Our People
The Zephyr Media Group is led by a team of seasoned industry veterans who have a wide range of media and production expertise. Our key staffers have worked not only in the direct response and infomercial business, but also in the conventional media and television industry. We understand the overall advertising marketplace from a variety of perspectives: advertising sales, media buying and media buying management, commercial production, and from the advertiser itself. When you work with Zephyr, you work with people who understand your objectives.
Dan Zifkin: President & Chief Executive Officer [email]
Dan Zifkin has an extensive career in the media and advertising business, and is considered one of the foremost experts on all aspects of the media buying and selling process. Prior to founding Zephyr Media, Dan held senior positions at many leading media entities, including senior management responsibilities at Showtime Entertainment, Blair Television, The Entertainment Channel (now known as the A&E Network), Universal/MCA -TV, the Financial News Network (now CNBC), WGN-TV, and Western International Media. Dan enjoys a first-name basis relationship with all the senior sales executives at the leading cable networks and many of the top broadcast stations in the leading markets. His rich depth and breadth of experience on the sales side gives Zephyr an important edge in its media buying dealings with the cable and broadcast industries.
Dan created and built the company based on his knowledge and appreciation of how a media buying operation needs to service its clients in today’s complex television environment. He is a key infomercial industry expert, and was instrumental in the addition of Sharper Image, Liquid Metal Golf, DeLonghi and other important clients to the Zephyr roster.
Heather Durst : Vice President [email]
Heather Durst began her career at Nostalgia Television in the early 1990s and rose to Director of Paid Programming & Direct Response. During her tenure she doubled Nostalgia Network's revenue and greatly increased its roster of clients.
Heather joined Zephyr Media in its early days and helped expand the company as an Infomercial and Direct Response Agency, and to spearhead the development of its New York operation. She has been involved in making Zephyr Media the exclusive representative of the Classic Sports Network and Burley Bear Network among others for direct response sales. In addition, she has been instrumental in obtaining the exclusive representation rights for all Direct Response and Infomercial placement activity on a number of television station and cable networks. Her reputation in the station industry as a hard working, revenue and result-producing representative is widely acknowledged.
Roger C. Delaney : Vice President/Media Director [email]
Roger C. Delaney brings a wealth of varied experience to his position as VP/Media Director of Zephyr Media. With over 15 years experience in the media industry, Roger has worked extensively in direct response short and long form as well as in the general advertising field. Roger worked for two years as the head of long form buying for NordicTrack, where he was also involved with short form television and radio buying. He has also purchased infomercial time for industry giants such as Ronco, Guthy-Renker, and Monster.com. As a senior short form television and radio buyer at the Haworth Group in Minneapolis, Roger worked with such well-known companies as Target, Marshall Fields, Mervyns, and other prominent national advertisers.
Roger's wide range of knowledge gives him a unique, multifaceted perspective on the direct response industry, and brings a tremendous amount of versatility and flexibility to the media department of Zephyr Media.
Carey Chase : Media Supervisor [email]
Carey started her career in 1991and held important positions with agencies such as Matthew & Roberts Advertising, A. Eicoff & Co. and Castalian Music. During those years Carey has managed numerous campaigns covering a variety of industries such as entertainment/lifestyle, consumer goods, insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications. Carey has worked primarily in short-form direct response advertising for the majority of her career and has specializes in DRTV both in US as well as Canada. Carey also has experience with buying the Hispanic market in the US as well as in spot markets and syndication. In addition, she has experience with online marketing where she has consulted clients on website strategy, development and usability.
Noelle Caspar : Senior Media Buyer [email]
Noelle brings over 10 years of DRTV experience to Zephyr Media. She has gained experience in her field working for Euro RSCG in Portland, OR and Nautilus, Inc, located in Vancouver, WA. Noelle has bought and managed the media for such clients as Philips, Bissell, AT&T, Bowflex, and Treadclimber. Her media buying experience ranges from Fortune 500 companies to the entrepreneurial type clients. Noelle has been involved in all aspects of media buying campaigns from beginning to end for both long and short form media.
Wes Dubin : Business Development Director [email]
Wes Dubin serves as Zephyr Media's Business Development Director. Wes began his career in the media and advertising business at the ABC Television Network, where he served as Director, Sales Proposals for the Central US Division, which increased its sales to network advertisers significantly during that time. Wes moved to the advertising agency Needham, Harper & Steers (now DDB) as Senior Vice President, National Broadcast, where he built its national media buying operation into an industry powerhouse that negotiated network television, network cable, national syndication, and network radio deals for Fortune 500 advertisers like McDonald's, Sears, State Farm, General Mills, Clorox, Universal Pictures, and others. He was named "Cable Television All-Star 1988" by Marketing and Media Magazine (now Mediaweek) for his efforts in bringing cable to the media buying forefront for major advertisers. While at the Agency, Wes additionally pioneered its new media operation, Electronic Ventures, and served as its Director. Wes also worked for new advertising technology start-up Next Century Media as its Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, and has done marketing and media consulting work for respected industry leaders like Lands' End and Tribune Broadcasting. Wes’s
ability to work with companies to help them shape direct response campaigns
is a valuable asset for existing and new clients alike.
