Right Side Up Talent Spotlight: Tom Kluis

The Right Side Up Talent Spotlight series profiles some of our full-time employees and growth marketing consultants. We chat with the experts in our network to learn about their incredible professional experiences, expert marketing insights, and how they’re balancing work and life.

Tom Kluis | GM, Amazon and Ecommerce Marketplace Practice, Right Side Up

Tom Kluis joined Right Side Up in 2023 as General Manager of our Amazon and ecommerce marketplace practice. His day-to-day includes managing a team of ecommerce experts and collaborating with our innovative brand partners.

Where is home these days?

A lifelong Minnesotan, I currently call beautiful Edina home along with my wife, son, daughter, and goldendoodle. Aside from being the center of the hockey universe, Edina features at least four seasons and some of the best schools in the country.

Tell us about your role. How were your first few months at Right Side Up?

I joined Right Side Up in September to lead our Amazon and ecommerce marketplace practice as General Manager—it’s a combination of leading a team of highly talented ecommerce experts, collaborating with some of the most innovative brands around, and developing methods to deliver our services in more impactful and meaningful ways.

It's been an exciting couple of months getting to know the team and our client partners. I couldn’t be more impressed by the knowledge and tenacity of the RSU team.

Tell me about your professional background and area(s) of expertise. Any achievements you’re proud of or notable brands you’ve worked with?

I’ve been connecting consumer brands with their customers for more than two decades, most recently leading a professional services team at an ecommerce data intelligence company. Prior to that I founded an ecommerce agency, did some turn-around work, and started my career at Best Buy’s corporate headquarters working with brands like Samsung, LG, Apple, and others. 

What excites you about ecommerce, marketplaces like Amazon, and/or growth marketing? How do you see any/all of these evolving in the future?

I love so many things about ecommerce marketing—the ease of A/B testing, the ability to tailor marketing messages to very narrow but highly relevant target markets, and the data generated by customer interactions that can guide us into more effective acquisition strategies. Amazon is the leader in both capabilities and touch points, but I advise clients to not sleep on Instacart and Walmart Marketplace as potentially underdeveloped channels.

And now, let’s get to the fun stuff…

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Why?

We love to travel as a family and visited beautiful Barcelona in March. Apparently it’s a bit of a Right Side Up hotspot with at least a half dozen coworkers have spent time in Catalonia in the past year. Barcelona is the perfect combination of food, museums, architecture, shopping, and welcoming people.

What do you like to do for fun in your geographic area?

Minnesota has a wealth of activities year round like snow shoveling, frostbite mitigation, hockey-rink maintenance, mud management, mosquito abatement, dehydration avoidance, driving passive-aggressively, leaf raking, and snow shoveling (again). But seriously, as a family we love to enjoy the four seasons, sample the diverse cuisine, take in theatrical performances, or cheer on one of our perpetually-disappointing sports teams.

What’s a TV show, podcast, book, video game, recipe, etc. that you’re loving right now?

As a 40-something man, I’m unreasonably (but expectedly) excited about Masters of the Air, the Band of Brothers sequel coming up this fall. I’ve also been enjoying Better Call Saul, Foundation, and Ted Lasso. I’ve gotten the roguelite bug recently and have been playing Darkest Dungeon 2 on PC, Warhammer 40k 10th edition has also been a blast IRL.  

What’s a fun fact about yourself that people wouldn’t expect?

#1: I’m an active member of the Edina Football 9th Grade Chain Gang—marking out the downs and distances for all of our home games—and standing in arguably the best place to watch the action on the field. 

#2: I grew up on a grain farm near a town of 300 in southwest Minnesota and had 17 kids in my grade. A tornado destroyed my school between 7th and 8th grade and it wasn’t going to be rebuilt so we had to join up with the “big school” in the county bringing my grade up to 65. My family still owns land in the area although none of my siblings opted to stay there to farm.

Want to talk to Tom and his team about taking your ecommerce strategy to the next level? Get in touch at growth@rightsideup.co. Or maybe you’re interested in joining the Right Side Up team? We’d love to chat—reach out to talent@rightsideup.co.