Scott Brunjes
Founder and Chairman
Scott founded Mediassociates in 1996 after a prior career in radio management, and since then has led our agency through a decade of 31% annual growth. Scott has managed account teams on some of the world’s most innovative brands such as Cessna Aircraft (a leader in private planes and corporate jets) and Navy Federal Credit Union (the world’s largest credit union).
Scott also has set up a charitable foundation focused on helping communities in developing nations. When not directing the agency, he likes to fly airplanes down the Hudson River to swing around the Statue of Liberty.
Jeff Larson
President and CEO
As a former CMO, Jeff brings a unique client-side perspective to Mediassociates. With more than 20 years of brand building and strategic marketing experience at Procter & Gamble, Subway Restaurants, and Stew Leonard’s, Jeff understands the challenges facing today’s marketers and how a strategic media agency partner can accelerate business results.
Jeff has seen how a relentless focus on the customer, clear messaging strategy, and truly integrated media planning can increase business impact. From his days building beauty care brands at P&G to his years leading global marketing, advertising, and media programs for the 44,000+ Subway Restaurants, to driving the digital transformation of the iconic retail brand Stew Leonard’s, Jeff understands what it takes to deliver marketing and media solutions that prove the value of your marketing investment.
Jeff started his career in management consulting with Andersen Consulting. He has an MBA from Yale University and a BA from Boston College. When not building brands, Jeff is mixing it up on the soccer field, ski slope, lake or anywhere else without walls.
Ben Kunz
Chief Strategy Officer
A former management consultant at Peppers & Rogers Group, Ben has 25 years of communications experience and has planned campaigns for clients such as Astrum Solar, the Centers for Disease Control, Gaylord Hotels, Gulfstream, IMAX, Intel, Marriott, Segway, and SolarCity, where his team helped the company triple market share.
For the U.S. Postal Service, Ben stood up a business-lead program that has generated more than $1.9 billion in shipping revenue since inception. He publishes national columns on advertising technology for Bloomberg Businessweek and Digiday, and has been quoted in Fast Company, Fortune, MSNBC, Slate, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Xinhau, the news agency of the People’s Republic of China. When not planning campaigns, Ben is an avid cyclist and photographer.
Mark Mirsky
SVP, Account Strategy
Mark oversees all the agency’s media planning functions and client service teams across its portfolio of clients. He is an award-winning media leader known for building long-standing client relationships, and a strategic and innovative thinker who leverages a 360° audience approach to provide customized marketing solutions for brands. Since joining Mediassociates in 2020, Mark’s deep client empathy and holistic planning perspective has expanded the agency’s largest accounts by delivering higher performance and world-class service. Prior to joining Mediassociates Mark spent 25+ years at Omnicom in a variety of roles, most recently as a Managing Director at OMD where he built and led integrated teams and was responsible for over $400MM in media spend across leading brands like McDonald’s, FedEx, Voya Financial, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Signet Jewelers and Lowe’s Home Improvement.
Mark lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children, where he stays active in the community, serving on local boards, as well as coaching and playing soccer.
Jesse Rosenschein
SVP, Integrated Investment
Jesse leads our agency’s integrated investment team, responsible for all client investment decisions across digital, traditional, mobile, and emerging media. Since joining Mediassociates in 2017, Jesse has led the digital innovation and operations teams and directed media strategy for a portfolio of top agency accounts, including Mount Sinai Health System, Nordstrom’s Trunk Club, the Centers for Disease Control, Wharton, FIS Global, Damon Runyon, UMass Amherst and True Citrus. Focused on emerging performance trends in digital, mobile and social advertising, Jesse is IAB certified in Digital Media Planning & Buying and Advanced Social Advertising, and she has advanced our agency methodology in Multi-Touch Attribution and Marketing Mix Modeling.
Prior to joining Mediassociates, Jesse spent more than 10 years as a brand-side leader at Invisible Fence® Canine Company and Save the Children. (In fact, Jesse was a Mediassociates’ client twice before joining our team!) She also has vendor-side experience with Cumulus Media and Taunton Press. Jesse focuses on analyzing marketing data to build compelling narratives, identify insights, refine audience targeting, and create custom, integrated solutions to achieve marketing executive objectives.
When she isn’t working, Jesse enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, two sons and two German Shepherds – ATVing, hiking, snowboarding, horseback riding, golfing and serving as sports photographer for her son’s football team.
Evan Nichols
VP, Account Strategy
Evan directs Mediassociates’ digital advertising team and co-leads our knowledge management centers on emerging media. He is an expert in display advertising, digital video, search, mobile, social media and Demand Side Platforms (DSPs).
Evan has led digital campaigns for the Centers for Disease Control, Cessna Aircraft, Gaylord Hotels, Marriott, Segway, SolarCity, Star-Gas, Guess Watches, PURE High Net Worth Insurance, and Varian Medical Systems, among others. When not dreaming in digital, Evan likes to play golf, and he has hit 2.5 holes in one. There’s a story there somewhere.
Christine Sheehan
VP, Account Strategy
At Mediassociates, Christine leads one of our account strategy teams working on clients such as Mount Sinai Health System, National University, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, ands Swift Navigation. Christine joined Mediassociates after 17 years running accounts at large media agencies including Mindshare, Targetcast tcm, and Media Assembly. An expert in integrated media strategy, Christine loves digging into a client’s business to uncover how media can best deliver on brand marketing goals. Christine has worked across a variety of industries over her career, including healthcare, consumer packages goods, finance, entertainment, and retail. Prior to Mediassociates, she led integrated strategy and planning for such recognized brands as 1-800 Contacts, Boehringer Ingelheim, Allergan, Expedia.com, and the AMC network.
Christine lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and enjoys taking advantage of all the city has to offer; in her spare time, you might be able to find her running (slowly) along the East River, performing with her local singing group, or catching a Billy Joel concert at the Garden.
Alicia Weaver-McKinney
VP, Media Activation
As head of Mediassociates’ Offline Activation team, Alicia has extensive experience in balancing vendor negotiations with building relationships across television and radio platforms, finding innovative ways to use mass media planning and buying to achieve client objectives and high return on ad spend. She is passionate about finding innovative solutions for clients and thinking outside the box. Alicia’s integrated approach to media activation drives performance from offline media investments while strategically incorporating direct response TV (DRTV), addressable television, OTT, streaming, and other emerging media tactics.
Alicia has designed TV and radio advertising campaigns across numerous industries in the past 15 years, including health care, automotive, CPG, higher education and pharma. She joined Mediassociates after nine years at ID Media (an IPG Company), where she led media buying for high-profile accounts including Anthem, Match.com, Applebee’s, American Public University, and the U.S. Postal Service.
When she’s not in the office you can find Alicia taking classes at Pure Barre or enjoying the outdoors with her husband, two daughters and their miniature Australian Shepherd. Alicia also loves to travel, both to her native Texas as well as other areas around the world, enjoys exploring the Connecticut restaurant scene and catching some live music
Jim Santa Barbara
VP, Insights & Analytics
Jim leads Mediassociates’ Insights and Analytics practice where he is responsible for all data insights, measurement, reporting, and modeling at the agency. Jim has over 25 years of experience of designing and delivering advanced analytics approaches and solutions for clients. His areas of specialization include Marketing Mix Modeling, Multi-Touch Data Strategy, and Consumer Insights. Prior to Mediassociates, Jim worked in global analytics at Johnson & Johnson, was a Senior Vice President at Market Fusion Analytics where he led the Frito-Lay business, and was a Vice President at Nielsen, the leading global data analytics company.
Todd Engels
VP, Client Development
Todd leads Mediassociates’ business development and growth initiatives. He has more than 25 years of experience shaping marketing communications strategies for blue-chip companies and their brands while holding leadership positions at some of the country’s best agencies. As a senior agency executive at J. Walter Thompson, LOWE Advertising, Marketing Drive, and IN Marketing Todd has managed agencies, run global accounts, led new business efforts, and served as a trusted advisor and strategist to clients spanning CPG, technology, retail and B2B.
Todd has an MBA from Columbia University, is a former board member of the Promotion Marketing Association and was recognized in “Who’s Who in Shopper Marketing Agencies” (2011-2016). When not out building relationships with new clients, Todd loves spending time hiking and cycling, attempting to play bogey-golf, traveling in Europe, and rooting for Arsenal FC.
Sal Chieffalo
CFO
Sal heads financial systems at Mediassociates, bringing world-class expertise from his past agency work at TargetCast, formerly one of the fastest-growing independent media agencies in the United States. His mission is to align agency financial stability with client interests. As a member of the Mediassociates’ executive team, he contributes to strategic planning on product and service development, research and staffing investment, and major growth initiatives.
Sal is also fluent in Italian and active on local political committees.
Erin McCollam
VP, Accounting
Erin directs Mediassociates’ accounting and quality control for client media buying. Erin has set up financial controls using Advantage, an industry-leading accounting system that tracks and reconciles millions of dollars in client ad spending down to the penny.
Prior to Mediassociates, she was a media planner at McCann-Erickson for clients such as AT&T and 1-800-Flowers.com, and associate media director at DDB Needham for Digital Equipment Corp. and Mobil. Erin has four children and still jumped out of an airplane from 11,000 feet; we’re not certain about that connection.
Steven J. Farella
Strategic Advisor
Steve is an entrepreneur in the media agency space. He was the founding CEO of the Havas media agency MPG. He co-founded the fastest-growing independent media agency, TargetCast, in 2002, which he sold to MDC Partners. Steve is now founding Chairman of MDC Media Partners. Before launching media agencies, Steve built and managed media groups at several leading national advertising agencies including Jordan McGrath Case & Partners, Young & Rubicam, Wells Rich Greene/BDDP and Ammirati & Puris. He began his career at Benton & Bowles. He has been recognized by his peers as Media Executive of the Year and a Media All Star. Steve is currently a principal at VFL Investment and Advisory.
David R. Verklin
Strategic Advisor
David was the founder/CEO of Canoe Ventures, the advanced-advertising-focused joint venture of the big U.S. cable TV operators that is pioneering ad-supported video-on-demand. Prior to that he was the founding CEO of Aegis Media Americas and board member of Aegis Group plc where he brought the Carat brand to North and South America prior to its sale to Dentsu. David was also one of the founders of Hal Riney and Partners, one of the most awarded creative agencies in the country. David is currently a principal at VFL Investment and Advisory.
