Ken Kress
Chief Executive Officer,
BDSmktg
Invaluable pillar of the agency. Devoted leader. A calming force. BDSer since 1994. Has been here longer than the furniture. Count on him for a great wine recommendation. The only guy in a family of women. Biggest book worm. You’ll hear a slight twang when he’s singing along to country music. Vacations at the river as often as he can. USC Trojan football fan for life. Passionate about building lasting relationships with BDS clients. Serves on the advisory board for Gonzaga University.
Mike Britton
Chief Strategy Officer,
BDS Solutions Group
Strategic leader and operations expert for our parent company, BDS Solutions Group. BDSer since 2013. Innovator of our Break Fix and Installation services. Native Chicagoan – go Bears! Dreamt of being a garbage collector when he was a boy. Saw “The Boss” 53 times in concert. Never runs out of energy. Avid comic book collector. Loves to vacation in Death Valley, and is still alive to share his stories. Studies and writes theoretical physics. Will share a handful of Cheez-its with you.
Scott McDaniel
President, BDSmktg
Retail industry veteran for over 20 years. A true Chicagoan at heart. He craves Chicago-style hot dogs. Rabid Blackhawks and Bears fan. Growing up he wanted to be a railroad freight conductor like his Dad. Three sport athlete and closet juggler in his high school days. All-time favorite show is M*A*S*H. Can be found reading or golfing in his free time, but spending time with his family trumps all. Canine lover. Ask him about any current event – he reads three newspapers each day!
Jim Fulk
President, Install
Our fearless Installation team leader located in Ohio. BDSer since 2012. A United States Air Force veteran. If he wasn’t a Retail Environments pro, he would be a pro baseball player. The Ohio State Buckeyes are the only team in his mind. His name is Jim, not Gladiator. Working is his favorite hobby. Would win “Best Actor” at the Academy Awards. He’ll bake a pie if you ask nicely. Known to be a master jokester. “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”
Tracy Neff
Operations &
Client Services SVP
Leads the Merchandising and Break Fix teams to success. BDSer since 2005. SoCal native. Celebrates every San Francisco Giants win in her office with a party. Say “hello” to this Adele fan. If you hear a booming laugh down the hall, that’s her. Napa regular. Loves to entertain. Team meetings usually feature candy and tacos. Don’t be fooled by her driven exterior; she’s a softy on the inside. Used to operate the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland.
David Tranberg
Client Development SVP
Develops innovative solutions for new clients. Consumer electronics industry expert. BDSer since 2006. Epitome of southern charm. Never misses an Ole Miss college football game (pun intended). Might have been an oceanographer in another life. Knows how to escape zombies from watching the Walking Dead. Get this guy a Moscow Mule, stat! BBQs his turkey on Thanksgiving. Ask him about that one time he and a couple of other BDSers were driving in Dallas…it’s a great story.
Randy Schrock
Strategic Services SVP
BDS’ Business Intelligence subject matter expert. BDSer since 1995. Born and raised in San Francisco, where he says he left his heart. Wanted to be a musician growing up – and still thinks he can be. Bleeds San Francisco Giants orange, and roots for anyone playing against the Dodgers. Can use his head on the soccer pitch as well as in developing solutions. Always on the look-out for a new travel adventure somewhere in the world!
Andrew Catapano
VP Digital / CEO WOWbrands
Our go-to digital marketing “idea man”. Loves helping brands find their story. The most passionate person you’ll ever meet in this business. Says that he breaks things just to fix them, and see how they really work. Knows every single episode of Seinfeld by heart…yada, yada, yada. Favorite movie is Tommy Boy. Brand new dad. Long Island native. Die hard Yankee’s fan – LET’S – GO – YANKEES! “It’s not what you learn, but the process of learning it that you will use in life.”
Khalid Kakish
Financial Planning & Analysis VP
Directs the agency’s financial strategies. Really good with numbers and budgets. BDSer since 2004. Stubborn with a smile. Born in the country of Jordan, but grew up in the “909”. Ruled the universe playing Solar Quest as a kid. Hockey dad to two boys. His music playlist is still stuck in the 80’s. Ice fishes every year in Minnesota. Cartoon fanatic. King of the Los Angeles Kings fans in the office. Works his magic solving every Mickeys beer puzzle.
Petra Fetters
Human Resources VP, SPHR
Our Human Resource leader. BDSer for 11 years. Originally from the Czech Republic. Was on track to become a professional skier. You can find her volunteering at the dog rescue with her daughter. Closet comedian. Wants to make an impact. Sarah McLachlan is her angel. Could watch Moulin Rouge over and over. Wears sunglasses to people watch. Amateur photographer. Serious Amy Schumer fan. Never wants to stop learning. Loves traveling the world with her family.
Tara Hankins
Client Services VP
Expert in all things Brand Advocacy. BDSer since 2001. Is motivated and pumped up by Rocky movies. Major hiker and paddle boarder. Biggest Chicago Bears fan, and even named her daughter after running back Walter Payton. Admires her amazing daughter. Spends all her free time at dance competitions or swim meets. Grew up wanting to be a dolphin trainer or PE teacher. Wants to be best friends with Tina Fey. Used to be mistaken in high school as the Pink Power Ranger.
Eric Wartman
Client Services VP
The ultimate BDS boomerang. First joined BDS fresh out of college as a Canon Assisted Sales Rep. Returned to BDS many years later in a Client Services role. Today he’s innovating programs and building teams for his high profile clients. The one to ask if you want to make your home “smart”. Originally from Providence, Rhode Island and currently living in Long Beach, CA. Loving his newest role as “Dada”. Avid snowboarder. Proud of his extensive music collection. Has traveled to all 50 states. Wakes up on his own without an alarm. Once swam with sharks without a cage – yikes!
Jennifer
Fisher-Finnegan
Sr. Director of Client Services
Our Merchandising guru and multi-tasking queen. BDSer since 2003. Taking great care of her clients is her jam. Orange County local who can tell you where all the hot spots are around the area. Loves hanging out at the beach with her husband, mini-me daughter, and puppy dog, Cooper. If you’re on the peninsula, you might find her having a slice of pizza at Cruisers Pizza Bar & Grill. Big fan of The Real Housewives franchise, and is pretty sure she would be great BFFs with Lisa Rinna. Give her a buttery Chardonnay, and she’s a happy camper. Admires her dad for being a hard worker and a great businessman – we know where she gets it from!
Scot Maurath
Learning Design Director, CPLP
Constant innovator, researcher and Learning Design buff. BDSer since 2004. Native SoCal resident. Wanted to be a race car driver when he grew up, and still wants to! Golfer since age 15. Was on the Southern California Junior PGA with Tiger Woods. Enjoys a good horror flick. Pearl Jam super fan. Wine aficionado. Loves traveling with his wife. Never-ending patience when it comes to repair projects. His secret to “clearing his mind” is doing what he is passionate about, detailing cars.
Kari Kraus
IT Development Director, PMP, CSM
Always improving our Insight:Center™ platform. BDSer since 1998. Wisconsin native. Growing up, his dream was to be a cement truck driver. Luckiest thing that has happened to him: meeting his wife at a stop sign in Milwaukee. The force is strong with this Star Wars fan. Devout pre-marital counselor. Singing is his secret skill. His free time is spent blogging and investing in real estate. The most outdoorsy BDSer: he is an avid scuba diver, rock climber, triathlete, and camper. Not to mention, he also completed 3 Iron Mans.
Jim Finnegan
Warehouse & Facilities Director, PMC
Keeping BDSers in line is the name of his game. Runs the most organized warehouse on the west coast. BDSer since 2001. A straight shooting Kansas boy. Exercise junkie. A do-it-yourselfer. Wanted to be in the Air Force growing up. Crazy about The Goonies. Forever a Kansas City Chiefs football fan. Loves to jam out on the drums. Wishes every week was the 4th of July. Adores his wife and daughter. “Don’t ever give up.”
Melissa Burke
Marketing Director
Marketing guru. BDSer since 2004 when she started out as a temporary hire as an Account Coordinator on a holiday ASR program. Never-ending storyteller. Always proofing. Secret watercolor painter. Finds the best shopping deals. Loving wife and mom to two. Recipe hoarder. Would be beach bum. SoCal native. Content curator. Faux foodie. “Focus on progress not perfection.”
James Metcalfe
IT Network Infrastructure Director
The agency techie who keeps our equipment running. BDSer since 1999. Longtime SoCal resident. Father to one beautiful daughter. Dreamt of being a fighter pilot as a boy. Music lover, minus country. Faith leads his life. Lunchtime bike rider. Specialty coffee drinker. Constant sarcasm thrower. Loves to do construction work around his house. Mountain biking is his passion.
Meet more BDSers on our Blog by searching #employeespotlight