Cal Manfreda : VP Finance & Operations
Norwalk Past
I started my career in public accounting, becoming a CPA while working for Ernst and Young and earned my MBA in Finance. I've worked for over 20 years within the financial and information systems groups of both public and privately held promotional agencies.
Present
In my role as SVP, Finance & Operations, I am currently leading the team on enhancing the agency's fully integrated financial system. This is helping everyone become smarter and more efficient, and enabling the agency to better serve our individual client needs.
Personal
My wonderful husband and four great kids have provided plenty of life experiences in time management.
Idea
Remote device that gets dinner started before you get home.
Norwalk Past
I started my career in public accounting, becoming a CPA while working for Ernst and Young and earned my MBA in Finance. I've worked for over 20 years within the financial and information systems groups of both public and privately held promotional agencies.
Present
In my role as SVP, Finance & Operations, I am currently leading the team on enhancing the agency's fully integrated financial system. This is helping everyone become smarter and more efficient, and enabling the agency to better serve our individual client needs.
Personal
My wonderful husband and four great kids have provided plenty of life experiences in time management.
Idea
Remote device that gets dinner started before you get home.
Mitch Blum : SVP Client Strategy
Boston Past
The first decade of my career was at a couple of large ad agencies in Boston. I worked on a variety of accounts, from tech start-ups to global icons. Most memorably, I helped Monster.com to launch their brand in 1999 with the award-winning Super Bowl campaign, "When I Grow Up."
Present
As the SVP, Strategy & Planning, I work with the client, agency account and creative teams to develop strategies that demonstrate how brand equities can provide authentic shopper solutions. My approach is to analyze all of the relevant knowledge and data surrounding a problem and find the hidden patterns that lead to actionable insights.
Personal
In my spare time I've created a book, a podcast and two small humans. He loves them all equally.
Idea
Let's celebrate President's Day on the Monday after the Super Bowl. It's what George and Abe would have wanted.
Boston Past
The first decade of my career was at a couple of large ad agencies in Boston. I worked on a variety of accounts, from tech start-ups to global icons. Most memorably, I helped Monster.com to launch their brand in 1999 with the award-winning Super Bowl campaign, "When I Grow Up."
Present
As the SVP, Strategy & Planning, I work with the client, agency account and creative teams to develop strategies that demonstrate how brand equities can provide authentic shopper solutions. My approach is to analyze all of the relevant knowledge and data surrounding a problem and find the hidden patterns that lead to actionable insights.
Personal
In my spare time I've created a book, a podcast and two small humans. He loves them all equally.
Idea
Let's celebrate President's Day on the Monday after the Super Bowl. It's what George and Abe would have wanted.
Randi Moore : VP Account Director
Norwalk Past
My career has been focused on the client side creating innovative, integrated solutions which drove consumer engagement, retail acceptance and activation across the personal care, household products, food and beverage categories for the likes of Fort James Corporation, Reckitt Benckiser and most recently PepsiCo.
Present
After 20 years as "the client," I've returned to the agency side where I first began my career developing and implementing insight driven retail solutions for the Miller Brewing Company, Kellogg's, Buckingham Wile, Revlon and Clairol. One of my key focus points for Marketing Drive is understanding and translating motivations into flawlessly executed insight driven strategies that consistently deliver winning results.
Personal
Speaking about winning. ... I'm an accomplished, competitive equestrian. When not riding I can be found with my husband cheering on our two sons who participate in almost every sport which involves a ball… year round.
Idea
Text with Stun feature – to get your teens attention.
Norwalk Past
My career has been focused on the client side creating innovative, integrated solutions which drove consumer engagement, retail acceptance and activation across the personal care, household products, food and beverage categories for the likes of Fort James Corporation, Reckitt Benckiser and most recently PepsiCo.
Present
After 20 years as "the client," I've returned to the agency side where I first began my career developing and implementing insight driven retail solutions for the Miller Brewing Company, Kellogg's, Buckingham Wile, Revlon and Clairol. One of my key focus points for Marketing Drive is understanding and translating motivations into flawlessly executed insight driven strategies that consistently deliver winning results.
Personal
Speaking about winning. ... I'm an accomplished, competitive equestrian. When not riding I can be found with my husband cheering on our two sons who participate in almost every sport which involves a ball… year round.
Idea
Text with Stun feature – to get your teens attention.
John Minnec : Chief Marketing Officer
Norwalk Past
Most recently, the Executive Director of EuroRSCG and, prior to that, the President/CEO of DraftFCB London.
Present
I'm a true integrated marketer. Currently, the Chief Marketing Officer for the RiverNorth group of companies. In this capacity, I oversee all marketing, new business activities and the corporate communication activities for Marketing Drive, Legacy Marketing Partners, Premium Surge and Empower.
Personal
When I'm not at work, you will find me with my three kids where I'll be coaching football or lacrosse or putting the finishing touches on my first cookbook that will be published later this year.
Idea
Totally voice-activated computer – no keyboard. Any/all commands and written documents are spoken and the computer executes everything immediately.
Norwalk Past
Most recently, the Executive Director of EuroRSCG and, prior to that, the President/CEO of DraftFCB London.
Present
I'm a true integrated marketer. Currently, the Chief Marketing Officer for the RiverNorth group of companies. In this capacity, I oversee all marketing, new business activities and the corporate communication activities for Marketing Drive, Legacy Marketing Partners, Premium Surge and Empower.
Personal
When I'm not at work, you will find me with my three kids where I'll be coaching football or lacrosse or putting the finishing touches on my first cookbook that will be published later this year.
Idea
Totally voice-activated computer – no keyboard. Any/all commands and written documents are spoken and the computer executes everything immediately.
Michael Harris : President
Boston Past
Long term agency professional, I started and ran leading edge agencies in Europe and America working with great clients on brilliant brands across diverse categories.
Present
President of prominent Promotional and Experiential/Event Marketing Agencies seeking new marketing frontiers with clients. Always curious, never satiated.
Personal
Wife who has put up with me for 23 years (so far), 3 great children, eldest about to commence college, one ridiculous dog and an inability to acknowledge my age by continuing to actively play soccer.
Idea
Self-cooling pillows!
Boston Past
Long term agency professional, I started and ran leading edge agencies in Europe and America working with great clients on brilliant brands across diverse categories.
Present
President of prominent Promotional and Experiential/Event Marketing Agencies seeking new marketing frontiers with clients. Always curious, never satiated.
Personal
Wife who has put up with me for 23 years (so far), 3 great children, eldest about to commence college, one ridiculous dog and an inability to acknowledge my age by continuing to actively play soccer.
Idea
Self-cooling pillows!
Gene Chmiel : Chief Creative Officer
Norwalk Past
20+ years of creative development at agencies working on a broad range of categories, with brands such as Coca-Cola, Miller beer, M&M Mars, Unilever, Campbell's, Gillette and many others. The initial entry of my creative career was client side working at Coleco toy company as an in-house designer. Other than the summer I spent as a Good Humor man, getting paid to play with toys was hard to beat!
Present
As part of the Leadership team at Marketing Drive, it's invigorating to be part of the rapidly changing marketing landscape. Technology is creating a convergence making anything possible when it comes to brands connecting with people. Everyday is a new day.
Personal
Never a dull moment on the weekends - name the season, we're out doing something. Fishing, boating, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and everything in between. My family is running in every direction trying to fit it all in before dinner (my "killer" clam pizza on the grill).
Idea
Wasabi flavored Absolut - chilled, shaken and served with a thin slice of lemon - the perfect martini to go with sushi.
Norwalk Past
20+ years of creative development at agencies working on a broad range of categories, with brands such as Coca-Cola, Miller beer, M&M Mars, Unilever, Campbell's, Gillette and many others. The initial entry of my creative career was client side working at Coleco toy company as an in-house designer. Other than the summer I spent as a Good Humor man, getting paid to play with toys was hard to beat!
Present
As part of the Leadership team at Marketing Drive, it's invigorating to be part of the rapidly changing marketing landscape. Technology is creating a convergence making anything possible when it comes to brands connecting with people. Everyday is a new day.
Personal
Never a dull moment on the weekends - name the season, we're out doing something. Fishing, boating, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and everything in between. My family is running in every direction trying to fit it all in before dinner (my "killer" clam pizza on the grill).
Idea
Wasabi flavored Absolut - chilled, shaken and served with a thin slice of lemon - the perfect martini to go with sushi.
Todd Engels : General Manager
Norwalk Past
Worked at large NYC ad agencies for 15+ years (post "Mad Men" era…worked harder, less Scotch) running major multinational accounts and always striving for great work. I discovered that real integration was happening at agencies that were closer to the consumer so I made the transition to the promotion and shopper world in 2005.
Present
Making Marketing Drive invaluable to our clients. Lining up the right talent, providing them with the resources and coaching they need to succeed, then watching them flourish. Sounds like fun? It is.
Personal
A family that puts up with my travel schedule. Weekends on the sidelines of youth soccer games. Snow in the winter and sand in the summer.
Idea
Shoes that can become sandals (and vice versa).
Norwalk Past
Worked at large NYC ad agencies for 15+ years (post "Mad Men" era…worked harder, less Scotch) running major multinational accounts and always striving for great work. I discovered that real integration was happening at agencies that were closer to the consumer so I made the transition to the promotion and shopper world in 2005.
Present
Making Marketing Drive invaluable to our clients. Lining up the right talent, providing them with the resources and coaching they need to succeed, then watching them flourish. Sounds like fun? It is.
Personal
A family that puts up with my travel schedule. Weekends on the sidelines of youth soccer games. Snow in the winter and sand in the summer.
Idea
Shoes that can become sandals (and vice versa).
Jane Manley : VP Human Resources
Norwalk Past
In what now seems like a rather "dry" career before coming to Marketing Drive, I was a Human Resources Manager for a maritime bulk cargo shipping company, headquartered in Piraeus, Greece. I managed all of the U.S. Human Resources and grew a tough skin working with the cargo traders!
Present
As the VP, Human Resources for the agency, I'm charged with bringing in the right talent to deliver intelligent, strategic and creative products to our clients. A big part of my job is making sure that we provide training and development programs to keep our employees fresh and innovative as well as cultivate the passion and energy we bring to our agency and work. I love how we all rally around a pitch or a big new idea and then come in the next day ready to do it all over again.
Personal
I married my best friend and we have two amazing kids and two lovable Cavaliers. My secret passion (well maybe not so secret anymore) is eating out and enjoying a glass of wine. It's probably not a coincidence that my son has decided to become a chef and open his own restaurant one day.
Idea
I would love to have one lipstick that intuitively coordinates with both my mood and outfit!
Norwalk Past
In what now seems like a rather "dry" career before coming to Marketing Drive, I was a Human Resources Manager for a maritime bulk cargo shipping company, headquartered in Piraeus, Greece. I managed all of the U.S. Human Resources and grew a tough skin working with the cargo traders!
Present
As the VP, Human Resources for the agency, I'm charged with bringing in the right talent to deliver intelligent, strategic and creative products to our clients. A big part of my job is making sure that we provide training and development programs to keep our employees fresh and innovative as well as cultivate the passion and energy we bring to our agency and work. I love how we all rally around a pitch or a big new idea and then come in the next day ready to do it all over again.
Personal
I married my best friend and we have two amazing kids and two lovable Cavaliers. My secret passion (well maybe not so secret anymore) is eating out and enjoying a glass of wine. It's probably not a coincidence that my son has decided to become a chef and open his own restaurant one day.
Idea
I would love to have one lipstick that intuitively coordinates with both my mood and outfit!
leadership
