Bill Troncone comes from a long line of artists: his mother is a graphic artist and his father is a founding partner and creative director of a New York City ad agency, Greengage Associates. Bill started out studying fine art in college and was a guitarist in a rock & roll band. After some soul searching and one too many nights playing “Stairway to Heaven,” he realized that figure drawing and guitar playing were tough ways to earn a living. It was then that Bill decided to direct his artistic talents toward a degree in Commercial Art. After graduation, Bill accepted an internship at his father's creative boutique, and that internship turned into a very smart career move. Not only did he work his way up from the bottom in the art department, he learned all there was to know about running a successful ad agency.

Bill had another influential mentor in his life, Sal DeVito, an award-winning creative director. Bill met Sal at the School of Visual Arts and learned that there is no such thing as a boring product, just boring advertising. That thinking, coupled with his father's strong sense of idea and design, became the tenets for every one of Bill’s creative assignments.

Bill eventually became Vice President Senior Art Director at Greengage Associates, where he was both writing as well as art directing campaigns for clients big and small. Surrounded by some of the best creative minds in the business, he began creating award-winning work for major clients like the United States Virgin Islands, Christian Dior and TWA. And, in addition to his in-house work at Greengage, Bill also worked on campaigns for Ogilvy & Mather and Roman & Tannenholz. Bill eventually left Manhattan and landed a position at Keys Martin Advertising in New Jersey where he became Vice President Creative Director. For seven years he created award-winning work for the agency's major clients, including Caesars Atlantic City, Weight Watchers and Federated Department Stores.

In 2000, Bill opened his own shop in New Jersey called The CBK Group. The agency's philosophy is simple and has never wavered: "Create smart advertising based on knowledge and not on Hollywood glitz." Since its founding, CBK has evolved into a 360-degree multi-disciplined approach agency, and today creates work for large and small clients in both traditional and online media channels.

Over the years Bill has been featured in various publications and has received numerous advertising awards such as The Effie Award, The London International Award, The Creativity Award, The Mobius International Award, The Telly Award, and The New Jersey Ad Club. For more information, see Bill's Linkedin profile .

There are people we meet who truly influence the life paths we choose. When Ron Rosen worked as a stock boy in an arts and crafts store, a fellow employee and art student introduced him to advertising at the School of Visual Arts. There he met a teacher, who became a mentor who introduced him to Roy Grace - his first great boss and the most award-winning art director in advertising history,.

Before long, Ron was also winning major advertising awards, like Clio's and One Show Pencils, and he himself became a recognized name in the industry. At the age of 27, Ron created a print and TV spot for Nikon Cameras that was voted one of the best 60 ads of the 1990's by the prestigious Advertising One Club.

More jobs and more awards followed Ron through the years. For five years Ron ran the creative department of a New York ad agency whose combined billings were $130 million. Under Ron’s guidance, and for the first time in that agency's 25-year history, clients won several Effie Awards, which directly linked sales growth to Ron’s creative campaigns. Throughout the years, Ron has successfully created campaigns in categories as diverse as packaged goods, automotive, financial, travel, technology, and food and beverage.

Although the industry has changed since Ron first entered the field, certain fundamentals have stayed the same for him: The goal of creating advertising is to always speak to the consumer in ways that touch the human nerve, no matter what the medium is, no matter what the message is. One other thing has not changed: Ron still loves art directing as much as he did when he was a student at the School of Visual Arts.

Tom is the backbone supporting The CBK Group. He is in charge of the Accounting and Production/Traffic Departments, and is responsible for all Human Resource issues at the agency.

Tom's primary focus is on all things financial, but he has spent over 10 years developing his advertising expertise. He has strong agency experience in accounting, production /traffic and media. His wide range of skills allows the entire CBK Group to work more efficiently and allows him to make accurate decisions concerning all aspects of the company.

Tom joined The CBK Group after working nine years at Keyes Martin Advertising, where he held positions as Accounting Manager, Client Accountant and Traffic Manager. A graduate of Penn State University, Tom holds a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and an Associates Degree in Biomedical Electronic & Electrical Engineering Technology.
  

As our industry has changed, so has Wendy Troncone. Perhaps this is the result of a personality trait that drives her to inquire, learn, and understand the things that pique her interest, like the ever changing technologies of Ecommerce web development, back-end programming and all aspects of online promotion.
 
Fortunately for us at CBK, Wendy's insatiable appetite for knowledge helps put us at the forefront among New Jersey advertising agencies. Her knowledge of the latest and most appropriate ways to best reach our clients’ target audiences, and her seasoned technology and marketing experience, combine to make Wendy an invaluable asset.

With over 15 years experience in the financial, medical and technology arenas, Wendy's background is a unique blend of advertising agency and corporate experience, and she brings both disciplines together when working with clients. Just prior to joining The CBK Group, Wendy was responsible for the overall marketing initiatives of a global medical simulation company. She worked with their worldwide offices on brand development, advertising, public relations, web development, search engine optimization and social media programs.

 Wendy has also held positions as a Director of Marketing and manager for the Ecommerce divisions for InsureHiTech and Atlantic Mutual Companies. She led the design and programming efforts for InsurePoint as well as many of its other Ecommerce web sites.

At CBK, Wendy is our Director of New Business and oversees all of our online and interactive initiatives. This is the perfect role for her as it offers our clients two distinct advantages: her account management skills are coupled with her passion for the ever-evolving world of Ecommerce web development, back-end programming and online promotion. Wendy’s experience is an undeniable asset when she advises our clients about the many online marketing options available to take their businesses to the next levels. See Wendy's full profile on Linkedin.

Cathy Anderson is a seasoned art director and brand designer with over 20 years in the creative field. Her background is a blend of print design and digital design, providing a unique and smart approach to brand development. She sees the big picture and the brand message in every project. And, she fully understands the important distinctions between designing for the web and designing for print.

Cathy has applied her design talents to everything from logos, catalogs and corporate collateral (including annual reports) to information product design, online marketing and websites. She also spent time teaching the next generation of designers at American University in Washington, D.C.

Cathy enjoys being in a creative field where every day brings a new challenge and an opportunity to learn, but she really loves helping businesses see their message come to life. And it shows in her work.

Chris Kochan is an SEO specialist, programmer and marketer who has seen it all. He hardcoded his first website in 1995 and founded two successful online health companies that remain still profitable. An avid reader, Chris spends hours a day researching and reviewing the latest marketing and SEO concepts that can be applied to our clients. He helped develop the first flash affiliate ID follow through for viral marketing applications along with various online marketing campaigns and concepts that are still in use today.

His experience includes SEO (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing), SER (search engine rankings), HTML, XML, Java, PHP, CSS, CTA (call to action) development, PPC, Mobile development and integration, project development, shopping cart development and implementation, and various CMS (content management systems). He has a degree in Computer Science and completed his Natural Health Care Professional Certification.

Robyn Green-Taylor is a seasoned media professional with extensive experience in integrated planning, buying and directing media activities. Robyn possesses unique capabilities in developing multimedia plans and value added programs for both major regional and national clients.  Image building as well as retail driven accounts have benefited from her media knowledge.

Robyn has participated on various media panels and she has authored, and been quoted in, articles on media related topics. Her professional history comprises media responsibilities on both the agency and corporate side of the advertising business.
  

Fiona Doherty has over 15 years of PR experience, working in both New York and London. Fiona was the Corporate Communications Manager at Virgin Atlantic Airways, where she managed all North American public relations in addition to sponsorships and corporate events.

Prior to Virgin Atlantic, she represented many hi-tech and Internet clients including IBM, Xerox, The Economist Group, Nationalgeographic.com, Lenovo, Cablevision, Priceline and EarthLink. Her areas of expertise include product launches, joint ventures, product review campaigns, thought leadership programs, tradeshows, and media events and tours.