National Merchants Association, a bankcard leader and merchant advocacy group, has announced the appointment of Angelo Ponzi to chief strategy officer. Working closely with CEO Heather Petersen, Ponzi is charged with spearheading corporate strategy as well as developing and implementing strategic marketing initiatives for the company’s explosive growth. National Merchants Association is actively hiring to double its local workforce to nearly 200 employees by the end of 2016 and is projected to expand its team to more than 300 employees by the end of 2017.
“As chief strategy officer, Angelo will be an integral part of directing our strategic growth that has made National Merchants Association one of the fastest-growing financial services companies in the United States,” said Heather Petersen, CEO, National Merchants Association. “Angelo is a visionary with proven experience growing companies and helping them succeed on a global scale.”
Ponzi is a nationally known strategist with extensive experience developing and directing branding, marketing, advertising and market research for brands including SBC Global (now AT&T), Ericsson, JP Morgan Chase, ExxonMobil, Western Digital, Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Simple Green, Seagram’s Vodka, Ketel One Vodka, Arby’s, Vistage International, Unilever and Purina among others.
He has held senior positions in major advertising agencies with responsibilities in client services, new business generation, strategic planning, market research and overall business management as well as client-side positions including chief marketing officer and VP Marketing for both B2B and B2C companies.
Ponzi is a frequent speaker at marketing industry events including the American Marketing Association, Business Marketing Association, International Association of Business Communicators, Marketing Executives Networking Group and Board Retailers Association, among others. He served as a marketing adjunct professor at the University of California Irvine and is a regular contributor of featured articles to industry publications, including the Market Research Association’s Alert! Magazine.