ABOUT US

Mike has been a leader in the direct marketing space since 1998. He thrives on transforming businesses to help them achieve their full potential.

As the CEO and Chairman of Data Axle, Mike oversees the fulfillment of the company mission – to help all companies exceed their goals with powerful data and the company’s award-winning Axle Agency. While at Data Axle, he acquired five companies including Lake Group Media, Exact Data and GoTime to elevate the company to be a formidable leader in data.

Early in 2020, Mike made the decision to transform Data Axle into a virtual, “work from anywhere workplace,” to meet the needs of a modern workforce, reduce the overall carbon footprint of Data Axle and allow for uninterrupted client service during the COVID pandemic while providing a safe working environment for employees. This has resulted in improved employee productivity, creativity, and engagement.

Prior to joining Data Axle, Mike served as the President and CEO of Mobile Messenger from 2009 to 2011, establishing the company as a dominant mobile technology content distribution player in North America. He was CEO of Epsilon from 2001 to 2009, transforming Epsilon into a leading database marketing company. Epsilon achieved a more than threefold growth in revenue and a sixfold increase in EBITDA under his leadership. Prior to being CEO, Mike was CFO of Epsilon and was instrumental in the spin out of the business from American Express.

He has extensive experience in working with financial sponsors and has served as operating partner at CCMP Capital. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and English from Boston College where he graduated magna cum laude and is a former Certified Public Accountant.

Since 2017, Mike has served as Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee at Tenerity, previously known as cxLoyalty, a travel loyalty platform acquired by JPMorgan Chase.

Prior to joining Data Axle, Andrew held several executive roles at Sizmek (formerly MediaMind) where he was instrumental in revenue growth, new product development, strategic partnership, and channel expansion globally. Prior to Sizmek, Bloom served as vice president of agency sales and partnership development at Spot Runner. Prior to Spot Runner, he held senior positions at Getty Images and The Accelerator Group, a New York-based technology incubator. He has over 20 years of global experience in high growth public and start-up companies in the digital content, advertising, and technology sectors.

Andrew holds an MA in Law from the University of Cambridge. He has a number of board experiences including a multi-year technology board role on the Internet Advertising Bureau’s Technology Advisory Board where he was responsible for setting and reviewing industry-wide self-regulatory policies; and a multi-year board role for JI, a global education technology platform. Andrew joined Data Axle in 2018 as President, Enterprise Solutions, and was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer in 2019.

As Chief Product Officer, Rohan oversees Data Axle’s products, technology, and data, with a view towards creating increasingly valuable solutions for our clients and partners. His teams are responsible for product management, design, engineering, analytics and data science, and IT & data operations as he leads the evolution of Data Axle’s product suite.

Rohan has had a successful career both as an entrepreneur and a leader at large companies, with a heavy focus on data-centric consumer and enterprise applications. Prior to Data Axle, he served as the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Shopkick. In his time there he led the introduction of new product lines and the development of a new platform, helping drive over 50% growth in revenues leading to an acquisition by Trax Retail.

Previously he held executive roles at Telenav, where he ran the global consumer and mobile business unit; and at YP, where he headed up the digital product team. In both of those roles, Rohan was a customer of Data Axle. He has also served as the CEO of Tech Rocket, an online technology education startup, and Collient, a B2B2C broadcast video monetization startup that he co-founded.

Earlier in his career he was part of the founding team at CricInfo, which is now part of the ESPN family, and held product and engineering leadership roles at Infonox, Yahoo!, and Experian Interactive. Rohan holds a BS and MS in Computer Science, and a BA in Economics, all from Stanford University.

Gautam Kotwal is the Chief Technology Officer at Data Axle. As CTO, Gautam uses his industry expertise to drive growth in engineering and infrastructure to bolster Data Axle’s position as the cloud data company of the future. Gautam oversees the company’s comprehensive dataset and solutions capabilities and he is directly responsible for Data Axle’s global technology strategy and developing the data platform to drive next generation innovation.

Gautam has over 20 years of Silicon Valley experience and leadership roles in data analytics, and machine learning. Prior to Data Axle, he was most recently VP of Data Science and Engineering at Cisco. Prior to Cisco, Gautam served as Chief Data Officer and head of data science and engineering at Gojek, an on-demand multi-service platform and digital payment technology group based in Southeast Asia. He was also the VP of analytics, data platform, and data science engineering for retail giant Kohl’s, where he helped design and develop a series of data science products that improved customer experience and delivered business outcomes. Before that, Gautam spent nearly half a decade at the cutting edge of the streaming revolution as an engineering director at Netflix, where he helped launch streaming platforms – Apple, Microsoft Xbox, Wii, Smart TVs, services and infrastructure, and assisted in the growth of the customer base from 100,000 subscribers to 35M.

Ed McCormick is Data Axle’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Privacy Officer. As Chief Privacy Officer, his mission is to develop and implement the organization’s data privacy policies and practices across business teams to ensure data privacy excellence. As Chief Administrative Officer, his mission is to develop and execute a Human Capital strategy to enable organizational and individual effectiveness. The Human Resources, Legal, Data Audit, and Information Security teams report to Ed. He is passionate about streamlining operations and breaking down internal silos to clear a path for organizational effectiveness.

Ed has held several senior executive positions prior to joining Data Axle in 2012. He led the HR function at Epsilon, a marketing and technology business with operations in North America, Asia, and Europe. His experience prior to Epsilon includes leadership roles at Alliance Data, AT&T, Acuity Brands, Frito-Lay, and Kraft Foods.

He attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on a baseball scholarship where he earned a Master of Science degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

David serves as Chief Operating Officer of Data Axle’s Enterprise Solutions. David spent 15 years at Epsilon, a leading marketing services provider, as President of [email protected] While at Epsilon, he was responsible for managing their agency, strategic consulting, and analytic businesses. During his tenure there, he was part of the leadership team that successfully grew the company from $20mm to over $500mm in annual revenue.

Prior to Epsilon, David worked for seven years for Westvaco in the operations management group. He received his BBA from the University of Georgia in 1981, and his MBA from Mercer University in 1992.

Austin Owens serves as Chief Financial Officer of Data Axle and oversees all aspects of accounting, finance, mergers and acquisitions and treasury functions. He serves as a strategic partner to senior management to ensure that key business priorities are aligned with long-term value creation. During his time at Data Axle, Austin has been heavily involved in numerous cross-functional initiatives including refinement of financial and operational reporting, corporate restructuring and cost management programs, acquisition framework creation and deal execution, corporate debt refinancing and other strategic and business development initiatives. Austin joined Data Axle in 2014.

Prior to Data Axle, Austin held various roles at Dell where he was responsible for strategic planning initiatives and streamlining financial reporting for the North America sales unit. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University and bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from Montana State University. Austin is also a CFA charterholder.

Mark Cullinane is the president of Local Marketing Solutions at Data Axle. Cullinane is an accomplished senior executive with leadership experience in multiple industries including digital advertising, consumer internet, gaming, technology services, and software. He brings a track record of success in results-focused leadership and building high-growth businesses. Cullinane joined Data Axle from Publishers Clearing House where he was senior vice president and general manager of Digital. Prior to his position at Publishers Clearing House, Cullinane was senior vice president of Digital at GSN Games, a leading provider of cross-platform entertainment.

Cullinane graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy as valedictorian and received his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Niely Shams has over 15 years of experience in direct marketing specializing in the nonprofit, publishing, and financial sector. Niely’s role is to oversee and manage overall campaign strategy / execution and to ensure that Data Axle is meeting and exceeding client acquisition goals. Her focus is on campaign development, management / oversight, and execution across all channels.

Prior to joining Data Axle, Niely was a Senior Account Director with Paradysz, managing major nonprofit and financial publishing accounts. Niely is a member of the DMA and the DMA Nonprofit Federation. She also served on the board of directors for the DMFA (Direct Marketing Fundraising Association).
Niely holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Rutgers University.

Tom Zawacki manages digital strategy and product innovation for Data Axle. He leads vision, planning, development, and execution of next level solutions that provide transformational results for the company’s client base.

Tom is an accomplished business leader, motivator and innovator with 25 years’ experience in digital marketing. Prior to Data Axle, Tom was Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy/Innovation & Commercial operations for Rocket Fuel, Inc. During his time there, he led several business, innovation and client strategy teams and helped to secure multimillion dollar partnerships with Fortune 500 clients across key verticals such as CPG, Auto, Finance, Travel, and Technology. He also headed up an industry-first integration between Rocket Fuel artificial intelligence and IBM Watson. Previous to RockFuel, Tom was Senior Vice President of Programmatic Marketing at XPlusOne where he developed corporate brand positioning and market strategy for XPlusOne platform and attribution capabilities, and oversaw the start-up, management and growth of the company’s West coast operations. Prior to those positions, he founded Lemonade Inc., a social commerce company and G4 Consulting LLC, a strategic marketing firm focused on delivering innovative ideas to FORTUNE 1000 brands.

In 2015 Tom was named Strategic Partner of the Year by Mazda. He was named TIME Magazine/CNN Website of the Year in 2007, and 1998 Internet Marketer of the Year. Tom holds a BA in Anthropology from Princeton University.

Alicia Mickelsen is the Vice President of Marketing at Data Axle, overseeing all aspects of Marketing; including public relations, lead generation, events, content marketing and digital marketing. Alicia is a seasoned marketing and public relations executive with a proven history of building stories and developing revenue-driving programs for B2B technology companies.

Prior to joining Data Axle, Alicia led marketing at Linqia, a leading influencer marketing platform. Previously, she held senior marketing positions at Rocket Fuel and F Sharp. She started her career in public relations with 10 years at boutique high tech PR firm Breakaway Communications representing clients, including Alcatel-Lucent, Rackspace and Broadcom. Alicia is also the co-founder of Marketers2Marketers, a network of women in B2B marketing. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Mary Washington.

Sean Koch is the Assistant General Counsel at Data Axle. Sean’s expertise lies in drafting, reviewing, and advising on retainment and settlement contracts with a focus on potential liability, exposure, and pre-litigation risk, negotiating services agreements to include risk assessment and mitigation and preparing legal contract templates, guides for best practices and compliance for law firm staff, and escalation levels for approvals.

Sean previously served as Principal at the Koch Law Firm and as an Associate Attorney at the Sloan Law Firm. He received his Juris Doctor from the South Texas College of Law Houston and was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He also obtained 19 CALI Awards (highest grade in the class), the Spurgeon E. Bell Moot Court Competition Best Oralist Award, was published in the South Texas Law Review, and became a certified mediator. Sean is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Houston Trial Lawyers Association, and American Association for Justice. He also dedicates time to speaking at local schools to discuss the importance of education.

Niely Shams has over 15 years of experience in direct marketing specializing in the nonprofit, publishing, and financial sector. Niely’s role is to oversee and manage overall campaign strategy / execution and to ensure that Data Axle is meeting and exceeding client acquisition goals. Her focus is on campaign development, management / oversight, and execution across all channels.

Prior to joining Data Axle, Niely was a Senior Account Director with Paradysz, managing major nonprofit and financial publishing accounts. Niely is a member of the DMA and the DMA Nonprofit Federation. She also served on the board of directors for the DMFA (Direct Marketing Fundraising Association).
Niely holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Rutgers University.

Jonathan T.M. Reckford is chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International, a global Christian housing organization that has helped more than 35 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve their homes.

Since 2005, when he took the top leadership position, local Habitat organizations in all 50 states and in more than 70 countries have grown from serving 125,000 individuals each year to helping more than 5.9 million people last year build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where he was a Morehead Scholar, Jonathan worked as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. He was also the recipient of a Henry Luce Scholarship, which enabled him to do marketing work for the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee and coach the Korean rowing team in preparation for the 1988 Olympics.

He earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business before spending much of his career in the for-profit sector, including executive and managerial positions at Marriott, The Walt Disney Co., and Best Buy. While serving as executive pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church near Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was recruited for the CEO position at Habitat.

Jonathan is the chair of Leadership 18 and is a member of the Freddie Mac Housing Advisory Council. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Urban Steering Committee for the World Economic Forum.

Sylvia joined Make-A-Wish International in 2011. In 2020, she returned to her former position of Vice President, Marketing and Digital, after overseeing a two-year transition during the infrastructure change, leadership adjustment and relocation of the operational head office, when she served as Chief Administrative Officer. Her primary objective today is to build data-driven decision-making processes to ensure Make-A-Wish continues learning and optimizing its actions and performance. Her team is responsible for global marketing, including all digital marketing and fundraising, public relations, internal and external communications, creative services and management of global brand campaigns and signature events.

During her tenure, she has raised more than $1 billion from individual donors and leads the largest small-donor fundraising program for the organization. She leverages her multi-disciplinary expertise to drive organizational transformation. Helene has developed innovative strategies through diversification aimed at acquiring and stewarding high-value donors. She is an early adopter of leveraging data insights in developing a progressive audience-led approach rooted in donor centricity. She is a contributing member of numerous international committees giving her a global perspective on effective fundraising and engagement.

Helene is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts. Her professional memberships and directorships include the Who’s Who Worldwide, Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Direct Marketing Association.

Since joining the American Heart Association in March 2018, Becky has set a precedent for insight-driven programs, effectively elevating the impact for the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to defeating cardiovascular diseases and stroke. She is leading the digital transformation for the enterprise and direct-to-donor direct response fundraising. She held various roles in the PepsiCo organization over a 16-year tenure, culminating as Vice President and General Manager for the $3.2 billion Cheetos and Doritos Kids and Teens business unit. She serves as a NED for the Alex and Lee Family of Companies, serving on the Compensation and HR Committee for the $2 billion wholesaler and grocery retailer.