QUANTUM MEDIA - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Principal
• Senior Business Strategist

Alisha Alonso is a senior business strategist with broad experience growing Media & Information services companies and navigating them through major transitions. She is experienced in leading the development and execution of strategic initiatives to accelerate business growth, optimize operations and drive revenue. Her primary focus is on creating value propositions, identifying growth opportunities, setting strategic direction, and solving market problems ahead of the competition. She is a creative thinker and collaborator able to influence and drive product development, investment, acquisition and operational enhancement across global organizations. She has particular interest in the content and product categories of media related to food, cooking, nutrition and wellness. Alisha has held a series of focused roles in product management, business strategy and corporate planning, with responsibilities including analysis of markets, acquisitions and investment opportunities. In her most recent business role, Alisha developed the value proposition and set the strategic direction to drive commercial delivery of S&P Platts' $350M global oil information product portfolio. She managed international customer outreach and synthesized competitive dynamics and evolving market trends to develop a new content strategy for a 100+ editorial news organization. Products were repositioned, customer experience was enhanced, Platts' relevance in the market improved and profits increased. In addition to her product management role, Alisha was also responsible for developing the entire business' strategic agenda. She managed communication of the business strategy across multiple functions in the organization and tested the alignment of content and commercial decisions with the strategic goals. She analyzed and developed actionable recommendations for investment, acquisition and divestiture and led due diligence and negotiations on partnerships that yielded improved commercial terms and incremental growth. Before joining Platts, Alisha worked for its corporate parent McGraw-Hill, in an internal consultative role leading its strategic planning process and projects to support the business strategies for four of its information companies. She managed the due diligence process for acquisitions, developed and communicated strategic rationale and led back office cross-functional activities in preparation for business integration. She also analyzed financial outcomes of acquisitions, created new plans that effectively reduced operating costs, refocused strategic priorities and more fully integrated the businesses under new management. Early in her career, Alisha spent five years at Bloomberg LP in media marketing and business development roles, overseeing multi-media marketing solutions services and managing corporate client partnerships to expand the company's media business. Alisha earned her MBA at New York University's Leonard Stern School of Business and holds a BA in Economics from Tulane University.

Job Titles:

• Advisor

Anne specializes in consumer marketing, modeling and business development.She has worked with a wide variety of publishing companies ranging from large consumer magazines to startups, non-profits, and digital ventures. She is always focused on delivering actionable recommendations to improve the bottom line and is often involved not only in the development and modeling of new business strategies but also in the implementation of those new strategies and the analysis of their effect on the business. Since becoming a consultant, Anne's projects have included strategic business planning for print and digital products; circulation and business modeling; development of new print and digital marketing programs; marketing analysis and implementation; interim management; creation, implementation and training staff on the use of more efficient reporting and analysis systems; AAM, BPA audit compliance; as well as fulfillment RFPs and analysis. Prior to becoming a consultant, Anne gained business, marketing and management experience as Publisher of Lingua Franca, founding Publisher of University Business, Circulation Director of the New York Review of Books and the US Publisher of Granta magazine. In the publisher positions, she was responsible for staff management and overall P&L for the companies. As a consultant, her clients have included Meredith, WWD, Tribune Media, BASS, Atlantic Monthly, WeightWatchers, Future US, Working Mother, New Hope Media and many other independent companies and startups. She started her publishing career at Penguin Books in adult editorial. Anne graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Job Titles:

• Principal
• Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia Business School
• Senior Advisor to RFBinder

Ava has a broad range of experience across a diverse group of media organizations. Her particular strengths lie in all types of marketing, editorial operations, strategy, new product development, as well as post-merger integration. Ava also works with numerous non-profit companies as well. Ava is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia Business School, teaching "Media and Entertainment Consulting Projects" and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia Journalism School, co-teaching the course "Managing the 21st Century News Organization." She has written numerous business teaching cases, mostly about media start-ups including her most recent one entitled French News Start-up L'Opinion: Swimming Upstream in Uncertain Times, 2019 (Case A, Case B, Teacher's Note) Ava has published with co-author Ryan Powell in May 2024 a detailed primer on earned income products, published by the International Press Association and entitled, The Revenue Roadmap: a guidebook to diversifying revenue and editorial innovation. She is also the co-author of two books. With Bill Grueskin and Lucas Graves, she wrote "The Story So Far: What We Know About the Business of Digital Journalism," published in May 2011 by Columbia Journalism School and the Tow Center for Digital Journalism. With Jonathan Knee and Bruce Greenwald, she co-authored the widely reviewed book published by Penguin's Portfolio line in October 2009, "The Curse of the Mogul: What's Wrong with the World's Leading Media Companies." For the FCC Report (June 2011) on the Future- of- the- Media task force, she contributed research and writing as part of the working group that produced "The Information Needs of Communities: The changing media landscape in a broadband age." She was a contributor to Forbes.com, writing on the media. Ava is a Senior Advisor to RFBinder, an independent communications agency. She is a Board member of three non-profits: The American Poetry Review, DeLaSalle Academy, an independent middle school for extremely bright, but financially challenged middle schoolers, and The Sustainable Media Center. Ava also serves on the Board of Advisors of Columbia University Press. Previously, she was on the boards of private companies Waywire/Magnify and Davler Media.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group
• Specialist

Brian is the Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group, an Advisor to Quantum Media and Founder and Principal of Magellan Media Consulting. O'Leary is a specialist in helping enterprises with media and publishing components capitalize on the power of content. A veteran of more than 30 years in the publishing industry and a prolific content producer himself, O'Leary provides targeted solutions that help companies achieve change, improve financial results and respond with agility to consumers' voracious appetites for content.Brian works with publishers seeking support in content workflows, benchmarking and financial analysis. He also writes extensively about issues affecting the publishing industry. With Hugh McGuire, he has edited "Book: A Futurist's Manifesto", a collection of forward-looking essays on publishing that was published in three parts by O'Reilly Media. The full book was recently released. He is also the author of research reports on: the use of metadata in the book industry supply chain, territorial rights in the digital age and best practices in digital exports. Brian has studied the impact of free content and digital piracy on paid book sales and was the editor and primary contributor on a study of the use of XML in book publishing, two reports published by O'Reilly Media in 2009. Earlier in his career, Brian served as senior VP and associate publisher with Hammond Inc., where he restructured editorial operations to benefit from the firm's prior technology investments. Brian came to Hammond after a 12-year career overseeing production and distribution operations at several of Time Inc.'s weekly magazines, including Time, Entertainment Weekly and People. Brian joined Time Inc. after earning an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He also holds an A.B. in chemistry from Harvard College.

Job Titles:

• Founding Principal

Carla Graubard is a founding Principal of Quantum Media and has managed a thriving consulting practice for more than ten years, handling both strategy and operational assignments for many of the world's leading media companies and some of the industry's smaller and most dynamic ones. Carla specializes in providing senior-level management consulting services to media and direct marketing companies, both B2C and B2B, as well as to non-media companies seeking to adapt media best practices. She has an extensive background in media general management, business development, managing turn-arounds, consumer marketing and strategy, operational assessment and improvement, and working with media companies involved in leveraging their core assets online and through digital marketing and distribution channels. Always focused on delivering tangible results, consulting assignments typically include one or more of these functions: building and/or assessing operating and strategic plans; managing companies on an interim basis; turning around existing businesses; starting new businesses and brand extensions; developing general and direct marketing strategies; brand strategy and implementation; integrating online and offline businesses; developing and implementing cross-platform programs; process, content management and workflow assessment; and improving long-term profits. Carla's management experience includes senior line operating positions at Bertelsmann (CEO, BDD/Dell), Newsweek, Inc. (General Manager, head of International Ventures), Reader's Digest (General Manager, Special Interest Magazines, and head of internet strategy RDA corporate), City Home Publishing (President & GM), Matilda Media (acting President & COO), New York Magazine (Director of Planning and Operations), and Boardroom Inc. (head of new business). Graubard was also an economist for the Federal Government. Recent clients include: The New York Times, Conde Nast/Conde Net, Microsoft, Meredith, Hearst, Readers Digest, AdMedia Partners, Northcastle Partners, Future US, Inc., The Jordan Edmiston Group, Verisign/Network Solutions, Harvard Health, A&E Networks, Comcast, National Audubon Society, Hachette Filipacchi Media, Reed Elsevier, Zagat LLC, The Tribune Company, Time Inc., Time Inc. Ventures, The Tribune Company and Western Interiors & Design. Carla is a graduate of the Wharton School (BSE in Economics) and Harvard Graduate School of Business (PMD). She is one of the founders of the very successful Media Guru breakfast series, run with the Harvard Business School Club of New York and held at the Harvard Club. Graubard writes; lectures academically, for industry events and for in-house training. She serves on the boards and as an advisor to several non-profits and educational institutions.

Job Titles:

• Founding Principal
• Senior Media Executive

Christine is a senior media executive with a proven track record of developing and leading profitable publishing and online businesses. She has worked on numerous senior-level consulting projects with a variety of media companies. Christine is one of the few publishing experts with extensive experience on both the business and creative sides of the business. She has an MFA in writing from Columbia University and an MBA from Stanford University, together with extensive experience as a journalist and editor and as a senior media executive. She has a strong background in publishing management, financial plans, strategic planning, launches and relaunches, and custom publishing. She has particular experience in international media, having worked for 11 years at a senior level with two of Europe's largest media companies, Gruner + Jahr (Bertelsmann) and Holtzbrinck. As a cofounder and Principal or Advisor with Quantum Media since 1998, Christine has worked with clients such as Platts, Scientific American, Institutional Investor, and many more. Her projects have included, for example, a major magazine launch study including five-year business plan and editorial concept, the restructuring of numerous editorial teams and the content for a global B-to-B publisher, and investment presentations to major publishing houses and private equity firms for a new venture. Christine has taught for several years at NYU in the Master's in Publishing program, and she has taught international marketing at Utah State, her alma mater. Christine has degrees from Utah State University, B.A. (Summa Cum Laude), Columbia University, M.F.A., and Stanford Graduate School of Business, M.B.A.

Job Titles:

• Leader
• Principal

A creative and respected media brand-builder and visionary, Erica Gruen is a recognized leader in television, advertising, and digital media. As a principal with Quantum Media, Erica uses her creative and financial acumen to build business for many of the world's largest entertainment and publishing companies, including business development, branding, marketing, content, and distribution strategies for Microsoft, Pearson Digital Learning, Hearst, the Comcast Networks, Rodale Publishing, Oxygen Television, Weight Watchers, A&E, Court TV, CNBC, Reader's Digest, Captivate Media, Working Mother Media, Columbia University School of the Arts, and others.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Digital Publishing Executive

Jean Hellering - Financial/business modeling and business analysis in publishing and direct marketing. Gretchen is a digital leader who transforms innovations into commercially successful endeavors. Skilled at monetizing relationships with business partners, advertisers, and customers, Gretchen diversifies the digital revenue sources for leading brands including television's home improvement expert Bob Vila; HuffPost; Meredith Corporation; Nickelodeon, and MTV. Her imaginative, comprehensive approach encompasses: lead generation; e-commerce affiliate relationships; programmatic and direct advertising sales; content syndication; social media monetization; Internet-delivered television ("over-the-top TV"); paid online video; mobile apps; online radio; and broadcast and cable television. Currently, Gretchen is CEO of DailyFX, a leading digital publisher on foreign exchange, commodities, and indices. DailyFX's parent is IG Group, an $800 million financial technology company publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Previously, Gretchen was CEO, Vila Media, LLC, the online business of Bob Vila. Adept at creating vision along with business discipline, she piloted the company from start-up to consistent profitability. As General Manager for Meredith Interactive, Gretchen steered the growth of websites for leading women's brands Parents.com, LadiesHomeJournal.com, and FitnessMagazine.com. Gretchen brings to digital monetization a background in business development, data analytics, and strategic planning. At Viacom Inc., she served as VP, Business Development, Nickelodeon Movies and VP, Financial Planning & Analysis. She started her career as a consultant at Booz Allen. Gretchen enjoys mentoring start-ups for Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator. She earned her M.B.A. at Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics at Yale University.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Book and Magazine Media Brands Executive
• National Advisor to the Board of Directors of First Book

Harold Clarke is an accomplished book, magazine, and media professional who operates from the point of view that all businesses are formed and shaped. He is known for his exceptional ability to focus on profitability while making strategic decisions that lead an organization through change. He is a manager who strategically operates across multiple content and media platforms leveraging branded content and distribution to greater scale. Harold serves as National Advisor to the Board of Directors of First Book, a national children's literacy organization, and has held Senior Advisor positions within media, capital, and trade associations.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• President of Hellering Associates

Jean Hellering is President of Hellering Associates. She specializes in financial/business modeling and strategic business analysis for a wide range of media companies, subscription and direct to consumer marketing businesses and nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizations she has worked with include United Methodist Women, National Fire Protection Association Whole Woman's Health, and Arnoldia Arboretum. Jean's business analysis and modeling work has been used extensively by Penske Media and by Time Inc. both by individual titles and on corporate level projects. Jean's client list also includes, Amazon, DC Entertainment, Wenner Media, MPA - The Association of Magazine Media, Smithsonian Magazine, Hint Water and Fresh Direct, an online grocery shopping site. Jean's unique background encompasses magazine and merchandise direct marketing, process improvement, strategic planning, and financial analysis as well general business management. This breadth of experience informs her business modelling with hands on knowledge of the revenue and cost drivers for organizations. For example, Time Warner's Music Sound Exchange (MSE) initially tapped Jean as a consultant to shape the business strategy, prepare the business plan and launch its music and entertainment direct marketing company. She then joined the firm as Vice President/General Manager, responsible for the finance and human resource functions as well as strategic planning and reporting to the company's Board of Representatives. During Jean's tenure the company grew from a start-up into a business with over $50 million in sales. Jean's publishing and marketing experience also includes a range of consumer marketing positions at Time Inc. Over the years she has managed consumer marketing and financial reporting for publications of all sizes and in organizations ranging from small single title non-profits to large public multi-title publishers. Academically, Jean has earned an MBA degree with highest honors from the Wharton School and a B.S. in Commerce with distinction from the University of Virginia.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant
• Growth and Innovation and Strategic Advisor
• Growth and Innovation Consultant, and Strategic Advisor

Jeremy is a growth and innovation consultant, and strategic advisor to startups and digital media companies. He is Professor of Digital Marketing at Columbia Business School, and Faculty Director of the Digital Marketing Strategy executive education program, and teaches graduate and executive education classes. Jeremy also teaches the Digital Marketing Intensive and the Business of Gaming in the Cornell Tech MBA program, and Foundations of Entrepreneurship at New York University's Stern School of Business and Tandon School of Engineering. Jeremy is the author of "Digital Marketing: Strategy and Tactics", the first textbook for digital marketing, was published in 2018 by the Wessex Press, and is now in its second edition, with international editions available as well. His new book "Designing the Successful Corporate Accelerator" was released by Wiley in 2021. Jeremy previously was the founder and CEO of Pricing Engine, a digital marketing platform that enabled small businesses to benchmark, optimize, and expand their search and social advertising campaigns. Previously, as the Managing Director of the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia Business School, Jeremy managed curricular and co-curricular offerings, the Lang Fund for early-stage investment, the Columbia Startup Lab, and launched the Columbia Alumni Virtual Accelerator. Jeremy has been a speaker and corporate trainer in the digital media industry. His clients include companies in content, services, and e-commerce, as well as traditional advertising agencies needing digital media expertise. Jeremy previously worked at Sony Music Entertainment in the Global Digital Business, where he was the Vice President of Global Account Management, working with large partners such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Before this, he was Vice President/Director of Strategy and Customer Insight for Publicis Modem, a leading digital advertising agency, where Jeremy headed research and innovation out of the New York office.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

Judi has thirty years of experience as an executive and consultant for a wide variety of media companies, primarily in television creation, distribution and measurement. She has deep experience in strategic sales, marketing, product management and complex contract negotiations. Her approach is flexible, hands-on and collaborative. Judi was most recently Senior Vice President, Client Solutions at The Nielsen Company, leading Nielsen's relationship with AT&T including WarnerMedia and before that, all of broadband and satellite providers and virtual MVPDs. Prior to Nielsen, Judi was Vice President of Video Strategy and Business Development in the Video and Content Group at Time Warner Cable, responsible for digital media, authenticated online content, streaming video to consumer electronics devices, video-on-demand, interactive television, and new video services for residential and commercial customers. Judi formerly served as Senior Vice President, Video for MediaOne, leading all aspects of video product management, including content acquisition and negotiations, customer acquisition and retention, branding and product development. Before MediaOne, she served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Programming for Century Communications Corporation and Vice President, National Accounts, Affiliate Relations at USA Networks.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Executive Coach, Strategic and Organizational Consulting

Margaret helps leaders thrive in their careers, navigate change, lead diverse teams, and build healthy, effective organizations. Building on more than 30 years of experience as a consultant and executive, she supports clients: 1. As an executive coach, working one-on-one with senior and upcoming leaders who want to expand their leadership ability, rise up in their organization, build their confidence and executive presence, lead with emotional intelligence, build powerful, diverse teams, and make change happen. Margaret is certified through New York University's Advanced Diploma in Coaching program. 2. As a consultant, helping clients make strategies work in complex organizations, update their organizational design, and improve organizational, team and leadership effectiveness. Margaret's consulting career began at Bain & Company where she helped the firm's Fortune 1000 clients build and execute powerful business strategies. Margaret's expertise ranges across executive coaching, strategic planning, organization design and transformation, change management, and leadership development. Her industry experience encompasses media and information, professional services, engineering, healthcare, financial services, and non profit. Sample assignments are provided below. In addition to her tenure at Bain & Co. as a manager and associate, Margaret has worked at Bain Capital LLC as an executive vice president, serving in a business development and marketing role for this private equity firm. She also managed APM's strategy consulting group (before its acquisition and rebranding as CSC Healthcare, APM was a leading U.S. consulting firm serving the health care industry.) Margaret received an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School. She earned her B.A. degree from Harvard College, magna cum laude with highest honors in history and Phi Beta Kappa. Margaret also holds an Advanced Diploma in Coaching from NYU's School of Professional Studies and has completed additional graduate coursework in organizational psychology.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Vice President of Finance at ThermAvant Technologies

Soo is the vice president of finance at ThermAvant Technologies, LLC, an engineering and manufacturing company based in Columbia, MO that is the leading provider of Oscillating Heat Pipe (OHP) products. Soo oversees accounting, financing planning, and analysis for the company and is also responsible for human resources, risk management, information technology, and legal activities. Previously, Soo was the business development specialist at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a program of the University of Missouri Extension. She provided pro bono business services to existing businesses and startups who sought guidance in starting and growing their companies. Soo's experience as a fixed income analyst, digital media consultant, and general manager gives her a wide range of knowledge and experience to work with her clients. Soo graduated with honors from Barnard College, Columbia University with a B.A. in East Asian Languages and Cultures and has an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant
• Adjunct Professor at NYU 's Integrated Digital Media Program
• Co - Founder and Co - CEO of Purpose Hive
• Creative Brand and Marketing Strategy Consultant
• Professional Executive

Touseef Mirza - Professional executive branding, corporate branding, brand identity, verbal identity, content strategy, positioning and messaging, brand operationalization, marketing, speaking, teaching Touseef Mirza is a creative brand and marketing strategy consultant who focuses on clearly identifying a brand's values from a human perspective. This approach in turn enables a brand to connect viscerally and effectively with a given audience. She excels in positioning brands to be profitable while doing good, as well as cater to today's new awakened customer. Touseef is also Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Purpose Hive, a consultancy in brand purpose strategy, brand transformation, and brand implementation. Her services cover 2 main areas: Personal brand for executives and Corporate brand for businesses. She applies the following ALIGN framework to direct all efforts in an unified intentional approach from start to finish: Brand identity and strategy: Distill the human essence and values of a brand Content strategy: Operationalize a brand into content and experiences Marketing outputs: Connect a brand authentically with an audience (through a website, social media) Touseef brings notable expertise across a broad range of valuable topics: creative strategy, brand identity, verbal identity, strategic positioning and messaging, content strategy and development, user experience, digital outputs, website development, and marketing strategy. Touseef is an Adjunct Professor at NYU's Integrated Digital Media Program in the School of Engineering teaching personal branding; the former CMO of the Advertising Research Foundation; the founder and host of the ClarityConnects podcast, which explores the human essence in brands (from branding, marketing, and business); the cofounder of the CoreConnect Conference; and the founder and host of the New York Branding Meetup. She is also a dynamic and genuine public speaker; engagements include speaking at Google, General Assembly, Euronet, Neuehouse. Some of her branding and marketing clients include the Lion's Share Fund (an initiative from the United Nations), Girl Scouts, Bristol Myers Squibb, etc. Her science background coupled with over 20 years' experience in communications, leadership, creativity, and strategy has made her an avid analytical thinker and big picture visionary who brings ideas to life in order to create positive impact. Purpose Hive, a consultancy in brand purpose strategy, just launched by Quantum Media's Touseef Mirza and colleague Samuel Monnie