About Us

BrandSavvy is a strategic brand consulting and design firm that helps our clients to differentiate themselves in unique ways so they increase demand by building brand equity. Brands become a shortcut for making buying decisions. They embody the perceptions that buyers have about a product or service. This is especially true for B2B and service marketers, such as healthcare, member associations and construction, engineering and architectural firms. In short, a strong corporate identity is good for business.

Clients hire BrandSavvy because of our extensive consulting experience. All team members have worked on the client side of the business. We understand the accountability placed upon corporate marketers, which is why our solutions are not only insightful and award-winning, but practical and affordable. As a result, our work appeals to your board, executive team, staff and customers.

Gary T. Naifeh, Founder and Principal

With over 25 years of experience in marketing and consulting, Gary has worked with a diverse group of Fortune 1000 and start-up companies. He has held Vice President of Marketing positions at Coors Brewing Company and Pizza Hut International. Gary has also served as a Vice President of Operations for Taco Bell. He has been a branding consultant for 14 years.

Gary has expertise in all elements of brand management and retail development, including consumer research, site planning, concept development, retail operations, signage, strategic planning, brand positioning, corporate identity and design, new products, broadcast and print development, media planning and buying, merchandising, promotion and special events.

Gary earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Stephen F. Austin University and his MBA from Texas Christian University. He has served on the Chancellor’s Advisory Board at Texas Christian University, the Metro State College Marketing Curriculum Board and as Vice President of the TCU National Alumni Association Board.

Michael R. Willey, Managing Director

Mike has 25+ years experience in brand strategy, consulting and marketing execution. He has held senior strategic marketing positions at Caterpillar, Coors, Beverage International and with a leading national corporate identity and branding firm where he worked with a diverse group of almost 100 Fortune 1000 and start-up companies.

Mike has expertise in all elements of brand strategy and execution, including strategic planning, brand positioning, corporate identity and design, new products, consumer research, broadcast and print development, media planning, merchandising and promotion and ethnic marketing. Mike received his Bachelor of Business degree and MBA from Western Illinois University.

Karl J. Peters, Creative Director

Karl’s extensive experience in both the corporate and consulting worlds brings invaluable expertise to BrandSavvy’s clients. He is involved in all aspects of the branding process, including designing visual identities, planning and development of all high visibility applications and creating the documentation necessary for successful brand management. Karl also directs the work of graphic and environmental designers on the BrandSavvy team, and plays an integral role in all digital-based design, including BrandSavvy Online. Under his creative stewardship, BrandSavvy has won dozens of national awards.

Prior to joining BrandSavvy, Karl worked as a senior designer for a leading corporate identity consultant. On the corporate side, Karl served as senior designer and project manager in charge of worldwide point-of-sale and marketing collateral design for Texas Instruments. Karl has directed branding programs for organizations in many industries, including the GH Phipps Construction Companies, Flatiron Construction, Flow Data, American Water Works Association, Association of Legal Administrators, FirstGroup America, First National Bank & Trust Company, Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of Virginia Health System, among others.

Karl received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the State University of New York College at Fredonia and has taught design at Metro State College of Denver.

Alan J. Catterson, Vice President Technology

Alan has 15+ years experience as a leader in the delivery of large-scale business applications and integration solutions for start-up, turnaround and Fortune 500 companies. He is highly skilled at leading collaborative software design and development initiatives and translating business needs into solutions that enable operational excellence and business growth. Prior to joining BrandSavvy, Alan held Director of Information Technology positions at Key Equipment Finance Group, a $14 billion global equipment leasing subsidiary of Key Corp and American Express Business Finance, a $1 billion subsidiary of American Express.

Alan has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Computer Information Systems.