Paul Kontonis

Current

• Chief Executive Officer at For Your Imagination

Past

• General Manager, Educational Marketing and Corporate Sales at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
• Chief Marketing Officer at btldesign
• Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SenseNet

• Director of New Business Development and Founder at Silver Shock
• Marketing Manager at Eli Lilly & Co
• Director at Marble Columns Management

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3 more...

Education

• New York University
• Stuyvesant High School
• PS 107

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Recommended

7 people have recommended Paul

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Online Media

Websites

• My Company

Paul Kontonis’s Summary

Paul is the Chief Executive and a co-founder of For Your Imagination and is a seasoned marketing executive and general manager with 15+ years of experience in building interactive marketing agencies and online media companies, as well as, traditional marketing and sales roles at education and pharmaceutical companies. Paul has a track record of success achieving revenue, profit and business growth objectives within start-ups, established companies and overall dynamic environments and new markets. Paul was the General Manager of Educational Marketing and Corporate Sales for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, the leading test preparation provider. Prior to joining Kaplan, Paul was the Chief Marketing Officer of btldesign, a 25-year-old marketing communications agency, specializing in business-to-business marketing communications for Fortune 100 global brands like MasterCard, Samsung, Pfizer, Major League Baseball and the FIFA World Cup. Paul's interactive experience began as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SenseNet, a Web application development agency, and as the Director of Business Development for Silver Shock, a boutique interactive agency. He appears in a number of publications, digital media books including the Documentary Filmmakers Handbook, and is a speaker at several industry conferences and seminars annually. Paul is a founding member of The International Academy of Web Television.

Paul Kontonis’s Specialties:

Internet TV, web series, webisodes, viral video, branding, media, product positioning, campaign development and management, media management, business development, film producer and director, digital media production, digital media development, interactive video marketing, podcast, netcast

Paul Kontonis’s Experience

• Chief Executive Officer

  For Your Imagination

  (Partnership; 1-10 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  January 2007 — Present (2 years 7 months)

  For Your Imagination develops and markets high-quality original Internet TV and web video series, turning concept into reality for brands and content creators. The company works with creative individuals to develop their show, offering them the opportunity to reach a targeted advertiser-friendly audience effectively and monetizing quickly.
  
  For Your Imagination’s talented team writes, produces and markets entertaining videos for online distribution and monetization through advertising, sponsorships, merchandising and licensing. New York City based For Your Imagination is built upon the experience of industry veterans whose combined expertise include web development, major television and movie production, national marketing campaigns and technology.

• General Manager, Educational Marketing and Corporate Sales

  Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions

  (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Education Management industry)

  September 2003 — February 2007 (3 years 6 months)

  □ Developed and managed the marketing strategy and processes for the graduate test preparation educational products and services nationally
  □ Managed regional sales and marketing managers including localized program specialists
  □ Planned and managed local and national traditional and interactive media strategy
  □ Launched and managed new product website components and features
  □ Developed and managed strong relationships on individual campuses with local students, faculty, administration and alumni through event marketing and sponsorships, creating barriers to entries for competitors
  □ Initially focused on standardizing the brand message and implementing controls to allow for individual campus personalization, while maintaining a consistent message for the brand
  □ Hired and managed a Corporate Sales Team of four focused on non-traditional marketing efforts to local banks, corporations and investment companies

• Chief Marketing Officer

  btldesign

  (Marketing and Advertising industry)

  December 1999 — August 2002 (2 years 9 months)

  - Was recruited by a partner in this boutique marketing firm to head up the marketing department; developed traditional and interactive marketing and brand strategy and tactics for Global 500 agency clients including AT&T, Avaya, Kaplan Inc., Lucent, MasterCard, FIFA World Cup, Major League Baseball, Pfizer and Samsung
  - Managed traditional and interactive marketing and brand strategy for agency services
  - Developed new business relationships with five new clients representing a 20% increase in agency business
  - Rebranded Bessen Tully & Lee as btldesign, a full service marketing communications agency with over 30 years experience, from a traditional design company

• Vice President of Sales and Marketing

  SenseNet

  (Internet industry)

  November 1998 — December 1999 (1 year 2 months)

  -Developed traditional and interactive marketing and brand strategy and tactics for firm and clients including Pfizer, Sun Microsystems and Warner Brothers
  - Launched two new enterprise online products through direct and channels sales
  - Hired, trained and managed a direct sales force of up to 15 sales executives and created sales messaging and scripting
  - Managed sales and marketing revenue and expense budgets
  - Provided product development feedback to research and development team

• Director of New Business Development and Founder

  Silver Shock

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Internet industry)

  August 1997 — November 1998 (1 year 4 months)

  □ Managed the interactive and web development new business sales and account management for this start up company
  □ Developed new business relationships and launched new content development and management services
  □ Developed strategic alliances with technology providers to complement core business services

• Marketing Manager

  Eli Lilly & Co

  (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Pharmaceuticals industry)

  August 1993 — September 1997 (4 years 2 months)

  □ Promoted products through the use of sales aids and presentations, samples, and special projects
  □ Targeted customers efficiently by focusing on the top 20% of clientele base while using proper message and effective frequency

• Director

  Marble Columns Management

  (Online Media industry)

  1992 — 1993 (1 year)

Paul Kontonis’s Education

• New York University

  BA , Economics, Psychology , 1989 — 1993

  Activities and Societies:

  NYU College of Arts and Science Student Council President, Resident Assistant, Public Relations Student Society of America, Dean's Leadership Circle Scholar

• Stuyvesant High School

  HS , 1986 — 1989

• PS 107

  1977 — 1983

Additional Information

Paul Kontonis’s Websites:

• My Company

Paul Kontonis’s Interests:

marketing, positioning, branding, advertising, interactive marketing, digital media, podcasting, online video, tennis, music

Paul Kontonis’s Honors:

2009 Founding Member of The International Academy of Web Television
2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Digital Hollywood, Video Aggregators - Next Gen Broadband, UGM and Mobile Entertainment, Social Networking and Personal Communication, Panelist
2007-2008 BigScreen LittleScreen New York City Meetup Co-Founder and Co-Host
2007 The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Speaker
2007 Digital Hollywood, Video Aggregators - Next Gen Broadband, UGM and Mobile Entertainment, Social Networking and Personal Communication, Panelist
2007 PodCamp Boston 2, Monetizing your Web Series and Podcast, Speaker
2007 PodCamp Philly, Business Podcasting: Building Community and Boosting Profits Panel, Panelist
2006 National Association of Colleges and Employers, Panelist
2005 Film/Video Arts, Non-Profit Executive Director

Paul Kontonis’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch