Raymond Nadeau was elected to the group's board of advisors. Since then, the group has sold it's first concept/name to powerhouse fashion, accessories and fragrance giant, Gucci.
www.brandvisionaries.com
Board of Advisors
James Yaffe
Managing Partner, Endeavor Corporate Consulting
James Yaffe joined the Endeavor Talent Agency in 2001 to launch Endeavor Marketing Solutions- the Agency's corporate consulting division. As a talent agency Endeavor represents leading actors, writers, directors and production companies throughout the world of media and entertainment. Yaffe has built EMS by managing corporate clients (American Express, Best Buy, EA, Motorola, Mattel) and delivering solutions that enable these clients to build their business through innovation, alliances and implementation. As a multi-disciplined division within Endeavor, Yaffe developed a brand lab that creates and develops new businesses. Three prime examples are the PussyCat Dolls, Martha Stewart/KB Homes and BP Solar Neighbor Program. Yaffe has been instrumental in helping Endeavor core clients expand their businesses globally- like Scout Productions- Queer Eye for the Straight Guy- mobile platform, consumer products and a music label. He has also led Endeavors media and technology practice by expanding platform and content development opportunities internally (talent agency clients) and externally with corporate clients, including a content lab with Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Productions and AOL. Before being recruited to Endeavor, Yaffe was investing and guiding several businesses in the media/technology space. Yaffe managed investments in a new media based technology delivery enterprise called DigaFuel and a wireless infrastructure company called voiceTap. The remaining time Yaffe consulted Identify/Beanstalk Group- a Ford Motor Car Company joint-venture, responsible for licensing and merchandising all the Ford brands (Ford, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Mazda) and Digeo- itv platform enabling users to maximize their TV experience. Prior to guiding these ventures, Yaffe sold his former company TROON to XCEED in 1998 (nasdaq: XCED) and served as EVP/Chief Strategic Officer. In his 18 months at Xceed- Yaffe helped grow revenue from $15mm to $125MM and head count from 75 to 690. Yaffe's primary responsibilities included Xceed's strategic services practice for clients, including (Silicon Valley Bank, Intertainer, Evolve Technologies, CBS, Paramount Digital Entertainment, tunes.com and thatglow.com) and brand development activities. Yaffe started his executive career as Senior Vice President of BBDO where he was engaged in the launch and roll-out of the Apple Macintosh into multiple markets (Business, Government and entertainment). In 1990, Yaffe founded TROON Ltd., an integrated marketing, communications and technology provider that grew to be a leader in the industry working with companies that included: ABC, Absolut Vodka, Apple Computer, BMW, Disney, EMI Music, Joe Boxer, Microsoft, Pioneer Electronics, Philips Consumer Electronics, PacBell, Radius and Sony.
He is currently on the board of the Yaffe Center for Persuasive Communications at The University of Michigan and By Kids For Kids - an innovation lab empowering kids to invent products and take them to market. Yaffe is currently strategically advising companies that include Lost Art (Lifestyle brand), Clean Well (Ideo company - eco friendly technology products) and Kwiry.com (media network). Yaffe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, marketing and communications from the University of Michigan. James was also the captain of the golf team at Michigan.
Raymond Nadeau
Founder, Living Brands Living Media
Raymond Nadeau is a freelance writer, copywriter and freelance creative director living in New York City. He is the founder of the virtual agency LBLM (Living Brands, Living Media) and the former vice president of new ideas, global creative director for Coty Inc., Coty Beauty, and Coty Prestige, formerly the Lancaster Group. He is currently helping to define "branded entertainment" as the executive creative consultant for The Media Group, formerly known as Turner Media; andm has launched the North American office of Centdegrés, the world-renowned Paris-based brand identity agency. Currently, in conjunction with Jonathan Worsley and in association with Baz Luhrmann, Nadeau is senior script consultant and business liaison for a major motion picture, Satisfaction, scheduled for 2008 release. Satisfaction has been described as the largest branded entertainment project yet conceived. Nadeau has developed brand identities, product concepts, and advertising strategies for adidas, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Jacobs, Kenneth Cole, and many others. His groundbreaking Living Brands, Living Media strategy has been profiled in Brandweek, W, Adweek, WWD, The New York Timesm The Advertiser and on CNN. He is the U.S. correspondent for GDR, the London-based, syndicated design and trend resource. He is also the host of his own television show, Living Brands, on the Beauty Fashion Network reaching over 30 million households in North America. Raymond holds an MBA degree from Pepperdine University.
© 2007 Brand Visionaries, Inc
Visionaries
Mark DeFanti, Ph.D.
President and Chief Brand Visionary
Mark DeFanti is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Providence College, where he teaches undergraduate and MBA courses in Advanced Advertising, Brand Management, Marketing Research, New Product Development and Principles of Marketing. His research, which focuses on branding, corporate name changes, corporate image, and brand portfolio management, has been published in The Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, two Marketing Science Institute reports, Business Research Yearbook, Competition Forum, and the American Marketing Association Summer Educators' Conference Proceedings. Mark also serves as the Faculty Advisor for the Future Friar Executives undergraduate business club and several national student case competitions, including the 2007 Chevy Super Bowl Ad competition, for which his student finished in the top twenty nationwide out of over 800 submissions. Previously, Mark held various senior positions in marketing, management and business development at Capital One Services Inc., Guilty Corporation, Kiner/Goodsell Advertising, Katharsis Inc.--Exercise Your Demons®, and Senior Tour Players Inc. He received a Ph.D. in Marketing at Texas A&M University in 2006 after having received an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin in 1996 and a BA, cum laude, from Amherst College in 1991.
Mark Kallal
Chief Operating Officer
Mark Kallal has over ten years of experience in the financial services sector. Prior to co-founding Brand Visionaries, Inc., Mark served as a Director in the Corporate Advisory and Strategic Transactions group for a large financial services company, managing, negotiating and overseeing the company's marketing and strategic partnerships, as well as managing the company's intellectual property and the group's risk management operations. Mark is currently acting as the Director of Enterprise Risk Management for a not-for-profit private student lending organization. In his role as Chief Operations Officer, Mark is responsible for BVI's legal and operational activities, including the management of the company's brand portfolio. Mark received his bachelor's degree from Marquette University.
Alex Tawse
Chief Financial Officer
Alex Tawse, Previous to becoming CEO/CFO of U.S. Oil and Gas, Alex spent ten years as CFO and Vice President of Operations for the Kaizen Institute; an international consulting company whose mission is to lead the implementation of lean strategy and continuous improvement culture. Clients included Nike, Dannon, Kraft, BioMerieux, JB Poindexter, Hella Lighting and Bacardi. While VP of Operations, Alex doubled customer sales and drastically improved cash flow by reducing cash to cash cycle time by 270%. Alex has saved customers millions of dollars and increased their competitive advantage through improved system performance and reliability, greater process flexibility, and increased production capacity without investment in new equipment. Alex is a kaizen expert and has trained others in lean tools and principles such as Total Productive Maintenance, Just In Time Systems, 5S, Lean Accounting, and Total Quality Systems. Alex has served both manufacturing and service companies with a focus on delivering goods and services that delight customers, not just satisfy their needs. Alex has serviced high profile global customers in the U.S., China, Russia, Italy, and the U.K. that operate in a variety of industries including specialized oil drilling equipment, consumer goods, automotive, and pharmaceutical. Prior to joining the Kaizen Institute, Alex served as the CEO of Katharsis, Inc., where he and Mark analyzed the market opportunity for new fitness apparel brand, co-wrote the business plan, and negotiated successful partnerships with designers, manufacturers and retailers. Alex studied at Oxford University, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and International Relations from Stanford University, an MBA degree from The University of Texas at Austin, and is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Nicole Iozzi
Vice President, Licensing
Nicole is the founder and president of Brand Visionaries Licensing LLC, which is responsible for the licensing activities of Brand Visionaries' clients. Nicole has over fifteen years of experience in licensing brands that are recognized worldwide. Her responsibilities include day to day marketing strategy and planning, sales and new business development, business affairs, product development and account management. Prior to founding Brand Visionaries Licensing LLC, Nicole served as Vice President of Licensing at Bradford Licensing Associates where clients included Pepsi, Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA, PEZ Candy, Inc., Ford Motor Company, Anheuser-Busch, and the Piping Hot fashion brand in Australia.
© 2009 Brand Visionaries, Inc
