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Meet The Team

Bob McKay founded Tampa Bay’s first digital media agency, McKay Advertising + Activation, in 2005. He developed a unique advertising agency experience for clients, employees, and associates. In 2009, McKay Advertising + Activation became a Google Partner, and in 2015, it achieved Google All-Star status among the top 100 agencies in the world. Today, McKay Advertising + Activation is a Google Premier Partner among the world’s top 3% of digital agencies.

Bob takes a serious look at new advertising technologies and their impact. His creation of the Activation Bridge strategy and approach allowed the agency to take some of the most successful brands from non-attributed marketing models to ROI-driven marketing models.

As a frequent contributor to Forbes, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, and other titles, Bob is a trusted voice on the changing advertising landscape. McKay Advertising + Activation’s rapid growth has fueled recognitions, such as Inc 5000 and USF Fast 56, over many years.

Director of Performance Marketing + Analytics

Matthew Giardino is responsible for the planning, execution, and reporting of Paid Search and Programmatic Campaigns for all of our clients. He has generated success through his efforts in the QSR, Entertainment, Medical, Career Services, CPG, among many other industries. In addition to providing successful campaign results, Matt is also passionate about building strong relationships with the clients he serves. In his free time outside of work, you can often find Matt playing golf, or supporting local Tampa sports teams.

Digital Accounts Director

Farida Abdelmonsif has roots in the US and Egypt and was always between the two while growing up. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and set off to Dubai to embark on her marketing career and worked for two multinational FMCG companies, Robert Bosch and Henkel.

She then deep-dived into the agency world, serving clients like UN Women, twofour54, and Special Olympics, which enhanced her organizational and teamwork skills.

Now, she works as McKay’s Digital Accounts Director, where she handles project management and content strategy. When she’s not on client calls, she spends time with her family and likes to take her son on outdoor adventures.

Director of Paid Social Media

Kyle Norstrem was born and raised in Tampa, FL. After high school, he went on to pursue his athletic and academic career at Virginia Tech where he earned his degree in Marketing Management.

During his time at Virginia Tech, he was a 3 year varsity wrestler and NCAA qualifier while enrolled at the Pamplin school of business.

Kyle has certifications in Google Digital Marketing, Facebook Blueprint, Hubspot, and Google Analytics. Now works as a Director of Social where he builds, manages, and monitors Paid Social campaigns to maximize ROI.

Social Media Manager

Lindsey was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, and attends the University of Tampa. She is going into her senior year at the University of Tampa, majoring in Advertising and Public Relations. Lindsey has a passion for writing and being creative.

Lindsey started as an intern with Mckay Advertising + Activation in the Spring of 2022 and works with our creative department creating content for our client’s social media.

Lindsey is a Social Media Manager and assists our clients in building and enhancing their social media presence through content creation.

In her free time, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling whenever possible.

Director Of Design + UX

Caleb is a graduate (B.S. Advertising + M.S. Marketing) from the University of South Florida. Born in Hawaii and raised in Rockledge, FL, Caleb was always fascinated with every aspect of business. He began to explore graphic design in high school, and eventually took a part-time design position with CLCE (Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement) / Bulls Media USF. From there, Caleb began working in social media management, acquiring an internship with the Zimmerman Advertising Program.

Now, at McKay, Caleb is on as the Director of Design + UX. He utilizes his video, graphic design, and social media strategy skills to create content that will help clients achieve awareness and brand consistency. In his free time, Caleb enjoys dabbling in creative writing, spending time with his friends and family, and playing basketball.

Director of Intergration and Technology

Alexander is a software/web developer proficient in a multitude of languages including PHP, MySQL, node.js, jQuery, javascript, HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, and many more. Alex is capable of creating effective & professional front-end websites, in addition to, a specialty in creating remarkable back-end web applications for an array of businesses. 

Since 2007, he has honed in on his skills and worked for various clients on a multitude of projects encompassing healthcare, telecommunications, entertainment, food, and other sectors.

Research and Communications Intern

Morgan Jones is an undergraduate student at the University of South Florida studying Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Mass Communications. As a four year member of DECA, a marketing and business organization at the high school level, she explored all aspects of the business world and competed in events within the hospitality, entrepreneurship, and entertainment spaces. Morgan currently works within the music industry alongside her position and has previous experience in social media marketing and content creation.  

At McKay, Morgan generates new sales leads and researches potential clients while helping out with copy and other marketing efforts for in-house socials. In her free time, you can find her at a concert or spending time with family and friends. 

Sales Automation Associate

Ellena Kakalos was born and raised in Long Island, NY and is a current Junior at The University of Tampa, majoring in marketing. Ellena has always been intrigued by all aspects of business since high school but marketing is the one she has a natural interest in. She has a background in hospitality, entrepreneurship and real estate.

At McKay, Ellena generates new sales leads by doing extensive market research about prospective clients, businesses and growing markets nationally. As well as conducting a variety of different phone calls to potential clients and businesses plus email/SMS/Linkedin follow up.

In her free time, you’ll find Ellena either watching or attending a New York Islander hockey game, going to the beach, traveling or spending time with her family and friends.

Digital Marketing Associate

Niki – Empowered by a finance degree and a thirst for success, I am a fourth-year finance major at the University of South Florida embarking on a career as a Sales Associate at McKay Advertising & Activation. With a strong drive to succeed and a passion for business, I bring energy and enthusiasm to every sales opportunity. Excited to continue honing my skills and contributing to the growth of a dynamic company. Connect with me to see how we can drive results together!