Bo Bandy is GM Digital/SVP of Marketing for Marketron. As the leader of Marketron’s digital business, she ensures clients have the digital products and services to exceed advertiser expectations and increase station revenue. Her teams focus on increasing customer adoption, engagement, and market share across 7,000 clients. Prior to Marketron, Bandy managed marketing and communications strategy and execution for both B2B and B2C companies, including aviation tech companies, technology startups, video game giants, telecoms, and healthcare nonprofits.
Elizabeth Bernberg is Sr. Director of Business Development for AdCellerant. With over 15 years of digital marketing experience, she has spent most of her career developing and growing digital revenue strategies through media organizations. Her unique digital background and experience includes leadership roles within all major media categories: print (The Denver Post and Colorado Press Association), television (CBS Television Network), and radio (Audacy). Bernberg’s industry knowledge and energetic leadership style have enabled her to impact accelerated digital revenue growth within media organizations while supporting meaningful digital marketing strategies for SMBs. Bernberg was born and raised in Texas but has called Colorado home for over 20 years.
Cameron Coats is the Online Editor for Radio Ink. Before joining the publication, he held numerous roles in copywriting and commercial development including Regional Creative Director at Commonwealth Broadcasting and Production Director at Townsquare Media Albany. He was a Radio Mercury Award finalist in 2021 and served as a first-round judge for the competition in 2022 and 2023.
Bill Day is Senior Vice President of Strategy at Magid, where he focuses on helping media companies, advertisers, and agencies improve their business models. Day is an experienced media executive with a successful record leading project teams to improve sales and reduce expenses for Fortune 500 companies. He has spent the better part of the last two decades working in and with multi-media companies, helping to build and implement market-leading applications for properties from major metros to community papers.
Stephanie Downs is a Senior Vice President at the Center for Sales Strategy. She joined the company in 2007 with a diverse background in sales and sales management in TV and cable. With over 25 years of experience, Downs is passionate about helping clients turn talent into performance. She is energetic, focused, and a straight shooter, known by her clients as someone who gets to know them and their situation and then speaks the truth they need to hear to improve their team and their overall sales performance. Many of those she works with have been clients for years. She brings her commitment to quality, integrity, and responsiveness to each of these assignments. She lives in Chattanooga with her husband and two girls, and together they can be found biking, gardening, and traveling.
Kathy Eagle is President of TopLine at Futuri, where she helps broadcasters of all sizes grow their revenue with TopLine’s sales AI. Her decades of experience in broadcast sales leadership includes 20 years at Cox Media Group, where she led multi-platform sales teams responsible for effectively monetizing radio, TV, and digital platforms. At Futuri, she uses her experience to help media companies successfully navigate change with TopLine, which helped deliver more than $250 million in advertising and sponsorship revenue for its partners in the last two years.
John Fix is currently the Senior Media Analyst for the NA Oral Care Category at Procter & Gamble. He works with the in-house team to plan, buy, and measure across the media portfolio for brandsincluding Crest, Oral-B, Scope, and Fixodent. Fix is part of the Analytics & Insights organization within P&G that is responsible for measurement of performance, which ranges from reach to sales attribution. Fix’s path to media was not direct, having spent time as an engineer in aerospace, defense, and oil and gas and eventually hiring into P&G in manufacturing, and landing in market research 15 years ago. Fix took an active interest in radio in 2017, and that interest has seen P&G’s use of radio grow exponentially, with Fix twice appearing at the RAB to energize the radio community.
Katie Gambill, Director of Online News Brands for Saga Communications, is a highly accomplished professional who has been working for Saga in Clarksville, Tennessee, for the past 16 years. Prior to her current position, she served as the General Manager of 5 Star Media, where she showcased exceptional leadership skills and a deep understanding of the media landscape. During her tenure as GM of 5 Star, Gambill successfully managed nine radio stations, and in 2010, she launched Clarksvillenow.com, which quickly became the leading news source in the community while providing local content for the radio stations. It is this success and understanding of how digital news brands can serve communities, that prompted Gambill’s recent promotion.
Tony Garcia is an accomplished radio industry professional with expertise in affiliate sales. He founded Global Media Services in 2014 and co-founded Now! Media in 2017. During his 40-plus-year career, Garcia has established a reputation for understanding the unique needs of individual stations and for growing nationally syndicated products from inception to nationwide prominence. While still in college, Garcia got his start in radio in 1980 as the producer and co-creator of Wavebreaker, America’s first and only New Wave music countdown show, which aired on more than 80 college stations and a dozen European outlets. Over the years, he has successfully syndicated both short- and long-form radio shows in Country, AC, Hot AC, and News Talk. Garcia co-founded Now! Media with partner Sheri Lynch in 2017. The company produces all the Bob & Sheri-branded audio features, publishes books, and hosts several independently produced podcasts.
Creighton Green is the co-founder of Audience.io, a customer growth, engagement, and data platform that works with over 4,000 media properties and brands to help them better understand and connect with their audiences. With more than a decade of experience in digital marketing, Green has honed his skills in driving customer growth, engagement, and activation, making him a valuable partner for brands and agencies looking to enrich zero and first-party data strategy. At Audience.io, he is responsible for driving the company’s vision, strategy, and growth initiatives.
Tim Hall is SVP/Digital Operations, Urban One — R One Digital. Building integrated ad campaigns since 2001, today Hall drives innovation, partnerships and data-driven strategies, optimizing Urban One’s digital ecosystem. Tim is an inspired husband, father, and explorer of digital media.
When ad agencies, advertisers, and broadcasters want better results, they call on Jeffrey Hedquist, “Advertising’s Storyteller.” He’s a marketing consultant and commercial creator who’s won more than 700 advertising awards for clients in 45 states. Hedquist helps enterprises of all sizes grow their influence and profitability. As a national speaker, writer, consultant, and seminar leader he’s conducted hundreds of workshops on story-based marketing and media throughout North America. You’ve heard his voice on national commercials for Goodyear, Ford, McDonald’s, Time-Life, Dutch Boy Paint, Sunbeam, Target, Delta Airlines, and others.He’s the author of several eBooks on audio marketing and his monthly columns are featured in dozens of trade publications, newsletters, and blogs.
Anthony Iannarino is recognized as one of the foremost thought leaders in creating customer-centric value in the sales conversation. His powerful business acumen causes sales teams to gravitate to him, as they quickly come to see selling as a conversation, making the selling process much easier. Iannarino’s invaluable insight on leveraging value in the highly commoditized sales environment helps clients elevate their competitive disposition to drive more revenue and build better long-term client relationships. These results are achieved by the frameworks, tools, and methodologies he has developed that sales leaders and sales teams find easy to use and simple to apply. Iannarino is a bestselling author; his newest release, Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success, is coming out this fall.
Paul Jacobs is the Vice President/General Manager of Jacobs Media, which for 38 years has provided programming, digital, and social media consulting and research to commercial, public, and Christian radio stations. Jacobs began his career on the sales and management side of the business, working at and running radio stations in Dallas and Detroit. In 1991, he joined his brothers Fred and Bill at Jacobs Media. He currently works with broadcasters on strategic development and revenue generation. In 2008, Jacobs also became President of a new mobile application development company started by Jacobs Media — jacapps. The company was formed to create mobile apps for radio stations and has since broadened into multiple categories, including health care and real estate. Jacobs has become a leading spokesperson for the radio industry regarding the changing in-car audio experience and the necessity for the digital transformation of the industry.
Dara Kalvort, VP/Digital Sales, DigIdea (SBS), is a seasoned multi-media professional with over 20 years of experience in fields including broadcast TV, cable, radio, and streaming. Having worked in various roles within these industries over the years, she has gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise in developing winning marketing strategies. In the past decade, Kalvort shifted her focus toward digital marketing, realizing the potential for growth and engagement in the online space. As a leading authority on digital marketing, she has trained sellers, leaders, and advertisers on products and integrated solutions, sharing her knowledge and skills across a range of industries. Renowned for her exceptional insights and creative ideas, Kalvort has made a name for herself in the industry as an innovative thinker, consistently delivering results for her clients. With a passion for staying ahead of the latest trends and technologies, Dara Kalvort is committed to helping businesses stay ahead of the curve and achieve success in the rapidly evolving world of digital marketing.
With Nielsen’s sale to Brookfield Partners and Evergreen Coast capital, Brad Kelly recently concluded a seven-year run as the Managing Director of Nielsen Audio. An Arbitron veteran before joining Nielsen in 2013, Kelly held direct P&L responsibility for Nielsen’s number two business unit. During his tenure Kelly was principally responsible for billions in contract negotiations with radio’s largest companies and the industry’s top executives. A second-generation broadcaster and staunch radio advocate, Kelly was tireless in his efforts working on radio’s behalf. He facilitated radio’s data integration into key media planning/buying systems, and he authored numerous thought-leadership articles to educate advertisers and marketers on the benefits of audio. Indeed, major brands have credited Kelly with directly influencing hundreds of millions in new radio ad spend. Consequently, he was ranked among Radio Ink’s 40 Most Powerful People from 2016-2022.
A graduate of SFSU’s Broadcast Communication Arts program, Bill Lynch has seen his career take him to major markets for companies such as Nationwide, Entercom, iHeart, CBS, Infinity, and Susquehanna Broadcasting. After a brief sabbatical in the early 2000s, he returned to the field, working as a General Manager in Visalia, CA for Buckley and Momentum Broadcasting. Currently, Lynch serves as a management consultant, applying his extensive experience in various roles, including local, regional, and national sales.
Jenn Lynch is the Director of Sales at Waymark, an AI video creation platform. She is an accomplished sales leader with over a decade of experience accelerating revenue growth in fast-paced industries. At Waymark, Lynch leads the new-business team, where she’s focused on demonstrating the power of innovation and showcasing the value AI brings to various media verticals. Before joining Waymark, Lynch was the Senior Sales Manager at Storyblocks, where she spearheaded and executed sales strategies that led to $1.2 million in new bookings in the broadcast and advertising sectors. Prior to that role, she managed business development and client relationships at events firm Design Cuisine, where she grew her portfolio from $1.8M to $3.5M in four years.
Geri Ruppert is Sr. Manager of Customer Success with Nielsen Audio. For the last decade, she has provided training support and strategy for radio sales and programming professionals utilizing Nielsen Audio data and software solutions. With a marketing mind and creative eye for design, she helps find stories and create high-impact sales materials using TAPSCAN, Scarborough, and other audience tools and analytics. Prior to Nielsen, Ruppert worked in marketing for network radio and client services for advertising agencies in the DFW area, but she has relocated back to the Midwest in Cincinnati. She got her start in radio on campus at Ball State University’s WCRD as Promotions Director.
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Gary Sandy attended Wilmington College of Ohio and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. His first professional role was in the daytime drama As the World Turns. Over a seven-year period, he continued playing villains in the afternoon on Another World, Somerset, and his favorite, The Secret Storm. Best known for his role as program director Andy Travis in the classic television series WKRP in Cincinnati, Sandy received critical acclaim for his role in Norman Lear’s All That Glitters and has made countless TV guest appearances. Film credits include Hail to the Chief, Some of My Best Friends Are, Troll, and The Last of the Cowboys opposite Henry Fonda. He was also in the Academy Award-nominated film The Insider. Sandy has appeared in many Off-Broadway productions, most notably The Children’s Mass, produced by Sal Mineo, and made his Broadway debut in Saturday, Sunday, Monday, directed by Franco Zeffirelli. He has also starred in several interesting attempts to turn plays into musicals for Broadway, including Sheba, the musical version of Come Back Little Sheba. He has performed in over 100 theatrical productions. For the past couple of years Gary has been winning awards with live radio drama and also continues to make theater appearances.
With 30 years of sales and leadership experience, C. Lee Smith is the founder and CEO of SalesFuel. Recognized as one of the leading sales consultants in the world by Selling Power magazine, he has been a featured speaker at conferences including AA-ISP, Selling Power, Sales+Marketing Management, SalesIntel, Sales Innovation Expo, American Advertising Federation, National Association of Broadcasters, and C-Suite Network. Smith is a foremost expert on building sales credibility online, onscreen, and in person. He is also an Amazon International Bestselling Author of two authoritative books for salespeople and sales managers. His latest is SalesCred® — How Buyers Qualify Sellers.
Matt Sunshine is the accomplished CEO and visionary leader at the helm of The Center for Sales Strategy, spearheading the Center’s three thriving divisions: Up Your Culture, LeadG2, and CSS. Sunshine plays a pivotal role in helping sales organizations achieve unprecedented success. His expertise encompasses diverse areas, including sales organization growth, talent acquisition, sales process optimization, lead generation strategies, inbound marketing, and digital marketing. A recognized authority in his field, Sunshine is a sought-after writer, contributing to prestigious business blogs and publications such as Inc., Sales and Marketing Management, Sales Hacker, and Entrepreneur. His thought-provoking insights have earned him a prominent position as a featured writer for one of America’s top sales blogs. He is also the esteemed author of Getting Prospects to Raise Their Hand, a groundbreaking book that offers invaluable strategies for capturing prospects’ attention and driving conversions. His expertise and captivating speaking style have garnered him recognition from Forbes magazine, which lists him as one of its 20 Speakers You Shouldn’t Miss the Opportunity to See.
Bernie Weiss is president of iHeartMedia New York. He started his 25-year radio career in Europe, where as General Manager he built Austria’s largest commercial radio group, 17-station network kronehit. After his move to New York in 2004, he joined iHeartMedia, America’s No.1 audio company, as an account executive for Hip Hop and R&B juggernaut Power 105.1 and quickly became its top new-business producer. He was promoted to local sales manager, general sales manager, vice president of sales, senior vice president of sales, and is now overseeing some of the biggest radio brands in the world: Z100, 106.7 Lite FM, Power 105.1, Q104.3, 103.5 KTU, 710 WOR, and BIN 1600. Bernie has coached hundreds of salespeople and sales managers, many of whom went on to become sales superstars and rise to leadership positions themselves.
Roy Williams is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and one of radio’s top spenders. His monthly “Wizard of Ads” column in Radio Ink Magazine has become a “must read” for radio sales and marketing professionals for years, chock full of advice and solutions-based marketing and copywriting tips. Williams is a master of his craft. A lifelong student of humanity, he has spent a quarter-century asking, “What makes people do the things they do?” And he’s been using the things he’s learned to stimulate miraculous growth for his business clients for more than 25 years. His books and “Monday Morning Memos” are a constant source of fascination and entertainment for his students and friends around the globe. His first book, The Wizard of Ads®, was voted Business Book of the Year in 1998, and his second book, Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, was named the Wall Street Journal’s No. 1 Business Book in America in 1999 and became a New York Times bestseller. The third book in the trilogy, Magical Worlds of the Wizard of Ads, reached bestseller status in late 2001. His fascinating fourth book, Accidental Magic, is an anthology of writing tips and insights, mixed with artistic examples provided by 106 of his amazing protégés.
George Wymer is a broadcasting professional with an extensive track record that includes experience in sales, advertising, marketing, management, programming and news. Over the years, he progressively advanced his career from news reporter and on-air personality to managerial positions and responsibilities in both radio and television. A native Daytonian, George began his career at WING in Dayton. Today he uses his deep understanding of broadcast in advising Radio Ink and RBR+TVBR clients on marketing.
Jeff Ziesmann is a career radio broadcaster, with the vast majority of that time spent in his hometown of Cincinnati. He has spent long portions of his career with Federated Media and Jacor and shorter periods with many other broadcasters, large and small. His career has largely been spent in sales, sales management, station management, and station ownership. Since 2002, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of GCB, Inc., which owns and operates two FM radio stations in the Cincinnati and Dayton markets. As a hobby, he is an accomplished music producer, specializing in jazz recordings of area musicians. He resides in Northern Kentucky with his wife and daughter.