Meet Steve: Our Founder

With over 25 years’ experience in the performance marketing industry, Steve knows that any agency can look good to a client when things are going well. But when times are challenging, and there is no margin for error, an agency must prove the fiscal impact of its efforts and rise to meet those challenges with honor and integrity.

Armed with this simple yet powerful idea, he has created a network of leading performance marketing agencies with a singular mission: engage customers and compel them to act. To do this, he has assembled a team of world-class integrated marketing experts leading best-in-class performance marketing agencies who know how to deliver profitable results. Steve continues to support global clients of Havas Edge and the Edge Performance Network (EPN). With the support of Vivendi and Havas through acquisitions and start-ups, he seeks to grow EPN throughout North America, EMEA, and the Asian Pacific.

Steve is a frequent speaker at Direct Marketing Association and PDMI events, a mentor/advisor to the TED Fellows Program, and is on the board of trustees for Feeding San Diego and the President’s Council for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. In 2006, he was honored as Havas Worldwide’s “Global Person of the Year”, and in 2018 became the youngest ever inductee  into the Direct Response Hall of Fame.

Meet Abed: Our Fearless Leader

Throughout his 19 years in Direct Response, our CEO, Abed Abusaleh has pioneered various strategies to advance clients’ businesses through constantly challenging the status quo. His vision continuously transforms the agency and its ability to serve clients from all verticals.

Under Abed’s leadership, Havas Edge has become an analytics powerhouse, providing clients with the transparency and knowledge to build their business and build their brand, in that order. He believes that relationships both within and outside of the agency are the key to success. As such, Abed makes it a point to meet with every new employee at Havas Edge, welcome them to the team, and show that everyone is encouraged to come together, collaborate, and make Havas Edge a better place for employees and clients alike.

Meet Jen: Our Distinguished Decision-Maker

Jen has been with Havas Edge for 19 years and is integral in providing strategic leadership to help clients build their businesses and their brands through acquisition centric media. She launched her career with 4 years of training in the commercial division at The William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills. Prior to joining Edge, Jennifer was the Vice President of Direct Marketing for Murad Skincare and Director of Development for World Media TV Productions. As president of Edge, she oversees client services and operations across all media channels. Jen ensures that Havas Edge’s accountability for driving performance is rigorously grounded in process and data integrity from planning to activation, measurement, and optimization. She values relationships as the key to client and employee health and is an advocate for training leadership skills across the organization. As such, she launched the Women in Leadership program at Havas Edge and was a spearhead of the Edge Leadership Advisory Team.

Meet Eric: Our Money Man

Eric is an experienced executive with more than 20 years’ experience helping Fortune 500 organizations reach their growth and profitability goals. Prior to joining Havas Edge, Eric was SVP Strategic Investment at LPL Financial (NYSE: LPL), the largest independent broker/dealer in the U.S. Previously, Eric was VP Corporate Development and Regional CFO at a division of American Express (NYSE: AXP) that later became RSM McGladrey (NYSE: HRB).

Eric’s impact on organizations’ financial performance comes from closing and integrating more than 150 business acquisitions, aggregating to nearly $1B in annual revenue over his career. His experience with relationship building, analyzing, valuing, structuring deal & incentive systems, board presentations & approval, and integrating operations efficiently, combine to make him a valuable members of Edge’s executive leadership team.

Meet Ben: Our Operations Architect

In 1998, Ben was the third employee of a firm that would become the 4th largest consumer debt management brand in the United States. Under Ben’s leadership, this direct response driven operation grew to a $40MM a year enterprise with 600 employees and its systems would go on to process over $1.5 billion in consumer payments. Ben has since further established himself as leader with proven success in using analytics to optimize media performance, business systems and operations.

In 2008, Havas Edge invited Ben to join the team in Carlsbad, to apply his experience with business intelligence and process innovation to improve both internal and external operations for Edge and its clients’ businesses.

Meet Dalton: Our Devoted Growth Seeker

Dalton has been managing business development for Edge since 2003. His role is centered on introducing clients to Edge’s robust, vertically integrated solutions in the US and in Europe. Once Edge partners with a client, Dalton actively engages (along with the Edge team) to ensure a heightened level of customer service. Dalton’s career started working on the client side with companies such as DFW International Airport and several tech startups in the early 2000s, his experience from both an agency and client perspective is what helps him work with clients to identify areas of opportunity to maximize marketing efficiency. Dalton’s client experience includes working with Centurylink, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Citibank, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, TD Ameritrade, and Viking Cruises.

Meet Nicky: Our Relations Expert

Nicky cut her teeth in International Performance Marketing UK spending the first few years of her career marketing US brands internationally. Sixteen years ago she travelled across “the pond” to expand her skills in the international market. Nicky’s role within Edge is introducing clients to our robust, integrated suite of Performance Marketing channels.

Nicky brings 18 years of Performance Marketing experience and a robust understanding of the world of advertising from omnichannel media, to fulfillment, customer service and international distribution.

Meet TP:  Our Legendary Partner

TP has over 22 years of experience at Havas Edge and in the performance marketing industry.  TP lives and breaths the montra, “Relationships Power Performance”.  His ability to easily form close bonds with any client and be their “go-to” guy allows him to get to the root cause of obstacles and attack them directly.  He learned the power of continuous collaboration in his time playing division 1 baseball at USD and transfers this philosophy to his work with Edge’s partners.  TP has worked on accounts such as SoClean, Uhaul, Countrywide, Icon Health and Fitness, Nautilus, Philips, and many more and throughout his career in Growth, has created lasting relationships with his clients.  He feels fortunate for his ability to play a roll in clients’ success and growth and continues to utilize the same drive and energy today as he did on his first day with Edge.

Meet Tony: Our Captivating Communicator

A strategic thought leader who has been helping clients succeed at Havas since 2006, Tony began his career at Edge in the media division where he spent 7 years developing and executing performance media strategies that drive profitable results at scale.  Tony now operates as VP of Business Development. In his current role, Tony brings his expertise to bare by aligning the right agency resources to help new clients tackle tough business challenges.  As a result of helping our clients succeed, Tony and the Growth team are an important driver of agency growth across integrated channels and services.  He is known for his forward-think nature and is always looking for what is next in marketing, technology, finance, and more.  Tony is a founder of Edge’s think tank, “Future Generations”, where they tackle new opportunities and ideas such as advertising in the metaverse.

Meet Jack: Our King of Creative

Jack is considered one of the most successful direct-to-consumer marketers in the field, and was named by Electronic Retailer Magazine to its list of people who changed the face of the direct-response industry. Response Magazine named Mr. Kirby one the Top 25 Most Influential People in direct-response television and recently tapped him for induction into the Direct Response Hall of Fame. He has previously served as President of HSNi (Home Shopping Network), National Media Corporation, during his tenure the largest global direct-response television marketer, and continues to serve as Chairman of eBrands Commerce Group, a multi-channel direct-to-consumer marketer. Mr. Kirby is also former Chairman of The Electronic Retailing Association (ERA), the preeminent global trade organization for television, internet and radio marketers.

Jack Kirby is also an accomplished producer in network television, syndication and radio, having produced the Peabody award-winning LARRY KING SHOW, the Emmy award-winning CBS NEWS Night Watch as well as the successful syndicated daytime television talk program, THE CHARLIE ROSE SHOW (NBC/Post Newsweek).

Meet Lewis: Our Brand Builder

 
Lewis moved 6,500 miles to join Havas Edge as Brand Planning Director, bringing international, cross-category advertising experience. Lewis is the former Head of Strategy and founding member of Havas Digital in China. He has a UK-based background in social content and copy, and has worked with some of the worlds biggest names such as  Disney, L’Oreal, Nike, and Land Rover.  Lewis is a strong believer in using effective storytelling as the lever that moves consumers from content to commerce.

Meet Trevor: Our Strategic Mastermind

As a seasoned marketing professional, Trevor brings a calculated and astute mindset to the strategic conversation. Trevor leads the development and execution of marketing and advertising strategies to drive brand awareness, capture market share, strengthen external communications and accelerate revenue growth. He is a proactive team builder and leader with a keen eye for market trends that assists in helping national brands develop iconic & breakthrough campaigns that drive measurable business results.

Meet Gisela: Our Powerhouse in Digital and Strategy

Gisela started her career in advertising at Arnold/MPG/Havas in media strategy, buying, and account management for clients such as McDonald’s, Volkswagen, Choice Hotels International, Fidelity, Royal Caribbean, Goodyear, Titleist, and The Hartford. She left these agencies to start the media department at Boathouse Marketing and Communications, where she built a cross-functional team that became the largest and most profitable at the firm. Gisela is committed to seeking innovative solutions that drive revenue for clients and has a passion for the marketing and advertising business. Gisela grew up in West Africa and Europe before moving to the US as a teenager.  She is a graduate from Brandeis University and is fluent in English and Portuguese.

Meet Julie: Our Digital Guru

As Vice President of Digital, Julie leads a group of high-performance, consultative managers and digital channel experts responsible for maximizing integrated video, social and search investment for Fortune 500 marketing partners.  She executes the strategy, negotiation and YOY growth for the digital department’s largest agency and marketplace relationships. Additionally, Julie partners closely with leadership to develop and execute narrative and go-to-market approaches as the predominate forerunners in Paid Digital Media including: CTV/Video, DOOH, Search, Social.  She believes that in digital, anything is possible, and that it is imperative that brands understand trends and maximize the possibilities of driving sustainable and scalable business.

Meet Sean: Our Video Visionary

Sean R. Kalub is the Senior Vice President of Video Investments at Havas Edge where he leads a team of integrated performance marketers focused on driving efficient outcomes at scale.  Sean believes that with thorough analysis and intellectual curiosity, any problem has a solution.  He extends this philosophy to his team, which helps guide them to oversee the success of every client Edge partners with. Since joining Edge in 2009, Kalub has managed countless brands such as DraftKings, Citibank, Casper, Tripadvisor, Monster Energy, and Bethesda Softworks and has worked with them to find creative solutions in video investments.

Meet Kevin: Our Programmatic Pro

Kevin has been in Programmatic Media space for 12 years and seen the evolution from its humble beginning to the media mainstay its become today. Having worked with numerous tech partners over the years ranging from DSPs, SSPs, DMPs, brand safety and measurement, Kevin understands the Programmatic space like the back of his hand.  He is passionate about investing, strategizing, and ultimately executing the best plan for his partners’ success. Kevin also graduated from University of Missouri- Columbia and fluent in both English and Korean.

Meet Luke: Our Influential Innovator

Luke Slota is the Senior Vice President of Influencer Marketing at Havas Edge. He specializes in YouTube influencer marketing and has been a notable leader in the influencer space, working with hundreds of influencers and creators from Justin Bieber, to Shaquille O’Neal. Luke believes that building strong, lasting relationships is the foundation to any successful campaign. With over 8 years in the marketing industry, he understands the power that influencers have and how to utilize their endorsement for any brand. Luke is also a veteran of the US Army, where he served as an Infantry Squad Leader in Operation Enduring Freedom.