Management

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WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

I Brag about Vendini!
I brag about Vendini and your service to the other theatres in the area. With our old service, I would have been lucky to have gotten a response. You've responded and corrected the issue within an hour and a half. AND it's really the only issue we've ever had. Thank you so much.

David Carnevale
Managing Director
Theatre Out

We're Working for You

Our job is to provide you with the highest level of service and deliver outstanding value. Here are some of the people that are always thinking of ways to improve your experience.

Mark Tacchi President & CEO In November of 2001, Mark set up a computer on a card table and started creating Vendini with nothing more than sweat equity, superb web development skills, a background in business and the gracious help of friends. Mark truly loves the ticketing business. As President and CEO, he says his only job now is "to make sure customers love us." "I got into the ticketing business because I saw opportunity, but also because I wanted to give something back to the community," explains Mark. "It's my contribution. I can't act, sing, or dance, but I can create awesome applications for the arts that you don't have to be a genius to use." Mark took an interesting career path. Mark's reputation in business started when he was a child and took on not one but several paper routes — delivering both major papers in his area. If you were getting a paper in Winnipeg where he grew up, chances are good that Mark was delivering it. An organized, logical thinker, Mark earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba in 1991. He was pursuing his master's when he decided he had enough of the cold Manitoba weather, and moved to San Francisco where he accepted a job working with Steve Jobs at NeXT and then followed him to Apple. From there he went on to start his own software company Hipbone, Inc., which he later sold to Kana, a CRM company. Mark, his wife Bobbi, their newborn Leonardo, and their French Bulldog Napoleon live in the San Francisco Mission area where they can enjoy its plentiful parks, art galleries, and restaurants every day of the week.

Mark Guarnera Executive VP Mark (a.k.a. "MG") is second-in-command at Vendini and oversees Product, Marketing, and Member Services. MG came to Vendini in 2002 to join forces with CEO Mark Tacchi to build what is now known as the industry's first enterprise cloud based ticketing system. In addition to contributing extensively to product design, Mark led the Vendini sales team for 9 years. Prior to joining Vendini, Mark was part of the core team that created software company Hipbone, Inc. in Silicon Valley, which was later sold to Kana a CRM company. Mark is extremely close with his five older brothers, and says he had no need to join a gang growing up, even in New Jersey. He attributes much of his success to his dad's Sicilian style of persuading others to get the job done. Mark is a graduate of George Mason University with a degree in Psychology and is often suspected of knowing things before they happen. When his head isn't deep in the business, running a 10k, or cruising on his mountain bike, you'll find him relaxing with his wife Melissa, daughter Gianna, son Ethan, and two feisty miniature dachshunds.

Frank Sette VP Sales Frank joined Vendini in 2011 and is currently the company's Vice President of Sales. While he spends his work days "growing Vendini's revenue, market share and member satisfaction" (his exact words), in his free time he works out, goes camping and plays poker. Frank has spent his career innovating markets, driving top line revenue growth, and achieving results for both start-up and Fortune 400 organizations in multiple industries, including software, construction, and information technology. With a passion for charity work that focuses on the homeless, he held a seat on the Board of Directors for HomeAid, a national organization whose mission is to end homelessness in U.S. Frank earned a B.A. degree from St. Michael's College, Colchester Park Vermont and an M.B.A. from The George L. Graziadio School of Business, Pepperdine University, in Malibu, California. He's also attended more than 150 Grateful Dead shows, which comes with their degree of merit. Frank currently lives in Northern California and is raising three beautiful children ages 4, 6 and 12.

Keith Goldberg VP Marketing Keith is currently Vendini's Vice President of Marketing, a position he's had since 2011. As VP of Marketing he claims to spend his days being responsible for the company's entire marketing program — a claim his co-workers gladly attest to being true. Known for his savvy marketing style, Keith has actually been in sales and marketing since he was 12 years old when he sold drinking glasses at local flea markets. Eventually, Keith graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania receiving a degree in Entrepreneurial Management in 1991. After graduation, he started consulting for a myriad of Fortune 500 companies. Don't be fooled by Keith's seemingly traditional background, though. He may have a graduate degree from Wharton, but he also has a degree in bartending. Keith's friends say he has a cutting sense of humor, which he uses to his advantage when playing poker. He's also an instrument rated private pilot and enjoys flying in his free time. Keith is married to Robin and has two teenage sons, Jeremy and Matthew, who make sure their dad stays connected to current trends in entertainment and life in general.

Tim Gerk Chief Architect Tim's career has certainly advanced from his days as a staff usher for the Caltech Office of Public Events. He is currently Vendini's Chief Architect, which literally means he is designing and building the systems at the heart of the business. Day-to-day, Tim is responsible for maintaining all the operational systems; developing and releasing new software; and planning for the growth and improvements in service. Although he knows he started at Vendini in 2006 as Director of Engineering, he estimates he's been Chief Architect for about two years. "Hard to tell when time flies and things change so quickly," according to Tim. Tim graduated from Caltech in 1993 with a Bachelor's in Engineering and Applied Science and received a Master's in Fluid Mechanics from UCLA in 1996. But don't let the paper credentials fool you. His background and interests are very diverse. In college his favorite subjects were fluid mechanics and aerodynamics (of course); applied mathematics; and Russian literature. Really. He really isn't into "normal" hobbies like golf or fishing. Tim is a rancher in his free time and is currently building a vacation cabin in the Northern California coastal range. In his free time, he likes tackling building and renovation projects and has already renovated two apartments and built a studio near his current home in San Francisco. He also likes traveling, but not necessarily to traditional vacation spots. Geological and astronomical road trips are more his style. Family is very important to Tim. In addition to his parents, two sisters and their husbands, Tim is the very proud uncle of six nieces and nephews — all under the age of 10. According to his flabbergasted sister, the oldest nephew is Tim's clone and may even follow in his uncle's very impressive footprints building and designing the next generation of business systems.
Todd Hagen Chief Financial Officer Todd joined Vendini as Chief Financial Officer in July of 2006. With 20+ years experience as a CFO for technology-based companies, Todd's background and experience have been invaluable to Vendini. Todd's appreciation of the arts also makes him well-suited for the Vendini team. He says he has seen so many wonderful concerts and live shows that it's impossible to name a single favorite, but some of the most memorable ones include Tower of Power 40th Anniversary Show at San Mateo Fair, Pete Escovido at Razz Room and the Sons of Champlin anywhere. In addition to possessing an extensive personal knowledge of the entertainment industry, Todd has a strong education in finance — both through his work experience and degrees. He holds an MBA in Finance from UCLA and a BA in Finance and Marketing from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Todd enjoys travel, wine and golf. He claims his actual handicap in golf is "using my height in my swing plane to make every possible error." At 6' 8", Todd's height is definitely memorable on and off the course. He is married to Patty Hagen, and happily boasts about her skills as a chef.