Jeff Tarran, COO, Gunderson Direct & Margaret Pepe, Executive Director of Product Management, U.S. Postal Service

Jeff Tarran decided on a career in advertising in his teenage years and never looked back. After having worked at a variety of branding and content agencies, he ran his own direct mail agency for a dozen years. In 2018, he joined Gunderson Direct, Inc., where he is now COO. Gunderson Direct uses address-based data to help B2B and B2C businesses drive new leads and close more sales using direct mail.

Jeff is not only an expert in direct mail, but also in building agency teams for growth. At Gunderson Direct, he sees across all operational departments (creative, data, production, and account management) to ensure seamless and constantly improving service. That includes all aspects of overall agency strategy and resource management. Currently, his team is pioneering the use of AI in the world of direct mail. Using and creating tools, they are changing how content is created and how data can be more efficiently and effectively analyzed for client success.

Margaret Pepe is the Executive Director of Product Management at the U.S. Postal Service, with over three decades of postal experience primarily in marketing and customer service. In her current role, Margaret directs the strategic planning, product, and program management for Mailing Services, Special Services and New Solutions including First-Class & Marketing Mail, over 40 special services, and USPS Promotions & Incentives accounting for $42B in annual revenue.

Throughout her career, she has worked with the industry to develop and execute strategies that strengthen the value of mail, enable innovation, and adapt to changing marketplace needs. She has overseen the development of new programs, resources, and solutions designed to increase mail usage from businesses of all sizes such as mailing promotions and growth incentives.

Margaret’s commitment extends to educating the next generations of marketers on the value of mail and omni-channel campaigns through outreach and collaboration with colleges and educational organizations. Her prior responsibilities include Area Marketing Manager, Manager Retail and Post Office Operations, Manager Customer Outreach and Manager Stamp Products. She is a graduate of the USPS Executive Foundations and Advanced Leadership (ALP) programs, and she is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt underscoring her commitment to operational excellence in the postal industry.