Mike Magnusson started Pinnacle Advertising to satisfy his entrepreneurial spirit after a highly successful career at the Chicago Tribune and a stint at a small retail agency in Chicago. At the Tribune, Michael won the Tribune’s greatest honor, The Campbell Award, honoring those who show great leadership, outstanding performance and innovative ideas to foster growth for the company. Mike also ran the Corporate Sports Battle event for the city of Chicago through Tribune Company sponsorship. This was an Olympic style event where corporations throughout Chicago competed in athletic competitions as a fundraising event for charities.

His passion for the automotive business was evident in all of his endeavors, and it became the core of Pinnacle, which grew to become one of the premier automotive shops in the Midwest. Michael also kept the broader scope of retail alive and well within the agency diversifying into other categories. True to his entrepreneurial roots, Mike built the first ever wireless ad associations for the agent channels of SBC communications, parent of Pacific Bell Wireless, Cellular One and Ameritech in various markets throughout the country. So successful were these models that when Cingular became the national brand, they tapped Pinnacle to be the exclusive agent channel agency in the states of California, Nevada, North Carolina and Illinois where their agent networks were largest.

While advertising is his passion, he also enjoys time with his family; his wife Brigitte and two young boys. Mike coaches both boys' baseball teams and is active in the many other activities they are involved in. He also enjoys golf, sailing, jumping on a Harley when the opportunity presents itself, and snowmobiling through the great country of Wisconsin.

Mike is a graduate of Illinois State University.

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Michael Gerardi is passionate about advertising and maintaining uncompromising standards of excellence. He is an advertising and marketing professional with over 20 years experience on the agency and client side. He has managed advertising and marketing initiatives for leading brands including U.S. Cellular, Blockbuster Entertainment, Bally Total Fitness, Garrett Popcorn Shops, and Ditka's Restaurants. He has extensive expertise in wireless, restaurant, music entertainment, financial, hearing healthcare, packaged goods, and health & fitness.

As Regional Marketing Manager at Bally Total Fitness, Michael managed the marketing plan for 100+ locations and opened new fitness clubs throughout the Midwest and Atlantic Coast. Michael negotiated and directed Bally’s sponsorship of the Taste of Chicago and the Bally’s 5K Race to the Taste. He also launched new Reebok products and programs to the Bally Network. At Blockbuster Entertainment as Regional Marketing Manager, Michael secured millions in co-op funds and managed the national and regional marketing plan for 120+ locations. He directed the sponsorship of many concerts and festivals and managed over 100 artist in-store performances, meet and greets, and CD signings. He worked with leading media companies including BMG Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and SONY in support of their artists. Michael negotiated sponsorship of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; highlights included welcoming dozens of artists to the Blockbuster venue immediately after performing and setting annual sales records. He left the client side in 1999 and joined a B2B advertising agency specializing in grocery channel promotions as senior account supervisor working his way up to director of client services. He managed multiple accounts including Procter & Gamble and Farmland Foods.

Michael joined Pinnacle in January 2003 as an account manager responsible for managing and growing the agency’s wireless accounts. He grew the wireless business to 9 accounts with over 200 locations nationwide securing preferred-agency status from U.S. Cellular along the way. Promoted to Director, Retail Division, Michael is responsible for the retail accounts. Throughout his career, he has directed 30+ retail grand opening campaigns. He has led Pinnacle account teams in the development of award-winning B2C and B2B creative including seven international Davey Awards.

Michael holds a BS in Marketing from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He is a board member of One for the Kids charity. He is a college and pro football fanatic and an extremely energetic youth sports coach (football, soccer, baseball). He enjoys travel, running, fishing, and golf (just the best-ball charity tourneys thank you very much). A life-long Chicagoan, Michael and his wife Mary enjoy keeping pace with their two children.

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Dave has worked in the advertising business for over 25 years. He began his career as a Junior Art Director and worked his way through the ranks at three mid-size agencies in Chicago's Loop. After 24 years with Jordan Tamraz Caruso Advertising, Dave had shares of the privately owned company and was responsible for the creative as well as upper management of the agency.

Over the many years, Dave not only gained advertising wisdom while his hair turned gray, but he worked with a wide variety of clients. The longest relationship was with General Motors handling Tier 2 advertising for the Buick and GMC brand for eighteen years. He also had the opportunity to help build great Chicago brands like White Hen Pantry, Empress Casino and Empire Today. In fact, today you still see Dave's animation design for the Empire man at the end of every TV spot. Dave also has extensive experience with B2B clients. He developed long running campaign for Hummingbird, and international software company headquartered in Canada, and Innogy which is another international consulting company in the power industry. The B2b experience also includes ADP's automotive dealer management systems, business banking. And current clients like Mother in the IT category.

For many clients, Dave would oversee the creative for new a Corporate Identity brand mark, developed from a new company name and positioning, to traditional advertising and viral marketing needs. Dave has been with Pinnacle advertising for three years now working in categories from banking and food to technology and automotive. His passion has always been on the creative side of the ad business, yet he enjoys developing ad strategies. One of his favorite quotes comes from David Ogilvy, "Without strategy, advertising belongs in the theatre of the absurd."

Outside of the ad business Dave is a family man with three kids. Other passions include ice climbing, mountaineering and mountain bike racing.

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