Executive Team:
Eyal Danon, President
As founder of Ignite Advisory Group, Eyal Danon is responsible for the company's unique and effective approach to customer advisory boards. A former Chief Marketing Officer for privately held and publicly traded software companies, Eyal has worked with software companies that experienced dramatic growth amid changing business environments. During his tenure with NICE Systems (NASDAQ: NICE) the company went from $100M in sales to over $500M in five years, generating an incremental $1.3B of shareholder value.
Before launching Ignite AG, Eyal developed and operated highly influential User Group and Customer Advisory Boards that involved thousands of users as well as key executives from Fortune 500 companies. He has worked directly with FedEx, CitiBank, American Express, GE, JP Morgan Chase, Direct TV, Continental Airlines, Time Warner and Home Depot.
Eyal has appeared on CNN Headline News, NBC, ABC, Forbes, Fortune, BBC News, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle and Business Week. Having worked as a leadership expert for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in Europe, Eyal has excellent group facilitation skills and years of learning and development experience.
In addition to managing Ignite AG, Eyal speaks widely before industry groups, and consults directly with entrepreneurs and executives on marketing and leadership development. Eyal holds an MBA from Boston University and is a graduate of Columbia University’s Business School Executive Leadership Program.
He is the author of "Cracking the C-Suite, a practical guide to creating a shared future with your executive customers," and a contributor to the book "Project 100 - Marketing in the Social Media Era."
Monique de Maio, Acting Chief Marketing Officer
A 20-year technology and marketing veteran, Monique de Maio managed new product and service introductions/launches, indirect channel, partners and strategic positioning, messaging and branding processes for clients such as Avaya, 3Com, Expand Networks, IBM, IPC, Intel, Motorola/Symbol Technologies, SES-Americom and many others.
Monique was the publisher of BRANDWEEK Magazine–responsible for positioning, profitability, and business development. She also worked in client marketing at Salomon Brothers and at IBM. Monique is a graduate of Fordham University with an MBA in Marketing and earned a BBA in International Management from Pace University. Born in Paris, France, Monique is fluent in French and Spanish.
Tatiana Falconi, VP Marketing Operations
Tatiana Falconi is a strategic marketing professional with over 12 years of customer advocacy and marketing experience. Prior to Ignite Advisory Group, Tatiana served as Director of Marketing for Deltathree, a leading VoIP service provider (NASDAQ: DDDC). Tatiana managed all aspects of customer marketing, including market research and Voice of the Customer initiatives. Prior to Deltathree, Tatiana served as a Marketing Research Manager for the Institutional Investor Research Group in New York City, overseeing the Equity Research market and high value customer programs.
Tatiana has worked on customer advisory programs for multiple companies, from Fortune 500 to high growth professional services firms. Tatiana holds a B.S. degree in modern languages, cum laude, from Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
Shari Gersten, VP Client Engagement
Shari Gersten is responsible for leading clients in the discovery of ways to unlock long-term, sustainable customer value. She has extensive experience in leading C-level executives through business planning and strategic initiatives, including global clients, technology companies, the highest level government officials, and non-profits. Shari’s experience includes heading international business development for high tech businesses in Silicon Valley that included negotiating multi-million dollar strategic relationships. As an appointee of the Clinton Administration in the US Department of Commerce, Shari implemented the country's then emerging markets trade strategy through high level public-private round-table discussions and international trade missions that involved working with senior management from a range of US corporations. Her non-profit experience includes the Galien Foundation, where she was pivotal in initiating annual forums with Nobel Laureates and private companies' thought leaders in the area of bio-pharma innovation. Shari is a cum laude graduate of Brandeis University and earned a law degree from American University, where she was a member of its Law Review.
Brian Rutter, VP Client Engagement
Brian Rutter is Vice President of Client Engagement with Ignite Advisory Group, focusing on creating Customer Advisory Councils and other customer advocacy programs for leading technology companies. A former marketing leader with IBM, Brian brings to Ignite AG a combination of deep technological experience, a clear focus on customer needs, and a keen attention to project management processes and deliverables. Brian served as the global marketing lead for IBM’s alliance relationships with Motorola (enterprise mobility business), Zebra Technologies and Lenovo. He was responsible for joint solution development with Motorola, Zebra and ISV partners, as well as IBM hardware, software and services teams. He also served as the IBM Global Services Americas marketing executive for Linux and Grid Computing services. Brian continues to develop Thought Leadership and marketing materials for IBM to this day.
Prior to IBM, Brian was Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Communications for DataPeer, a global IT services and software company specializing in mobile, data management, hosting and storage solutions. Prior to that he served as Director, Marketing and Sales for SIGS Publications, an international high-tech niche publisher/conference organizer focusing on the technology sector, with a specific focus on Object-oriented and Java technologies as well as Reed Publishing, the world’s leading event management company. Brian holds a BA degree in English and History from Vassar College.
Kevin B. Levi, VP Client Engagement
Kevin B. Levi is a strategic marketing professional with over 17 years of customer advocacy and marketing experience. Prior to Ignite AG, Kevin served as Senior Manager of Strategic Customer Initiatives for a $1.2B drug company named Covance Inc. in New Jersey. Prior to that he worked for three large marketing agencies in New York City and Los Angeles, serving a number of clients including IBM Global Services, NEC Systems, Sony, d-CON and many others. His most recent position was Director of Strategic Accounts, with Manning Selvage & Lee in Los Angeles.
Over the course of his career Kevin has specialized in the area of customer centricity and brand positioning, helping businesses differentiate themselves from their competition by focusing on connecting with executives audiences. He has implemented Customer Advisory Councils for 30 companies over the last several years, spanning all business sizes and industries.
Kevin has written two business books on the subject of customer driven brand positioning:
- Differentiate or Diminish: The Art and Necessity of Business Positioning
- Selling Your Distinction: Utilizing Differentiation to Drive Your Business
Kevin has a Journalism degree from the William Allen White School of Journalism, University of Kansas.
Merav Greidinger Sela, VP Client Services
Merav Greidinger spent the bulk of her career as an international marketing consultant, specializing in various aspects of brand equity, including brand positioning, new product/service design and strategies for penetrating new markets. Her work has often been based on qualitative research, including both focus groups and one-on-ones.
With a clear focus on maximizing long term business potential, Merav successfully led research and consulting projects for major multinationals such as AT&T, P&G and Unilever, as well as for young start-ups. Her experience includes a wide variety of product/service areas such as Telecommunications, Educational Software, Internet, Cable TV, Financials, OTC drugs and others. Merav holds an M.Sc in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University, Chicago, as well as a B.Sc with honors in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Technion Institute of Technology, Israel.
Walt Kania, VP Thought Leadership
Walt Kania is a veteran B2B marketing writer and thinker, known for his sometimes unorthodox and contrarian approach to business writing. His work spans the gamut of start ups and Fortune 500 companies. Walt's expertise is promoting B2B tech companies, telecom and networking, insurance and consulting services. His forte is explaining and simplifying complex concepts by finding fresh and innovative ways to talk about companies, products and services.
Walt is a great match for marketers working against established competitors, new firms who are looking for compelling ways to talk about what they do, and companies that can't afford to sound like everyone else. Recent clients include Avaya, AT&T, Chubb, Panasonic, Ricoh, Medco Health, Schindler Elevator and National Datacast.
Marc H. Wallenstein, VP Business Development
Marc H. Wallenstein focuses on developing and growing business channels for Ignite AG. With more than 20 years of technology focused sales and business development experience in both commercial and government sectors, Marc guides Ignite AG's sales management, growth and strategy and channel management. Most recently, Marc launched new market products for NICE Systems, the world's leader in contact center business analytics and security software.
As a co-founder of Growing Companies, a consulting firm focused on sales and systems integration of CRM, supply chain and ERP, Marc negotiated multi-million dollar transactions with both Fortune 500 companies and government organizations. A former adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Marc earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree from Kent State University.