Every client works directly with our C-level consultant who has deep modern marketing experience. Our collective experience and connections enable us to move quickly to put solutions in place. Learn more about our core team by reading these interviews.
Jeff Gundersen, Founder & CEO
What’s your specialty?
Marketing and marketing services transformation.
Give me a quick overview of your background and how you came to Executive Connections LLC.
I learned the marketing and business strategy consulting business at Deloitte Consulting in the flagship NYC office and left to start my own consulting business in order to achieve better work-life blending. Clients in financial services and marketing services pulled me into the recruiting business to help them access successful marketing talent from outside their industry sectors.
What are your top three big wins?
- Recruited CEO and senior marketing leaders for DTC insurance division of a global Fortune 50 CPG category leader. Conducted “best practices” organizational consulting study to assist Board in finalizing structural decisions.
- Assisted global technology consulting firm to build the largest digital marketing services agency network through a several year recruitment relationship for C-level leaders in functional (Analytics, CRM, Mobile, Social Media), industry (Financial Services, Technology, Retail), and geographic (Global, U.S., Latin America) areas.
- Assisted category-leading magazine publisher to build a profitable, award-winning digital content agency that added to the marketing capitalization of this public company.
What’s your favorite part of the business?
Helping CEOs achieve modern marketing opportunities through recruitment of game-changing marketing, digital and analytics leaders.
Describe yourself in three words.
Strategic, Brutally-Honest, Persistent
What do you think CEOs should be looking for in the next wave of marketing leaders?
Digital- and mobile- first thinkers with strong analytics/quantitative skills and a track record of producing measurable business results through modern marketing strategies and tactics.
What’s a top thing you do for fun?
Besides playing golf and tennis, I enjoy helping individual marketing executives become “million-dollar” personal brands.
What else do you want us to know about you?
We have a number of CEO client relationships of 10+ years, which demonstrates our ability to build long-term partnerships.
Lola White, Lead Executive Coach
As the architect of Executive Connection’s Career Management Practice, Lorraine “Lola” White serves as the day-to-day personal brand manager for accomplished senior-level executives who are ready to invest in designing their futures. She runs our Brand Activate program, and for those who want comprehensive support, also facilitates private executive branding retreats that kickstart a 6 to 12-month program which includes connections within the strong Executive Connection’s network. Her clients say that Lola’s guidance powerfully alters the way they manage their careers and lives going forward—all while positively affecting their companies and the people they lead.
Lola thrives on partnering with executives who want to step into their desired lifestyle and create a career legacy of which they can be proud. With her inspiring and motivating style, and keen ability to cut to the heart of what matters, she’s is known for turning ideas and plans into action that gets desired results. She has invested 15+ years building businesses and rebranding leaders to reap the rewards of their efforts and serve as role models. Along the way, she’s honed her self-sustaining processes and is now launching Brandity to “give back” with an offering that is accessible to anyone who wants to leverage who they are to have a positive impact.
A Master Certified Executive Coach and past board member of the International Coach Federation, Lola is one of 11 coaches invited to contribute her insights on building a successful executive coaching practice to the book, Inspired and Prosperous. As founder of Future Possibilities, Inc., a global non-profit KidCoaching organization, she continues to cheerlead for children’s causes and sit on various boards to support their growth.
As chief energizer officer of her business and of her personal life, Lola has created her own rewarding blend of daily roles that align with her brand values: visionary, backer, entrepreneur, amateur photographer, mentor, rookie painter, tennis junkie, gourmet cook, cherished friend, and bonus mom.
Darcy Bevelacqua, Managing Director, has worked for several firms including Accenture, Harte-Hanks, Wunderman, Merkle, and Experian helping companies understand their current customer experience, though the use of data, technology, analytics, journey mapping, market research and ethnographic research.
Darcy began her career at American Express where she learned the importance of data and analytics to inform the strategy and create omni-channel experiences across the customer touch-points by integrating of online, web, social media, direct mail, email, mobile, retail, call center, apps etc. into a comprehensive customer communications plan. She was responsible for new product development and implemented successful member benefit programs globally.
Darcy loves working on new products, services and in new ventures. She has worked with several dotcoms in SAAS, data analytics, online advertising and lead generation, and email marketing. She was also an early employee of an Internet company called Prodigy that was owned by IBM, CBS and Sears. Darcy teaches Customer Experience at the DMA online during the year and will be teaching some executive on demand classes later this year. She is also a speaker in the CX Speaker Association owned by Martha Rogers. She is a frequent contributor of Customer Experience thought capital that is posted to LinkedIn and SuiteCX. Her most recent articles include: “How design thinking can support long term business growth”, “Lessons learned in CX in 2016”, “Why brands are failing at Customer Experience.”
Darcy has a BA in Psychology from Hood College and a Master’s in Organizational Design from the New School for Social Research.
Chris Hendren, Managing Director, is a business strategy, digital transformation, and technology professional with more than 25 years experience leading consumer industry clients as they redesign and re-architect their business leveraging data and technology to transform operations and customer experiences. As a former member of IBM’s exclusive Industry Academy he is a recognized retail thought leader, innovator, and speaker with deep experience in all aspects of the consumer industries.
Chris has spent the last 15 years at IBM in a variety of executive sales and consulting leadership roles having joined IBM as part of IBM’s acquisition of PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers). Most recently as Vice President Analytic Solutions, Chris led sales and delivery of IBM’s Watson and Advanced Analytics portfolio. Prior to that he led an incubation unit in IBM software group focused on advanced analytics and AI (artificial intelligence). His skills span business, technology, and organization strategy, solution design, implementation, and technology and sales consulting, having held senior roles in global solution sales, software and offering management, and technology consulting.
Throughout his career Chris has assisted his executive clients achieve outstanding results having led some of the most strategic transformations and sales programs for leading retailers in big box, grocery & food service, entertainment, luxury & fashion apparel, discount, and department store segments. He’s especially proud of his leadership of IBM’s industry solutions strategy & sales enablement during a critical period in IBM’s transformation from products to solution provider. In addition to his technology breadth, Chris brings deep functional expertise having held officer roles in finance, operations, and supply chain for progressively larger retailers earlier in his career.
Chris is a long-time supporter of children’s welfare causes and serves as executive advisor to the CEO of organization serving underserved youth. He is a former board member of a charitable regional mental health organization and is an advocate for the support of the homeless.
Wes Protheroe, Strategic Advisor/Consultant, is an accomplished CEO with a classic Procter & Gamble consumer marketing foundation, a track record of strong business performance, and extensive experience serving on for-profit and non-profit Boards. He is valued for his business strategy, consumer branding, direct marketing, and P&L management expertise. Wes is a high-integrity leader who combines fact-based analytical skills with sound business judgment.
For over a decade Wes was President & CEO of Gerber Life Insurance — the #1 life insurance direct marketer. With Wes at the helm, Gerber Life achieved record sales and operating profits for 10 consecutive years. Sales more than doubled to $600m and Gerber Life maintained the highest profit margin in the industry throughout. Gerber Life’s growth was driven by modernizing the company’s direct-to-consumer marketing platform, the launch of new products, including a college savings plan, and broadened distribution channels. During his tenure as CEO Wes also led a seamless divestiture of Gerber Life from parent company Novartis to Nestle, partnering with Goldman Sachs.
Wes served on Gerber Life’s Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Executive and Finance & Audit Committees. He also was a member of the Gerber Baby Food Board of Directors for a decade. Wes was active in the direct marketing community as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF), helping to drive the rebranding of the DMEF as Marketing EDGE. In addition, Wes served for three years on the Board of the Direct Marketing Association, including two years on the Executive Committee. Previously, he was on the Board of Directors for Novartis U.S. Corporation for five years. In Wes’ board roles, in addition to bringing the “voice of the customer” and proven marketing and general management credentials, he has become known for a logic-based perspective that doesn’t lose sight of unconventional, innovative solutions.
Prior to Gerber Life, Wes demonstrated his extensive brand, direct marketing, and product innovation experience. While SVP/CMO at Great American Auto Insurance, he grew the business +40% in three years behind a breakthrough brand platform—the Great American Driver Club—the first auto insurance brand to integrate roadside assistance and other driver benefits. He was subsequently promoted to GM at Great American’s Direct-to-Consumer business. Before joining Great American, he spearheaded the launch of the first consumer-marketing program for ADVO (as their VP of Marketing), the world’s largest targeted direct mail company.
Currently, Wes serves as a member of the Board of Advisors of T3D Therapeutics, a Research Triangle Park NC-based pharmaceutical company. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Humane Society, where he is a member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Finance & Audit Committee. Wes is also CEO for WesWood Investments LLC, a private investment firm. In addition, he is a Mentor in the Pathbuilder’s Achieva program for women, an executive coach, and business consultant.
Wes earned his MBA in Marketing at Columbia University, where he was a Beta Gamma Sigma scholar. He is active in Wesleyan University alumni affairs, where he received his Bachelor’s degree Magna Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Wes’ professional honors include being named “Direct Marketer of the Year” by the DMA and a MAX award for new product innovation from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson School of Business. He and his wife Robin reside in suburban Atlanta, Georgia.
Peter Vaughn, Strategic Advisor/Consultant, is a seasoned marketing leader and board member who specializes in providing corporate executives, entrepreneurs, non-profit and education leaders with strategic insights and action in business strategy, brand growth, global marketing, customer experience and organizational inspiration. He has over three decades of blue chip company experience in both consumer and B2B marketing as a catalyst to growth for startup and mature businesses alike. A proven strategist, Peter’s unique mix of global brand, marketing, digital, operational and leadership know-how allow him to combine the power of big-picture thinking with the practical skills to enable execution.
Peter most recently served as the Chief Experience Officer for Avenues: The World School, a growing global network of for-profit schools serving students in Nursery through 12 th grade, where he led enrollment, marketing, communications, creative services and family experience. His primary areas of focus were establishing the company’s first global family experience organization and strategy, improving the use of data analytics for marketing and supporting the strategic assessment of key markets for global expansion.
Prior to launching his own advisory practice in 2016, Peter was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for International Consumer Products and Marketing for American Express, where he transformed the role of global marketing and drove a significant improvement in customer value. Prior to that, he spent 6 years as the head of Global Brand Management for the company where he managed the overall American Express Brand strategy and its implementation across global businesses. The foundation of Peter’s American Express career was in the launch and growth of several new businesses, including the company’s international Consumer lending business, now a $10bn loan portfolio, and the American Express Gift Card. This entrepreneurial experience helped Peter to understand the unique challenges of growing a new business, the importance of a clear strategic vision and the value of having deep cross-functional knowledge to make it happen.
Peter has an MBA in International Marketing from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France and a BA in Business Economics from Brown University. An avid skier, Peter serves on the Board of Directors of Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) and is an officer of the Board of Trustees of Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in Flushing, New York.
Lisa Vehrenkamp, Strategic Consulting/Advisor for Executive Connections, is the President and Founder of Launchpad Partners, a consulting firm that provides digital marketing, personal branding, and business strategy to small businesses, charities and individuals.
Lisa’s background includes 22 years of corporate experience primarily with American Express across multiple functions, business units and global locations. Her experience culminated in two general manager roles in Australia running the corporate and consumer businesses there.
After American Express, she went to a media startup designed to engage youth in current events and social action. There she worked to bring the tools and strategies of a leading global company to a startup and learned how a small company mentality can foster flexibility and innovation.
Personal branding is a special area of interest for Lisa. It is often overlooked and can truly make the difference between success and failure in a myriad of situations. More than just a new headshot or polished LinkedIn profile, personal branding gets to the heart of who you are as a professional and how you communicate that to the world.
In her free time, Lisa can be found playing tennis or hunting for street art in cities around the world. Berlin is next on her list.
Eric Sagerman is a strategic advisor to companies across multiple industries and geographies. His experience ranges from financial services to technology and health care, located in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Previously Mr. Sagerman was CEO and President of Universata, a medical records company, from 2009 until 2011, where he restructured the company and orchestrated its successful sale. Prior to joining Universata, from 1999 to 2008, Mr. Sagerman was a Managing Director and Head of Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Allianz Global Investors, (Munich) a successor firm to Nicholas Applegate Capital Management, where Mr. Sagerman was a Managing Director and Member of the executive committee.
Mr. Sagerman began his career at American Express in 1983. During his tenure he became a Senior Vice President and was involved in many of American Express’s growth and restructuring initiatives, both domestically and internationally, including launching the Global Network Services business, the Corporate Card business, and the Centurion (“Black”) Card.
Mr. Sagerman currently serves on the board of Teach for America, San Diego, and is a member of the Salk Institute Investment Committee. Previously, Mr. Sagerman served on the board of RAS Asset Management in Milan, Italy. He earned a BA from Tufts University in economics and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School, Dartmouth College. Mr. Sagerman and his wife, Jane, live in La Jolla, California.
Mark Piazza, Managing Director – Finance & Operations for Executive Connections, is an accomplished Chief Financial & Operations Officer with more than 30 years of success across the marketing & media services, consumer products and retail industries. Over the past 19 years, Mark’s experience has been focused on leading the Finance and Operations functions for media and marketing services companies within the WPP and Publicis networks. Mark’s broad areas of expertise include: financial management & analysis (FP&A, Client Finance & Controllership), go-to-market strategy, workforce efficiency, talent management, ROI analytics, Human Resources, compensation methodology, contract negotiations & M&A due diligence.
Shary Hauer, Strategic Advisor/Consultant, is a Master Certified Coach (“MCC”) and has been working as an executive/corporate coach for more than 20 years. Shary began her career in marketing and eventually transitioned into corporate executive coaching. Shary has a strong executive coaching reputation and she is also an executive coaching affiliate of Ken Blanchard Companies. Shary will provide confidential, one-on-one transition coaching/consulting to the placed candidates as part of EC’s executive search practice. Shary will also lead other organizational consulting, 360 coaching, and talent strategy consulting assignments.
Jessica Papineau, Executive Connections Stylist. With a love for fashion from a young age and a background in Fine Arts, Jessica spent 15+ years as a sales manager at high end fashion boutiques in both the US and Canada. These experiences perfected her craft of styling from head to toe. Through fostering relationships with each of her clients, including women and men, Jessica helps them discover their style and the image they want to project.
Jessica is grateful to do what she was born to do, which makes her our perfect brand styling partner to Executive Connections and Brandity clients. Jessica guides our clients to the finish line by preparing them for their headshots/photo shoots and also helps create style and wardrobe guidelines that represent and reflect their personal brand. For more about Jessica visit CustomizedStylingbyJessica.com