Shirley Dreifus, Chief Executive.
30 years experience in business engagement. Prior to cofounding Strategic, she headed management practices at an Economist Group division, managed consulting groups at JPMorgan Chase, was senior communicator at Jensen Communications, and adjunct professor at Baruch College. She has an MBA in international business from the New York University Stern School and a BA from Russell Sage. She is the author of the Global Management Desk Reference and Strategic Planning for IT. She is a member of NYWICI and IABC and previously was Assistant Treasurer for the Council on the Environment.
Farhan Ali, President.
Over 20 years experience in domestic and international marketing and communications and account management. Prior to cofounding Strategic, he held positions with Jensen Communications Group, Dekker Babian Design, General Electric Trading and Gulf International. Farhan has a BBA in finance/ international management from Boston University School of Management.
Glen Franklin, Director Strategic Brand Strategy.
Over 20 years of experience in marketing, business development, technology and operations. Prior to Strategic, he was SVP/Director of Product Strategy at Citi leading innovation and consumer strategy, and also held positions at Harley-Davidson, Advanta, and MBNA America. He has lead marketing and innovation workshops in Europe, South America, and Asia. His product and service innovations have been patented twice. Glen has a BA from the University of Rochester.
Thomas Haddad, Creative Director.
Thomas graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Illustration. He is a gifted illustrator in both digital and traditional mediums whose illustrations have enhanced both business-to-business and business-to-consumer projects in international tourism, music publishing and financial services. Previously Thomas was a designer for Reiner Design Consultants and F&M Expressions.
Peter Heymann, Sales Director.
Pete brings his diverse background in marketing and marketing communications to the Strategic team. His company Peter Heymann Associates has helped many marketing communications firms grow their businesses. Pete's previous experience includes Olin Corporation and Coleco Industries. From toys to sporting goods to financial services, Pete executes marketing communications programs that deliver excellence.
Eva Katz, Strategy Director.
A marketing leader with 15 years experience including several years recently spent at Citi in driving business results through analysis and creative problem solving. Eva leverages insights to identify unmet needs and finds practical solutions to profitably address those needs. She has also provided consultation and leadership on innovation and developing business opportunities, including the design and testing of innovative, high-potential green products and services. Eva has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor's degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Angela Lam, Senior Project Director.
Angela has nearly 20 years of experience in the areas of marketing, public relations, events planning and office management. Angela joined Strategic in 2001 as a Project Manager supervising numerous assignments from rewards and recognition based programs to database management projects for our clients. Angela holds a BA in Business Communications from the City University of New York at Baruch College.
Rosemary Manoni-Vassallo, Account Manager.
Before joining Strategic, Rosemary managed a dinner cruise company for 6 years. She was responsible for client management as well as event management and event organization. Rosemary also has extensive product procurement experience from her 10-year tenure with a men's textile business at which she handled purchasing from overseas manufacturers as well as logistics with custom house brokers. She received her BS in Business Administration from Bernard Baruch College
Courtney McCabe, Communications Project Manager.
Courtney joined Strategic in February 2011 as a Communications Project Manager. She oversees rewards and recognition programs, as well as employee engagement and promotional marketing. Courtney has a BA in Mass Communications from Iona College.
Karl Tartaglia, Chief Financial Officer.
Karl has over 20 years diversified experience in both domestic and international markets, managing accounting, consolidations, financial reporting, information systems, credit and collections, administration, payroll, budgeting, planning, forecasting and financial analysis for global companies such as Sony and Pan Am. He has an MBA in Finance and Investment Banking from Hofstra University and a BA in Public Accounting from Fordham University.
Imran Ashraf, Technology Advisor.
Imran has specialized in website development for seven years. He is a Microsoft-certified professional in .NET, the top-level certification for advanced developers who design and develop leading-edge enterprise solutions. In Toronto, Imran worked for Rad-Logic Inc., where he developed a website that enabled patients to book X-rays, ultrasounds and other services online. He holds a mathematics degree from Government College in Pakistan and a graduate degree in software development from Pak-American Institute of Management Sciences.
Ronni Burns. Communications Advisor.
Ronni has been a consultant, corporate officer, speaker educator for 25 years. Her communicologist business consults with corporations to drive performance. She is Senior Fellow of Communications at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Previously she spent 15 years at Citi as Senior Vice President and North America client advocate, Director of Business Practices and National Sales Manager for Citicorp Investment Services. She also was a Communications Adjunct at the University of Connecticut and a lecturer at Stern School and the Wharton School for Executive Education. In 2001 she authored "Communication Essentials: A Sell-abration". She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in Communication Science from the University of Connecticut. She also holds NASD licenses Series 7, 22, 24 and 63.
Amy Parr Cilmi, Strategy Advisor.
Amy has been on the Strategic team for over 10 years. Prior to that time, she spent 10 years at Citi Cards where she was responsible for employee engagement strategy and development, cardmember marketing for the Citi Photocard and introduction of a new photo credit card fulfillment system. Amy has her MA in Communications Design and Writing from University of Baltimore and her BA from Western Maryland College. She authored Embarking on a Quality Journey and won a Tellie Award for Factual Fables: The Cost of Quality. Amy also earned the Citi Service Excellence Award.
Don Heymann. Senior Editor.
Don has nearly 25 years of experience as a writer and consultant, working in the fields of corporate, investor and marketing communications for companies in financial services, healthcare, consumer products and technology. Don has worked for a broad range of blue-chip multinational corporations, including GE Capital, Citibank, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and IBM. Other financial services clients served include Deloitte & Touche, The Hartford, Pitney Bowes Financial Services and PriceWaterhouseCooper. Earlier in his career, Don was a senior communications executive for three Fortune 500 companies and an account supervisor with Burson-Marsteller. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Heymann is a summa cum laude graduate of Ohio University with a BA in English and Creative Writing.
Steve Kietz. Senior Advisor.
Steve is an innovative leader with a unique set of experiences. Steve's management experience includes traditional retail banking, all aspects of credit card marketing, prepaid cards, internet banking, and mobile software creation and distribution. Among his positions, Steve was Chief Executive Officer at Mobile Money Ventures, LLC, a company providing comprehensive, customizable and secure mobile money, EVP, Growth Ventures and Innovation, for Citigroup where he launched many new products including a full-service Internet Bank and Director of New Customer Acquisitions at JP Morgan/Chase Card Services.