About Context Etc
Context Etc was founded in 2010 by Dave Biros to help clients add hard business context to what is often soft marketing practices. Clifton StrengthsFinder defines Context as the ability to understand the past in order to make sense of the present and plan for the future. “Etc” adds the elements of focused execution, sound tactics and clear communications.
Execution: Dave has 40 years of experience executing communications, marketing, product management and sales in industrial automation, media, public relations and trade associations.
He has worked extensively internationally with clients, colleagues and customers in the Americas, Europe, China, and Southeast Asia (including two expatriate assignments).
Dave’s industry work began with global nuclear power systems company Combustion Engineering (acquired by ABB). He worked in chemicals, metals, mining, oil & gas, paper and textiles.
After working in Washington, DC, Dave returned to ABB to sell automation along the US gulf coast, later managing the global system offering. Increasing global responsibilities culminated in a position in ABB’s Zurich, Switzerland headquarters.
Dave returned to the US to manage sales and marketing for ABB Reliability Services North America, helping grow the business to $80+ million/year, $300+ million in contract value.
In 2010, Dave founded Context Etc. In 2015, he rejoined ABB, where he held roles of increasing responsibility. In 2024, he returned to Context Etc.
Tactics: Many dismiss communications and marketing as “soft” compared to other work (engineering, manufacturing, sales…). Dave aims to increase the skills of these professionals so they can quantify how their efforts contribute to business goals.
Dave has developed tips, tricks and tactics to improve the quality, efficiency and measurability of communications and marketing. He is facile with project management methodologies (e.g., scrum), tuning these tools to the needs of marketing and communications.
Dave has developed methods to estimate the business value of products being launched; and budgets, resources and schedules needed to launch them successfully. He has written business cases and launch strategies for complex digital offerings, and trained and coached business managers to manage and sell them profitably.
Dave has processes for communications, content management, marketing, product management and strategy.
In an increasingly commoditized world, Dave believes that success goes to those with the better processes.
Communications: Dave’s career began as a state government reporter for a large newspaper. His government knowledge led to a public affairs job at a prominent public relations firm.
Dave moved to international high-tech business as a copywriter, eventually managing communications for global industrial companies.
After directing marketing for a national trade association, Dave moved to industrial automation sales, communicating with customers ways that most matter: getting the order. Then came communications roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in Vice President of Communications in ABB’s global headquarters in Switzerland.
Dave has managed most communications functions, including: branding; crisis response; employee coaching, recruiting and training; executive briefings; internal communications; messaging; position papers; production; product launches; sales enablement; and strategy.
In ABB Reliability Services, he led culture change communications, engaging with C-level to hourly customers, including union officials. This experience contextualizing communications led him to found Context Etc.