Vito Bialla
Partner and Founder

Vito Bialla has spent over thirty five years in consulting and executive search working for domestic and international clients. With experience in consulting to companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to leaders in emerging industries, to established giants, Vito adds unique expertise to the firm. His large contact base and long-standing business relationships give the firm access, credibility and network resources within the business community.

Vito's focus is on Consumer Product Goods, Sports, Consumer Technology, Media & Entertainment. His functional expertise is on: CEOs, Officer-level, and outside Directors.

He is a member of the Olympic Club triathlon team, a member of The San Francisco Yacht Club, and also serves on several boards of private companies. When not engaged in executive search he spends his time doing extreme long distance athletic events and raising money for Wounded Warrior project and semperfifund.org.

John McCrea
Partner

John McCrea has been a senior marketing and business development executive with a unique balance of experience in both large corporate environments and small start-up companies, marketing everything from technology to tourism, beer to banking, packaged goods to retail.

In the 6 years prior to joining Bialla, John held Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, General Manager and Business Development positions with successful start-up companies like MarketTools, Egreetings and others, where he created, launched, marketed and/or managed multiple successful Internet applications including zTelligence, Zoomerang.com, Egreetings.com and ArtToday.com. Previously, John spent 16 years in the advertising agency business. He was a Senior Partner at J Walter Thompson in San Francisco where he ran the high technology group, and was a founder of Poppe Tyson's West Coast operation. Earlier in his career he worked at such notable agencies as Chiat/Day and Grey Advertising. During his agency career, John was responsible for such successful brands as Sun Microsystems, Dell Computer, Toshiba, Symantec, Samsung, ADT, Bank of America, Dos Equis Beer and others. John received his B.A. from Hamilton College with graduate work at the University of Southern California.

John's cross-industry experience has enabled him to successfully conduct searches in areas ranging from consumer goods to marketing services, but he concentrates on the technology sector with functional expertise in marketing, sales and business development.

In his spare time, John plays basketball in the "Over 40" League, rows for the Marin Rowing Association's master's program, coaches his kids in youth sports, backpacks enthusiastically, and plays his guitar when he can squeeze it in.

Carolyn Carpeneti
Partner

Carolyn Carpeneti started her career at PeopleSoft. Soon, after a successful career in high tech, Carolyn became a successful CEO of her own company. For ten plus years her business focused on high profile political fund-raising and public relations for prominent political officials, including Senator Barack Obama, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Governor Gray Davis, State Superintendent Jack O'Connell, Senator Barbara Boxer and Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr.

Carolyn's company also helped a variety of notable non-profits, such as the Glide Foundation, raise significant money and exposure. In addition to fundraising, Carolyn's company also produced a number of high-profile events such as the 2000 X Games and The San Francisco Summit for Women, an annual 5,000 person conference featuring speakers such as Oprah Winfrey. Carolyn has had a long list of clients. She has an extensive contact base, especially at the Board and CEO level. Her contacts, in addition to her successful hiring practices in attracting and retaining top talent in her own firm, made her a welcome addition to our firm.

Carolyn's diverse business experience has enabled her to successfully conduct searches in multiple industries. But her passion and focus has been in Consumer Package Goods, Retail, eCommerce and Consumer Services with functional expertise in marketing, sales, retail, merchandising and financial roles.

Chip Novick
Partner

Chip Novick has spent over five years in consulting and executive search working with a broad range of clients across the globe. He is a seasoned, creative exec who has helped companies of all sizes grow by attracting and retaining the people and ideas needed to rapidly build profitable business.

Chip is an experienced entrepreneur and seasoned executive who cut his teeth working with Procter & Gamble on new products and established brands at DMB&B - NY. He was a co-founder of Channel One where he worked with top clients to usher in a new era of targeted media well before the Internet made it common place in consumer marketing. Chip marketed software with Novell and spent more than 5 years at Sprint PCS as VP of consumer marketing. After leaving Sprint prior to the Nextel merger Chip worked as an international consultant in the wireless industry before becoming CEO of Zavers, an internet based shopper marketing start up he co-founded. Chip received his AB degree from Duke University and was the first 3/2 program graduate of Duke's Fuqua School of Business, where he received his MBA and has also served on the Board of Visitors.

His focus at Bialla is on Consumer Products, Sports and Entertainment, Software and Services, Mobile and Internet Technology, and Media companies searching for the right talent at the CEO and Officer-level, as well as outside Directors. His diverse background makes him a uniquely valuable resource for client companies whether they are established or emerging.

Richard Henley
Partner

Richard Henley has over 19 years of experience leading organizations in Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. He has a background in the Consumer Products, Travel, Sports, and Financial Services industries.

Most recently, Richard was founder of The Hawthorne Group, a financial services company that he built to $5 million in revenue. As Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Indy Car Racing League (CART, Inc.) he negotiated the largest attended sporting event in North America. At Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Richard was Head of Marketing and launched their "Get Out There" campaign which grew sales over $800 million in just two years. His career began at Gallo, Black and Decker and Polaroid where he rose through the ranks quickly in led sales and marketing functions. While at Black and Decker, Richard was involved in the sales launch of the DeWalt Power Tools brand. During his time at Polaroid, Richard launched the I-Zone camera which because the world's #1 selling camera.

Richard received his MBA from Boston University, and Bachelors degree in Advertising from the University of Oregon.

His focus at Bialla is in Consumer Products, Financial Services, Sports, and Hospitality.

Kris Snodgrass
Associate Partner

Kris Snodgrass comes to Bialla via Heidrick & Struggles and has over five years in the executive search business. In her earlier career Kris worked in New York in PR for luxury brands such as ESCADA and Ford Lincoln. Before breaking into the fashion industry, she spent seven years in hi-tech. Kris worked in sales for start-ups and large enterprise companies such as Netscape, RealNames, Sybase, and VeriSign.

Prior to returning to the Bay Area, Kris also worked in International Marketing for a private telecom company in Frankfurt, Germany.

Kris holds her BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder in International Affairs and speaks French and German.

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Comyns, Smith, McCleary & Co.
3470 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite A310
Lafayette, CA 94549
(510) 299-1040

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