Michele J. Harris, CEO & Original SMARTI

Marketing agency expert Michele Harris has spent 17 years developing savvy, revenue-rich marketing and business development programs for a client portfolio that reads like a veritable "Who's Who" among Fortune 500 companies and the nation's premier advertising agencies, and as a Marketing Matchmaker, helped hundreds of companies find the right advertising agency, creative branding boutique, PR firm and marketing company for their particular business needs.

In 2001 Michele launched SMARTi Solutions, a company that—in the span of five years—has become the leading agency search and business development firm for the mid-size marketplace. Additionally, the firm has received recognition, and a Small Business Award, by the New York City Mayor's Office for entrepreneurial and business success.

Prior to SMARTI, Michele was Vice President of Marketing & Business Development at ad agency Lowe Live (formerly Lowe Lintas Interactive / APL Digital), a capacity where she served as IPG agency liaison, managed channel alliances and spearheaded new business development initiatives including HSBC, BlueStreak and various Unilever brands.

Earlier, as Director of Business Development at Blue Marble ACG, she formed the agency's marketing consulting group and landed multi—million dollar clients like Cadillac, Medscape & Nabisco-in addition to leading all business development pitches with sister agencies N.W. Ayer and D'Arcy.

Other agencies where Michele has managed client services include K2 Design and DCA Advertising (Dentsu), K&L Partners and Wave Promotion Group. Further, Michele has developed national advertising and online and field marketing programs for clients ranging: Procter & Gamble; Hewlett Packard; Bayer; Wavetop; CIBC Oppenheimer; TDWaterhouse; Audio Book Club; Standard and Poor's; Canon USA; Japan Airlines; Western Union; Hill's Pet Nutrition/Colgate Palmolive; Castrol; Perrier.

Michele addresses business audiences for industry organizations including the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Ad-Tech and NYSIA and was recently the Co-Chairman for the Agency Outreach Committee for 212 Interactive Advertising Club. She has been quoted by the NY Times, NY Post, Crains NY Business and PR Week. Michele received her B.A. in communications from George Washington University. She currently resides in Manhattan.

Michele is supported by a Smarti team of sales, talent research and support staff.