MELANIE ANDERSEN, CEO
An innovator with an eye for key talent, Melanie has over thirteen years of global executive search experience. She has been working and living in New York for the past eight years and launched The Melanie Andersen Agency in 2009. Prior, Melanie spent four years as a VP of Marketing and Account Management at Janou Pakter, Inc., a New York-based search firm. Previously, Melanie had worked in Singapore for three years, placing advertising, media, and design professionals throughout Asia Pacific for Hudson Global Resources, an international search firm. She began her recruitment career in 2001 with Lipton Fleming in London, an independently owned search firm working as a Media Recruiter. Melanie started her professional life in Sydney, Australia as a Media Planner with the global media planning and buying agency, Initiative Media. Melanie is a graduate of The University of Technology in Sydney, Australia in 1996, where she received a BA in Social Science.
melanie@themelanieandersenagency.com
CHRISSY DESANCTIS, MARKETING DIRECTOR
Chrissy DeSanctis is TMAA’s Director of Marketing and Research. Chrissy began her career in the lifestyle, fashion and retail industries serving in a number of different roles. Chrissy transitioned into Executive Search in 2007 at Janou Pakter, Inc. where she worked as a research and new business assistant and where she became acquainted with Melanie.
After The Melanie Andersen Agency was launched, Melanie hired Chrissy in 2010 to support all research and marketing efforts for the agency. Currently, Chrissy manages the research team, directing all research activities pertaining to search assignments, and spanning all industry sectors for the agency. Additionally, Chrissy supervises new business development for the company.
chrissy@themelanieandersenagency.com
JODI SHAPIRO, SENIOR SEARCH CONSULTANT
Jodi Shapiro is a Senior Search Consultant at The Melanie Andersen Agency managing all searches for TMAA’s advertising, design, and digital agency clients. Jodi began her career in advertising where she built impressive credentials in account management both in-house and on the agency side. At Deutsch, a world renowned advertising agency, Jodi was a driving force behind several successful Tylenol campaigns. She also spent several years working in-house at Calvin Klein where she helped grow the company’s Home Business by launching the first furniture line for the brand. As Senior Search Consultant for TMAA, Jodi is responsible for the advertising, design, and digital sectors, managing searches in account management, project management, strategy, production, business development, search, social media, mobile, video, display, and more.
jodi@themelanieandersenagency.com
NADINE KNOBLAUCH, CONSULTANT
Nadine Knoblauch is a Search Consultant at The Melanie Andersen Agency where she manages a diverse array of searches in the PR, Events and Communications sector. A Minnesota native, Nadine moved to New York City to complete a major in Marketing and a minor in Fashion Publications at LIM College.
Nadine was hired in 2011 to head The Melanie Andersen Agency’s PR division. She recruits PR, digital, and social media roles for corporations and agencies in the fashion, retail, beauty, and consumer industries.
nadine@themelanieandersenagency.com
THEA RASKIN, SENIOR SEARCH CONSULTANT
Thea Raskin is a Senior Search Consultant at The Melanie Andersen Agency, managing all creative related searches for the company. Prior to her
executive search career, Thea spent seven years in account management with several international advertising agencies in New York including Saatchi & Saatchi, Gotham, and Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners. After moving to Los Angeles in 2009, Thea transitioned into Executive Search where she worked at Creative Circle, a national recruitment company. At Creative Circle, Thea was in charge of identifying new opportunities for advertising and marketing professionals in various roles across all verticals both for in-house positions and on the agency side. In light of her extensive experience in the advertising and design industries, coupled with her strategic business development acumen, Thea now heads up the Los Angeles office of The Melanie Andersen Agency.
thea@themelanieandersenagency.com
BLAIR DONAHUE, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Blair Donahue is an Executive Assistant at The Melanie Andersen Agency.Blair handles all administrative tasks for the executive team. In 2012, she graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a double major in Strategic Communications and Journalism. Blair keeps the team thoroughly organized by handling a range of responsibilities from scheduling, project management, research, organizing special events, and maintaining TMAA’s crossfunctional talent database. In this role, Blair has already proved to be a tremendous asset to the team.
blair@themelanieandersenagency.com
BOB HALPER, CFO
Bob Halper is CFO of The Melanie Andersen Agency. He has over twenty years of experience managing the financial and administrative operations for companies in the creative and marketing fields, including executive roles with various firms in the broadcasting, TV commercial production, brand management, Internet start-up, and executive search industries. Bob’s business acumen significantly helped to maximize revenues for those
companies while at the same time his application of tight cost controls contributed to increased profitability. Prior to joining The Melanie Andersen Agency, Bob spent seven years as CFO at Janou Pakter, Inc., an executive search firm, during which time he and Melanie had the opportunity to work together.
bob@themelanieandersenagency.com