Team

Our backgrounds are diverse, but our expertise is uniform. We’ve assembled the best of the best – including Google and Yahoo! certified paid search experts, SEO specialists who have driven significant online campaigns for multi-million dollar companies, account executives who have managed some of the world’s most prominent companies, and creative writers, designers, and programmers who have created and launched global brands online. We have also leveraged our expertise to help start-ups and mid-sized companies reach their goals. In addition to Internet experience, key members of our team have significant experience in direct marketing and traditional media. Our collective experiences help to shape innovative marketing strategies that generate growth for each of our clients.

Our Executive Management Team

• Michael B. Stalbaum – Founder and CEO
  
   

  As CEO, Michael B. Stalbaum is the leader of Unreal Marketing and directs the company with a focus on future planning. Stalbaum assists in client acquisitions and growth strategy, oversees the accounting and financial health of the company, and manages overall profitability.

  Stalbaum developed his passion for marketing while attending law school, where he worked to create marketing campaigns and promotions for local restaurants and charitable organizations. He left his career in law and started Unreal Marketing Solutions in 1999, with a mission to help companies build and maintain a strong presence in the burgeoning online arena.

  In addition to his role as CEO of Unreal, Stalbaum dedicates some of his time educating audiences about search engine marketing. He has spoken about SEM and entrepreneurialism at a variety of colleges and conferences, as well as on National Public Radio.

  Stalbaum holds a law degree and an MBA from Temple University and a B.S. in Marketing from the Pennsylvania State University.

• Bob Rothenberg – Managing Director
  
  

  As Managing Director, Bob Rothenberg oversees account management, media, creative, and new business development for Unreal Marketing. He spearheads the strategic direction of client accounts and works with clients to increase ROI and penetration into their target markets. Rothenberg also serves as the brand steward for clients and the company, guides all marketing-related initiatives both internally and externally, and orchestrates proposal development across all client acquisitions and growth strategies.

  Prior to joining Unreal, Rothenberg was the owner and operator of RHR Marketing, a Sports and Entertainment consultancy. Rothenberg also held a front-office position at the Philadelphia 76ers, and a management position with the Consumer Products Group at the National Basketball Association. He also served as Vice President of Strategic Development for University Sports Publications.

  Rothenberg received an MA degree from Adelphi University with a concentration in Business Administration, and a B.S. from Stony Brook University.

• Clay Gillespie – Executive Vice President, Client Services & Business Strategy
  
  

  As Executive Vice President, Client Services & Business Strategy, Clay Gillespie leads the client team in all client engagements. He oversees the services team in client planning and retention, guides the general objectives of client accounts to improve ROI, and makes sure target markets are reached. He also serves as an executive marketing strategist for all clients and the company, commanding all marketing initiatives from their inception. Gillespie’s strong background in ROI-based, multi-channel marketing ensures optimum performance and growth for the brands he supports.

  Prior to joining Unreal, Gillespie served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for American Reading Company, a national reading literacy company, where he successfully increased revenue by more than 100% for two consecutive years, while significantly lowering the cost of sales and marketing from 37.2% to 18.4% overall.

  Gillespie also played integral roles as a senior account manager and business development specialist for Euro RSCG-Devon Direct, a top10 full-service direct response marketing and advertising agency. His first initiative at Euro RSCG was heading up the Enron B-to-B and B-to-C business accounts. He also led all direct marketing initiatives for the Intel account and served as director of partnership acquisition for the Weekly Reader brand.

  Throughout his career, Gillespie has held leadership positions in which his responsibilities have included cultivation of organic business growth; acquisition and retention of supplier segments, horizontal marketing, advertising revenue, and third-party marketing; acquisition and retention through direct, interactive, and retail channels (with emphasis on customized communications); and identifying and negotiating business opportunities including partnerships and co-op opportunities. He has also had full P&L responsibilities for a multi-million dollar sports catalog/e-commerce business including marketing and promotions, analysis/modeling, circulation planning, league management, creative execution, and overall management of day to day operations.

  Gillespie graduated cum laude from Southeastern Louisiana University with a dual major in Marketing and Finance.

• Robert Drennen – Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations
  

  Robert Drennen joined Unreal Marketing in April 2007 as the Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations. Rob brings to Unreal more than 17 years of experience in corporate infrastructure development, business planning and financial management.  In his current role with the company, he is responsible for oversight and management of the finance, human resource, information technology and administrative functions of the organization.

   Prior to joining Unreal, Mr. Drennen managed a CFO consulting business servicing the Direct Marketing, Software and Management Consulting Industries.  Prior to that he has held Vice President roles for both Sterilox Technologies, Inc., a privately held, Life Science Company focusing on the healthcare and food safety industries, and US Interactive, Inc, a publicly traded professional services firm specializing in software and Internet based solutions. Rob holds a BBA in Accounting from Loyola College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

• Tim Daly – Vice President, Interactive Services
  

  
  Tim Daly serves as a key strategic marketing advisor for our clients, providing a bottom-up rationale to online and offline marketing efforts.  He oversees Unreal Marketing’s services team that is responsible for the planning and execution of online marketing campaigns.
  
  Daly is recognized as a leading expert in the internet marketing industry, having been asked to speak at various conferences that include Search Engine Strategies, OMMA, eMarketing, and Direct Marketing Association events.  Additionally, Daly has been a regular “expert column” contributor to leading industry magazine including MultiChannel Merchant, MediaPost, and DM News on subject matters that include search engine marketing and email marketing.
  
  Prior to Unreal Marketing, he was responsible for launching the interactive marketing services division at SendTec.  Within a three-year time span, the division began servicing over 100 online marketing campaigns for major companies that included Intuit, Extra Space Store, Orkin, Columbia House, Oriental Trading, and Cosmetique.  Under his leadership, SendTec became one of the 30 largest interactive services agencies within the United States and was ranked 4^th largest SEM Services provider by Advertising Age.  In 2006, SendTec was recognized as one of the fastest growing SEM services firm in the country.
  
  Before moving to the agency side of the business, Daly accumulated over 12 years of direct marketing and internet marketing experience on the advertiser side.  He held various senior management positions within Office Depot’s catalog and interactive divisions, overseeing and developing acquisition marketing programs for both the online and catalog sales channels, while growing website sales from $850 million to $2.5 billion over the course of three years. Prior to Office Depot, he worked in strategic marketing and analytical roles on over 50 different direct marketing brands including multi-title catalogers Genesis Direct and Hanover Direct.
  
  Daly holds a B.S. in Business Economics from SUNY at Oneonta, where he earned the President’s Medallion as valedictorian of his class.  He also earned an M.S. in Marketing from the Lowry Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University, graduating with honors.