David Brenner founded Paragon Marketing Group in 1996, and in that time has built it into a formidable sports and entertainment marketing company. Paragon's current client roster features agency of record relationships with Continental Airlines, General Mills, Gatorade, InterContinental Hotels Group, and National City. Paragon's core capabilities include all aspects of marketing services, event creation, sampling, representation of broadcast talent, television production and product licensing.
Brenner created Paragon following thirteen years with the Chicago Bulls as their Director of Promotions and Corporate Sales.
Brenner is a 1982 graduate of Indiana University's School of Business. He resides in Deerfield with his wife Arden and three daughters.
Tony Schiller oversees Paragon's Corporate Consulting division and is intimately involved in developing strategic marketing initiatives for Paragon's vast client roster.
He brings with him over seventeen years of sports and entertainment experience, including work in the National Basketball Association, the International Hockey League, the concert industry and major events. During his career, Tony has put together hundreds of sponsorship deals totaling over $120,000,000 in revenue.
Tony graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1986. Tony, his wife Kristin, and their two daughters reside in Arlington Heights.
Rashid Ghazi manages Paragon's corporate relationships with General Mills and ESPN as well as its sponsorship sales and new business efforts. He brings with him over 21 years of industry experience in corporate consulting, television/event development and sponsorship sales.
Rashid began his career at Leo Burnett where he worked in the Media Department for two and half years on the McDonald's account. He then spent six years at Intersport Television before joining Paragon Marketing Group. Over his career he has developed over 2,000 hours of television programming for networks such as ESPN, Fox Sports Net, ABC, NBC and CNN. He also has negotiated television and sponsorship rights agreements with a variety of local and national sports governing bodies, associations and leagues.
Rashid is a 1989 graduate of the University of Redlands in Southern California where he double majored in Business and Sociology. He received his MBA in June of 1999 from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University.
Rashid resides in Glenview with his wife, Ruhma, their daughter, and two sons.
Julie Simmons oversees and manages the operations of the company. Julie also plays a crucial role in Paragon's relationships with current and prospective clients.
Julie has been with Paragon/HA-LO Sports & Entertainment for 14 years and has worked extensively on all of Paragon's accounts including: Gatorade, Continental Airlines, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Sanford Corporation, Scudder Investments, Equinox Fitness Clubs and National City Bank.
Prior to joining Paragon/HA-LO Sports & Entertainment, Julie worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics in both their marketing and development departments for two years.
Julie is a 1993 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor's degree in Advertising and holds a Master's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Sports Marketing.
Julie resides in Lake Forest with her husband, Bradley, and twin sons, Thomas and David.
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