little to work with.
I conducted market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and internal stakeholder interviews to uncover brand perception gaps and audience needs. I then led the rebrand, which included new messaging, visual identity, and a focused value proposition tailored to employer and broker decision-makers. Additionally, I built a new go-to-market plan, aligning marketing channels, campaigns, and sales enablement tools around high-potential employer segments. We developed integrated campaigns, optimized the website for conversion, created sales decks, and launched thought leadership content targeting benefits leaders.
We achieved a 224% increase in MQLs within six months of relaunch, generated new pipeline growth from Fortune 500 employers and national brokers, and obtained a significant improvement in internal alignment across sales, product, and marketing. We also created a repeatable GTM motion that the organization could build on long-term.
Pipeline Growth for PE-backed Marketing Firm
- $3.2 Million — New Sales Pipeline
- 30+ — C-level and VP-level Meetings within a 90-day Window
Unlock Health, a marketing and technology firm focused on top US health systems, needed to accelerate growth in a crowded, relationship-driven market. Despite a strong leadership team and offerings, they lacked a scalable marketing strategy, and the sales team was doing most of the heavy lifting without enough qualified leads or enterprise-level messaging support.
I refined brand positioning and messaging to resonate with C-level hospital executives and built a targeted account-based marketing (ABM) program focused on the top 100 US health systems. I also developed sales enablement materials, including pitch decks, one-pagers, and vertical-specific collateral. Additionally, I launched integrated campaigns across email, LinkedIn, direct mail, and webinars, supported by tight CRM and lead tracking protocols.
By bringing together strategy, execution, and cross-functional collaboration, I turned a referral-heavy business into a high-performing marketing engine that delivered real pipeline and accelerated deal velocity. We generated $3.2 million in new pipeline in under nine months, secured high-value meetings with health system CFOs, COOs, and CMOs, and created a sustainable marketing infrastructure and clear GTM motion for future growth. These efforts elevated brand perception and engagement in a competitive space.
Global Growth and Integration Post-acquisition
- 232% — Revenue Growth Over Five Years
- Over $180 Million — Brand Platform and Positioning for a Revenue-generating Business
- Over 100% — Increase in Marketing-influenced Pipeline after Brand Activation
Craneware, a public UK-based healthcare revenue integrity company, had acquired US-based Sentry Data Systems and needed to unify brands, messaging, and marketing efforts across the combined organization. The company faced inconsistent market positioning, siloed teams, and a limited US brand presence relative to competitors in the healthcare IT space.
I led rebranding and messaging strategy across the US and UK, combining disparate product lines under a single identity. I built and scaled a high-performing team across demand generation, content, events, and digital. Additionally, I created standardized product messaging, competitive positioning, and sales support tools post-acquisition.
I also rolled out integrated campaigns targeting hospital CFOs, revenue cycle leaders, and pharmacy directors and partnered with the CEO, CRO, and board to align marketing strategy with commercial priorities and investor expectations.
This was a masterclass in building a global marketing engine from the ground up, unifying strategy, teams, and voice while delivering measurable growth and long-term enterprise value. We achieved a 232% increase in revenue over five years, with marketing directly supporting global expansion. We launched the company’s first integrated GTM platform post-acquisition, aligning sales and marketing, and built brand equity and market awareness in the US, accelerating cross-sell and upsell opportunities. We strengthened board confidence and investor engagement through improved brand visibility and clarity.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Communications
Florida State University - Tallahassee, FL, USA
Skills
Core
Public Relations (PR), Marketing, Branding, Product Marketing, Omnichannel Marketing, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategies, Brand Strategy, Sales, Social Media, Account-based Marketing (ABM)
Business Models
B2B
Platforms & Tools
HubSpot, Pardot, Marketo, Google Analytics
Other
Demand Generation, Strategy, Team Leadership, Corporate Communications, Events, Salesforce Sales Cloud, ChatGPT, Thought Leadership, Digital Media, Websites, Sales & Channel Enablement, MarTech Solutions, ZoomInfo, Launch Strategy, Product Launch
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