The GMA Group Professional Team

Roy Benasaraf, President
Roy is a leader who blends technical experience with a deep understanding of finances. Over the course of his career, he has supervised the day-to-day financial operations of organizations and businesses in manufacturing and the arts.

Roy has managed budgets, directed departmental and full-company audits, coordinated the computerization of business and development functions, negotiated and prepared contracts, served as union liaison and prepared and negotiated bids for companies and organizations such as LCM, Inc., a manufacturing firm, the Allentown Symphony Hall, the Pennsylvania Stage Company and Mayfair, a multi-discipline arts festival.

Roy studied technical theatre, voice and music at State University College in New York and completed his degree program in arts administration at SUNY, Empire State College. His broad technical background includes emphasis in production, lighting and sound design combined with extensive work in financial and administrative management, marketing and public relations.

Bruce Balkin, Senior Consultant, Print and Direct Marketing Operations
Bruce has been an accomplished advertising executive for more than 20 years with extensive industry knowledge in marketing communications and operational management. His background includes senior management positions at advertising agencies such as Lowe Worldwide; Scali, McCabe, Sloves; and Lord, Geller, Federico, Einstein. At Lowe, Bruce was executive vice president and director of creative services and was responsible for a creative services department that included more than 80 employees in print production, traffic, art studio, art buying, proofreading, print business affairs and forwarding.

Bruce is recognized as a new technology pioneer in the advertising industry for embracing computer and electronic technologies for competitive advantage in the early 1980s. He was one of the first in the industry to implement Apple computers and automated workflow procedures for daily agency processes. He works closely with the group IdeaAlliance and continues to advance advertising print production technology. He also serves on the SPACE/XML technology and industry standards committee. Bruce, considered an industry expert, is called on for commentary on diverse marketing issues.

Bruce studied at the School of Visual Arts, New York, and is a U.S. military veteran. He is a member of numerous industry organization including The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's), Advertising Production Club of New York, DDAP, SWOP and SNAP Committee and the Type Directors Club of New York. He's also active with the Art Directors Club of New York where he has judged annual creative competitions.

Jacquie Turner, Senior Consultant, Media/Advertising Production and Celebrity and Contract Negotiations
Jacquie has honed her skills in a variety of key business operations and production positions in the corporate, advertising and entertainment worlds. Her hands-on knowledge of every facet of the production experience has enabled her to oversee budgets, negotiate production, postproduction and celebrity and overscale contracts internationally for a leading consumer goods corporation, and to head up the business affairs department for one country's oldest advertising agencies.

Jacquie rose quickly through the ranks of marketing and promotion departments in entertainment corporations like Paramount Pictures and The Children's Television Workshop (Sesame Street and The Electric Company), then turned her energies to learning the production and postproduction side of the business. From managing client services at a division of Reeves Video to line producing commercials at EUE/Screen Gems, she became adept at overseeing multiple projects and budgets as well as anticipating the needs of numerous clients.

Recruited in l981 by Coca-Cola USA, Jacquie relocated to Atlanta to join the very busy advertising production department of one of America's largest advertisers. Taking what she learned on the production company side and applying it to the client side, Jacquie was able to consistently cut costs on the 1000-plus commercials, radio and print projects it produced annually. She integrated the needs of the marketing, brand management, and financial departments in her meeting and negotiations with their advertising agencies, production companies, numerous outside suppliers and talent agencies.

As director, advertising production, Jacquie oversaw a staff of more than 50, and a $75 million annual creative and production budget; she also oversaw the corporate partnership and public service programs. In the 1990s, Jacquie went out on her own, working in television production, live theatre and developing projects for numerous corporate and joined J. Walter Thompson, NY as a partner, director of broadcast business management overseeing all production, celebrity and overscale negations. She has been featured in various publications such as ADWEEK and BOARDS as an outstanding advertising professional.

Raymond Dewar, Jr., Audit Supervisor
Raymond has more than 20 years experience in accounting, purchasing and printing. He has worked as a tax and cost accountant, head of purchasing and developed and implemented accounting systems for a number of clients. As print maintenance supervisor and manager at Deluxe Corp., Raymond was instrumental in the development of new presses specifically designed for the company's needs and for developing and testing new water-based, environmentally friendly inks. He has also operated and maintained sheet-fed and web-fed multi-color presses and has experience in engraving and plate making for highly detailed "security" items.

Raymond has a BS in Accounting and Business from William Paterson University and degree in business operations from the Allentown Business School.

Edwin Kantor, Retained Consultant
Ed is owner and president of Broadcast Business Consultants, which specializes in all areas of broadcast business affairs, including talent payment, trafficking, continuity acceptance and celebrity talent negotiations. B.B.C works with a number of agencies and corporate clients including Shaller Rubin, Smith Garland, BBDO, Y&R, National Liberty Corp., Polaroid. Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tri-Star Productions, AT&T and Major League Baseball.

Ed served as TV/Radio business manager at Kenyon and Eckhardt in New York and Ketchum MacLeod & Grove in Pittsburgh. His professional memberships include the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences, American Film Institute, the Advertising Club of New York and the Friars Club. He maintains close contact with the ANA/AAAA's negotiating teams and the performing talent, music and craft unions. His many contacts at these unions enable him to have an insider's view of talent and unions.

He earned a BFA from Columbia University, specializing in advertising and drama.

James N. Lazos, Retained Consultant
Jim is the principal of Lazos & Associates, a marketing consultancy that provides financial clients with data warehouse and marketing program solutions. He was director of business development for Fair, Isaac & company and vice president, manager of card marketing for Crestar Bank in Richmond, Va. Jim also developed card and credit marketing programs for Citibank, American Express and financial institutions.

Jim has adopted new technology solutions for database marketing and predictive technology solutions for integrated risk and marketing decision management. He was a pilot for the Fair Isaac credit bureau score and the TRIAD account management system and played a key role in developing the first credit bureau derived prospect universe database for revolving credit acquisition. His extensive industry knowledge has resulted in a fine-tuned approach to card and credit marketing through the careful integration of acquisition, customer marketing, risk and financial management.

Jim earned a BA in Economics and an MA in financial Economics from Fordham and an MBA from Syracuse. He teaches various business classes at the Graduate School of Business and Management, University of Phoenix.