Who We Are

Steven Wett, Lead UX Engineer, joined ProMedia in 2023 to help our internal development team build software that is more intuitive and easier to use. He has incorporated Design Thinking into the development workflow to modernize our in-house platform with a human-centered approach to improve team efficiency and user satisfaction.

Before joining ProMedia, he worked as a Sr. Product Designer at an advertising and design agency, where he built custom software projects for clients. During this time, he built a customer self-quoting app for a manufacturing company with over 2,500 monthly active users and designed and developed a website for a billion-dollar equipment dealer. He also worked on projects across many other industries including higher education, non-profits, and technology startups.

Steven holds a master’s degree in UX Design from Maryland Institute College of Art, as well as a BA in Chemistry from St. Olaf College.

Steven resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and dog. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, honing his photography skills, spending time with friends, and hiking.

Kristy Rodriguez, Senior Media Planner, graduated from Miami Dade College. She was born and raised in Miami, FL. Multiple years of experience in office administration and supporting management have given her the communication and management skills to help her excel in her roles. Working in the tech industry in Miami has given her the expansive knowledge and lengthy experience to work in a fast-paced environment.

-During her free time she enjoys reading, binge watching TV series, cooking Cuban and Spanish cuisines, taking her two pitbulls; Baby & Toby to the beach, spending time in her succulent garden, and fishing – not just fishing but enjoying the peace and quiet of being at sea.

Quenton Thompson is a Brooklyn native that graduated from School of Visual Arts with a BA in Tradition Animation and minor in Graphic Design. He spent some time working as Operations Agent at GeekSquad building up tech knowledge and customer service skills. He later worked in Digital Media Operations at Dentsu Aegis – Carat developing his operations and advertising skills in digital media. Then started a family, moved to Miami and cultivated all these skills here at ProMedia as their Traffic Operations Manager.

• In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing videogames, watching anime and horror movie
• He is a talented artist (Fine Arts or Digital) and enjoys attending museums and art functions.
• He loves Caribbean music and Hip Hop.
• He is a Packers and Giants fan, in that order.

Josefina Pensirikul, Director of Client Services, graduated from Florida International University with a BS in Mass Communications. While enrolled at FIU, she worked full-time as the store manager of DASH Miami where she sharpened her customer service, sales and management skills. Josefina also interned at CBS and gained valuable knowledge which provided the groundwork to succeed in the television advertising world. After graduating FIU she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she was an Executive Producer for “En La Mira” a Spanish-language TV show. She comes to ProMedia with over 10 years of retail managing, buying and planning experience in the fashion industry and is fluent in English and Spanish.

• As former competitive swimmer, she enjoys staying active. Her favorite workouts include barre classes and hot pilates.
• Josefina loves travelling, cooking and drinking IPA’s or red wine (her favorite wines come from Argentina, where she was born).

Emily Hernandez, Media Specialist, joined the ProMedia team in 2020 after previously working in television production at Univision as a Digital Control Room Operator.

She previously graduated from Florida International University with a BS in Mass Communications. As an undergraduate student she spent a semester overseas studying international marketing and business relations.

In her spare time, Emily enjoys taking her dog, Luna, to the park. She also enjoys listening to true crime podcasts and playing old-school board games with friends and family. Her favorite cuisine is Asian and she is always on the hunt for a new spot to check out! She is a huge Backstreet Boys fan and is dreaming of seeing them in concert one day.

Lizzie Horton Peress joined ProMedia in 2018 as the Director of Public Relations after spending a decade in the news business. Her experience on and off camera and her background dealing with the public has given her invaluable experience that helps ProMedia shine. Lizzie has led ProMedia through a branding redesign and is responsible for the creative “characterization” of “Telly.” She also handles all marketing, PR, and branding responsibilities at ProMedia. Her marketing efforts have paid off. Under her guidance, ProMedia gained national attention, winning a spot on the Inc 5000 list twice as well as being named the 10th Fastest Growing Small Business in America by Entrepreneur Magazine. The company has also won a Fast 50 award from the South Florida Business Journal as well as winning other local awards. Perhaps Lizzie’s favorite part of her job is planning and executing ProMedia’s fabulous parties and arranging holiday gift ordering and distribution.

Prior to working at ProMedia, Lizzie worked as a broadcast television meteorologist and reporter in Charlotte, Raleigh, Orlando and Miami. She continues to freelance for stations in South Florida now. Lizzie is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, and holds the NWA Seal, which is an esteemed honor held by some of the best broadcast meteorologists in the TV industry. She has appeared nationally on CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News, SPEED TV, and FOX Sports.

She holds degrees from Mississippi State University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Carolina School of Broadcasting, which she paid for in part by her scholarship winnings at the Miss America Program.

In 2006, Lizzie was crowned Miss North Carolina and went on to compete of the title of Miss America in 2007. During her year of influence, she was an advocate for the Children’s Miracle Network and for autism awareness. She continues to volunteer today with the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Master Chorale of South Florida, The First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Happyland Day School and Pine Crest School.

Lizzie’s greatest accomplishment continues to be serving as “wife” to ProMedia’s President/CEO, Jonathan Peress, and “mom” to her three children; Lola, Charlie and Magnolia and their Boston Terrier, Ziggie.

Before joining ProMedia in 2016, Anthony served as a Video Editor on the Atlanta Falcons broadcast team for two seasons. During his time working with the Atlanta Falcons, Anthony played a key role in constructing the team’s narrative by editing Highlight and Sizzle Reel packages for both Broadcast and Web distribution. While working with the NFL, Anthony completed two internships with Turner Broadcasting. In his role at Turner, Anthony was tasked with creating vast amounts of video content on a weekly basis to feed the users of the popular app “Cartoon Network Anything.” The content Anthony made for Cartoon Network has been viewed over 500 million times. Anthony graduated from The Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015 with a B.A. in Television Production.

• In his free time he enjoys going to the movies, playing videogames (namely Rocket League) and longboarding.
• His favorite sport is hockey and he is a die-hard Florida Panthers fan.

Olivia is a Florida State University alum with a Bachelor of Science in Information Communication and Technology. After graduating, she started work as a digital marketing coordinator, where she further developed her skills in communication, problem-solving, and attention to detail.

After moving to South Florida from her hometown of Clearwater, Florida, she started her role as a media coordinator at ProMedia. Olivia is a team player, she is passionate about personal development, and is always already ready for the next challenge!

In her free time, Olivia enjoys spending time in the beautiful Florida sunshine. You can find her on her paddle board, snorkeling at the reefs, or relaxing on the beach. With a love for live music, she can often be spotted at concerts dancing the night away. Above all, she cherishes quality time spent with friends and family.

Chris Bishouty, Chief Operating Officer, joined ProMedia in 2014 to help our clients maximize the performance of their campaigns, and to assist in molding and guiding the direction of the agency into a suite of full-service capabilities. He is the driving force behind proprietary in-house SaaS development that not only helps increase agency efficiency and performance, but also differentiates ProMedia within the industry as an innovator and thought leader in technology.

Chris has been working in many facets within Direct Response for 15 years and heads up the development and build out of lead generation and brand-based verticals for ProMedia. Formerly an owner of Blue Flame Studios, AGM Video, and other companies in the media space, Chris has made a career out of innovating through technology and helping to build cornerstone brands through award winning creative work on an agency level. He has had a hand in delivering millions of leads for clients in just about every vertical imaginable and credits his knack for strategic development to a career as a serial entrepreneur.

Chris holds a BBA in Marketing, an MBA with specializations in Marketing and Management Information Systems, as well as a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems from the University of Miami located in Coral Gables, FL.

When he’s not running between projects Chris is an avid fan of the Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins, enjoys playing golf, playing the guitar, giving Jonathan a hard time about the Jets, as well as cooking in the kitchen or on the grill; however, what he loves most is being a father to his two girls, Niva and Leila.

Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Corie Lehner graduated from Ohio University in 2017 with a BBA in Marketing and a minor in Communication Studies. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Fort Myers and worked in Sales for six years.

In her spare time Corie enjoys staying active with yoga, running and barre. She also loves reading, going to the beach, and laying by the pool with her rescue dog Penelope. In addition to Penelope, she also has a cat named Stella. She is a big Cleveland Browns fan and her family has season tickets.

Sharon Lior, Chairwoman and Founder, has an unparalleled depth of experience within the cost per acquisition television arena. She began her career in the 1980’s with The David Geller Group. Sharon moved from her original position there to become Media Director of MSG Advertising – a division of David Geller that specialized in cost per acquisition television. In the early 1990’s, Sharon joined Shain, Colavito, Pensabene (aka SCP) where she launched the firm’s Per Inquiry division. Later, SCP was purchased by Omnicom and merged with Rapp Collins, eventually becoming OMD Direct. Sharon served as Vice President of OMD’s PI department for several years before leaving to continue her career at REVShare. During her tenure at REVShare, Sharon built the agency’s national television capabilities via her deep, proprietary relationships with the gate-keepers of remnant inventory. The cultivation of these relationships resulted in a 70% increase of REVShare’s annual media billings. Sharon’s experience covers all categories of products and services in both English and Spanish languages.

Aaron McPhee, Director of Development, joined the ProMedia team in 2019. After studying Math and Comp Sci at George Mason University, he helped create several successful Android apps in different fields such as data collection, construction, and magazine readers. At ProMedia, he oversees partner integrations, client reporting, and web tracking technologies.

Outside of work, Aaron enjoys any board game under the sun, and played Scrabble in national tournaments while in high school.

Alyssa Bishouty graduated with honors from the University of Miami in 2013 with a BS in Biology and Psychology with minors in Chemistry and English. While enrolled as a full-time student, Alyssa was also able to work full-time as a team leader and supervisor at several local restaurants. This gave Alyssa a great foundation in customer service and management and showed her significant potential in the fast-paced world of advertising. She then decided to pursue a career with ProMedia in order to effectively make use of her strong analytical intellect while also being able to build up her sales and communication skills.

• Alyssa is fluent in English and Tagalog, and has a mastery of numbers and computers.
• She is passionate about dogs and enjoys reading, writing, cooking and tasting craft beers in her leisure time.
• Her favorite outdoor activities include hiking and kayaking.

Samantha Fox, Senior Vice President of Media, graduated from the University of Miami with a BBA in Marketing and a minor in Advertising. Multiple years of experience at Precipart Group under the HR and accounting departments have greatly assisted her communication skills and given her the fundamentals necessary in the advertising world. Additionally, she has had 6 years of customer service experience in both retail and sales, and comes to us with an extensive international business background through a study abroad program.

• A former UM cheerleader.
• Sam is an avid traveler and is particularly in love with the Mediterranean – mainly Turkey.
• Her favorite sport is football and she loves the Giants.

Bryan Russmann assumes the position of Creative Director for the ProMedia team with a career built entirely in the media, communication, and advertising industries. He began his career nearly 30 years ago as Editor in an Austin Texas Post Production facility. Bryan spent 12 years editing and producing broadcast television commercials, movies and videos, developing and honing core skills of message delivery and storytelling. Bryan moved directly into advertising, assuming the position of Creative Director and General Manager of the JB Herrmann Advertising Agency from 2009-2012. In 2014, Bryan became the Executive Producer for ProMedia. Bryan holds a BS degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado Boulder. Career achievements include award winning work in broadcast television, movies, and advertising. Bryan’s experience, vast skill set, and dedication to the highest levels of artistry and craftsmanship allow him the opportunity to focus on all areas of marketing and communications to the optimum delivery of our client’s message.

• Like his fictional counterparts, Bryan enjoys a good single malt.
• He is absolutely in love with the midcentury era of design and tries to bring that passion to every project he works on.
• Bryan is also an avid student of Yoga, a big fan of the punk rock band Green Day, and is very proud of the fact that he hasn’t had a carb in 10 years.

Lisa Friedman, Human Resources Supervisor, supports the team with human resource planning, recruitment, development of HR policies, compliance, employee engagement and office operations. She is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and holds the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP®) certification. In addition, she has earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources® (SPHR®) and is a Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS).

Her favorite part of the role is upholding ProMedia’s unique company culture. She is constantly impressed by the energy, expertise and drive the team has to not only to achieve best results for their clients, but to constantly improve and grow as professionals. Lisa considers one of the agency’s distinguishing hallmarks is their ethos to put people and relationships first.

Lisa began her career as an Editorial Assistant at Condé Nast Publications which led to various marketing and corporate communications positions in the publishing, media, and wine/spirits industries.

She holds a BA in English from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where her love of the Los Angeles Lakers (and avocados) was born.

Will Sabol, Vice President of Development, joined ProMedia in 2016. He directly oversees the design and development of ProMedia’s proprietary web application. His are the keystrokes behind many key features of the platform.

Before joining ProMedia, Will was a Project Engineer in the oil and gas industry after receiving his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M. While at A&M, he minored in Math and Business and studied jazz and studio drumming. His non-specialized experience affords us unique insight into data analytics, statistical modeling, and systems thinking.

Will lives in Central Texas with his wonderful wife and their three beautiful daughters. When he is not working, he’s either making music or being a total goof with his kids.

Jacob Windlinger graduated from the University of Miami in 2015 with a BBA in Marketing and a minor in the Music & Entertainment Industry. Through his past experience as a Resident Advisor at the University, Jacob enhanced his leadership and customer service abilities by serving as a resource to incoming freshmen residents. Jacob also has an extensive background in the Music & Entertainment industry through working a variety of positions for a radio station, talent agency, as well as The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences – the organization that hosts the GRAMMY Awards each year.

• Jacob is an avid stand-up comedy fan and enjoys going to local shows & music festivals in the Miami area (electronic music, hip-hop, indie).
• He is also a total gym rat and enjoys bike riding throughout the city.

Ana Maria is Romanian-born and grew up in Moldova. She studied drama in high school and journalism at the University of Moldova. Although she loved her country and her school, she felt that it was time to spread her wings and expand her horizons. Ana Maria packed her bags and moved in the United States in 2010 at the age of 19. Here she earned her A.A. in Journalism at Miami Dade College and B.S. in Public Relations at Florida International University, graduating with honors. Ana Maria is a valuable asset to the Pro Media family.

When she’s not working, Ana Maria loves traveling and learning about different cultures. When she was little, she wanted the world to know her, but now, she wants to know the world. She’s marked Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Thailand and Costa Rica off her list of places to visit. Not only is she an avid traveler, but she also loves animals. She stands up against animal cruelty and believes animals have rights; therefore, she abstains from eating meat. Ana Maria is also a certified Yoga and Spinning Instructor. When she’s not burning the midnight oil at Pro Media, she is teaching classes at a local gym.

Lucecita joined ProMedia in 2020 and brings extensive experience in advertising, media, broadcast and ad-tech to the agency. She has over a decade of traffic management and supervisory experience at past roles with ION Media Networks, Entravision Communications and Zimmerman Advertising. She attended Florida Metropolitan University in Orlando, FL.

In her spare time, Lucecita enjoys travel, spending time with family and friends and will never turn down a good glass of wine.

Danielle Klein, AP/AR Supervisor, graduated from the University of Miami in 2015 with a BSBA in Sports Administration and a double minor in Marketing and Education. Having interned for the University’s athletic department in data analysis (for the Miami Dolphins) and customer relations (for UM and the New York Islanders), she has expansive knowledge and lengthy experience working in a fast-paced environment. She is a huge New York Mets and Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Her hobbies include shopping and watching reality television (mainly Survivor and all the Real Housewives). She loves all animals – particularly fond of pigs.

Jonathan Peress, President and Chief Executive Officer of ProMedia, is a rising star in the Direct Marketing Industry. Under his leadership, ProMedia’s annual revenue has grown by more than 120% each year, earning the agency top accolades and awards on the local and national stage. Peress was recently named one of South Florida’s Top 40 under 40 by the South Florida Business Journal. In 2019 ProMedia was named to the SFBJ’s Fast 50 list, highlighting the fastest growing businesses in South Florida. In 2018, ProMedia was named the 10th Fastest Growing Small Business in America by Entrepreneur Magazine and was named one of the fastest growing private companies in South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal. The steady growth of the agency also allowed the agency to make the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing businesses for three consecutive years.

Jonathan and his team have been recognized as true leaders in the lead generation space, producing some of the industry’s top brands in various Insurance, Mass-Tort and Healthcare related verticals. Jonathan’s experience in the direct marketing world has also taught him the importance of hiring ambitious, detail-oriented, and creative individuals. Under Jonathan’s leadership, ProMedia’s staff has blossomed to more than six times its size in 2013. Current staff have called ProMedia’s office culture “The Google of Advertising.” Building a company culture of respect, integrity and loyalty is paramount to Jonathan. This extends into his client relationships as well. He credits his long-term relationships with industry colleagues for his success.

Perhaps his most important relationship is the one with his Aunt and partner, Sharon Lior, who founded ProMedia in 2010. Before joining forces with Sharon, Jonathan was a member of Viacom’s industry leading DRTV sales team working closely on Comedy Central, Spike TV, LOGO and Vh1.

Jonathan holds two degrees from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and attended California State University, Long Beach as a teaching assistant before jumping into the advertising industry.

One of Jonathan’s most cherished roles is that of husband to his wife, Lizzie, and father to his three children; Lola, Charlie and Magnolia, and to his Boston Terrier, Ziggie.

Sophie holds a BA in Communication Studios with a minor in Psychology from Texas Christian University.
Her strong analytical and problem-solving skills together with her personable nature and strengths in relationship-building enable her to provide collaborative and hands-on service to our accounts team.
Originally from California, she enjoys staying active and anything outdoors. Fun fact: She has an identical twin sister!

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Kristin Mayans graduated from Florida International University in 2009. In July 2013, Kristin returned to Los Angeles where she began working in TV Media Sales for both MundoFox and MundoMax. In October 2015, Kristin went on to work for the Univision Los Aneles National Sales Team until deciding to move back to Miami and begin her position at ProMedia.

In her free time, Kristin enjoys working out, beach days, Sunday brunch (unlimited mimosas, duhh!), spending time with friends and family, and can most likely always be found with her French Bulldog, Chloe.

Sarah Personelli, originally from long Island New York, graduated from Nova Southeastern University with her B.S. in Marketing with a concentration in Professional Sales and a double minor in Leadership and Management in 2017. She graduated on a Friday and joined our team the following Monday. While in school, Sarah participated in multi internship programs both in South Florida as well as New York City that prepared her to enter the a fast paced work force. Before that, Sarah worked at an Arcade for 6 years and can fix any game machine, including PacMan.

In her spare time, Sarah loves:

• Orange Theory Fitness
• Attending concerts especially anything Country or Taylor Swift
• Relaxing at the beach
• Dreaming about owning a Golden doodle