Leadership Team

David Kalinowski, co-founder, oversees all of Proactive Worldwide’s business operations and administration. With over 30 years of experience in competitive intelligence, research and consulting, he has led successful client engagements for hundreds of domestic and international companies. He assists executive boards as a trusted advisor for counter-intelligence matters and regularly facilitates war gaming events with strategic leadership teams. A dynamic facilitator, he frequently presents at industry events and has been honored with SCIP’s Catalyst Award. In 2022, David was inducted into the Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows.

Ms. Zeman leads implementation of Proactive Worldwide’s strategic plans. She oversees day-to-day operations as well as quality initiatives and processes for delivery. An accomplished leader and member of PWW for 15 years, Zeman guides the firm’s engagement managers and directs employee training and company culture. She has conducted and managed numerous competitive assessments, win/loss studies, new market entry studies, benchmarking studies and deep-dive assessments in consumer and industrial goods and manufacturing markets. Ms. Zeman has extensive experience in market research, strategic planning and competitive intelligence in multiple industries, including credit cards, news media, and automotive aftermarket. She received her BA in international relations (magna cum laude) from DePaul University. She is certified as a Bankcard Management Professional by the National Bankers Association and the University of Delaware.

Kelley Loiacono leads the Proactive Worldwide’s strategic internal productivity and efficiency efforts, applying a balance of inspiration and accountability to help employees flourish. An award-winning professional integral to the firm’s success since 2005, Loiacono previously managed the firm’s essential pillars of human resources, legal, insurance, and banking. Loiacono’s encyclopedic knowledge of the business, practical experience, and unsurpassed work ethic help fuel her drive to achieve common goals while maintaining a productive, upbeat working environment. These qualities, combined with her participative leadership style among support staff, add significant and consistent value to Proactive Worldwide.

Nando Scola leads our team of business development managers and supports client enterprises. He has ten years of competitive intelligence, research and analysis experience with Proactive Worldwide. Scola previously served as the main point of contact for Proactive Worldwide clients in consumer and industrial goods, leading more than 100 projects within a four-year period. His unique experience includes market sizing, competitive assessments, voice of customer research and software solutions. Nando earned an MBA, Business Management, from Robert Morris University.

Anne Ellis applies her background of more than 25 years in professional publishing and adult education to all practice areas at Proactive Worldwide. Since joining PWW 16 years ago, Anne has overseen content development and staff training to ensure that all print and electronic communications meet the company’s world-class standards and client expectations. She is adept at editing a broad range of business topics, including finance, healthcare, insurance, law, manufacturing, and technology. Ellis has served as associate editor for The Record, a Chicago Bar Association magazine. She received her law degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and Illinois bars.

Gary Maag, co-founder, has over 30 years of experience in competitive intelligence, research and consulting. During his tenure, he directed all of Proactive Worldwide’s global business development, sales and marketing activities. As a passionate industry educator, the most popular topics in his workshops included demonstrating return on investment and the importance of evidence-based intelligence for decisions concerning business development in emerging markets. Gary received the Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals’ (SCIP) Catalyst Award as well as Northern Illinois University’s Distinguished Marketing Alumnus Award.