Executive Team
Monica C. Smith,
Chief Marketsmith
As a champion of Brands, Monica’s acumen in homing in and then capitalizing on those factors which ensure a Brand’s success is unmatched. For over a decade she has been chosen by dozens of CEO’s, COO’s and EVP’s to lead customer-based and insight-driven business and Brand transformations. Known for her keen insight in business, she has directed Brand revitalization efforts that have transitioned organizations from transaction-based to relationship-based through an extended service offering and more integrated (online and offline) go-to-market strategy. Inspiring her clients to collaborate cross-functionally in order to drive continually innovative product/service pipelines that enhance the customer experience, she reinforces her clients’ Brand essence, and keeps their Brands fresh and competitive.
Passionate about customer relationships through strategic segmentation, enhanced targeting, and optimizing the Marketing mix, Monica has designed and advanced Marketing’s efforts to drive revenue and EBITDA through improved lead generation, customer acquisition, and a relentless focus on improving ROI (reducing cost-per-acquisition) and maximizing lifetime customer value for clients as large as Fortune 50′s to start-ups.
Today she is a quiet giant in DRTV, responsible for $100 million in long and short form DRTV spend. She has overseen more than 100,000 long form airings and has managed DRTV marketing campaigns in more than six countries. Industry veterans respect and admire her savvy and innovation in understanding and executing DRTV strategies.
As an acknowledged expert in over a dozen industries, Monica is a tireless provider of integrated Marketing initiatives that generate leads and drive profitable revenue growth for her clients year over year. She continues to provide seasoned leadership in translating Marketing strategies into successful programs, which build her clients’ businesses and support overall customer experiences consistent with the quality and essence of their many diverse Brands.
Her spirit, drive and industry expertise and achievement were honored when she was named one of New Jersey’s Best 50 Women in Business 2010.
Monica is also committed to her growing family and giving back to the community. She founded the non-profit organization “One More Smith” that provides care and homes to the neediest of animals. She has also set up an entrepreneurial scholarship at her alma mater, The College of Mt. St. Vincent.
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Susan J. Pizzano,
Executive Vice President – Operations
Well respected throughout the industry and with a masterful command of direct marketing across multiple channels, Susan has developed the framework for Marketsmith’s leading edge services for all of Marketsmith’s direct-to-consumer clients. She manages the day-to-day delivery of flawlessly executed online and offline direct strategies for retailers, manufacturers, catalogers, and nonprofits. In her seven years with Marketsmith, Susan has touched hundreds of companies. Among her many accomplishments are eliminating a $4 million loss for a specialty food manufacturer through hands-on marketing and operational management, taking over for a staff of four for the fastest growing catalog in the country on 24 hours notice, and presenting groundbreaking insights in matchback analysis and prospecting opportunities at industry forums.
Prior to her tenure at Marketsmith, Inc., Susan was the key figure in growing and driving the success of the Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare catalog, including Carol Wright Gifts, for seven years. She was one of the key factors in the early success of Hanover Direct, where Colonial Garden Kitchens and Kitchen & Home fell under her tutelage. Susan started her career at Prudent Publishing directly after graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in Business Administration.
Michael Waksbaum,
Vice President of Analytics
Michael is an expert in bringing clarity to data and making them usable. The rigorous and insightful analysis Michael and his team deliver underlies the optimization of over $100 million in media spend for our DRTV marketers, the painstakingly thoroughness of database builds for our clients expanding their direct to consumer operations, new understandings of customer performance for some of the greatest brands in retail, and strategic planning for our catalog and nonprofit clients . With more than 20 years experience in the direct marketing industry, including over five years at Marketsmith, he combines sage industry wisdom with a willingness to challenge outdated practices. Skilled in developing and integrating PC based relational databases, multiple analytical techniques, planning and forecasting, efficiency management, and benchmarking, he has built over a dozen databases and is a spreadsheet and database maven, bringing his extensive experience to bear on direct marketing analysis and execution across all offline, online, and on air direct to consumer channels.
Throughout his career, Michael has consistently overdelivered. Some of the many brands for which Michael has helped improve their marketing efforts are Euro Pro, Wearguard/ARA, Lillian Vernon, Mokrynskidirect, J.Crew, Newport News, Brownstone Studio and Avon Fashions. He has a BA from Columbia University, and an MBA from New York University.
Carina Pologruto,
Vice President Client Services
Recently honored as one of the brightest and most accomplished young practitioners in the industry as part of Direct Marketing News’ annual selection of Thirty Under 30 superstars of the next generation of direct marketers, Carina is one of those rare talents who encompasses both the right and left side of the brain.
In her five plus year tenure with Marketsmith, she has achieved significant improvements for major Brands. She has consistently grown her clients’ bottom lines every year in this daunting economy, by providing the key strategic insight across retail, direct mail and online initiatives. She sweats the details and brings laser-focused insight to creating strategy. Her commitment to flawless execution is second to none. In 2008, she took over a luxury travel/luggage account and created a more profitable direct to consumer business for them every year in this hard hit time for travel. She built a retail database for a luxury personal accessories retailer. Through her diligence in the process, Carina uncovered significant fraud at the retail level which saved the company thousands of dollars. She turned a personal life style mailer’s catalog business from loss to profit through her strategic ability to craft successful circulation strategies which resulted in cutting costs by over three quarters of a million dollars, eliminating the loss and showing a positive contribution of over $200,000
She is a key contributor to the Marketsmith team – bringing her strong intellect, passion and commitment to bear on everything she touches. She has helped develop new proprietary technologies and modeling. She is a strong contributor to Marketsmith’s website blog and linkedin marketing group. The perspectives she shares spark lively discussions and provide useful insights to all who follow her in both venues.
Prior to Marketsmith, Carina was Marketing Manager at Caswell Massey. She has a degree in Sociology from Rutgers.