MembersFirst is led by a group of seasoned executives and accomplished entrepreneurs with over eight decades of professional experience and proven success in the technology, software, media, marketing services, and lifestyle industries. Each one shares a deep knowledge, passion and commitment to building world-class products, highly responsive customer-driven organizations, and scaleable businesses that have the ability to transform the industries in which they compete.
Tony Baudanza - Chairman
Chairman, Tony Baudanza, founded MembersFirst in 2000 and has provided both the inspiration and vision for the company's growth from business concept to market leader in a short span of a few years. His knowledge and insight into how technology can be used to transform and enhance the quality and value of membership at special interest lifestyle clubs, serves to guide the company's innovation and technological leadership. He has over twenty-five years of experience as a senior executive in the software and services industry, fifteen years of private club experience, and a bankable track record at growing innovative young companies into dominant category leaders of emerging markets.
John Blake - President & CEO
President and Chief Executive Officer, John Blake, has more than 20 years of experience in developing and executing successful enterprise growth strategies highlighted by over $200 million in new value creation for both early-stage companies and established market leaders in the media, technology, publishing, and marketing services industries. As President and CEO he is responsible for the company's overall growth and profitability and guiding MembersFirst to its position as the global leader in interactive web site design, development and outsourced online communication management services to the leisure and hospitality industry. As both an entrepreneur and senior executive, John has a proven track record in developing and executing corporate transformation strategies that lead to breakthrough financial and operational performance.
Brian Bartlett - Director of Finance and Administration
As Director of Finance and Administration, Brian directs and manages all financial planning, analysis and management activities for the company, including all internal accounting, treasury/capital management, and tax planning and management functions. In addition to his skills and discipline in financial management, Brian oversees the human resource, legal, facilities and administrative policies and practices for the company. He has extensive experience in the software, technology, services and media industries, and the entrepreneurial spirit and drive necessary to keep pace with the company’s growth trajectory.
Pete Diffendal - Vice President of Marketing
Pete serves as the eyes and ears of MembersFirst in an industry-facing role. As Vice President of Marketing, he oversees and drives all marketing, vendor partnerships, industry relationships, member activation, customer retention, and brand development initiatives for the company. As a veteran of the marketing services industry, Pete is credited with creating and executing exciting custom and proprietary marketing programs and promotions for some of the nations leading consumer brands. His more than nineteen years of professional experience in consumer-driven businesses are highlighted by a balance mix of account service roles, marketing stewardship, sales, and business development assignments.
Glenn Gnabasik - Chief Technology Officer
Glenn is our "man behind the curtain" at MembersFirst. It is his teams software design and development that functions as the foundation for our core application. In his role as CTO, Glenn directs and manages the company's development and technical resource group. He has over twenty years of experience in the software and services industry serving in senior level positions overseeing business critical application development, technology integration, and information systems architecture and delivery. During his extensive career Glenn is credited with driving the technical direction, product development and implementation of Internet, Windows, and other Client Server-based applications for the Marriott Corporation, Mercedes Benz, and Liberty Mutual.
Daniel Levy - Director of Technical Services
As the Director of Technical Services, Dan oversees critical activities related to enabling and managing our internal IT infrastructure, directing and supporting customer-facing training, education and support resources, and spearheading new brand extension projects. Dan and his team of technical support analysts are the front line interface to our roster of hosted application service clients. In addition, Dan directs our burgeoning internet marketing business and all of its services related to the development, analysis and management of organic search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and performance-based search engine marketing (SEM) practices aimed at helping clients to maximize their ranking, visibility and prominence on the leading search engine services.
Lisa Sue Smedberg - Director of Creative Services & Account Management
As Director of Creative Services and Account Management, Lisa Sue leverages fifteen plus years of experience in providing strategic and operational direction, oversight and leadership to our design, production and account management teams. In this capacity she’s charged with developing and optimizing production processes that streamline project implementations, igniting and inspiring our on-site creative team to continually evolve our award-winning design services, developing best-practice based emarketing programs to meet client-directed member recruitment, engagement and retention objectives, and delivering the ROI clients have come to expect from their relationship with MembersFirst.
