EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Michael Mothner is one of the pioneering thought leaders in the digital marketing community. In 2001, Michael founded Wpromote out of his dorm room at Dartmouth College. The company is now one of the fastest-growing and widely recognized online marketing firms in the country, and he has served as CEO since its inception. He is a columnist for Inc. Magazine and recipient of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, as well as a regular speaker at industry events. When he can (occasionally) be pried away from his laptop, Michael can be found screaming at the Lakers, eating epic sandwiches, and spending time with his family.
My biggest challenger learning
If you are at a challenging, fork-in-the-road moment, ultimately you have two choices: figure it out, or don’t figure it out. Be the person who chooses “figure it out.”
Paul joined the Wpromote team as CFO in 2018 and became President in January 2019. He brings extensive financial and operational experience to the company. Paul was previously Chief Operating Officer and Head of Entertainment, Media & Gaming with successful digital agencies Level Studios and Rosetta, and has held senior roles with industry leaders Disney and Activision. He lives in Palos Verdes with his wife, dog Ripley, and two amazing, exhausting sons.
Something you may not know about me
I’m a doodler. I worked as a graphic artist in high school and college, and I still draw (badly) on any available paper if a pen is handy.
One of the original members of the Wpromote team, Michael is responsible for the execution of all client services and manages the overall operations of the company. With extensive online marketing experience, he also supervises strategy and planning for our largest clients. Michael is considered Wpromote's foremost expert not only on paid search, but also on single malt Scotch and paleontology. There isn't a question about whisky or dinosaurs that he can't answer, which is a great comfort to the other employees.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
– Jake the Dog from Adventure Time
With almost two decades of digital marketing experience, Michael is responsible for the health and success of Wpromote’s clients and strategic relationships. He adheres to the principle that there's no difference between "performance marketing" and "brand marketing" because all marketing should perform--and helps businesses internalize and implement that rule to drive profitable growth.
As part of the leadership team that has grown Wpromote from "3 Mike's" to 500 employees, Michael has been fortunate to work with fantastic client partner teams that embrace the Challenger Mindset and push their organizations to get creative and succeed across channels. He primarily focuses on working with executive groups across Fortune 100 organizations and fast-moving startups to ensure best-in-class execution and profitable customer acquisition through digital marketing. With 3 amazing kids, and 2 semi-well behaved dogs, when not working you can find him stepping barefoot on Lego's and planning family adventures.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”
– Emmitt “Doc” Brown, Ph.D.
Paul joined the Wpromote team as CTO in 2019. He has extensive experience as an executive, systems architect, and inventor across a variety of technology ventures. Paul was previously CTO at CAKE by Accelerize Inc. and VP of Product Development at Scalable Network Technologies, and has held executive roles at a number of technology companies, both public and private. When not writing code, he loves to go scuba diving with his partner Michelle.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
– Alan Kay
Born and raised in Chicago, Megan struck out west to attend the University of Colorado, Boulder. Immediately after graduating, she leapt across the Atlantic to live and work in London, where she discovered a true passion for recruiting. With over a decade of experience in People Operations leadership, Megan ably helps to lead Wpromote as the Chief People Officer and is responsible for Wpromote’s people strategy, including learning and development offerings to develop future leaders of Wpromote, talent acquisition, compensation & benefits, and programs to support employee happiness and engagement.
The Best Challenger Advice I’ve Received
Imperfect action is better than perfect action. Just start.
Client Leadership
As EVP, Client Strategy at Wpromote, Jon oversees all client relationships and development while working hand-in-hand with clients who are onboarding and transitioning into the Wpromote family. He brings a wide range of experience in digital marketing from both the in-house and agency side of the industry, specializing in cross-channel integration for large international companies. Before joining Wpromote in January 2020, Jon worked at Dentsu Aegis/iProspect as a Managing Director and Head of Corporate Development. Prior to iProspect, Jon worked with a variety of smaller agencies specializing in digital marketing, web-based training, and instructional design. Key managed clients include Sony, Procter & Gamble, Williams Sonoma, Microsoft, HP, Chase, and the Department of the Navy.
My Favorite Challenger Moment
Getting to travel the world onboarding a global SEO client and being able to stitch all the disparate teams together into a truly positive outcome.
Aubrie joined Wpromote in 2020 and is an experienced leader specializing in enterprise marketing strategy and vision. In her role, she leverages her expertise to provide strategic guidance to both Wpromote's clients and the Client Services team and is responsible for establishing relationships and new pathways to growth for clients. As a passionate, integrated digital marketer, Aubrie loves working with teams to bring a holistic strategy to life for clients.
Something you may not know about me
When not at work, you can find me playing with my 2 energetic little boys or working the cattle that my husband and I own.
Jamie joined Wpromote in 2008 and launched the internal marketing division from the ground up. Now as SVP, she manages Wpromote's extensive marketing endeavors, including major website redesigns, sales materials, events, demand gen, thought leadership, press, and more. A background in event marketing, Jamie cares deeply about creating a great experience, and her excellent design aesthetic helps shape the entire Wpromote brand.
The Best Challenger Advice I’ve RECEIVED
Don’t get crippled with anxiety. Take control. Check off that first box on your to-do list, try something that scares you, and the rest will fall into place.
Sloan is responsible for working with CMO's and agency search firms to build strategic, high growth, long term relationships with Wpromote. He believes that every brand/agency relationship is critically important to the health and success of each business and works to ensure the perfect blend of talent, tech, and personality are matched for success. With over a decade of performance marketing agency experience and managing over 300 agency/brand partnerships, Sloan brings both his marketing and client side experience to help map client goals with Wpromote's talent, media, and data capabilities. He has worked with brands across verticals including eCommerce, retail, CPG, B2B, telecom, finserv, and many more.
The Best Challenger Advice I’ve RECEIVED
If you listen carefully to your customers and bring the best solutions to help them succeed, you will always be heading in the right direction and both your business and theirs will flourish.
Anna has nearly 20 years of digital marketing experience in client services, specializing in web development as well as performance and content marketing. She has managed digital and integrated campaigns for Fortune 500 companies such as American Express, Sony, and Purina. Her experience also includes work for Farmers Insurance, William Grant & Sons Distillers, Oracle, and Neutrogena. Born and raised in Sweden, she now lives in Halesite, NY, with her husband and two children.
Something You May Not Know About Me
I was born in Sweden and moved to the US on my own when I was just 19.
Marissa joined Wpromote in 2008; as an ecommerce expert and paid media guru, she challenged Wpromote clients to succeed. After spending several years on accelerated account development, Marissa stepped up to establish Wpromote's Strategy team, where she drives omnichannel strategic growth through a strong belief in the full-funnel approach. As a business and relationship activator, Marissa loves cultivating lifelong client relationships and building brand advocacy as an outsourced CMO and C-suite consultant for clients.
My Favorite Challenger Moment
Co-founding RISE – Wpromote’s community that focuses on empowering women.
Claire provides strategic leadership to Wpromote’s enterprise clients like Whirlpool and Transunion, helping them to drive growth. While Claire started her career practicing law in London, she moved to L.A. and found her ultimate passion was digital marketing, particularly structuring campaigns around key business goals and full-funnel thinking. Despite living in the U.S. since 2011, Claire still has a strong English accent and enjoys confusing her American colleagues with quirky U.K. phrases.
My Favorite Challenger Moment
Moving from England to U.S., leaving law behind and starting a whole new career.
Dennis joined Wpromote as VP of Digital Experience in 2021. He brings over 15 years of experience in eCommerce technology and operations. Dennis and the DX team are responsible for the design, build, and maintenance of our client's websites; including support for platforms such as Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Wordpress, and more. He has spearheaded the adoption of Headless and Progress Web Application technologies for our clients, which he believes will quickly become the standard for web development. Prior to Wpromote, Dennis was COO at Visiture where he helped the agency earn 5x recognition on the Inc 5000 fastest growing companies list, leading into Wpromote's acquisition. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and son.
THE BEST CHALLENGER ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED
Building comfort with being uncomfortable is a catalyst for personal and professional growth.
Jeff Herrera is a 20 year veteran of digital commerce. He has held senior executive positions in marketing, partnerships and business development at Visa Inc., Western Union, NBC Universal and Magento, an eBay Inc. company. Prior to the acquisition by Wpromote, he was Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships at Visiture. Jeff sits on the partnership advisory council at Klaviyo and leads all of our channel partnerships with Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento Commerce), BigCommerce, Shopify Plus, Iterable, Listrak, Attentive Mobile, Bloomreach, Akeneo, Yotpo, Recharge, Daasity, etc. Herrera holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Great vision without great people is irrelevant.”
– Jim Collins
Kimberlee joined the Wpromote team over six years ago and has managed almost every digital channel. She's an avid reader of any business books she can get her hands on, and relishes the opportunity to develop innovative strategies and campaigns for her book of industry-leading brands.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”
– Henry Ford
Christine comes from the worlds of tech, education, and politics, and excels at distilling complex ideas into high-impact content. She helps shape Wpromote's story and embrace the Challenger Mindset internally and externally by leveraging her background in instructional design and creative writing to ask difficult questions, build compelling brand positioning, collaborate on cross-channel marketing strategy, and deploy heavy-handed metaphors about dinosaurs.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Of course I talk to myself. I like a good speaker, and I appreciate an intelligent audience.”
– Dorothy Parker
David joined Wpromote in 2005 as the 8th (and greatest-ever) Wpromoter. He rejoined Wpromote in 2011 and has worked in every role across the sales org, from rep to senior director and now head of revenue operations. David loves three things: revenue, data, and shiba inus, which aligns perfectly with his position in helping to drive growth. He also loves his family, so he has four things he loves, not three, but you can decide the order ;)
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Dave, we can’t all be first-round draft picks”
– Dave’s Mom
Bethany works to drive high-growth outcomes across client relationships and cross-channel teams. She has a diverse marketing background and has worked in lead generation, ecommerce marketing and digital communications. Since joining the Dallas team of Wpromote in 2014, Bethany has guided total strategic digital integration for clients such as Greystar, Frontier Airlines and more. Music drives Bethany's spare time, and when she isn't playing with her orchestra, she's in a photo pit at a rock concert.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“The moment where you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever being able to do it.”
– Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie
Cate is a seasoned marketing leader with diverse experience across all digital media channels, SEO, web development, and creative. She has a passion for partnering with and growing complex, enterprise accounts through holistic media planning and iterative testing. With a focus on ecommerce, direct to consumer, and marketplaces, Cate enjoys connecting larger business objectives to thoughtful, actionable, and measurable marketing plans to create incremental opportunities for her clients.
The Best Challenger Advice I’ve RECEIVED
Focus your time and energy on what you can control and always aim to lead with positive problem-solving.
Clara has a strong integrated media and performance background, managing relationships and strategy for priority high-growth clients. From luxury retail and beauty to entertainment, she's driven client success in dynamic, highly competitive verticals. A strong believer in direct and honest communication has allowed her to lead with empathy and foster genuine relationships with internal teams and clients.
The Best Challenger Advice I’ve RECEIVED
Let your behavior be based on gratitude and know that action always trumps words. Focus on what is good and what is right.
Ian is passionate about activating advertising to drive business growth. He believes in full-funnel advertising that meets customers where they are in their time of need, while listening to interest indicators that fuel prospecting campaigns. He has experience on both agency and client side. Ian’s strong suit is in building relationships, and he believes in collaboration across all channels and teams. He enjoys coaching others through the impact of a diverse media strategy. Away from the office you’ll find Ian and his husband volunteering in their community, traveling, entertaining friends and napping with their two dogs Dean and Martin!
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“You look ridiculous if you dance. You look ridiculous if you don’t dance. So you might as well dance.”
– Gertrude Stein, Three Lives
After spending a large part of her career helping guide the marketing efforts of renowned lifestyle brand Fatboy, Megan has devoted the next chapter of her career bringing her abundant marketing skills to a group of clients. As a Group Account Director, Megan has successfully managed accounts across verticals like healthcare, fashion, hospitality, and start-ups just to name a few. She has produced highly effective outcomes through her passion for generating holistic marketing strategies and establishing lifelong relationships. During Megan’s downtime, she loves to scuba dive, fish, and lobster with her family.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life; it’s about what you inspire others to do.”
Sarah is a leader & innovator in digital marketing and advertising with over 9 years of professional experience driving clients’ success stories throughout North America and LATAM including past clients like Airbnb, Samsung, and various CPG clients. She brings to Wpromote not only a global perspective in marketing but also excellent critical thinking. She is bilingual in French and English.
Something you may not know about me
I am a mom of twins with a love for all things outdoors: a half Ironman, I have summited Mount Washington in -25F weather.
Sofiya is a seasoned marketing professional with a true belief that aligning to the greater business goals of our clients is the foundation to our collective success. Leveraging her background in business consulting and the law, Sofiya has effectively partnered with clients across all industries and verticals, spanning in size from enterprise organizations to agile, technology start-ups. A results-oriented leader, Sofiya thrives in a high-paced, performance-centric environment and enjoys building meaningful relationships with our clients and teams along the way.
Something You May Not Know About Me
When not working with our clients or spending time with my family, I thoroughly enjoy playing poker and am always up for a good game of Texas hold’em.
Tom is a digital marketing veteran with global experience spanning travel, automotive, financial services, tech, and government. Tom is passionate about insights and measurement and how these can drive meaningful business outcomes. When Tom is away from the office you can find him running on a treadmill at Barry's Bootcamp, snowboarding at Lake Tahoe, or dreaming about his next big travel adventure!
My Favorite Challenger Moment
Moving to the US from Australia in 2019 with no job and 3 suitcases determined to make it work!
Veronika has deep experience delivering digital solutions to a wide range of clients and industries across the North America and Asia-Pacific regions. While she has spent time working on all facets of digital media, her passion lies in building ecommerce businesses across many different platforms. Veronika is passionate about building strong relationships, proactively looking for ways to bring additional value for her clients, and ensuring deliverables are produced timely and with the quality Wpromote is known for.
Something You May Not Know About Me
Born and raised in Slovakia, studied and lived in Australia for 8 years before meeting my husband on the dancefloor, and finally settled down and started a family in New York 7 years ago!
Channel Leadership
David’s experience in paid search and digital media dates back to 2006, leading media teams at Mindshare, Media Assembly, MediaVest, and Blue Fountain Media. His experience spans all aspects of digital media, implementing campaigns across channels for clients like Honda/Acura, Fox, E*Trade, General Mills, Tyson, IBM, Allergan, Facebook, and many others. In addition to his passion for media, David enjoys golfing, obsessing over Formula 1, frequenting comedy clubs, and spending time with his wife and newborn son.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the interpretation of smart men.”
– Colin Chapman
Tom leads product at Wpromote, helping brands accelerate profitable growth with digital marketing through clean data architecture, advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and assistive automation. Tom got his start with Wpromote managing their partnership with Google. He enjoyed the culture so much, he joined in 2018 as VP of Paid Media, where he launched two high growth services, Amazon and Performance Creative, and integrated them with Paid Search, Social, and Programmatic delivery to improve paid performance for clients.
Something You May Not Know About Me
I’ve been on a quest for 10 years to make the perfect cup of coffee. I imagine I’ll be chasing this for the rest of my life.
Darren joined Wpromote in 2013 as an entry-level account manager on the SMB team. Over the past eight years, he's been on the incredibly rewarding journey to his current role as Head of the Social team. In past lives, Darren existed as a bartender, a journalist, and a digital content producer for a TV network. In his current role, he finds extreme joy in helping to shape our team, our clients' brands, and the way we all share our stories online. Darren is fueled by live music, inspiring conversations, and delicious craft beer.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”
– Hunter S. Thompson
As the head of Data Strategy & Analytics, Drew utilizes the power of AI and ML to revolutionize Wpromote's methods of measurement, optimization, data privacy, and experimentation to develop meaningful and actionable strategies for our clients. Drew's true passion lies in making analytics accessible to all, achieved through the development of scalable data products that empower marketing professionals to make informed decisions based on data. He thrives at the intersection of marketing and analytics, employing statistical insights and data-driven techniques to steer business growth and deliver measurable results to his clients.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“An approximate answer to the right problem is worth a good deal more than an exact answer to an approximate problem.”
– John Tukey
Jayme is passionate about data-driven marketing and thrives on fueling brand growth through dynamic full-funnel and cross-channel strategies. With over a decade of agency experience, Jayme has driven transformative results for a diverse portfolio of enterprise clients, specializing in ecommerce and omnichannel businesses, with additional experience in education, finance, and healthcare. As the Vice President of Paid Search, Jayme oversees client delivery and growth, thought leadership, operational excellence and talent development. Her people-first approach to leadership ensures the team consistently delivers exceptional results and drives innovation daily.
A Reno/Tahoe local, Jayme prioritizes time outdoors, skiing, golfing, hiking, or running daily. Her favorite weekend routine is taking her golden retrievers, Oslo and Bogey, on a long walk to Reno’s best bakery to share a croissant.
SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME
I like my clothes like my coffee – all black!
As Head of Consumer Strategy, Natalie serves as a catalyst for growth by helping brands untap new opportunities, challenge the status quo, and realize the full potential of media in driving business results. She is passionate about finding new ways to uncover consumer insights and using data in unique ways to tell compelling narratives. Throughout her career, Natalie has had the unique opportunity to work across large and complex enterprise brands, DTC brands paving new categories, and fast-paced startups accelerating change. She is most comfortable when she is outside of her comfort zone learning something new and exciting.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“There isn’t a person you wouldn’t love if you heard their story.”
– Mary Lou Kownacki
As Vice President of Earned Media, Rachel oversees division-wide growth, profitability, innovation, and team development across Wpromote’s SEO, Content Marketing, Influencer, Affiliate, and Content Development departments. An English major at heart, Rachel challenges her teams to build stories that engage organically, earn trust, and drive more profitable, sustainable performance.
The Best Challenger Advice I’ve Received
“You can’t teach someone to care.” Enthusiasm, dedication, and feeling personally invested in your client’s success are intrinsic and invaluable.
Since joining Wpromote in 2015, Ryan has been driving client success across nearly all sides of the brand-agency equation from channel management to client services and now, strategic leadership. Having most recently originated the role of media strategist at Wpromote, Ryan leads a team tasked with unlocking scalable customer acquisition for Wpromote’s largest brands using a challenger mindset and full-funnel approach to strategic media buying. Ryan prides himself on being equally analytical and creative, bringing both sides together to build innovative plans to unlock market opportunities.
My Favorite Challenger Moment
Leading the go-to market strategy for a large enterprise breaking into a saturated market without first-mover advantage. Successfully. Twice!
Sammy serves as the strategic lead on some of the agency's largest engagements, partnering with clients and media teams to build cross-channel marketing strategies that address overarching business objectives and unlock scalable growth. Sammy's experience spans working with new-to-market DTC brands as well enterprise brands in the entertainment, retail, fitness and CPG verticals to drive full-funnel goals in innovative, measurable ways. In addition to her passion for media, Sammy loves to run, hike and cook with her friends, family and husband (also named Sam!).
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Leadership is action, not a position.”
– Donald McGannon
Ana is a UCLA alum who made the switch to digital marketing by joining Wpromote after her enterprise PR agency background and never looked back. Now as the Director of Influencer Marketing, Ana spearheads everything from new and existing client growth, strategy, and execution. She works closely with her budding team to bring brands and influencers/content creators together to form strategic yet authentic partnerships. When she's not keeping up with the latest Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok creators - Ana enjoys traveling with her husband, trying out new local restaurants, and consuming the latest true crime show or podcast.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
– Maya Angelou
As the Head of Content Marketing & Earned Media Strategy, Megan leads a team that is focused on finding the perfect harmony of data and storytelling for every client. Megan’s passion is developing holistic marketing strategies through collaboration and cross-channel integration. Since joining Wpromote in 2016, Megan has led approximately 450 team brainstorms, coached 53 marketers, worked with 90 brands, conducted 48 team trainings and had very, very few Mondays that sucked.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.”
– J.M. Barrie
Mike is a veteran email marketer who expertly leads the email team at Wpromote. As someone who thrives on building new relationships, Mike is motivated by mentoring and coaching teams, and developing strategies to help brands crush their goals. With experience that spans across both agency and brand-side, he has helped establish and grow email programs for many fast-growth startups and iconic enterprise companies. Mike and his wife Laura live just outside of Philadelphia and have a daughter named Ferris (who rocks the cutest curls) as well as a super laid-back (aka lazy) golden retriever named Ruxin. In his free time, Mike plays guitar and enjoys stand-up/sketch comedy.
THE BEST CHALLENGER ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED
Be kind to yourself and don’t sweat the small stuff.
As Head of SEO at Wpromote, Serena leads a high-performing team of SEO professionals in all aspects of organic, technical, content and offsite strategy. Before joining Wpromote, Serena held account management, strategy and analytics roles at iProspect, MRM-McCann, WPP, Moz and Contentsquare. She has been fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s best-known brands including Microsoft, Xbox, Sony, Carter’s, Samsung, Target, Realtor, Anthem, FedEx, PayPal and more. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Serena enjoys spending time with her springer spaniel Ozzy, exploring Seattle-area thrift stores and trying out new recipes on the weekends.
something you may not know about me
If she could pick her last meal on Earth, Serena would have lobster dinner and fancy champagne with a slice of pecan pie for dessert!
Skyler is a proven leader within media teams, excelling at delivering high-quality executions spanning multiple digital channels with an emphasis in Programmatic & Video environments. He has led the TV charge at Wpromote since 2019, spearheading comprehensive Streaming & Linear activations across dozens of brands inclusive of all major verticals. In his free time, Skyler enjoys traveling the globe and experiencing all different types of cuisine and cultures. He also enjoys music, fashion, live sporting events, golf, and spending time with his dog Gnocchi.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
– Nelson Mandela
Throughout her career, Deanna has undertaken new challenges in her quest to gain diverse industry experience and perspectives to be a strong leader on behalf of clients and organizations looking to unlock the next stage of business growth. With a performance background that spans agency, brand, and publisher roles, she leverages her passion for holistic digital strategy, data and analytics, innovation, and partnerships to challenge the status quo and inspire long-lasting positive impact.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”
– Rabindranath Tagore
Corporate Leadership
Jessica started with Wpromote in 2007 as a Paid Search Manager and quickly took over leadership of the flourishing paid media department. Jessica's role eventually morphed into SVP of Client Services where she established our integration framework, led our delivery departments, and scaled and launched new offerings. After years of supporting clients and taking channel execution to the next level, Jessica stepped up to meet the needs of our rapidly growing organization and established our Central Operations department. Jessica is responsible for improving operational efficiencies, institutionalizing systems and automating tools, and developing scalable solutions companywide. Jessica fills the rest of her time enjoying life with her husband, daughter, and son.
Something You May Not Know About Me
Prior to entering the world of digital marketing, I studied psychology and spent several years providing therapy to children with autism.
Theresa grew up in Southern California, and, after graduating from Duke University, she began her career in strategic analysis at CarMax. Ultimately, she discovered her love for finance and began working on her MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, eventually accruing over ten years of finance experience. After working for a variety of public and private companies, such as Boingo Wireless, Oakwood Worldwide, Loot Crate, and Katch, Theresa joined the Wpromote family as Senior Vice President of Finance. An avid college basketball fan and Excel aficionado, you can find Theresa cheering on the Duke University basketball team and happily making spreadsheets for anything in her free time.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
I love to travel and am trying to visit every continent–I only have Antarctica remaining.
Amanda Papini joined the Wpromote team in early August of 2021 through the acquisition of Visiture bringing fifteen plus years of talent acquisition and human resources expertise. Over her tenure with Visiture she increased headcount by over 50% and established standardized processes for talent operations and services. If she had to summarize herself in two words, it would be Passionate and Growth-Oriented. She believes in constant self-reflection and is committed to self-improvement. However, most of her fulfillment comes from helping others grow and realize their unique talents. She feels so fortunate to have a career in human resources that aligns perfectly with what matters to her most: People.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Michael is a seasoned technical leader specializing in evolving engineering organizations, managing product delivery in an agile and collaborative mindset, and learning/teaching the craft of software development. He has owned the delivery of significant products from idea to market with customer experiences that are simple, intuitive, and impactful to deliver the best possible outcomes for customers and the company. He has worked at companies ranging in size from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 multinational corporations for over 25 years.
Michael will guide our technical team and mature our engineering practices, facilitate cross-team success, and nurture a talented, healthy, and productive product organization.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
– Pablo Picasso
One of the earliest members of the Wpromote family, Ryan joined fresh out of USC in 2006, where he studied Computer Science and 3D Animation. Acting as a sort of utility player for Wpromote, Ryan's role has shifted over the years to adapt to the changing needs of the company. Starting in the Performance Marketing division, he was able to focus on the growing need for in-house software development, helping build many of the management tools we use today. Outside of the office, Ryan spends most of his free time slaying dragons, shredding the California coast, and dancing from one music festival to another.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
As Head of Legal at Wpromote, Andrew provides strategic guidance on a wide range of legal and business affairs matters. Before joining Wpromote in May 2023, Andrew supported a diverse set of internal teams at Mattel, advised business and product teams at Microsoft, and litigated entertainment contracts and intellectual property disputes at the law firms Loeb & Loeb and Glaser Weil. Andrew enjoys working closely with clients and business teams to identify key concerns and provide creative solutions to support efficient execution and growth. Born and raised in Southern California, Andrew enjoys being near both surf and snow when not traveling domestically and abroad.
Something You May Not Know About Me
Whether it is with a keyboard, 3D printer, hammer, measuring cup, or paintbrush –
I am almost always designing, fabricating, fixing, mixing, or creating something.
Jackie Leung is one of those rare individuals that always knew what she wanted to do for her career and has been recruiting since college. Originally from Canada, she has been in the US since 2010 where she continued her recruiting career starting with fashion before moving to advertising. In 2016 she joined Wpromote to start the Talent arm at the agency and is now overseeing all of recruiting while managing a team of recruiters. While at Wpromote, she had the opportunity to start the DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging) Initiative which fueled the launch of multiple Employee Resource Groups. Outside of work, she spends her time with her two adorable french bulldogs, Mr. Freckles + Mr. Wrinkles, travels the world with her husband, eating at the best restaurants, and hosts dinner parties for her friends.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Mind over matter, Nothing is impossible. Just do it.”
Steve draws on years of experience in IT management, business analysis, project management, and enterprise solutions to keep things running smoothly at Wpromote as Director of IT. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame, then got his MBA at UCLA, merging the worlds of IT and business. A big movie-goer and college football fan, Steve loves using his downtime to travel to countries like the UK, Mexico, and, soon enough, New Zealand and parts of Europe.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.”
– Cameron Crowe
A Southern California native, Annemarie studied business administration at the University of San Diego. She gravitated to the digital media and advertising world and has continued on that track for the last 15 years. At Wpromote, Annemarie leads the accounting team, ensuring all the day-to-day operations run smoothly while providing the best service possible. When not in the office, you can find her riding her horse, traveling, cooking, and spending lots of family time with her husband, son, and daughter.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
“I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead.”
– Jimmy Buffett
Board & Advisors
Bob Schwartz has created over $1 billion of shareholder value in commerce and technology companies, including building Magento to 30%+ global marketshare (acquired by eBay), serving as the "Founder & GM" of Nordstrom.com ($2.5B in 2015), and selling an online auction company to Amazon. Bob serves as Vice Chairman of Wpromote, providing strategic advice, partnerships, talent, experience, and mentorship to drive growth and value to Wpromote and its clients, including the establishment of Wpromote's Commerce Advisory Group. Bob is currently CEO of the company building firm 47B Street, and is a thought leader in retail/technology, speaking globally on those topics.
Andrew Vogel joined ZMC in 2003. Mr. Vogel is jointly responsible for overseeing the Firm’s private equity investment activities. Mr. Vogel currently represents ZMC as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Simeio and AdThrive and serves on the boards of Resonate, The Second City, 9 Story, and Wpromote. He was previously on the boards of Education Networks of America, ITRenew, CommentSold, Airvana, Tekelec, and Cast & Crew.
Prior to joining ZMC, Mr. Vogel worked at Ripplewood Holdings, a private equity firm where he focused on investments in the media, consumer and industrial sectors. Mr. Vogel also worked at McCown De Leeuw and Co., a private equity firm where he was responsible for investments in the consumer, building materials and health and leisure industries, including the firm’s investment in 24 Hour Fitness. Previously, Mr. Vogel was an investment banker in Lehman Brothers’ Mergers and Acquisitions Group.
Mr. Vogel earned a BA in Mathematics and Economics from Wesleyan University. He also received an MBA from Harvard Business School where he graduated as a Baker Scholar.
Ripan Kadakia joined ZMC in 2014. Mr. Kadakia is responsible for originating, executing and managing investments. Mr. Kadakia currently represents ZMC on the boards of Wpromote, Resonate, Simeio, , AdThrive, and Logitix (fka Dynasty Sports & Entertainment). He was previously on the boards of CommentSold and Cannella Response Television.
Before joining ZMC, Mr. Kadakia was an investment professional in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications group at Warburg Pincus, where he focused on investments in the software, internet, information, business services and education industries. In his time at Warburg Pincus, Mr. Kadakia executed control buyouts and growth investments and also served as a board member or strategic advisor to several portfolio companies.
Ben Carus joined ZMC in 2016. Mr. Carus helps manage select portfolio companies and is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing potential investment opportunities. Mr. Carus currently represents ZMC on the board of Wpromote.
Previously, Mr. Carus worked in the investment bank at J.P. Morgan where he focused on advising clients on mergers & acquisitions, capital raising and other corporate activities.
Mr. Carus holds a BA from Wesleyan University and studied at The London School of Economics.
