OUR ENTREPRENEURIAL BEGINNINGS DEFINE OUR LEADERSHIP TODAY

An executive team representing a mix of extensive BDA tenure as well as expertise in various industries, our leadership group is committed to both the continual growth of our Associates by investing in their learning, and the success of our clients by raising the bar of what is possible.

Our Executive Leadership Team

This team is driven to ensure we not only meet our high standards for client partnerships, but that we nurture a culture that motivates our Associates and makes them proud to be Team and Family.

Jay Deutsch

CEO and Co-founder

Barry Deutsch

Chief Sales Officer

Rob Martin

Chief Experience Officer

Tara Denman

Chief Human Resources Officer

Jared Collinge

Chief Financial Officer

Steve Avanessian

EVP – Client Services & Sports

Steve Gomez

Chief Information & Digital Officer

Jon Wilkerson

EVP – NBD & Client Services

Jay Deutsch

CEO and Co-founder

Motivator. Philosopher. Innovator. Leader.

Jay is the heartbeat of the BDA.

His vision of merchandising agency as a collaborative partner with our clients touches all aspects of our business, everyday.

If there were do-overs: Another 21-run, only make it a week in Vegas.

Fondest childhood memory: Playing pickup sports with the neighborhood kids.

Bucket list: Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.

Barry Deutsch

Chief Sales Officer

Barry is a hard worker who leads with persistence and commitment. He has helped guide BDA’s strategic direction and nurtured partnerships with the majority of Fortune 500 companies and entertainment properties. Barry wakes up every day with the purpose to drive the BDA business forward by delighting clients, winning new accounts, and assisting with the company’s global expansion. Barry was 19 when he joined the BDA sales force and didn’t skip a beat ever since.

When he’s not working: Swinging a club

When he’s not swinging a club: Swinging a hammer

When he’s not swinging a hammer: Losing in cribbage to his wife

Rob Martin

Chief Experience Officer

Rob is the connector who can spot the challenges and opportunities well ahead, define the right team, and lead them by example to get to the desired outcome. He brings decades of diverse experiences across consumer and corporate marketing, operations, creative services, and organizational development. Rob currently spearheads BDA global operations, sales enablement, product development, and marketing/strategic communications functions, laying down the foundation for purposeful and sustainable growth.

Hardware: One Gold Lion from Cannes International Advertising Show, Four gold Clios, and numerous other awards from his days with the Seattle Supersonics (NBA)

Greatest compliment: “Rob is someone you’d want to build your house and run your company.”

Glory days: Played on back-to-back high school state champion basketball teams

Tara Denman

Chief Human Resources Officer

Tara brings more than 20 years of executive level human resources experience to BDA. She has led culture and people strategies, talent acquisition, employee development, total rewards and employee relations across leading brands such as Rexford Industrial, Keypath Education, Ace (Westlake) Hardware, and H&R Block.

Hidden Talent: Cooking. I give cooking Italian, French and gluten-free classes for fun and even tried out for the TV show MasterChef. The dishes I am always asked to make the most often are chocolate croissants or anything Italian.

Jared Collinge

Chief Financial Officer

Jared is a visionary leader with an extensive track record of solving complex problems and improving financial results. His background includes stops at Dell, Honeywell and General Motors, where he shaped long-term business strategy, centralized and standardized accounting processes and improved productivity.

In the trophy case: Puget Sound Business Journal CFO of the Year

Backup career: Nature photographer

Saturday passion: Watching Michigan win

Steve Avanessian

EVP – Client Services & Sports

Steve has been instrumental in the growth of our ProActivation™ division. His team has built sports marketing relationships with MLB, NFL, MLS, NASCAR, USOC, PGA Tour, NCAA, NHL and the NBA, and partnerships with Marvel, FremantleMedia, Sony Pictures and Fox Studios in the entertainment world.

Vacation he won’t stop talking about: Blessing the rains down in Africa

Obsession: San Francisco Giants baseball

Daily cardio: Chasing after his twins, who love running in opposite directions

Steve Gomez

Chief Information & Digital Officer

Steve is a dexterous leader who can build experiences connecting humans and technology. He brings more than 20 years of experience in driving digital product innovation and technology transformation. Steve has experience working for marquee brands such as Microsoft, T-Mobile, ING Direct – Sharebuilder and has been a local investor in technology start-ups.

Hidden Talent: Outside of his family and work, his passion is music. He is a songwriter and loves to perform music with his band. They have two albums out and are currently recording a third!

Jon Wilkerson

EVP – NBD & Client Services

For over two decades, Jon has led sales teams, trained hundreds, on-boarded dozens of assignments with many of the world’s most respected brands and has been a contributing factor to the explosive growth BDA continues to experience. Jon believes in people first. He is a passionate, energetic and proven leader who always makes himself available to anyone. He obsesses about winning, both in making BDA the best company to work for, and partner with, and by growing people personally and professionally.

When he’s not working: Traveling the world with his wife and two teenage boys.

Backup career: Travel blogger and influencer.

Our Advisory Council

We are honored that our Advisory Council members so actively participate in helping to define new strategies as we continue our high-growth trajectory.