Rob Martin, Principal, Managing Partner, directs operations and accounts for BrandSync. Prior to co-founding BrandSync in 1999, Rob managed research and planning projects for regional and national brands in a broad range of industries at Alan Newman Research, a division of the Martin Agency, and later as an independent consultant. He has engineered BrandSync's research-driven process of focusing operations and communications on strategies to stimulate revenue growth. He currently serves on the boards of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. and the Richmond Venture Forum, and on the steering committee of Virginia Capital Day for the Association for Corporate Growth. Rob received a Master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and an undergraduate degree from Middlebury College.
Eric Martin Managing Director, is co-founder of Eolo, Inc, a firm focused on strategy development, new business development, marketing positioning, business formation, growth execution and M&A transactions. Before founding Eolo, Inc, Eric co-founded Westham Capital Partners (now Albion Investors), a service provider to and investor with Private Equity Groups. He retains participation in several companies through Westham Capital Partners LLC, the firm’s investment arm. Mr. Martin was previously President of TM Vista and a member of Ticketmaster’s Global Leadership Group. TM Vista was formed following the acquisition of 2b Technology by Ticketmaster for $23 million in early 2000. Eric (then CEO and one of the company’s two shareholders), along with the team at 2b, participated in the successful repositioning of the business during 1999 leading up to its eventual sale. Additional experience includes roles as a consultant to advertising agencies such as Lowe/SMS focusing on strategy and creative development for clients and prospects, leader of Gemini Consulting’s $120 million Global Technology and Communications (C4) practice in the Americas and head of the firm’s New Product Development Center of Excellence, Wall Street and regional commercial banker. He also was co-founder of Martin Associates, a strategy and marketing firm serving financial institutions and industry. Eric is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in Economics from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.
Sonali Shetty, Web Strategist, has led educational institutions, not-for-profits and Fortune 500 companies towards meeting their strategic goals by successful execution of enterprise-wide software solutions, most recently as principal of her firm, Spinnaker Edge. Sonali acquired early experience with the rapidly globalizing world while coordinating the best and brightest enterprise software development teams in Brazil, India, and Silicon Valley for PeopleSoft, Inc. Since that time she has garnered acclaim for the ability to guide a growing list of clientele through the planning, strategy, and solution phases of web-based business development and execution. With a Masters of Science in Bio-Medical Engineering from Texas A&M University and an executive MBA from the College of William and Mary, Sonali has earned a reputation for her leadership in both the software and management consulting arenas. Sonali also has a BS in Engineering (Bio-Medical) from the University of Bombay where she graduated with honors.
Matt Paxton, Market Development Director, provides marketing and sales development services to BrandSync's clients. Matt has had an expansive career as an entrepreneur, building brands and distribution channels in over 30 countries. Matt has founded and grown a number of consumer product companies including, Paxton Sandal Saver, and Xterra Wetsuits, which became the largest triathlon specific wetsuit company in the world. His most recent entrepreneurial endeavor, Clutter Cleaner, focuses on cleaning and reorganizing homes for seniors and baby-boomers. He previously served as a research analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank, Caesars Palace, Response Marketing Group and Upshot Marketing. Matt graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in Economics and Business Administration.
Erin Fraser, Brand Strategy Director, utilizes extensive business management and national consumer packaged goods experience to increase market share, sales volume and profits for BrandSync's clients. Erin was most recently a brand manager at Kraft Foods where she managed new product development, advertising and trade programming for a number of brands, including Kraft Real Mayonnaise, Parkay Margarine and Kraft Singles. She served for a number of years in the U.S. Army where she achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Erin holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.
Dixie Alexander, Project Manager, is an experienced market and brand analyst having managed a myriad of research and planning projects as a BrandSync associate. She provides survey development, programming, data analysis, reporting and project management on behalf of BrandSync’s clients. She holds an undergraduate degree in Account Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Kathryn Gammino, Creative Director, supervises communications strategy and creative development projects for BrandSync's clients. Kathryn has been a top art director in the Richmond region for almost two decades, with most of her career spent serving accounts of The Martin Agency. She has won numerous local, regional and national awards for her commercial and not-for-profit print and broadcast work. Kathryn has served as adjunct faculty teaching print and broadcast Art Direction at Virginia Commonwealth University and has a degree in Visual Communications from the University of Delaware.
Yupeng Lai, Market Planning Director, provides strategic marketing and planning services to BrandSync's clients, leveraging more than a decade of experience across America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to his planning responsibilities with BrandSync, Yupeng serves as a Senior Business Analyst at Capital One. Yupeng was previously employed by Eli Lilly, in addition to Philip Morris USA, where he worked on projects with the Global Innovation Group. Yupeng has an MBA in Marketing & Strategic Decision Modeling from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
