From healthcare to insurance and home financing, Amie Smith — executive media director at TCA — has worked with a wide variety of businesses and verticals in the media marketing space, assessing performance for efficient ROI delivery. As a key player in strategic development, road map initiatives, and analytics, she uses data and creative thinking to drive decisions. With a true passion for data driven performance, Smith enjoys providing clients with insights about both their businesses and customers, while marrying the information through compelling storytelling. Why? Because, as Simon Sinek so easily explains it, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”

Ron Steblea is executive vice president, e-commerce, at Cannella Media. He is responsible for leading Cannella’s e-commerce division with a focus on all things Amazon. His extensive knowledge in product marketing and distribution — and direct-to-consumer best practices — provides a solid foundation from which the company continues to innovate and grow. Prior to Cannella, Steblea held a variety of leadership roles within the DTC industry, most recently as president at Allstar Marketing, before branching out and founding campaign management and Amazon-based E-Commerce consulting businesses.

Mark Sullivan has been with Paramount for 17 years and is responsible for co-managing a team of 11 sales executives across 22 cable networks and digital platforms. Its top networks include Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount Network, and Comedy Central. Sullivan and team specialize in driving convergent performance media growth across the full Paramount portfolio. Before joining Paramount, Sullivan also held sales roles at Lifetime Entertainment Services and Oxygen. He lives in Hoboken, N.J., with his wife and three sons.

Jennifer Malloy is counsel in the Los Angeles office of Venable LLP. She advises clients on issues related to federal and state advertising laws and guidelines. Malloy counsels clients on consumer-facing advertising for compliance purposes in both direct-response and retail sales channels, including television, radio, inbound telemarketing, websites, print, digital, social media, and labels/packaging. She also negotiates domestic and international transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, foreign restructurings, IP licensing, software development services, entertainment, joint ventures, online content, book publishing, and celebrity endorsements.

Shane Allor is an account executive at Kount. Allor is part of a team that drives sales efforts in risk mitigation/payments and helps manage a portfolio of more than 150 merchants — more specifically, focusing on eliminating chargebacks and driving efficiencies for e-commerce merchants across the globe. A big part of the goal for the team he is a part of is to continue to allow customers and brands expand their revenue streams, while protecting the overall brand experience. In his spare time, Allor enjoys skiing, working out, and catching a concert or comedy show. He played golf at Boise State University, where he earned a B.A. in business and currently lives in Boise.

Daniel Kaufman is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of BakerHostetler and brings nearly 25 years of experience with the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, recently leading the 450-person bureau as acting director, where he oversaw all consumer protection matters, including investigations and cases involving privacy, data security, advertising, influencers, endorsers, and other marketing practices. As deputy director of the bureau for most of the past 10 years, Kaufman was involved in virtually every high-profile consumer protection and privacy case brought by the FTC during that time. A preeminent thought leader and subject matter expert in advertising and data privacy issues, he is a frequent speaker on consumer protection matters and can provide context for the challenges marketers face regarding privacy and consumer advertising. Kaufman originally joined the FTC as a staff attorney in 1998, where he litigated cases challenging unsubstantiated health and disease claims in the Division of Advertising Practices.

Jill Albert, president and founder of Direct Results, is a recognized leader and innovator, developing strategies to drive change and deliver action. Her specialty is matching products and services with audio influencers who engage listeners to shift consumer behavior. She has developed and implemented nearly a billion dollars in successful, response-driven campaigns empowering consumers to take immediate action. Clients include FEMA, Veterans Affairs, Angi, Omaha Steaks, Toyota, Children’s Hospital, AAA, Burlington Stores, Hershey, USC, UCLA, and many others. In 2009, Albert developed a groundbreaking, ROI-based audience analytics database application that raised industry standards for response-driven advertisers. Using such response data and access to culture, music, and social media influencers is key to Direct Results’ impactful strategies that earn over 96% success for advertisers. Albert has twice been recognized as a “Top Women in Sales and Marketing” by American Women in Radio and Television and has numerous awards for strategic media innovation. She brings more than 30 years of experience managing successful national, regional, and statewide advertising campaigns all with clearly defined metrics. Albert is an expert at developing partnerships which bring additional exposure, community participation, excitement, and relevance to campaigns.

As chief strategy officer, Cordie DePascale is instrumental in PremiumMedia360's success, evangelizing its innovative technology solutions, driving customer acceptance and sales execution, and stewarding its internal strategic planning process. With more than 25 years of experience in advertising and advertising technology, DePascale has a deep understanding of the market, the customers, and the products that make up this space. After graduating from Manhattan College in New York, he spent the first years of his career at J. Walter Thompson and then at IPG. He then moved to advertising technology, spending six years at COREMedia and 12 years at Mediaocean, where he was responsible for product management, quality assurance, and partner management. DePascale has been a longtime supporter of the innovative technology pioneered by PremiumMedia360.

Chris Reinmuth is executive vice president of business development at FlexPay. He is an experienced business development and sales strategist with 20-plus years’ experience in direct marketing. Reinmuth served on the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) Board of Directors and, in 2014, was nominated as chairman. In 2016, he was appointed interim CEO where he successfully merged the ERA with MCI. In recent years, Reinmuth re-embarked on his first love, and is back to the payment side of the house, partnering with long time client and friend Darryl Hicks to launch one of the hottest FinTech startups in the market.

Tom Wolfe is the senior vice president of business development at Viant Technology. He is responsible for driving strategic business partnerships to support the company’s growth and business strategy. Wolfe is an accomplished industry veteran, with more than 25 years of experience in content distribution, advertising, and technology focused on connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) video. He has launched and led multiple businesses at industry leaders such as Roku, YuMe, Tivo, and Comcast, and has advised companies including VIZIO, Vice Media, and more. Wolfe earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at Lehigh University. He has been a guest lecturer at New York University and Drexel University.In his free time, he, his wife Lisa, and their two sons enjoy skiing, golfing, making music, and serving their community as active board and committee members of St. James the Less Episcopal Church.

Roger Colaizzi has significant trial experience in Intellectual Property Rights, including Lanham Act false advertising, state deceptive trade practices, trademark, trade dress, patent, copyright, unfair competition, direct to consumer marketing, social networking, affiliate advertising, and other e-commerce matters. He has represented clients before regulatory agencies such as the FTC and self-regulating bodies such as ERSP and NAD, and in state AG investigations.

Steve Arentzoff is senior vice president of marketing at FlexPay. He is a modern, results-oriented marketing executive with more than 20 years of senior technology marketing leadership, building high-performance marketing organizations, category leadership, marketing and sales alignment, and accelerated company growth rates. Before joining FlexPay, Arentzoff was vice president of demand generation at Medallia, and senior vice president of global digital marketing at Cision. He helped lead these companies through their IPOs, and played a critical role driving growth as senior director of marketing at Dealertrack, helping drive a $4.5-billion acquisition of the company.

With almost 15 years in direct-to-consumer advertising, David Tiberia has diverse, hands-on leadership experience in most major disciplines of multichannel D2C advertising. A true, modern advertising “renaissance man,” he’s embraced a career of constant evolution and growth. He currently supports Bluewater as a partner and vice president of data and analytics, leading a team of talented data scientists and analytics pros to develop advanced solutions that give brands deep insight into consumer response. Tiberia and his team developed a leading-edge visualization platform and continue to find new opportunities for innovation. Prior to his current position, he started out on the creative side, producing and directing award-winning commercials, developing stories to create response, and driving growth for both startups and Fortune 100 brands. Pushed by an innate curiosity about the rest of the advertising business, he moved into media and rapidly developed sharp instincts and a strong ability to build TV media strategy. Outside of advertising, Tiberia is an avid bass guitarist and drummer, and enjoys distance running as well as spending time with his wife and two sons.

Teddy Pritikin is vice president of direct response at DirecTV Advertising and a proven sales leader in the industry. Prior to his 11 years at DirecTV, he was vice president of ad sales at Veria and an account executive at Game Show Network. Pritikin is a graduate of Muhlenberg College and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting. In his free time, he enjoys crushing opponents on the basketball court with his killer crossover. Pritikin and his wife are enjoying their lives as empty nesters in Morristown, N.J.

Federico Garza, senior vice president, research strategy and insights, leads all of research, insights, and analytics to inform programming, marketing, and digital strategies across Telemundo’s portfolio. A seasoned consumer-insights professional with more than 20 years of experience and ample expertise across multiplatform data, audience measurement, and marketing strategies, Garza oversees and develops comprehensive research plans through consumer insights, data capabilities, and multiplatform measurement to achieve Telemundo’s business goals. Additionally, Garza will oversee primary and secondary research and drive data-driven recommendations to enhance Telemundo’s multiplatform strategy and deliver on the content needs of the growing Latino consumer. He was previously the executive vice president of research and insights at iHeart Media, where he spearheaded thought leadership, developed analytics, and led cross functional strategic programs. As a consultant at Bain & Company for a decade, he conducted extensive management consulting work and developed business growth strategies based on data-driven insights for multinational companies across a variety of industries including airline, beverage, food, consumer goods, and financial services. Garza completed an undergraduate degree in computer system engineering from Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico, and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Meng Williams is the senior director, finance at Bold.com, where she leads the financial planning and analysis (FP&A) team. As well as managing budgeting, forecasting, and reporting for the fast-growing company, Williams also manages Bold's global payment strategy where she uses a data-driven approach to optimize conversion rates and LTV. She is also responsible for improving profit and reducing fraud and chargeback risks. During her time with the company, Williams established an effective budgeting, forecasting, and monthly review process and built the FP&A team from the ground up. Williams holds CFA and CPFPP designations, as well as a Data Science for Finance certification.

Paul Wahlgren is the co-founder and chief marketing officer at BeautyStat Cosmetics. He has 30-plus years in the retail and wholesale business, having held senior management and business development positions in beauty and luxury goods companies across the U.S. and Europe. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from SUNY Buffalo, an M.B.A. from Nyenrode Business Universiteit in Breukelen, The Netherlands, and completed the Digital Marketing Strategy Program at Harvard University.

Chris Harris is vice president of advanced TV sales at AudienceXpress, a Comcast Company. In his role, Harris leads a team of sales professionals working with agency and advertiser partners to provide unique solutions to find and engage with audiences across the video ecosystem. He joined AudienceXpress in 2013, where he helped achieve 300-percent growth, leading to an acquisition by Comcast in 2015. Harris brings more than 20 years of media experience and prides himself on bringing a consultative approach to helping clients solve for the challenges impacting the overall media landscape.

Matt Timothy is the executive vice president of customer success, sales and marketing at Blockboard, where he leads all of the company’s customer-facing efforts. He started his career in video and TV advertising at CBS where he rose from account executive at KPIX-TV to vice president, general manager of both CBS.com and CBSNews.com. Timothy also has held leadership roles at Broadband Enterprises, Vindico, Sorenson Media, and Extreme Reach.

Kyle Patten is vice president of direct response at Univision. Based in New York, he has a demonstrated history of working in the broadcast media industry. Skilled in broadcasting, advertising, sales, digital marketing, and social media, Patten graduated from New York Institute of Technology.

As CEO of QuickBox Fulfillment, Irene Scharmack is passionate about helping D2C and omnichannel brands streamline operations, delight customers, and grow their businesses. With 25-plus years of experience in the logistics industry and a common-sense approach, she has a track record of driving results, building high-performing teams, and ensuring client satisfaction. Scharmack joined QuickBox in 2021. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to four locations, ensuring fast delivery to customers across the U.S. Previously, she held leadership roles at Impact Fulfillment Services, GEODIS, Network Global Logistics, and The Complete Logistics Company. In addition, Scharmack has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Southern California Distribution Management Association and was an advisor to the United Way Board of Directors. She is a graduate of Mt. San Antonio College.

Sialoren Spaulding is a marketing and advertising professional who has spent more than a decade immersed in the study and practice of quality communication. As a former ad woman turned client, with both an honors BA and MA in communication management, she has a breadth of experience in a variety of verticals, but is particularly well-versed in QSR, e-commerce, and financial services. Having spent time on both sides of the creative process, Spaulding is passionate about, and committed to, developing award-winning work that delivers for the business. She is the director of advertising for Farmers Insurance by day, and an adjunct lecturer at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication of Journalism by night.

A media savant, Raphael Rivilla — chief media officer of Marcus Thomas LLC — delivers optimized cross-platform messaging in sync with the customer life cycle and has worked his magic for SEGA Games, Caesars properties, Sherwin-Williams, SafeAuto, Troy-Bilt, and March of Dimes, to name a few. Under his leadership, Marcus Thomas has become the largest media buyer in Ohio and the first Cleveland agency with its own real-time media trading desk. It’s also won OMMA, Creative Media Awards, and was an Effie finalist for its media work. The agency is also a Google Premier Partner, which only 3 percent of U.S. agencies can claim.

Lori Lasky, vice president of strategy at Media Culture, has more than 20 years of experience developing comprehensive omnichannel strategies (across linear, digital, retail, radio, email, and out of home) to drive brand awareness and increase sales. Her combined passion for marketing insights, media trends and analytics to improve an organization’s bottom line, and talent for building cohesive teams has helped to deliver success for many brands. Lasky has held positions on the brand side at Nautilus Inc. and the agency side as the lead for campaigns such as eHarmony, Conair, Cuisinart, Bare Minerals, Tracy Anderson Method, Dremel, and Rubbermaid.

Brooke Davis is the manager of product marketing at Contour Products, where she leads the cross communication between departments and partners for new product launches. She has spent many years at Contour working on the B2B side before shifting to D2C and focusing expanding current product offerings. Now, Davis works with directly with both brick-and-mortar and direct consumers to research trends, identify niche marketplaces, and implement innovation within the comfort-and-support category. Davis holds a dual bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in entrepreneurship & innovation and marketing.

Kevin Gaffney is executive vice president of product strategy at CoreMedia Systems. He has been with CoreMedia for 25 years and is a skilled client advocate, providing leadership for the business development, new product development, and workflow enhancement. He played a key role in syndicating CoreDirect, the industry’s leading media management tool that processes more than $10 billion in performance media annually. Before joining the company in 1996, Gaffney was a media buying supervisor and account executive at Time Buying Service and was part of the successful TBS Direct startup.

Senior executive with more than 15 years in management and leadership. Nicolas Pietropinto has an entrepreneurial attitude with a passion for technology, finance, and operations. He is a proactive leader and business relationship catalyst possessing a heightened sense of responsibility and ethics. Pietropinto considers himself an overachiever and highly competitive, while enthusiastic about winning through a collaborative team effort. He is a consultative and hands-on executive that leads by example, and is adept at creating, analyzing, and reporting results-driven business metrics. Pietropinto is known for strong multicultural awareness and is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Since starting her career, Stacy Durand has been an industry pioneer, running and founding some of the largest agencies in the performance video marketplace. After serving as executive vice president of Mercury Media for 15 years, Durand joined Revenue Frontier as president in 2004. After orchestrating an acquisition, she formed Media Design Group with her partner Ben Zimmerman in 2008. For 16 years, MDG has been one of the leading performance video agencies in the industry and has now joined forces with Mark Zamuner and Juice Media. With MDG’s buying power and philosophy of “measure everything,” Juice Media's MMM offering and advanced measurement platform are a perfect fit. Between the two agencies, the shared client list includes ZipRecruiter, Wix, Tractor Supply Co., MyFitnessPal, Bartesian, Great Wolf Lodge, and many more. A serial and successful entrepreneur, Durand’s energy and dynamic leadership continue to drive growth and innovation for the agency’s employees, clients, and the industry. Her professional success does not distract her from an active and engaged personal life. She earned her executive M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, is the head of hospitality at the National Charity League, teaches spinning, and is involved in her two children’s academic and athletic organizations.

Lauren Gross, SNHU

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Steve Raizes is executive vice president, podcasting & audio, for Paramount Global where he oversees the strategy, marketing, operations, and creative for the company’s successful audio business. Under the banner Paramount Audio, he and his team produce award-winning podcasts such as The Daily Show: Ears Edition, MTV's Official Challenge Podcast, On Fire With Jeff Probst, 48 Hours, and more. As the audio production arm for all of Paramount Global, Paramount Audio is in a unique position to utilize the vast IP from the entire company and bring it to the world of podcasts. Paramount Audio collaborates with leading entertainment brands including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, SHOWTIME, and others to develop fan-forward podcasts that drive deeper engagement with iconic and beloved franchises. His role speaks to his background as both a business and creative executive, allowing him to tell stories that create meaningful connections between fans and world-renowned IP. Raizes is based in New York.

As COO of Eicoff, the nation’s leading DRTV agency, Delia Marshall has played an instrumental role in guiding her company and clients through the ever-evolving world of television. She has helped advance new methods of TV measurement and optimization. Marshall has embraced the use of data not only to gain insights into consumer behavior but to spark creative ideas and shape the advertiser’s message. Her passion is partnering with clients to drive results and growth for their businesses through a wide range of marketing objectives from immediate sales to agent lead generation to long-term branding. For Marshall, it all starts with connecting the right message to the right audience at the right time — all to motivate an action.

Christine Georgakakis is senior vice president of advertising sales and marketing for the Reelz Network. She is responsible for leading the entire sales efforts of the organization, encompassing national ad sales and performance advertising. Georgakakis began her career at Lifetime. Her expertise building teams that solve challenges and foster innovation have positioned multiple media organizations at the forefront of industry. In 2018, she was named one of the top women in media by Folio and in 2020 she was named an industry leader by Cynopsis. Georgakakis, who holds a bachelor’s degree in mass media and communications and has studied executive leadership at Cornell University, serves on the Workshop Council and Women’s Leadership Council of the PDMI, and is a committed member of the She Runs It community.

Sheilagh Bryan serves as senior vice president of media at Modus Direct. She has gained a wealth of knowledge after being in the DRTV industry for 16-plus years, working in-house and on the agency side for clients such as Humana, Nutrisystem, JG Wentworth, and Wayfair. One of the most enjoyable parts of Bryan’s career has been seeing the growth and change of media across all platforms, allowing for opportunities in CTV, streaming, OTT, display, and linear television as client needs continuously change. Her leadership has excelled in TV marketing strategy, including offline channel expansion and new creative development across brand and product portfolios. Bryan currently resides in Asheville, N.C.

As mass media manager for leading international mobile gaming company Playtika, Shani Dar-Gispan leverages her years of experience planning and activating global marketing campaigns to deliver growth across key verticals for multi-brand companies. She is well-versed in TV, video, audio, digital, OOO, IP, and sponsorship, and maximizing their impact on gaming brands’ goals. Her role provides clarity to her external agency and vendor partners by compiling all teams’ feedback and goals into actional plans of attack. Dar-Gispan leverages global partnerships and close vendor relationships to deliver profitable results for Playtika.

Max Koenig is the senior performance marketing manager at National Debt Relief, where he has focused his time launching the CTV program and scaling the streaming audio channel. With more than 10 years of performance marketing experience, Koenig has spent the bulk of his time on programmatic media buying, leading teams of ad ops and media buying professionals. When not attempting to squeeze out incremental gains for his marketing programs he can be found with his wife, daughter, and dog somewhere outside or on the road, probably with a book in his hand.

Shannon Ellis serves as the chief revenue officer at JuiceMedia.AI, bringing more than 25 years of distinguished experience in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) industry. Ellis excels in driving results, specializing in boosting acquisition performance and revenue for brands. He skillfully manages and inspires sales teams, fostering a wide network of DTC professionals to ensure sustainable growth. Known for innovating customer relationship management strategies and pioneering business processes, Ellis' steadfast commitment to excellence and innovation has solidified his reputation and positioned him as a key figure in the DTC domain. JuiceMedia.AI distinguishes itself as a data-centric, omnichannel media activation platform that merges growth strategy, omnichannel media buying, and analytics with cutting-edge ad technology.

As COO and head of media and analytics, Matt Kelley leads a talented group of marketers and analysts at GainShare in the shift to a consumer-first approach for increased marketing effectiveness. He is responsible for driving innovation and ROI through the intersection of people, process, and technology by maximizing the use of consumer intent signals at every touchpoint to deliver more relevant experiences. Prior to joining GainShare, Kelley held senior management roles at Dentsu/iProspect, Leapfrog, and Leo Burnett.

Mari Mazzarri, digital sales director for NBCUniversal Local South Florida, is a sales professional with more than12 years of experience leading innovative, cross-platform advertising strategies, with a focus on the U.S. Hispanic Market and specializing in solutions that leverage the power of NBCUniversal’s digital and streaming portfolio. Mazzarri also has held strategy and sales production roles, where she excelled in overseeing the creative execution of digital initiatives, driving ROI for clients through successful campaigns tailored to diverse markets nationwide.

Beth Johnson has more than 25 years of performance media expertise spanning across categories including finance, healthcare, insurance, retail, DTC, and lead generation. In her current role as senior director of media at Omni Direct, she leads all multichannel media strategy, planning, analytics, and ROI performance for clients looking to reach the large and growing Hispanic market. With Johnson as part of the leadership team, Omni Direct has been recognized as a fastest-growing agency by Inc. 5000, Adweek and the South Florida Business Journal. Prior to joining Omni Direct, she spearheaded the formation of the Hispanic media division for Eicoff, an Ogilvy & Mather company, where she built and led the high-growth business for more than 12 years. Johnson enjoys being an integral marketing partner for her clients by identifying new market opportunities, relentlessly optimizing media, and extracting timely insights from data mining and attribution.

Chris Kasdorf brings more than a decade of sales and marketing expertise to his role as sales manager at Dial800, a leading provider of memorable numbers, call tracking, and AI analytics for the direct response industry. With a proven track record of driving client results, Kasdorf joined Dial800 in December 2022, following tenures at GaggleAMP and HubSpot, where he specialized in helping SMBs to grow their marketing and sales strategies. A graduate of Hamilton College, Kasdorf combines his passion for business with a keen understanding of customer needs to deliver scalable business solutions.

As CEO of TCA, Natalie Rutledge oversees operations to produce new business, shape client strategy, and drive ongoing company integration. She promotes a goal-oriented, collaborative environment where employees treat client budgets as if they were their own, driving TCA’s culture of focused execution and accountability. Rutledge has created success across a wide range of products and services — including fintech, senior products, health and beauty, video and mobile gaming, as well as home and auto insurance — by converting media metrics into measurable business outcomes and activating an innovative blend of audience targeting, strategic channel planning, and real-time campaign optimizations. Her fast-paced career is fueled by her need to be a disruptor, innovator, and, at times, a rebel with a competitive streak. She aims to influence and inspire.

As the marketing performance analyst at Southern New Hampshire University, Lauren Gross is instrumental in supporting the success of the university's mass media marketing campaigns. She specializes in creating and analyzing mass media reports to drive SNHU's initiatives. Recently, Gross spearheaded the in-house development of QR codes integrated into SNHU's linear and OTT creatives, maintaining key relationships with QR-code vendors to ensure a seamless system. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of New Hampshire and recently earned an M.B.A. with a concentration in project management from SNHU. Outside of work, Gross loves to crochet and runs an Etsy store featuring all of her creations.

Jack Kirby is considered among the most successful omnichannel marketers in the world today. The product of an ever-changing media landscape, Kirby’s career trajectory has spanned virtually every modern media platform: linear television and CTV, audio streaming and terrestrial radio, digital media platforms including social, organic + paid search, influencer marketing, as well as new technologies for hyper-targeted email and direct mail marketing. He has led the direct-to-consumer marketing efforts on behalf of diverse brands including Norton/LifeLock, The Hartford Insurance, NordicTrack, DraftKings Sports, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and the USO, supporting the United States armed forces. Currently, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of TCN: The Creative Network, a 26-agency consortium of omnichannel performance marketing organizations. Response Magazine named Kirby one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in Direct Response Marketing, and, in 2016, he was inducted to the Direct Response Hall of Fame.

Leif Welch is a 25-year ad tech veteran, entrepreneur, and CEO with deep expertise in programmatic advertising. He founded JamLoop in 2018 as a demand-side platform purpose-built for quality CTV advertising. The company serves mid-market agencies and SMBs who want to reach targeted streaming TV audiences across the U.S. Prior to founding JamLoop, Welch ran the mobile advertising division of Cox Media Group and platform sales for ad-tech platform Adify, a division of Cox. He co-founded dynamic display provider, AdMission, which was a spinout from IPIX and was sold to ADP in 2008. Welch spent the earlier part of his career as a financial analyst, after earning an engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in marketing from the Kellogg School of Business.

Michael Weinstein is a veteran entrepreneur and seasoned marketing executive, as well as a fractional chief marketing offficer for Ideal Living, responsible for maximizing marketing and media efforts for DRTV media, e-commerce, digital advertising, social media, and Amazon. Previously, Weinstein was chief marketing officer at Allstar Products Group, and is also responsible for co-founding and taking to market, the mitten-shaped wet wipe viral sensation called Shittens. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science, a master's in business management, and is a frequent public speaker on invention licensing, direct response marketing, and digital advertising.

Mike Tang is the head of media and agency at Flowcode, the offline-to-online company building direct connections between brands and consumers through next-generation conversion technology. Tang is focused on onboarding new partners that want to add a layer of direct response to their advertising, collect first-party data and sales. Prior to Flowcode, he was at Google on the new business and agency partnership teams. Tang attended Miami University and enjoys trying new restaurants in his free time.

With 30 years of successful experience and expertise, Ken Kerry — co-founder and executive creative director at Script to Screen — enjoys the hunt and the process of solving business and marketing challenges. His passion is to help businesses and entrepreneurs. It gives Kerry true satisfaction to know that he has shared knowledge that has made a true results-driven impact for individuals and businesses. His ambition is to develop team members and to see them thrive. Kerry’s track record of successful campaigns includes more than $6 billion dollars in sales for his client’s businesses, Fortune 500 brands as clients, proprietary campaign management excellence, building direct-to-consumer businesses for online and offline companies, integrity, and being an industry leader for 30 years.

David Koye serves as the co-founder and chief product officer at tvScientific, a connected TV (CTV) advertising and attribution platform. During the past 20-plus years, Koye has been instrumental in transforming traditional media landscapes into digital frontiers. He has a deep understanding of product strategy and development, partnership and business development, go-to-market planning, and sales. Koye’s leadership has been pivotal in the application of performance marketing strategies in television. His vision and expertise have provided the foundation for tvScientific's recent success, including fundraising from notable investors such as NBCUniversal, Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4S Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Hearst Ventures, BDMI, Progress Ventures, and Aperiam Ventures. As a leader, Koye is known for his strategic approach and ability to navigate the complex dynamics of the digital media ecosystem. Koye lives with his wife and sons in Virginia.

Cass Baker serves as the CEO and president of GainShare, an integrated performance marketing and analytics agency operating across North America. Baker leads efforts to drive revenue growth for brands through full-service performance marketing strategy, marketing, creative, and advertising. With more than two decades of experience, he has been instrumental in the inception and growth of two companies, including Leapfrog Online and, now, GainShare. Baker’s professional journey includes significant contributions to both startups and Fortune 500 companies. His portfolio boasts work with notable brands such as GoDaddy, Discover Financial Services, TruGreen, Comcast, Allstate, Charter Communications, and General Motors. Also, Baker is dedicated to mentoring and advising, currently serving on the advisory boards of three marketing and advertising companies while sharing his rich experience to foster growth in others.

As a three-time CMO — at SERVPRO, UnitedHealthcare, and HealthMarkets — Mike Stahl is an innovative and pragmatic C-level executive, advisor, and board member focused on achieving fast, measurable results. He has a track record of delivering on large strategic initiatives resulting in significant bottom-line growth and meaningful equity outcomes. For more than 20 years, at both private equity and publicly traded companies, he has successfully guided organizations across multiple industries including health insurance, property-and-casualty insurance, and home services through significant transformation, acquisitions/dispositions, and business development activities.

Jenni Moseley is a NetSuite marketing strategy manager based in Austin, Texas. With more than six years of experience in creative agencies and marketing, she has worked with brands such as IKEA, Coors, Topo Chico, and Mattress Firm. She's led client relationship and strategy campaigns across digital, social, TV, and more. When she’s not working, she’s playing tennis, reading, or traveling.

Andrew Farrar co-founded HandsOnToys (HOT) in 1994 with Rustam Booz. HOT launched worldwide hits, including two Toy of the Year Finalists (TOTY), Toobers&Zots® and FLOAM®; Dog Toy of the Year (APPMA), the Wiggly Giggly® Ball; and the Craft Innovation Toy of the Year (HIA) — Crunch Art®. Beginning with the DRTV success of FLOAM, the company transformed to HandsOnConsulting, focusing exclusively on integrated direct response (iDR™), which includes targeted utilization of multiple media, digital, and sales platforms to promote and sell products. HOC’s successful iDR campaigns have included FLOAM, Happy Nappers, Flipazoo, Wobble Wag Giggle Ball, Bubble Ball, Gym 1 Indoor Playground, Vmagic, and SweetBee Magic.

Brij Shah is head of strategic growth at Effectv/Comcast Advertising. Amongst his responsibilities, Shah drives strategic partnerships by leveraging Comcast’s deterministic first-party data, combining traditional linear TV and streaming, to drive growth for DTC and performance brands. He has had held several regional and enterprise roles at Comcast during the past decade, prior to which he spent more than 10 years at Ampersand.

Joe Melaragno is head of revenue strategy and performance demand at Samsung Ads, where he works with major agencies and holding companies to drive success for their clients through strategic partnerships, data integrations, and upfronts. He also has launched and leads programmatic sales efforts for Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s ad-supported OTT service. With more than 15 years of experience spanning across programmatic, video sales, media, and technology, Melaragno is a leading professional in the connected TV space. Prior to Samsung Ads, he led global agency partnerships for AOL (now Yahoo) and served as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting, where he assisted Fortune 500 companies through digital transformations. Melaragno earned a bachelor’s degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University and his MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Ranjit Mulgaonkar is the founder and CEO of Flatworld Group, a full-service Amazon Agency that helps product companies maximize the benefits of Amazon. He brings 25-plus years of senior executive management experience in online marketplaces, e-commerce, SAAS, internet, and digital imaging. Mulgaonkar has multifaceted leadership experience in general management, business development, corporate development, global partnerships, and international operations. His experience includes executive positions at Amazon, Avalara, Telebrands, DNA Response, Adobe (Aldus), and Xerox.

Randi Tutelman is the chief customer officer at Flowcode, the offline-to-online company building direct connections between brands and consumers through next-generation conversion technology. Her role in cultivating client relationships has led to substantial revenue growth and market share expansion. Notably, Tutelman has successfully onboarded 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies and managed major accounts including BMW, NBCU, and Hearst. Prior to Flowcode, she directed client success at INTURN, where her strategies generated millions of dollars in transactional value. Tutelman holds an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in engineering from Lehigh University.

Andrew Donato has been senior vice president at XR-Extreme Reach’s direct response division since 2014. He started in DRTV ad distribution in 1990 and, in 1996, co-founded Treehouse Media Services, which he co-owned and managed until 2010. He has helped distribute thousands of successful long- and short-form TV campaigns and also serves as an integral strategic partner to many successful agencies and brands. XR-Extreme Reach is the global leader in creative logistics, powering brands and agencies everywhere with an all-in-one platform for the activation of omnichannel campaigns.

Cristina Ferruggiari brings a wide array of experience to Lockard & Wechsler Direct with 17 years of management and negotiation experience in the TV and video marketplace. Ferruggiari joined the LWD team from Havas Media Group, where she rose through the ranks leading omnichannel media strategies on behalf of her clients. As executive vice president of advanced TV, she plays a pivotal role in shaping LWD’s go-to-market investment strategy, meticulously allocating resources to maximize client ROI. Ferruggiari’s approach is rooted in a blend of quantitative analysis and qualitative insights, ensuring that every campaign is not only backed by data but also resonates authentically with the target audience.

As TCA’s senior business strategist, Paul Sylvia helps both his TCA team and OMG IATs earn new business, deliver outstanding service and growth advisement, and source the strongest possible solutions across the full Omnicom portfolio. During 15 years at TCA in both media and business development, Sylvia has evolved alongside his team and clients in the constantly changing media landscape to deliver meaningful, transparent business impacts — for brands at all stages of growth and across a wide range of categories and customer journeys. He never gets over the thrill of seeing the impact of tailored media strategy and agile optimization drive results beyond a client’s expectations

Marcelino Miyares has spent 30 years evolving the Hispanic marketspace. Known for his market intelligence and resourcefulness, he co-launched d2H Partners in 2014 to lead more "crossover" clients to their Hispanic consumer path-to-profit. Miyares truly believes that brands need to “Enculturate or Die!” His marketing experience includes DRTV (Great Health Works, InvenTel, Telebrands, Capital Brands, Hearthware, and others); branded DR, lead-generation and retail work (Matrix, Lincoln Heritage, Hulu, Citibank, AT&T, PepsiCo, American Stores, and McDonald’s); and traditional direct marketing (Oxford Health, Sirius XM, Toys”R”Us, Home Depot, and others). Miyares is a Cuban-American native of Chicago and currently lives in Santa Monica.

Mary Ann Bautista is a YouTube strategist specializing in direct response marketing. She’s the co-founder of the agency TurboRank, which unlocks YouTube’s full potential to drive revenue. Why should your brand care about YouTube? Because it’s the second-largest search engine and the No. 1 place where consumers discover, research, and engage with brands. Bautista helps businesses turn YouTube into a powerful growth engine — boosting views, engagement, and conversions through organic optimization. With more than 23 years in direct response marketing, she’s scaled D2C brands by crafting data-driven strategies that get real results. When she’s not optimizing YouTube content, you’ll find Bautista enjoying great food, pilates, and a glass of wine.

Jon Friedman joined XR in August 2024 as senior vice president, client partnerships. He’s charged with leading XR’s direct response and general market agency sales efforts and has helped brands connect with consumers for more than three decades through his work at agencies, media conglomerates, and innovative digital media and data companies. Friedman has a passion for disrupting the status quo and building mutually-beneficial partnerships that unlock incremental value and drive business results.Prior to joining XR, he was chief revenue officer at Cuebiq, a location data and advertising attribution provider. Previously, Friedman held sales leadership roles at organizations including Verve, NBCUniversal, Viacom, and OMD. He is relatively new to the DR space and is absolutely fascinated by how the industry is evolving to meet the challenges and opportunities of a dynamic media landscape and fragmentation of audiences. He comes to PDMI excited to meet the architects of new solutions and discuss how XR's distribution and production capabilities can help drive business results.

Federico Garza serves as senior vice president of research strategy and insights for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. In this role, he leads all of research, insights and analytics to inform programming, marketing and digital strategies across Telemundo’s portfolio. A seasoned consumer-insights professional with more than 20 years of experience and ample expertise across multiplatform data, audience measurement and marketing strategies, Garza oversees and develops comprehensive research plans through consumer insights, data capabilities and multiplatform measurement to achieve Telemundo’s business goals. Additionally, Garza oversees primary and secondary research and drives data-driven recommendations to enhance Telemundo’s multiplatform strategy and deliver on the content needs of the growing Latino consumer. Garza was previously the executive vice president of research and insights at iHeart Media, where he spearheaded thought leadership, developed analytics and led cross functional strategic programs.

Linda Goldstein is co-leader of BakerHostetler’s Advertising, Marketing & Digital Media team. She provides advertising counsel and regulatory advice to leading Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies. She represents clients in investigative and enforcement proceedings brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, district attorneys, and other federal and state agencies. Goldstein spends a considerable portion of her time advising clients on how to minimize the legal risks associated with mobile marketing, e-retail, social influencers, native advertising, email and telemarketing, and more. Goldstein’s commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, NBC’s TODAY Show, Adweek, Advertising Age, and the National Law Journal.

Leonard Gordon, co-chair of Venable’s Advertising and Marketing Group, is a skilled litigator who leverages his significant experience working for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help protect his clients’ interests and guide their business activity. Gordon regularly represents companies and individuals in investigations and litigation with the FTC, state attorneys general, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He also represents clients in business-to-business and class-action litigation involving both consumer protection and antitrust issues.

Dan Grskovic is a sales manager at Samsung Ads with almost 15 years of experience in direct response ad sales. He started his career at FOX Cable Networks, where he cut his teeth working across a variety of cable networks before moving on to join NBCUniversal’s direct response ad sales team. At NBCU, Grskovic worked across various networks, until settling in as an account executive representing NBC Sports Group’s portfolio of networks, which included NBC Sports Network and Golf Channel. He supported the launch of networks such as Universal Sports and Olympic Channel during his tenure. After almost nine years with NBCU, Grskovic joined Samsung Ads in 2022 as the first external hire on the newly formed performance media team, focused on the Samsung TV Plus streaming app and CTV media. He was born, raised, and still lives in Queens, N.Y., with his wife, son, daughter, and their two dogs.

Daniel Gulick is the head of product at JamLoop, bringing 15 years of ad tech/marketing science experience to the team. He focuses on enhancing JamLoop's platform to be the most transparent and actionable solution for advertisers, giving small businesses and D2C advertisers the same powerful tools as major brands. With a background working with companies like GoDaddy, CreditKarma, Untuckit, and HelloFresh, he thrives on helping advertisers uncover their "a-ha" moments through data-driven insights. Passionate about attribution and outcome-based measurement, Gulick is dedicated to proving the real impact of advertising. Outside work, he's enjoying life as a girl dad (times two), spending time outdoors, and hitting the golf course. Fun fact: He grew up on a horse farm where his family bred and raced thoroughbreds.

Jeremy Herbert is a performance marketing expert with a proven track record of using data to drive business growth and market expansion. As vice president of marketing atWeBuyAnyCar.com, he focuses on optimizing the customer journey and leveraging media to fuel scalable growth, while also emphasizing the importance of a robust measurement framework to ensure success.

Racine Levy is the senior director of performance and brand media at Care.com, where she leads strategy and buying across TV, CTV, social, and influencer channels — bridging the gap between performance and brand. With 14 years of experience across CPG, entertainment, and tech, Levy brings a full-funnel approach to driving results through media. Before joining Care.com, she spent more than five years at Angi, where she built and led the in-house brand media team from the ground up. Prior to that, she spent eight years on the agency side, managing campaigns for major entertainment and CPG brands. A proud Manhattan native and graduate of the George Washington University School of Business, Levy is passionate about media planning, tough negotiations, and building meaningful industry relationships. When she’s not bopping around New York City, you’ll find her traveling and discovering new places.

Shelby Nichols is the vice president of media at Media Culture, where she leads innovative media strategies with a focus on emerging channels. With experience across brands such as Shriners Children’s, National Debt Relief, Save the Children, and The Kroger Co., she has helped brands and organizations navigate shifting consumer behaviors and media fragmentation. Nichols is passionate about leveraging data-driven insights and an omnichannel approach to maximize audience engagement. As CTV continues to reshape the advertising landscape, she has spent the past 20 years helping brands adapt to new opportunities in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.

Maria Kennedy is the president of performance media at Allen Media Group, she oversees nine cable networks including The Weather Channel, Justice Central, The Grio, Recipe.tv, Pets.tv, Cars.tv, Comedy.tv, ES.tv, and My Destination. She also is responsible for selling DR inventory on AMG's six syndicated properties, including the big reach Court Combo programs along with AMG's streaming platforms: Local Now and The Weather Channel app. A pioneer in the DRTV space, Kennedy ran the DR group at Discovery for 16 years before doing the same at FETV. Kennedy was to the Direct Response Hall of Fame in 2015, and, in 2017, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the ERA.

With more than a decade as an analytics and marketing technology leader, Sergei Peysakhov — executive director of analytics at TCA — is an expert in leveraging data and marketing science to generate measurable client growth. He specializes in advertising effectiveness, brand research, data management, and translating complex analytics into actionable insights. With an extensive background in multi-touch attribution and marketing mix modeling, his focus is on advancing the technology and analytics solutions used within ad measurement and optimizations — or as he would say, “quantifying each channel’s contribution to the bottom line.”

Mike Rabinovitz is a seasoned brand marketer with more than 15 years of experience working at companies like Hershey, General Mills, and New Balance. He has a passion for nurturing brands in the better-for-you and health-and-wellness domains, having recently served as the marketing director of better-for-you at Hershey. In his current role as chief marketing officer at Echelon Fitness Multimedia, Rabinovitz leads the D2C business and guides the brand's vision to empower people in their health-and-wellness journeys. He approaches the rapidly evolving AI landscape with a mix of fear and excitement. Like many marketers, Rabinovitz is trying his best to keep up with the constant barrage of AI tools in marketing, learning what is out there, and assessing what may work best.

Ryan Stroble is owner of RSM Creations, a conversion-focused marketing agency. He is a performance-driven media buyer and e-commerce growth expert with more than a decade of experience managing high-budget campaigns, including accounts exceeding $2 million per month for brands like Snow Cosmetics. Stroble specializes in scaling e-commerce brands and building profitable MRR subscription models to maximize customer lifetime value and retention.

A veteran of the performance media space for more than two decades, Mark Sullivan is responsible for managing a convergent sales team of 22 executives across broadcast, cable, linear, and digital properties. As Paramount Advertising’s senior vice president of performance media, Sullivan currently works across CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Nickelodeon, TV Land, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, Pluto TV, and more. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with his team to establish a track record of delivering positive results across all sales verticals. He graduated from Siena College with an accounting degree and earned his CPA in 1997. Sullivan lives in Hoboken, N.J., with his wife and three sons.

Rich Thompson recently became chief sales and marketing officer for Burger Boat Co. in Manitowoc, Wis. For more than 160 years, Burger has been renowned for designing and building custom yachts. An EFFIE Award-winning marketer and business leader, Thompson has created and led several successful and profitable brand marketing campaign strategies for DuPont, Newell Rubbermaid, and ITW Welding. A frequent speaker on the subject of strategic marketing at various universities and marketing conferences, his work has been featured in various editions of Response Magazine. Prior to his appointment at Burger, he ran his own strategic consulting business, helping both private and Fortune-listed companies in several functional areas and short/long-term strategic business planning.

Sarah Andreadakis has been in advertising and media for more than 20 years. With a client portfolio in some of the most complex categories, she has become recognized as a leader in the industry, driving Bluewater to improve the ways it serves its clients and solves for their needs. As executive vice president of media for Bluewater, Andreadakis drives media strategy for her clients and shapes the services required to meet those needs. She leads a team of expert practitioners to deliver world-class services and exceed results. Her data-driven approach fosters a culture of continuous optimization and shared ownership.

Lindsey Carnett is the CEO and president of Marketing Maven. She founded the company in 2009, after leading integrated communications campaigns for firms and private industries across the world. With nearly two decades of experience in direct-to-consumer marketing, Carnett is a trusted public relations advisor to national and international organizations and has been named an Enterprising Women Award Winner, Top Woman in Public Relations by PR News,a Top Woman in Media, and featured in the ForbesMost Powerful Women Business Leader issue. Carnett has offered expert insight via news outlets like CNBC, TheStreet.com,National Public Radio (NPR), The Doctors, USA Today, PR Week, Forbes Woman, Medium, Gizmodoand Thrive Global. She also taught a social media content course and wrote curriculum for Academy of Art University. Named one of the Most Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine’sEntrepreneur 360 Awards, and one of the Fastest Growing Companies in America by Inc.5000 for two consecutive years, Marketing Maven specializes in international and domestic public relations, social media, reputation management, direct response marketing, U.S. product launches, SEO, event PR, and influencer marketing.

Ryan Garcia, senior sales lead, conversion solutions at Samsung Ads, is a highly accomplished sales leader with more than 15 years of comprehensive experience in the streaming, mar-tech, and attribution sectors. Along the way, he developed a specialized focus in mobile and CTV/OTT attribution. At Samsung Ads, Garcia excels at advising on activation and measurement strategy for outcome-centric clients using Samsung’s ML technology solutions. He is a subject matter expert on attribution and influencing product development roadmaps by representing the voice of the customer. Garcia has a proven track record of securing major partnerships from Fortune 500 clients and navigating a fast-paced, ever-changing industry. Perhaps most importantly, he is a proud St. John’s and Syracuse University alumnus and a San Diego native.

In 2018, Thomas Haire co-founded Definitive Media Group, an event and trade publishing company, as well as the Performance-Driven Marketing Institute (PDMI), a non-profit trade association for companies working in performance-driven and direct-to-consumer marketing. He serves both as chief content officer. Prior to this, Haire was editor-in-chief of Response Magazine for 17 years. He also served as the content director of Response Expo, a trade event in the direct-to-consumer marketing industry. A four-time Western Publications Association (WPA) Maggie-award nominee and two-time Eddie Award winner as a magazine editor and feature writer, Haire also contributes regularly to the 247sports.com website, USCFootball.com, and BostonMan Magazine.

Fern Lee, CEO of THOR Associates, is an award-winning marketing professional with a proven track record of creating and increasing brand awareness. A proud 2018 inductee to the Direct Response Hall of Fame, she has mastered the caveat of consumer engagement with each campaign, recognizing the “journey” to provide loyalty and asset values for multiple globally recognized brands. Lee is successful at applying direct response initiatives to the traditional and digital marketplaces with a unique expertise in branded-response omnichannel results. Earlier in her career, Lee was the head of direct response at Good Times Entertainment/Gaiam, bringing fitness hits Billy Blanks, THE FIRM, and Richard Simmons incredible success around the world. TurboCooker and GTXpress were also multi-million-dollar revenue generators in DTC and retail initiatives. For the past 14 years, Lee has dedicated her talents as CEO of THOR Associates, creating a premier omnichannel strategic marketing agency that implements dynamic lead generation resulting in multiple consumer transactions. Under the THOR Associates umbrella, Lee is proud to have provided services to select clients such as: MetLife, AIG, Humana, J&J, Mars, Balsam Hill, FocusFactor, KUMON, InventHelp, GalleryDirect.com, MedicareAdvantage.com, ClickNKids, Zestra, ReBloom, SmartSilk, and Migralex.

Greg Sarnow is founder and CEO of Allegro Response, a multichannel contact center that specializes in direct-to-consumer sales and customer service. However your customers want to communicate — whether it be through the phone, email, chat, or text — Allegro’s team is trained to take care of your customers. Its expertise in the direct response space helps clients improve campaign results while improving the key metrics necessary for success.

Matt Wasserlauf, CEO and founder of Blockboard, is a trailblazer in digital advertising. He’s respected not only for his drive and impact as a first mover in the digital video market, having founded Broadband Enterprises, the first online video company, and the mobile video platform Torrential, but also as a man of high integrity who values people and relationships first. His latest venture, Blockboard, leverages blockchain technology and AI to ensure transparency and trust in CTV advertising. Recognized with the iMedia "Conviction Award," Wasserlauf's visionary leadership continues to drive innovation and integrity in the ad tech space. His leadership at Blockboard has propelled the company to new heights in the ad tech industry. Under his guidance, Blockboard's outcomes-based programmatic marketing platform, built on blockchain technology, has set a new standard for transparency and sustainability. This year, Wasserlauf spearheaded the development and launch of BlockAI, the newest version of its core offering that combines blockchain and AI to further tackle ad fraud and waste. His mission to rectify the pervasive waste and fraud in the advertising industry is a career defining one. His passion for transparency and integrity is evident in every aspect of Blockboard's operations. Beyond his professional achievements, Wasserlauf is deeply committed to community engagement. He and his team actively support organizations like TD Foundation, which aids children affected by war, and DREAM, which provides educational programs for children in East Harlem and the South Bronx. Additionally, they work with the PitCCh In Foundation, established by former New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, to support youth development programs. Blockboard is also a proud member of the 10/7 Network, which fights antisemitism.