The leadership team at KM combines multiple decades of technology and marketing experience with a focus on creating rewarding relationships with customers.
Each member is committed to ensuring that KM products and services lead the industry in usability, performance and stability, and that every aspect of KM’s business is aligned with helping customers achieve great marketing effectiveness that drives revenue and growth. Together they share a host of awards such as “Inc500 Fastest Growing Companies in America,” “Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year,” and “Deloitte’s Fast500.” And, most important, a passion for client success.
Duane Crandall, Founder / CEO
Duane provides over 20 years of sales, technology and leadership experience as Founder and CEO of KM. He has guided the strategic direction of KM from a startup born out of his spare bedroom to one of the 500 fastest growing private software companies in the US.
He oversees KM’s rapidly expanding business by combining his strong innovation capital to drive the company’s strategic vision and demonstrating a solid track record of growth in the software environment. Duane’s serial entrepreneurial spirit has successfully led KM from concept to one of the leading online/email marketing companies focused on servicing B2B, government, publishers and nonprofits. He has received numerous awards for his business and leadership including multiple Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist.
Duane’s professional experience has included the launch of several internet companies: Tecknowledge Management, GeoTeck Systems, Good Donor as well as the first internet kiosk provider, Public Internet. His specialties include raising venture capital, thought leader for the online community, strategic development, and ensuring business and financial goals are met. Duane has received dual degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.
Joe Benson, President
Joe is the President of the Publishing Services division within KM where he focuses on sales and marketing to consumer and trade publishers. He also has management responsibility over a team of audience development professionals providing services to the current KMPS portfolio. He has over fourteen years of experience working for three different service bureau companies at various levels in each organization.
During his career he has also worked as a Client Development Manager for Provell, a membership services company. His client portfolio at Provell included companies such as Victoria’s Secret Direct, Wells Fargo Credit Card Services and Swiss Colony. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with concentrations in Marketing and Small Business Management from the University of Wisconsin-Superior Campus.
Brett Keirstead, Vice President of Sales
With more than a decade of experience in leading highly successful sales teams, Brett oversees the entire sales process and utilizes his experience to position KM to scale up market and engage with enterprise level clients.
His specialties include working with growth-oriented, SaaS based companies to build, develop and manage new high performing sales teams, as well as working in early stage companies and divisions that require sales leadership to sell and manage. Brett also specializes in developing and implementing sales processes and methodologies for companies in rapid growth and transition mode.
Brett has a degree in Finance and Accounting from Clemson University, and prior to working at KM, he led high performing sales teams at several other fast growing SaaS companies including Jobs2Web, Digital River, Ceridian and SurePayroll.
Sunil Theenathayalu, Director of Information Technology
Sunil brings over 16 years of experience in implementing technology solutions. He had the opportunity to be in leadership roles of key IT functions including Applications Development, Operations, Quality Assurance, Planning and Business Intelligence (BI). His strengths are speaking the language of the business and building strong working relationships with the business, understanding the business needs and able to lead IT to deliver measurable value. His competencies are strong communication skills, development of IT strategy that support corporate goals, developing business driven projects and processes, building and developing teams and a deep understanding of business intelligence and how, combined with data warehousing solutions, can be implemented in large companies to improve enterprise performance.
Prior to Knowledge Marketing, Sunil worked as Team Leader/ Business Analyst for OfficeInteractive.com. He created an expandable suite of management and productivity tools for small and large scale businesses. He also has done consulting work for Microsoft Consulting Services, Bank of America and Terrace consulting services.
Sunil received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Coimbatore State University, India.
