Have you ever wondered who is behind Reno-Tahoe AMA? Who are the people who make things happen? Who puts on these events? Who are the movers and shakers working for the local marketing community? Well, we want to answer that question!

We want to make sure that the Reno-Tahoe community knows who our AMA board members are and what we do so that you can see us out and about and wave us down!

Our first board member spotlight is: Brandon Siri, VP of Community Relations

Brandon Siri was born and raised in Reno, and is a 4th generation Reno resident who attended local elementary, middle, and high schools in addition to graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno. He is married and has two young children.   It is needless to say that Siri has a passion for Reno, a very creative imagination, and outgoing personality.  Siri has always been a filmmaker and fan of the arts.  He is an avid skier, hiker, homebrewer, and camper.

Today, Siri is a local businessman who specializes in marketing, which uses facts, metrics and ingenuity to make decisions to strategically grow businesses.  He began his career while in college (at UNR) doing higher education marketing working for Apple Computers during the dawn of the iPod.  Siri has professional leadership experience in many industries including: data centers and technology, insurance, safety equipment manufacturing, hydration solutions, and hospitality and bingo apps real money gaming.  Siri has years of proven leadership overseeing his employees and helping them to grow professionally.

We sat down with Brandon and asked him a few questions, here is what he had to say:

  1. Why did you become involved in the AMA?
    One of the most important aspects of business is building strong relationships within your community.  For me, Reno-Tahoe AMA was an opportunity to network with like-minded skilled professionals.  Marketing, to me, is more than just sitting behind a desk and crunching numbers. It involves being involved, and being active.  Knowledge and experience can be gained by simply asking questions and listening to others.  There are a few groups in the region that foster this type of environment, and AMA is one of the stronger groups.
  2. What about marketing most interests you?
    Analyzing people and their behaviors.  People are strange, and do unpredictable things.  The marketers I don’t trust are the ones who assume AND rely only on the way back without accounting for the constant change of the consumer market.
  3. Tell us about yourself and what you do.
    I am currently the Director of Marketing and Events at a local downtown casino where I have worked for the past two years.  I originally started marketing in college when I was hired by Apple Computers during the dawn of the 2nd generation iPod.  I reported directly to Cupertino and was responsible for higher education marketing in Northern Nevada.  At the same time, I became the assistant marketing manager for the UNR bookstore, and was going through journalism and advertising school at the Reynolds School of Journalism.  After graduating, I went on to work in many industries (data center manufacturing, workers’ comp insurance,  industrial safety and hydration solutions, and now gaming), but I have always been in a marketing leadership role.
  4. What’s one thing most people wouldn’t know about you?
    I’m currently running for Mayor of Reno 2018.  The elections are still a year away, but my efforts are underway.
  5. What is your favorite thing about Reno/Tahoe?
    It’s not one thing. It’s all of it.  I have done a lot of traveling around the country and world, and I have never visited a place that I wanted to live more than Reno.  I was born here, and will probably die here.
  6. How has the AMA helped your career growth/personal growth?
    For me, it is a way to meet new people in sales and marketing, and to learn about new technology and hear about up and coming companies.  Knowledge is power, and this is a source of knowledge.
  7. What do you like most about the monthly luncheons?
    I like that my company supports me in sending me to these luncheons as a way for me to continuously learn and innovate in my position so that I can better market to my customers.  The luncheons are a chance for me to break out of the office and get a tasty lunch while learning something new.
  8. What type of marketing inspires or interests you the most?
    Humble marketing.  Marketing that knows their product is good, and doesn’t have to deploy gimmicks or use power jargon to get my attention.

If you run into Brandon at the grocery store or on the street, say hi! He’d love to talk to you about the AMA, marketing or Reno in general!