2018 Board of Directors Vote – Your Finalists

Katy Atlas
Wickfire (Corporate)

Katy Atlas is the Chief Strategy Officer of Wickfire. Together with Wickfire’s excellent team, she has grown Wickfire’s affiliate partnerships to 2,000 advertiser clients and over $200 million in referred sales. Wickfire’s two flagship web properties, TheCoupon.Co and Highlight Reviews, receive nearly a million monthly pageviews, and the technology underlying Highlight Reviews was recently shortlisted for Best Performance Marketing Technology of 2017 by the International Performance Marketing Association.  Katy Atlas is the Chief Strategy Officer of Wickfire.

Prior to joining Wickfire, Katy spent ten years as a corporate litigator with a focus on media and advertising law. She has been recognized three times as a Super Lawyers Rising Star, awarded to the top 2.5% of attorneys under 40 in each state. She was outside counsel to Wickfire in its groundbreaking click fraud litigation, which resulted in a $2.3 million verdict in Wickfire’s favor, and has in-depth experience analyzing compliance and regulatory issues in the online advertising space.

Sarah Beeskow Blay
ShareASale, Inc (Industry Champion)

I joined the Affiliate Marketing space in 2005 when I joined ShareASale.com as a program manager. I have grown to my current position of Director of Client Services which provides a unique view of the industry as I oversee all Publisher, Agency, and Advertiser development for ShareASale. This helps me see the needs, successes, and challenges that our diverse portfolio of clients face and tasks me to come up with the solutions and strategy that ultimately lead to client success and growth for our business. The work in Client Services, I feel, is applicable and carries over to the needs and challenges that are faced by all members of the Affiliate Marketing industry as a whole.

Aside from working closely with our clients, I have contributed to the industry through various speaking opportunities as a presenter at conferences and served as emcee for Affiliate Summit West 2012. Additionally, I have authored several articles for industry publications on the topic of Affiliate Marketing.
In addition to the 12 years I have in Affiliate Marketing, I spent 7 years working at the non-profit, Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) where I was the Director of Membership and Member Services. While at the MAB, I was also responsible for coordinating the broadcast efforts in the roll out and implementation of the Amber Alert system in the state of Michigan.

I remember when the PMA was formed in 2008 and feel as strongly now as I did then that this industry needs this organization as its advocate. We need a central location not only for the member resources and education, but to be a voice for our channel within the greater digital advertising space. The accomplishments put forth already are impressive and I would be thrilled to be a part of the future.

I would be honored to be given the ability to put my combined industry and non-profit experience to use and help the PMA continue their reach in pursuing the growth and future of Affiliate Marketing.

Sarah Bundy
All Inclusive Marketing, Inc (Corporate)
Current Board of Directors Member

As a current board member who’s first term is coming to an end (served 2016-2017), I have loved contributing to the advancement of both the PMA and our industry.

With my active participation in board meetings, Slack discussions and on two committees (Fundraiser and Memberships), I’ve enjoyed serving the Association and would like to continue for a second term.

During my first two years, I came to learn a lot and better understand how to make an even greater impact coming into the 2018-2019 term. Now with a solid foundation and understanding of my roles and responsibilities, I feel I can impact desired results more effectively, and enhance my contributions in the coming years. With it, I will bring continued enthusiasm, participation, resources, my personal network, influence, and a voice to continue to advocate for the PMA and it’s members.

Given the vote and the opportunity, I’d like to continue my service on the Board of the Performance Marketing Association!

Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to serve again.

Todd Crawford
Impact Radius (Industry Champion)
Current Board of Directors Member

I have been involved in the PMA since it was founded. I have been involved with the performance marketing industry since 1998 when I helped co-found Commission Junction. I feel the PMA has accomplished a lot but that there is a lot more that we can do to grow awareness and membership while continuing to strengthen the industry. I am very committed to continuing to contribute to and support the PMA in these efforts. As a member of the industry survey council, I am very excited to finally size the US market which will help to draw attention to the PMA and drive more awareness to the performance marketing industry.

Amanda Ennis
AffiliateManager.com (Corporate)

I provide fresh ideas to the performance marketing space while adhering to the knowledge of those veterans amongst us. Having almost 5 years experience working with an award-winning agency I’ve been given the opportunity to help mold and shape the landscape of internet marketing. I’d like to bring that expertise, knowledge, and innovation to the PMA Board. I’ve enjoyed working on the council level and would like to continue to contribute more of my time, and attention to helping the PMA reach its goals and potential. Thank you for the consideration.

Matt Frary
SmarterChaos.com (Corporate)

I’ve been working in Affiliate Marketing and Digital Advertising since 1999 when I first started with eBags.com. Since then, I’ve worked with thousands of advertisers to build their customer acquisition and online marketing programs. My goal has always been to champion the industry, and to progress online advertising to make it more transparent, efficient, and to become one of the “good guys”. We never stop learning, and I think that serving on the PMA Board would help me learn more about ways we can help to build our industry into an even more sustainable and profitable channel for Advertisers. I’m the Founder of SmarterChaos.com, She Is Media, Pollen-8 and Elite Media Partners. I would use my companies as a spring board for thought leadership for the PMA and the Board position. My platform is to focus on the Performance piece of Performance Marketing in order to shift the perception of Affiliate Marketing into a main stream and reliable method of marketing for large brands and corporations. I’d like to see industry standards, closer communication between leading companies, and more transparency.

Maryellen Garasky
Jane (Retailer/Merchant)
Current Board of Directors Member

Maryellen stumbled across affiliate marketing while she owned and operated a business with her husband. Taking the reigns of all marketing initiatives (both traditional and online), Maryellen started a hyper-local blog about things to do in her beautiful resort hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Quickly outranking the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau on select relevant terms, Maryellen landed a spot at an affiliate marketing agency where she managed programs such as philosophy.com, philosophy UK, Charlotte Russe, Plastic Jungle, DownEast Basics, David’s Cookies, Roots Canada, Roots USA and more.

Always a goal to work inside at an advertiser, Maryellen left the agency for Restaurant.com where she led the channel for both networked and direct affiliate partners. Maryellen is now with Jane.com. Jane has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies for two years, as well as a recipient of the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of Year regional award. Maryellen was, also, named as a finalist in the 2017 Pinnacle Award for Affiliate Manager of the Year.

Karen Garcia
Lab6 Media (Corporate)
Current Board of Directors Member

I have more than eighteen years of experience in e-commerce and marketing. Since 1999, I have consulted on and profitably managed dozens of affiliate programs on a variety of network platforms ranging from large national brands to niche merchants. I was awarded the 2009 ShareASale “Pay It Forward” Award for Industry Advocate for my work, speak frequently at conferences, and have many published industry articles. I was honored with a 2016 Pinnacle Award nomination for Affiliate Manager of the Year.

I also served previously on the Board of Directors for the Performance Marketing Association for three terms as an officer. Most recently, I was appointed in the fall of 2017 to fill a vacancy on the PMA Board.If elected, I will support the hard work and efforts of the PMA councils by increasing the visibility of PMA resources through improved outreach to new and existing members.

Rachel Hirsch
Ifrah PLLC (Corporate)

I am a partner at the Washington, D.C.-based law boutique law firm of Ifrah PLLC. We started this firm over eight years ago, with a goal of providing tailored, quality client experiences. Our messaging was crystalized in our tag line: “Hands on counsel, gloves off litigation.”  It was with this messaging that I was able to build the Internet Marketing and Practice Group, which I chair. I began marketing our practice with a small booth at a popular show called Affiliate Summit. The idea was simple – get people who need to charge their phones to your table, provide them with plugs and chargers, and keep them there with conversation. The conversation part was not always easy, and my role evolved into that of an educator. I needed to educate marketers on why lawyers – often seen as a necessary evil – were more necessary than evil and why a culture of compliance necessitated hiring lawyers proactively rather than waiting to hire a lawyer after one was already in trouble.

I am proud to say that over eight years later, I am considered an expert in this industry. I feel particularly fortunate to have risen up as a leader in what is still a male-dominated industry. Although my practice has grown over the years, I still consider myself an educator. My day-to-day goal is to continue educating my clients on the risks and vulnerabilities in their businesses and helping them to mitigate those risks. My long-term goal is to educate the industry as a whole, and the regulators who oversee their business practices, on the realities of how compliance takes shape in business and why self-regulation is the key to longevity. As a PMA leader, I would like to advance that mission through the membership and really start a dialogue as to how industry members can ensure their own long-term success through self-policing, rather than leaving the policing to government agencies who are sometimes out of touch with the practicalities of doing business. I intend to do so with the same hard work

Eric Nagel
FMTC (Industry Champion)

I’d like to nominate myself for one of the four open seats on the PMA 2018 Board of Directors. Currently the CTO of PMA Industry Champion FMTC, I helped lead our team to be awarded Affiliate Summit’s Pinnacle Award for Tool/Service of the Year in 2015. Individually, I was a finalist for the Pinnacle Award’s Affiliate of the Year in 2010 and won Best Blogger in 2011.

I’ve served on the Advisory Board for Affiliate Summit since 2015 and am currently on the PMA’s Measurements & Insights Council where I’ve aggregated and summarized the Salary Survey results from the past 2 surveys. On the first day of Affiliate Summit, you can find me recruiting new members for the PMA at our booth in the Meet Market.

I’ve seen nearly every side of our industry: I still am a publisher, I’ve consulted for agencies and have built tools for industry service providers.

At FMTC, I manage a team of over 20 remote team members who are spread across multiple time zones. Slack is our primary communication tool and I’m already active in the PMA Slack team.
Thank you for considering voting for me for the 2018 PMA Board of Directors; I look forward to and am excited to serve you and our entire industry.

Greg Powell
Tactical Marketing Co (Corporate)

I’ve been in the performance marketing space for 15 years; starting in 2003 managing my first affiliate program – and learning everything on the fly! Since then I’ve worked with dozens of brands, thousands of publishers, been a part of several great agencies and attended countless affiliate conferences.

I’ve had the unique opportunity to work with merchants based around the world. In the past decade, I’ve built eCom strategies, in-house, in 13 countries – allowing me to gather a very expansive perspective on how performance marketing operates around the globe.

I started Tactical Marketing Co in April 2016 to offer niche program management for the outdoor retail and subscription industries. I’d love to lead a progressive group of industry veterans into the new era of performance marketing.

James Revell
Wildfire Systems, Inc. (Corporate)

With a strong moral & ethical compass, James kicked off his career in digital marketing in 1996; when display ads were called banner ads, & the new media of Netscape, Web Crawler, Excite, Alta Vista & Infoseek (where he began) was the web. Revell’s served in senior capacities at Live Nation Entertainment, & World Poker Tour & is currently VP at Wildfire Systems, Board Advisor at SeatSafe & a 2018 Board of Trustees nominee at Notre Dame de Namur University. James holds a BA, MPA in HR Management & an MBA in Marketing (2017).

Spotlight:
At Ticketmaster (NYSE: LYV), Revell led Affiliate Partner Marketing & Distribution for North America. He drove strategic marketing & licensing distributed commerce partnerships with media, entertainment, travel & retail brands creating incremental sales channels with Facebook, CBS, Shazam, iHeartMedia, Expedia, Travelzoo, Bandsintown, & SeatGeek. This role found Revell on the road evangelizing, orchestrating & optimizing their suite of brands: Ticketmaster, House of Blues, LN Concerts, TicketWeb, & The Official Ticket Exchange of the NFL, NHL, & NBA.

At WPT (LSE: BPTY.L), Revell was SVP Global Digital Marketing for the wildly popular series, which created a new vanguard in televised poker becoming the preeminent televised gaming brand. Revell conceived & developed a first of its kind Live Updates Desk, a digital broadcast streaming directly from the tour’s Final Table. Working intimately with broadcast affiliate partners The Travel Channel & GSN synthesizing WPT omnichannel digital efforts. He relaunched the WPT store & unveiled its first subscription membership product ClubWPT. Key ad marketing relationships included Conversant & GroupM.

Revell’s had the privilege to be an early part of ground-breaking businesses including Infoseek, now The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), L90, now MaxWorldwide (NASDAQ: IAC), 411 Web Interactive (a past Newsweek top 100 ), & Rubicon Project (NYSE: RUBI). He’s been on panels including PMA.

Maura Smith
Pepperjam (Industry Champion)
Current Board of Directors Member

As Senior Vice President of Affiliate Marketing at Pepperjam Network, Maura Smith oversees the client and publisher relationships that drive the success of Pepperjam’s omni-channel performance marketing solutions. With over 10 years of performance marketing insight, Maura has led successful advertiser, agency and publisher teams responsible for the growth and optimization of over 1,200 performance marketing programs across 200,000 publisher partnerships.

Maura earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Delaware in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and holds an MBA from the University of Scranton.

An avid speaker, panelist and thought leader, Maura has shared key insights and trends at some of the industry’s most widely attended conferences and events including: Affiliate Huddle, Affiliate Management Days, Affiliate Summit, Intersect Retail, Magento’s Imagine, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Conference and Pepperjam Connect.

As a current PMA Board of Directors member, Maura chairs the PMA’s Industry Survey Council, aimed to quantify and size the affiliate marketing U.S. industry and provide valuable trend information. The key objective of the Council is to use market research methodologies to deliver a thought leadership paper for PMA members. If elected to an additional PMA BOD term, Maura would continue to spearhead efforts for the Industry Survey Council, and produce a white paper in 2018.