Meet The Team Leads

We combine the agility of a startup with the creativity of an agency and the diversity of a global company.

Ben Aston

CEO

Ben, the Founder of Black & White Zebra, is a digital project manager turned entrepreneur who began experimenting with websites at a young age. Armed with a x386 PC and a 33k dial-up modem, Ben launched his first terrible website at 14 years old and was hooked. In 2011, after more than 15 years of project delivery and PMO leadership experience at top agencies including Dare, Wunderman, and DDB, Ben founded The Digital Project Manager—what would become the first web property in the BWZ portfolio. Under his leadership, the team grew to 20+ full-timers, and the company at 200% every year, with triple digit growth for the past five years. Ben’s a Politics & International Relations graduate from University of Sussex, a PRINCE2 Practitioner, and Certified Scrum Master.

Phil Gray

COO

As “Chief Organize all the things Officer”, Phil leverages a diverse and multifaceted background that includes over a decade of operational leadership experience in a variety of industries, including SaaS. He is a passionate builder and problem solver that thinks big and moves with calm urgency. Phil is diving in to support the rapid scaling of systems and processes across BWZ’s multiple business lines and media properties as we continue to grow.

Nick Hopper

Head of Product & Technology

Nick founded Crozdesk.com back in 2014 and, following its acquisition by BWZ, heads up the SoftwareSelect platform. He has more than a decade of experience running technology businesses in the hardware and software spaces. He is the resident product tech wiz managing the vendor technology roadmap and internal administration systems. Inside and outside of the office he enjoys building things and finding clever solutions to mundane problems.

Paulo Gardini Miguel

Technology Director

Paulo brings +12 years of experience in software development and team building, creating products for the Media and Advertising industries. With a track record of building high performance lean teams, he specializes in handling large volumes of data, empowering each individual to own their projects and products. Paulo is a proud father and husband, constantly learning from two amazing women. When he’s not working, he’s a frustrated musician with a passion for football and technology.

Galen Low

Director, Commerce

Galen brings a decade of experience as Client Services Professional and Agile Delivery Specialist driving human-centered digital transformation in government, healthcare, transit, and retail verticals. Right now, he’s mastering the balance between community building, content development, and product design for The Digital Project Manager brand. Galen’s strategic, driven approach has produced consistent—often daily—improvements in the brand’s quality and reach. His genuine compassion for the community that surrounds the brand has not only strengthened the business but also improved the lives of the 1000+ members in The Digital Project Manager community.

Joe McGauley

Managing Editor

Joe, our Managing Editor, brings 12+ years of experience in editorial strategy, content production, and audience building to BWZ. With a track record of helping drive significant audience growth, he oversees the fast-growing content program for all BWZ sites. He’s passionate about building strong brand identities, and cultivating loyal audiences through premium and engaging purpose-driven content.

Sarah Tolle

Director, Content Operations

Sarah brings 8 years of experience in SEO, copywriting, and content production to her current role. Sarah keeps her eye trained on the consistent evolution of our content system and guides the development of our growing team of Writers, Editors, and Content Managers.

She has been instrumental in developing both the operational and creative aspects of the BWZ content system that has enabled our team to plan, produce, and promote the content that grew our portfolio from 100K to 1M monthly visitors. This system supports 90+ active content contributors, a full-time team of 20+ creators, and the growth of the 15 web properties currently in the BWZ portfolio.

Rocco Brudno

Director of Content, Technology

Rocco brings 12 years of experience as a content marketer and consultant to the team. With a background in leading complex content strategies for B2B SaaS and Technology brands, Rocco is here to elevate our success to even greater heights. As our SEO Content Director, Rocco supports the wider team’s SEO needs while leading initiatives that ensure our portfolio is always *chefs kiss* perfection!

When not researching the latest search trends, Rocco can be found testing new recipes in his kitchen or exploring the latest foodie spot in his home city of Denver, Colorado.

Gui Drusina

Creative Director

Guilherme (“Gui”) has been in the creative industry for over 12 years; he joined Black & White Zebra in its early days with a host of graphic design, web design, digital marketing, and photography and videography expertise. He quickly evolved into a core creative and technical strategist that spurred the growth of The Digital Project Manager brand and enabled the launch of many other brands in the Black & White Zebra portfolio. He currently leads the Creative department, raising the bar for the user and product experience we offer and guiding the Creative team in implementing innovative digital design.

Casey Era

Sales Director

Casey, our Sales Director, brings 12+ years of experience in business development, entrepreneurship, marketing, advertising, and sales operations in digital media to the BWZ team. With a track record in scaling revenue, he specializes in high growth business environments, and his people-focused approach has been instrumental in developing our expanding sales team. When he’s not at work, Casey’s passionate about giving back—he volunteers frequently with local causes and serves as a board member of the local chapter of Nepal House Society.

Robin Scharf

Director Revenue Operations

Robin Scharf has joined the BWZ family as part of the Crozdesk acquisition, where he filled the role of COO and helped Crozdesk achieve the successful exit. Rob has a decade of experience in running process tansformation and a background in change management, innovation and digital business. His keen eye for potential improvements makes him the perfect fit for all things process. Rob is responsible for revenue operations and enables the sales team technically.

After living in London to work for Crozdesk, Rob has moved to Amsterdam with his partner in 2020, where he splits his time between gaining calories by baking and cooking and losing them by walking his dog and cycling (which is mandatory citizen practice in Amsterdam ;)).

Becca Banyard

PMP Producer

Becca is our Producer for People Managing People brand, where she orchestrates the marketing, events, content production, and digital projects that have grown the brand’s influence. Before her current role, Becca served as the Community Manager across the BWZ portfolio, playing a critical role in crafting an engaging experience for the 40,000+ people in our communities, as well as spearheading the launch of new communities.

Cory Masters

Director of Operations

Cory is an experienced Director of Operations with 15+ years of experience in operations management, financial management, people development, recruitment in the hospitality and retail industries. We are very lucky to benefit from her proactive, dynamic, and dedicated approach to all things “operations”. Cory is a frequent mentor to our management team and the guiding force behind the space, rituals, and events that make Black & White Zebra an awesome place to work.

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