Dorgan also cited an in-depth study of the bridge's fatigue potential conducted from 2004 to 2007 that recommended two alternatives for the bridge's future -- to add steel plates to reinforce critical parts of the bridge or to conduct thorough inspections of the wells inside the box to determine whether there were cracks.

CNN: Bridge collapse probe focuses on unexplained shift

By inserting herself as the steward of a more in-depth planning process, she identified inefficiencies and began to make marketing the critical bridge between units for new bundles and cross-sell opportunities.

FORBES: How CMOs Can Re-energize The Annual Planning Process