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Consulting Team
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| ACG clients work with a team of seasoned
professionals who accurately assess
project needs and focus the right resources to create a winning
strategy. This approach ensures that a project benefits from
a variety of perspectives. Clients can always reach a capable
resource at ACG. |
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| Michael Auriemma, President—Michael
oversees the delivery of excellence to all ACG clients. As a frequent
speaker, teacher and writer, Michael devotes time and energy to the
financial services industry. He co-authored the American Banker’s
Association’s Bankcard Business textbook
and contributed to its second edition. He is an Advisory Board Member
of SourceMedia's Cards
& Payments magazine and the ABA Bank Card Management School.
He offers clients experience in all the functional disciplines from
strategic planning and product development to contract negotiations. (Top) |
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| Marc Sacher,
Managing Director—Marc's primary responsibilities include
business development, staff development, strategic initiatives for
the company and key client engagements. Over the years, Marc has
applied his expertise to the full range of activity at ACG. He is
driven to understand and respond to client needs, and his background
enables him to approach his job from a range of perspectives that
include those of banks, partners/vendors, consumers and regulators.
Prior to joining ACG, Marc worked in the financial services practice
at Price Waterhouse and for the Office of Comptroller of the Currency.
He has been an instructor at the ABA's National School of Bank Card
Management and an Advisory Board member for one of the leading credit
card industry conferences. (Top) |
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| Steven Jacowitz,
Director—With a focus on consumer credit
and a strong retail background, Steve brings expertise to a range
of disciplines, including operations, collections, finance, strategy
and marketing.
He also has a proven track record of establishing winning alliances
for our clients. Steve’s career before ACG included Bloomingdale’s,
Filene's and Saks Fifth Avenue. (Top) |
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| Tom LaMagna,
Director—Tom's focus at ACG is on managing our
Industry Roundtables in the US and UK markets. He also concentrates
on operational effectiveness and plays a key role in operational reviews,
technology analysis, vendor relationships and new channel opportunities,
such as Internet optimization. Tom joined ACG after long relationships
with JPMorgan Chase and First Chicago. He has extensive experience
in e-servicing, collections, customer service, project management,
new systems development, and financial and loss management. (Top) |
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| Matt Simester,
Director—Matt leads the Firm’s UK office where
he has responsibility for growing ACG’s footprint in Europe.
He has almost 20 years of experience within financial services and
he has built a reputation as an outstanding strategist who is able
to use his operational, sales, marketing distribution, and product
P&L skills to develop and implement strategies that deliver high value
returns. Matt has been responsible for marketing and product management
at the Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank, VP of Marketing at
Affinion and variously Managing Director of a Barclaycard JV and Head
of Value Added Services at Barclaycard Business. Matt has a BA (Hons)
from Anglia Ruskin University and is a member of the Institute of Direct
Marketing. (Top) |
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| Kathy Castle,
Managing Associate—Kathy joined
ACG after working 20+ years in credit card, mortgage and installment
loan products while at New Century Mortgage and Chase Manhattan Bank. She
held positions in marketing, operations management, financial analysis,
risk management and fraud prevention. This well-rounded background makes
her a great fit to lead a diversified mix of Industry Roundtables for
ACG and to serve as a key contributor on related consulting engagements. Kathy
has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Cornell University
and an MBA in Finance from Hofstra University’s Graduate School
of Business. (Top) |
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| Marianne Berry,
Managing Associate—Marianne developed
her analytic skills in her Ph.D. studies at the University of Michigan,
and has applied them in research, marketing and new product development
at Fortune 100 companies,
including HBO, Shearson Lehman Brothers, Chase Manhattan and Verizon.
She has developed, launched and managed successful credit card and loyalty
programs. Marianne focuses on strategic initiatives, such as market-entry
decision studies for new countries, products and businesses, and spearheads
ACG's international efforts, where her multilingual skills have
proved an asset. She has led engagements in countries throughout Europe
and Asia. (Top) |
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| Megan Bramlette, Managing Associate—Megan
is based in ACG's London office, where she balances her focus between
supporting European business growth and the firm’s Knowledge Management
practice. Some of her more explicit duties include serving as the
Managing Editor of the UK edition of Cardbeat® and providing
clients with business intelligence and consumer research services. She
combines a strong analytical background with a wide breadth of experience
in consumer financial services, spanning risk management, new product
development, credit acquisitions and branding for private-label and bankcard
portfolios. Megan joined ACG from Citibank and holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research from Columbia University. (Top) |
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Ed Falco,
Managing Associate—Ed helps clients
move toward executable solutions for their organizations through client
engagements and leadership of ACG Industry Roundtables. He has experience
determining right-party/best-time contact strategy and tools, implementing
alternative payment channels, configuring complex products, supporting processing
platforms and migrating portfolios from one bank to another. His banking
career began in the private-label card division of Citigroup and included operations
projects at Citi, Wells Fargo, Fleet Bank and CompuCredit. (Top) |
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| Edward Lawrence, Managing Associate—Ed
has more than 25 years of experience as a banker and a consultant in
all aspects of credit and debit card management. He held senior executive
positions at Eastern States Bancard Association (now FDR) and Valley
National Bank that spanned the portfolio management, technology and human
resources disciplines. Ed has launched successful co-branded credit and
debit card programs, converted portfolios to new processors, and sold
both merchant and credit card portfolios. This gives him a broad business
perspective in his consulting activities. (Top) |
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Wendy Miller, Managing
Associate—Leading the Knowledge Management team,
Wendy offers competitor and consumer insight that strengthens
clients’ ability to make important business decisions. Her
research, product, brand and partnership efforts for Citibank,
MasterCard, Merrill Lynch Japan, Charles Schwab and Visa bring
vast financial services and credit card experience to the Knowledge
Management team. Wendy has an exceptional record of achievement
in developing and launching marketing and promotion programs
that have won awards and have been recognized by industry press. With
experience in the full market-cycle from concept and business
strategy to development and launch, Wendy has led numerous online
and offline marketing programs. Her group delivers dynamic,
relevant information and through Cardbeat®, produces
market research and keen insight that others cannot. Wendy
graduated cum laude with a BA in Art History from Vassar College
and holds an MBA in Marketing and International Business from
NYU Stern School of Business. (Top) |
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Laurie Roth,
Managing Associate—Laurie joined ACG in May 2007, bringing
more than 20 years of retail private-label credit card experience
from Federated Department Stores, JCPenney Business Services (subsequently
Alliance Data Systems), Saks Fifth Avenue and nine distinct retailer
brands under Saks Inc. She is adept at credit strategy, operations,
marketing, training and development, incentive programs, loyalty
programs, and co-brand development and implementation. Additionally,
Laurie has overseen several portfolio conversions. (Top) |
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| Robert Taglin,
Managing Associate—Bob contributes expertise in marketing,
value proposition program development, new partnership and product
launch strategies, and competitive analysis. His industry experience
includes Chase Manhattan Bank, American Express and J. Crew. He has
worked in the student, affinity and co-brand markets. Bob earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications at the University of Wisconsin
at Madison, and received an M.B.A. in Marketing from New York University. (Top) |
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| Mitchell Uretsky, Managing
Associate—Mitch’s focus at ACG is on accounting-
and finance-related activities. This includes portfolio valuations,
financial analysis, performance measurement, strategic and business
planning, and some ACG Industry Roundtable management. He has
more than 20 years of experience in finance, technology and process
improvement with market leaders JPMorganChase and Ernst & Young.
By combining technical insights with management leadership, his projects
provide sustainable results and continuous improvement. Mitch’s
broad experience covers many retail financial businesses including
cards, mortgages, autos and branch banking. He earned his Master in
Business Administration from the New York University Stern School of
Business and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. (Top) |
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| Michael Viola,
Managing Associate—Mike
joined ACG in 2003 after several years in the IT sector, bringing with
him his technical and analytic proficiency. He manages several Industry
Roundtables in the US and UK. Mike’s extensive functional knowledge
enables him to offer expert advice on various types of consulting engagements
including; operational reviews, market assessments, and expert witness
support. Prior to Industry Roundtable management, Mike was responsible
for the creation and analysis of ACG’s benchmark studies across
multiple lines of business. He is a cum
laude graduate in business management from Stony Brook University. (Top) |
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| Daniel Helfgott, Associate—Dan
joined ACG after completing an M.B.A. at the College of William & Mary
Mason School of Business. At ACG, his primary responsibility is benchmarking
policies and best practices within our Industry Roundtable discipline,
but he is also involved with consulting projects. Dan has an analytical
ability and a willingness to engage people in actionable discussion. He
gained experience in sales and lending management at Riggs Bank and Savi
Technologies. (Top) |
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| Brooks Hopple, Associate—Brooks’ primary
responsibilities at ACG revolve around supporting the Industry Roundtables
and benchmarking disciplines. After receiving his B.A. from Colgate University,
Brooks worked at the private wealth management firm Essex Financial,
and then returned for postgraduate training at the Tuck School of Business.
Brooks comes to ACG from Shenkman Capital Management where he worked
in various areas of the high yield bond markets. (Top) |
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| Scott Strumello,
Associate—Scott has a strong background in marketing,
research, analysis and operations. His principal responsibilities
at ACG are Cardbeat® and other Knowledge Management activities. He also
provides valuable assistance in strategy and new product development
efforts. Before joining ACG in 1998, Scott served in a variety of marketing
capacities with Household Credit Services, Wells Fargo and PNC National
Bank. (Top) |
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