Kristen Beilein

Brand Development

Kristen focuses on our consulting business, working closely with our brand clients on everything from marketing strategy to business development and overall strategic advisement.

Prior to joining The Montag Group, Kristen worked in marketing for brands that include Ralph Lauren, Nike, and Under Armour. Kristen graduated from the University of North Carolina, where she was a four-year member of the Women’s Lacrosse Team.

Sandy Montag

Chief Executive Officer

Sandy Montag, a 30-year industry veteran, is President and CEO of The Montag Group. The Montag Group is a talent management, consulting, content development, and media strategy company focused in the world of sports, entertainment, and lifestyle.

Montag represents a wide variety of clients in various fields including broadcasting, coaching, culinary, and team sports. Included among them are John Madden, Bob Costas, Mary Carillo, James Brown, Jim Nantz, Erin Andrews, Mike Tirico, Ming Tsai, Jay Bilas, Scott Van Pelt, Jeremy Schaap, and Tom Coughlin.

The Montag Group’s consulting division works with teams, leagues, networks, and startup technology companies. Montag has been an Executive Producer on two documentaries including Amazon Prime’s All or Nothing: The Michigan Wolverines, and Showtime’s Perfect in ’76.

Montag spent 30 years at IMG, joining the company in 1985. He started as an assistant to John Madden, traveling the country with Madden by train and on the first “Madden Cruiser.” He went on to run IMG’s Clients operations for ten years.

Montag developed and launched Ari Fleischer Sports Communications with Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W. Bush after Fleischer left the White House in 2003.

Montag is active in several charities, serving on the advisory boards for Madden Charities, Tom Coughlin’s “Jay Fund Foundation”, Team LeGrand, and the Alan T. Brown Foundation. He also sits on the Sports Management Advisory Boards at Syracuse University, the University of Michigan, and NYU as well as the Advisory Board for the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn.

The Montag Group is based in White Plains, New York and New York City.

Nick LoPinto

Administrative Assistant

Nick joins The Montag Group as an Administrative Assistant. He currently assists the talent division with day-to-day operations. Prior to joining TMG, Nick served as Executive Assistant to College Basketball TV Analyst Steve Lavin, and was a Marketing Associate at a wealth management firm, Silver Spring Capital. A native New Yorker, Nick graduated from St. John’s University where he was Head Manager for the men’s basketball team.

Reid Pakula

Coordinator, Client Services

As Coordinator of Client Services, Reid brings a high level of energy to the company with new ideas for Montag Group clients and team members. He works with clients on their highlight reels and marketing deals, as well as assists internally with new idea generation and recruitment of new clients.

Reid attended the University of Maryland where he received a degree in Finance with a Fellowship in Sports Management. He served as a student manager for the Men's Basketball Team and interned with the Brooklyn Nets. Prior to joining The Montag Group, Reid worked for IF Management and Octagon Sports & Entertainment.

Reid loves to travel and was fortunate enough to spend a semester in Barcelona, Spain visiting 15 different European cities. In addition, Reid enjoys relaxing with friends, exercising, cooking and cheering on the Yankees, Jets and Nets.

Lexi Strumor Saldin

Director, Hosting & Unscripted

Lexi began her career in the development department at Patchett Kaufman Entertainment (“ALF,” “In The Line of Duty”). Aside from running car loads of ALF merchandise all over Hollywood, she read mountains of scripts and ran casting sessions for producers. Lexi made the jump to artist representation while working for literary manager Alan Nevins at the fast-paced (and somewhat infamous) music/film/television management company, The Firm. There, she worked on exciting book projects like “The Doors by The Doors, with Ben Fong-Torres,” and had almost daily run-ins with Criss Angel, Goldie Hawn and Snoop Dogg.

While reading mountains of galleys for potential book projects and getting to know and love a diverse roster of clients, Lexi found her calling in artist representation. She next made the jump to broadcast and unscripted at Ken Lindner & Associates. Under the mentorship of Karen Wang-Lavelle, Lexi earned her status as an AFTRA franchised agent. For the last ten years, Lexi has worked with some of the best and brightest in unscripted, sports and broadcast news.

Approximately three years ago, Steve Herz plucked Lexi out of an eight month hiatus as a stay-at-home-mom and gave her the incredible opportunity to become IF Management’s first Los Angeles liaison and executive! From TV anchors to sports reporters, celebrity stylists to ghost hunters, Lexi has had the pleasure of working with and finding opportunities for diverse and truly unforgettable clients.

Michael Sones

Director, Broadcasting & Marketing

As Director of Broadcasting & Marketing, Michael utilizes key relationships across the industry to deliver broadcast and marketing opportunities for The Montag Group’s clients. He negotiates with media outlets ranging from national cable networks to local stations and secures ancillary deals including brand endorsements, appearances, social media campaigns and speaking engagements.

Michael previously held positions at IF Management and FOX Sports. He is a graduate of Cornell University, where he served as team manager for the school’s football team. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michael is a die-hard Lakers, Dodgers and Rams fan. In his free time he enjoys skiing, playing cards and traveling.

Michael Schenker

Vice President, Business Development

Michael leads the consulting practice focusing on brand strategy, platform development and overall strategic advisement. He also assists The Montag Group in overall business development and talent marketing.

Prior to joining The Montag Group, he held positions at Ascendent Sports Group and the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee. Michael is a proud Syracuse Orange Alum and former Syracuse Men’s Basketball Manager.

Carol Perry

President, IF News

Carol believes that discipline, perseverance, and passion are the most essential tools for success.

The daughter of immigrants (Romanian mother and Indian father), she developed a vigorous work ethic at a very young age — by the age of five, she was appearing in Mattel toys & cereal commercials and even performed a tap routine on the Gong Show in the 70s! This experience in the entertainment industry and exposure to the business of agents and managers paved the way for a successful career in talent management.

After graduating college at UC Santa Barbara, Carol sought a more exciting and diverse lifestyle in New York, where she attended Cardozo Law. She then worked as a litigator for three years and drafted artist contracts for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts on the side. It wasn’t long before Carol knew that managing on-air talent was her calling. At The Conrad Shadlen Corporation in New York City, Carol quickly developed solid relationships in the industry, as well as a reputation for tenacity, and successfully managed a diverse and thriving client base.

As Senior Vice President of Broadcasting and General Counsel at IF Management, Carol now manages talent and negotiates television, producer and radio contracts at the network level, top markets, and syndication. Like everyone else at IF, Carol loves sports & fitness. She’s run two NYC marathons and played years of basketball and tennis. Carol currently resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her son Zachary and husband Fred, a digital media executive with SportsNet New York.

Kevin O'Connor

Director, Finance and Administration

Kevin joins The Montag Group as the Director of Finance, where he oversees all TMG client and consulting-based financial matters. Prior to joining TMG, Kevin served as a client accountant at IMG where he worked with clients based in industries ranging from broadcasting to PGA Tour professionals to the burgeoning world of eSports. Kevin handles all day-to-day accounting activities, as well as assisting clients with any financial questions or concerns.

A native Ohioan, Kevin received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and holds a Master in Business Administration from Cleveland State University.

Matt Kauffman

Vice President, Consulting

As Vice President of Consulting, Matt brings over 25 years of sports and entertainment business development, marketing strategy, brand partnerships and marketing communications experience to The Montag Group, helping companies leverage sports and entertainment platforms to achieve business objectives.

In his previous role with Intel Corporation, Matt drove the transformation of the consumer experience through the use of cutting edge technology with the NFL, NBA, MLB, ESPN X Games, Red Bull and the Grammy Awards. Intel’s technology integrations and award winning marketing vaulted the company to Ad Age’s “Marketer A-List”. Prior to Intel, Matt was responsible for Visa’s brand sponsorship portfolio. Visa’s innovative sponsorship marketing is renowned for building the Visa brand and business, and Visa was recognized by the Sports Business Journal as the 2010 “Sports Sponsor of the Year”. Matt also worked for 10 years at General Motors EventWorks, where he served as Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Marketing.

Matt was recognized as one of the “Forty Under 40” most influential sports executives by the Sports Business Journal. He has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Michigan, and currently serves as Co-Chair for the University of Michigan Sports Management Advisory Board.