Our Yastrow & Company team is full of curious individuals who are eager to learn about you and understand the things that matter in your business. We love to question and challenge our clients in order to get clarity and determine the best strategic direction to drive results.
And, we practice what we preach; our team is committed to providing exceptional experiences that motivate our customers.
Steve Yastrow - President & Founder
Steve is a non-stop idea generator, business advisor and best-selling sales author who has guided hundreds of executives and businesses to drive results by developing the dedicated commitment of their customers and employees. A former vice-president of resort marketing for Hyatt Hotels and senior vice-president of marketing for Sunterra resorts, Steve opted-out of his career as a senior marketing executive in the hospitality industry in 1997 to form Yastrow & Company.
Fun Fact about Steve: Steve and his son Levi play in a band, Shakshuka, that has released three records.
Heather Blonsky - Vice President, Strategy & Operations
As Yastrow & Company’s Jane-of-all-trades, Heather brainstorms brand strategies, designs efficient processes, facilitates engaging sessions and drives innovation and growth. She brings expertise in customer experience and operations in the hospitality and non-profit industries.
Fun Fact about Heather: she worked as a biking and hiking trip leader in locations such as Yellowstone National Park, Ecuador, Italy, and Peru.
Caroline Ceisel - Vice President, Strategy & Experience Design
Caroline is an expert in extracting key research insights to create visionary, human-centered brand strategies and design customer and employee experiences that drive business results. Prior to joining Yastrow & Company, Caroline managed customer loyalty strategy and innovation at Expedia Group and Hyatt Hotels.
Fun Fact about Caroline: she graduated from the Second City Improv Program and has written for and performed in a sketch comedy show.
Kim Rule - Director, Operations & Project Management
Kim oversees our business operations, manages our client projects and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. She brings experience in building client relationships and enhancing organizational effectiveness in the insurance, advertising, non-profit and health and fitness industries.
Fun Fact about Kim: she teaches pilates, barre, bootcamp and kickboxing classes.
Diana Lackner - Vice President, Strategy & Research
Diana designs and conducts qualitative market research, distilling complex findings into actionable strategies and crafting powerful, pithy brand promises and brand actions for our clients. Diana has been an asset to the Yastrow & Company team for over 20 years.
Fun Fact about Diana: she likes to engage in new experiences especially travel, food and dance.
Aaron Yeagle - Director, Technology & Media
As our digital grease monkey, Aaron’s goal is to develop our technological initiatives, edit our videos, and manage our social footprint. Aaron brings a 20-year history in the music business plus 14 years as an internet consultant.
Fun Fact about Aaron: He’s a Certified Hypnotherapist and EFT Practitioner.
Arna Yastrow -Director, Learning & Development
Arna contributes to conducting market research and creating professional development curricula for our clients. She has spent the majority of her career in education and curriculum development and has been a strategic and creative influence on our projects over the years.
Fun Fact about Arna: she loves all kinds of music – from opera to jazz.
Suzanne Kszastowski - Accounting Manager
Suzanne takes care of the details when it comes to accounting at Yastrow & Company. She began as an HR Manager at a CPA firm, where she learned of her love for solving accounting puzzles, and she has been a bookkeeper for a variety of clients over the past 5 years.
Fun Fact about Suzanne: She is an opera singer in the chorus at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.