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John A. Monteleone - CEO and Founder
Mr.
Monteleone brings over 40 years of business experience to this position
beginning with a 22 year career with the DuPont Company. During this period he
held 14 professional and managerial positions of increasing responsibility in a
wide array of disciplines including; Accounting & Finance, Quality Control,
Management Information Systems, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Materials
Management, Distribution and Marketing. He was also a leader in the company’s
Business Re-engineering efforts in the mid-80s.
After DuPont, Mr. Monteleone consulted with, helped fund and/or founded
companies in a wide range of business areas including noise rejection
technology, on-line music and video products, business brokerage and others. He
also served as Chief Marketing Officer for a leading provider of expedited mail
and light-weight parcel shipping services, Chief Marketing Officer for a major
on-line retailer, VP of Business Development for an international trade
promotion company, Founder & Chief Operating Officer for a business to business
e-commerce business and VP of Finance for a NY publishing company,
Group Members International LLC is a privately funded marketing company based in
Connecticut and was founded by John Monteleone. Monteleone became an early
pioneer in social networking having worked as Chief Marketing Officer for
eUniverse after it purchased CD Universe of Wallingford, CT. eUniverse became
Intermix, which provided the start-up funding and facilities for MySpace and as
a result owned 53% of the stock of MySpace. Last year, Intermix and MySpace were
acquired by Fox Interactive Media (a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp)
for $580 million, adding more than $70 million to Intermix's market
capitalization .
Mr. Monteleone has a BS in Industrial Management from the University of
Rochester Business School (now the Simon School of Business).
JOHN B. DONOVAN -- Executive Director
John Britt Donovan has worked for over 40 years as a senior-level
communications professional with expertise in speech writing, corporate
communications, and public relations management and is leader of a regular forum
that brought business people together with diplomats from 35 nations. John is a
published author and highly experienced public speaker with specialized
experience in the areas of international investment and trade. His speeches
throughout the United States have often been reprinted in periodicals and
anthologies
Since
2004 John has been the National Manager of Alpha for Schools for ALPHA USA based
in New York, As the Alpha national youth director, John has spearheaded the NYC
Coalition of Urban Youth Workers in public schools to encourage spiritual
exploration by youth by making presentations throughout the US. He also has
introduced cost-effective, technology-based public relations strategies to
increase the organization’s outreach. Initiated videoconferencing to build
visibility in new geographic regions and created a video emailing program that
reaches 8000 individuals with motivational messages and program implementation
support.
As Managing Director of New York based DONOVAN-FITZGERALD SPEAKER SERVICES, LLC,
John pioneered the development of an innovative international trade forum that
provided diplomats and business leaders with a means of fostering mutual
understanding and promoting investment. John also collaborated with members of
the National Foreign Trade Council and the U.S. Council for International
Business to develop topics and recruited speakers for conferences as well as
coordinated logistics for monthly forums attended by 40 to 50 political and
business leaders. John also founded and directed the World Communications
Briefing, an annual event in which over 50 countries were represented and over
100 participants attended including consuls, UN ambassadors, and corporate
leaders.
As a Corporate Communications Consultant for DONOVAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS of New York,
John advised executives from leading corporations throughout the U.S. and abroad
on communications strategies. John researched and wrote the speeches for
business leaders from Allied-Signal, American Can, Banco Portugues, Citibank,
Columbia Pictures, Deloitte, Equitable, General Electric, Ingersoll-Rand, ITT,
KPMG, Prudential, Sumitomo, Union Carbide, World Gold Council, and consuls
representing nations in Europe, Asia, and Africa. John then co-founded a company
offering the first Internet-based system for exchanging trade leads
internationally and then worked out a global affiliation with IBM.
Publications
John has had articles published in the Wall Street Journal, The Christian
Science Monitor, and has speeches reprinted in Vital Speeches of the Day and
Representative Speeches (an anthology), As an author John has written Pat
Robertson: The Authorized Biography, Macmillan, 1988 and The Family Book of
Bible Stories, Morehouse, 1986 and served in the Vietnam war as a Vietnam Combat
Correspondent.
Professional Affiliations & RecognitionJohn is a member of the Board of Directors, Public Relations Society of
America (PRSA), New York Chapter, is a Recipient of the PRSA Distinguished
Service Award while board member of the Westchester-Fairfield chapter and
has a APR designation and is Accredited in Public Relations.
Community Involvement John is the Vice Chairman, New York Metropolitan Committee for UNICEF for
whom he created a communications manual and speaker program to support
nationwide efforts to increase public awareness about the plight of children
worldwide and is the Senior Communications Advisor of the American Defense
Institute.
Education
American University, School of International Service, Washington, DC Master
of Arts in International Communication
Boston University, Boston, MA Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
VINCENT RUSSO -- Chief Financial Officer
Mr.
Russo is a Senior Financial Executive, MBA/CPA, with an extensive background in
acquisitions, start-ups and turnarounds in diverse industries. He has a strong
record of achievements in problem solving, organization building and developing
solid business foundations that generate growth and profits. He has created
business value in both domestic and international environments.
Mr. Russo has provided financial, accounting, tax, and consulting services to
companies in various stages of start up/development and turnaround. Clients
include more than 30 manufacturing, sales and municipal organizations. Mr. Russo
has been provided Chief Financial Officer services for a number of companies
including RD Weis Companies, Inc., Innovative Information Solutions, Inc.,
Peritas, LLC, Plastic Design, Inc., Smarterwork.com, Hogil Pharmaceutical Corp.,
Color Prelude, Inc., City of Bridgeport, WPCA, Westport Laboratories, Inc.,
Success, LLC, and served as financial advisor to Nexusgroup, Inc., eUniverse,
Inc., and the Town of Stratford - Stratford, CT
Mr. Russo's corporate financial management experience includes:
- Chief Financial Officer - North American Philips, Dental Division -
Stamford, CT
- Finance Director - Clairol, Inc - Stamford, CT
- Manager, Finance - Xerox Corp, Latin American Group - Greenwich, CT
- Manager, Accounting - Avis, Inc - Garden City,
- Staff Accountant/Auditor - KPMG Peat, Marwick - New York, NY
He received his BBA in Accounting and MBA from Baruch College, City of New
York University and is a recognized
Certified Public Accountant in both New York and Connecticut |
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