Virtual Bolsters Marketing Resources with New Hires, Promotion of Industry Veterans

Association Management Company Adds Eight to Marketing and Communications team; Promotes Ruth Cassidy to Senior Vice President, Communications, and Bre McGahey to Marketing Director

WAKEFIELD, Mass., USA – Nov. 3, 2016 – Virtual, Inc., the leading technology-focused association management company, has significantly strengthened its marketing and communications group, adding eight new employees and promoting key individuals to positions of added responsibility.

Ruth Cassidy, with Virtual since 2006, now heads the group as Senior Vice President, Communications; previously she had served as Vice President, Communications. In this role, Cassidy oversees the planning and execution of strategic public relations and marketing communications programs for a range of Virtual clients. In addition to Cassidy, Bre McGahey has been promoted, from Senior Marketing Communications Manager to Marketing Director, for her dedication to client service excellence. She has been with Virtual since 2010.

“As we enter the next phase of growth for Virtual, the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of our newly promoted and hired marketing professionals will strengthen our ability to serve the diverse needs of our non-profit, technology association clientele,” said Virtual president and CEO Andy Freed. “We are delighted to have such an exceptional group of leaders to chart Virtual’s future and serve our ever-growing client base.”

New marketing and communications employees:

• Laura Bakopolus joins Virtual as a Marketing Communications Coordinator. She graduated summa cum laude from Merrimack College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. Her client focus includes the FIDO Alliance, NFC Forum, SAFECode and SGIP.
• Jillian Beba has been hired as a Marketing Communications Specialist to provide cross-client support. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Endicott College and a Master of Business Administration degree from Salem State University. Previously, she held positions at EBSCO Information Services, Texthelp Inc. and Target Direct
• Stacey Comito is Senior Director of Marketing Communications and leads the Virtual marketing team that supports the PCI Security Standards Council. She has deep experience in strategic marketing and communications and earlier served as a marketing consultant to the NFC Forum. She previously worked at Unitrends, Nuance Communications, AOL Mobile and Third Screen Media. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and marketing from the University of New Hampshire.
• Jessie Hennion is a new Public Relations Manager. Most recently, she operated her own consultancy, delivering strategic counsel and multi-faceted communications programs. Prior to that, she worked for a software-as-a-service start-up and Omnicom’s Porter Novelli, where she handled a number of high-profile technology accounts. Her work has received several Publicity Club awards. Hennion earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeastern University. Her Virtual clients include the Domain Name Association, NFC Forum and SAFECode.
• Madison Kevorkian has been hired as a Marketing Manager. Prior to Virtual, she was Account Director at 36creative, a web branding and design agency. She graduated magna cum laude from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing, with a focus on social media. She will work on a range of Virtual clients.
• Lauren Maggioli is a new Marketing Coordinator, focusing on the PCI Security Standards Council. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Endicott College. Since graduating, she has furthered her skills in marketing, multimedia communications and social media.
• Robert Olson has been hired as Senior Public Relations Manager. His professional background includes agency experience, marketing and PR consulting, and technology-focused corporate communications. Most recently, he was Director of Communications and External Relations at Clavis Insight. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and a Master of Science degree in public relations from Boston University. He handles a range of clients.
• Rachel Wilson has joined Virtual as a Marketing Communications Coordinator. Previously, she held positions at NYR Organic, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a concentration in marketing. Her clients include the Domain Name Association, HPDC, ICASI and Kantara Initiative.

“Virtual has assembled a talented team with broad expertise spanning all disciplines of marketing, communications and public relations,” said Cassidy. “I am excited to lead the organization in helping our clients gain greater awareness, build their membership ranks and fulfill their missions.”

About Virtual, Inc.

Founded in 1999, Virtual is the leading technology-focused association management company, combining advanced systems, industry best practices and innovation to give smaller and mid-sized associations world-class business operations. We work with technology industry trade associations, standard-setting organizations, industry alliances, professional societies, consortia, and forums, providing the full gamut of operational services from strategic counsel to back-office operations.

Virtual was named to The Boston Globe‘s “Top Places to Work” list, and the firm has been named three times to Inc. Magazine‘s list of 5000 fastest-growing private companies. Virtual is accredited by the AMC Institute, the sole accrediting body for association management companies.