About Us
About Magellan Strategy Group
Magellan Strategy Group was founded in 2004 by Chris Cavanaugh with the vision of providing organizations with greater focus upon profitable opportunities and insight into the marketplace.
Today's marketplace is saturated with products and services that are often indistinguishable. Consumers have a wide variety of choices and exercise considerable savvy when making buying decisions. Brand building is a challenging task that must be accomplished before executing strategies and tactics. In a cluttered marketplace, strong brands remain constant beacons of light that help consumers make decisions that enhance their lives.
About Chris Cavanaugh
Chris Cavanaugh is the president and founder of Magellan Strategy Group in Asheville, North Carolina.
Prior to founding MSG in 2004, Cavanaugh served as vice president of marketing for The Biltmore Company in Asheville. While at Biltmore, Cavanaugh guided the company’s marketing and communications planning, strategy, and execution for over nine years. During his tenure, Biltmore Estate doubled its annual revenue and became the most visited historic house attraction in the United States. Cavanaugh also directed marketing for the Inn on Biltmore Estate, a four-star hotel on the property, and the Biltmore Estate Winery, the most visited winery in the nation. Since founding MSG, he has focused upon delivering marketing insight and crafting strategic solutions for a variety of destinations and attractions.
The governor of North Carolina appointed Cavanaugh to the state’s travel and tourism board in 2003, and he is currently chairman of the state board. He is also past chairman of the Asheville/Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and Blue Ridge Mountain Host, a regional tourism promotion association. He has been a presenter at numerous conferences in recent years across the country.
Cavanaugh holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Emory University. He had a career in consumer packaged goods marketing prior to joining The Biltmore Company in 1995, working in such diverse categories as apparel and food products. His business experience includes marketing at a Fortune 500 company and family-owned, closely-held firms.
