Executive: Edithann Ramey, Chief Marketing Officer
Company: Ruby Tuesday
Industry: Casual dining restaurants
Company Snapshot: A legacy casual-dining brand focused on earning “reconsideration” and reconnecting with guests through what people already love about it
Format: CMO Journeys Interview
Why It Matters
Edithann Ramey planned to be a lawyer, not a marketer. But her career pulled her toward a harder question: how do you communicate in a way that makes people act? She has led businesses where success is simple to judge—you drive traffic, or you don’t. For agencies, her perspective is useful because she has lived the agency side and the client side, and she is clear about what partnership really means.
Their Path, in Short
Edithann grew up in San Juan, then went to school in Michigan and Boston. She studied political science and wanted to become a First Amendment lawyer.
Then her aunt, who worked in public relations, opened her eyes to a different kind of influence. Edithann was drawn to PR work, especially crisis. She switched paths, earned a graduate degree in communications in Boston with a focus on crisis, and started at an agency.
Her clients were marketers. That taught her that PR is only one piece of a bigger marketing strategy. Edithann realized she wanted to be responsible for outcomes—“big results,” whether that meant sales, traffic, or profit. So she pivoted into local restaurant marketing at Pizza Hut, and she says she fell in love with the business.
When I asked what chapter shaped how she leads today, she pointed to her experiences at Chili’s: a more senior role, a team to lead, and pressure to deliver efficiently while still being creative. She learned what kind of leader she wanted to be and how to deliver results.
Big Themes From the Conversation
Edithann keeps returning to how the metric changes the job. Messaging has one type of result. Traffic has another. She said you can be “very efficient at communicating,” but if you do not drive people in, you are not successful. Moving into growth roles meant “unlearning what success looks like” and rebuilding her work around outcomes.
She also described leadership as adaptation. She listens to what people need in order to succeed, then adjusts her style to match. She summed it up simply: “being the boss that they want me to be versus the boss that I wish I had.”
And she has a sharp view of focus. She told a story about a boss giving her a tough review: her execution was flawless, but the goals were missed. The lesson was direct—activity is not the same as the right result. A mentor gave her the phrase she still uses: stick to the “big rocks.”
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How They Choose the Right Agency Partners
Edithann’s agency perspective starts with experience. She began her career in an agency, and she says that shaped her appreciation for what agencies do. Today, she describes her corporate team as “small and mighty,” and she relies on outside partners to help bring the work to life. In her words, any agency that works with her is part of the team.
When I asked what makes a great agency-client relationship, she started with availability. Because the brands she works on operate “24 seven,” she values partners who can help when the business demands it. She has worked with agencies that are nine-to-five, and she respects that, but she appreciates agencies that can engage outside normal hours when urgent changes hit.
Next is nimbleness. She has seen agency systems so complicated that changing media requires “10 steps” and too much lead time. For her, that does not work. She needs processes that move quickly and teams that can pivot and brainstorm as messages change.
Then she described true partnership in a way that is easy to recognize. The best agencies, she said, get her sales reports and call her before she has even had time to look, asking, “What happened today and how can we help you make it better?”
On structure, she said she has historically had more success with specialized agencies than with full-service. She has also seen specialized partners collaborate directly, so work moves forward without the client having to referee every detail.
If there is one thing she fears most when hiring a new agency, it is transition. She described the “gap of the early days,” when the celebration ends and the real learning begins. Creative partners need more than brand guidelines; they need to learn how the brand thinks. Media transitions can be stressful, too, because switching systems and platforms can create disruption. She appreciates agencies that come with a clear transition process and acknowledge the handoff is not easy.
She also offered a grounded take on AI: she prefers a hybrid model. Agencies create the core assets, and AI helps her move faster by refreshing elements like copy, messaging, and offer details.
Finally, her advice to agencies trying to break through was blunt: respect the time. “We have very little time,” she said. She pays attention when an agency sends something quick and easy to absorb—a short case study and clear information about what they do—instead of pushing long meeting chains. She also encouraged agencies to show up where marketers already gather, because a real conversation builds trust.
What Stood Out
What stood out to me was how Edithann pairs warmth with accountability. She talks about leadership as a chance to positively influence people’s lives. And she also holds a firm standard: flawless execution does not matter if the goals are missed. That blend explains what she values—in herself, in her team, and in the agency partners she chooses.
Inside Scoop
This article focuses on the journey, the leadership philosophy, and how this CMO works with agency partners. To access the exclusive analysis, including priorities, initiatives, and opportunities, become a NextBigWin Pro member.
