About Media Management Group

Media Management Group, LLC was founded by Jeff Schwartz and Ian Heller in 1992 to represent major media personalities and professional speakers. After earning a reputation as one of the preeminent companies in that field, MMG broadened its scope by adding a Marketing and Business Development division. The company has experience across a wide range of media and business products, with a particular focus on radio and financial clients. MMG has a reputation for creativity, cutting edge business practices, and a keen understanding of media convergence and how to use it in this rapidly changing cultural environment.

Media Management Group created and sold a national on-air promotion campaign for Nickelodeon, provided talent and creative guidance to NBC for a national daytime talk show, produced music and comedy CD’s, and packaged literary projects. While managing the careers of top personalities in the worlds of television, radio, the Internet and publishing, Ian and Jeff have negotiated and coordinated activities with companies like ABC, NBC, Premiere Radio Networks, Clear Channel Communications, Simon & Schuster, Viacom, Court TV, Dick Clark Productions, CNN, Stonyfield Farm, Sirius Satellite Radio, Discovery Networks, Random House, Penguin-Putnam and Citibank, and have close, long-standing relationships with the major talent agencies and speaker bureaus.

Jeff Schwartz has been in the media business for more than 30 years. After a brief time as a guitarist in touring rock and bluegrass bands, he decided that he liked it better backstage than on stage. He began as an agent booking tours for some of the top performers in the world including Fleetwood Mac, Harry Chapin, Meatloaf and Peter Allen. In 1978 Jeff formed his own personal management and production company, through which he managed the careers of several major comedians and coordinated the entertainment schedules for comedy clubs across the country. He produced live shows and events, recordings, books, television programs, and a film project with George Carlin. Additionally, Jeff co-authored and edited a variety of film and television scripts and literary works, and was the Producer of a nationally syndicated radio show for Premiere Radio Networks.

Ian Heller - Co-President & CEO

Prior to joining Media Management Group, Ian Heller had a private law practice specializing in entertainment law, general civil litigation, appeals, contracts, and commercial and criminal litigation. He was also general counsel to WorldMedia Group, a television and film production company and an advisor to various record and television production businesses. In 1990, Ian co-founded Heller/Hone International, Inc., a company specializing in the distribution of live and taped sports and entertainment programming for international network television and domestic pay-per-view, and the coordination of merchandising in conjunction with these events. The company worked with such notable music legends as The Grateful Dead, The Band, Jefferson Airplane and Bill Graham. A singer/songwriter/ cellist/pianist, Ian is a classically trained musician from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music and has performed and recorded professionally since the age of five.

Warren Banholzer - Executive VP / Sales

For Warren Banholzer, a love of music soon turned into a career playing with and managing musical groups. He produced and performed on numerous releases, and operated a studio and a sound production company. While still involved in music, he began exploring the advertising industry. After graduating from college, Warren joined STUDIO A, a small full service-creative advertising agency. It was there that he developed skills as a radio and TV producer, voice-talent, copywriter and photographer, winning multiple awards for his work along the way. A move to Seattle took him to KSER-FM where he enjoyed his first true radio gig and producing the station’s first promotional campaign. In 1996 Warren joined what was then Broadcast Programming and later Jones Radio Network where, as Operations Manager, he directed the company’s technology investments and was instrumental in the success of the Delilah(R) syndicated radio program as well as other music and talk products. Delilah grew from 11 affiliates in 1997 to over 200 by 1999. In early 2002 he began selling for CBS RADIO at 1010 WINS News Radio New York, the top billing radio station in the country. Warren was a Senior Account Executive at CBS when he left to join Media Management Group.

Aly Hagen - Creative Director

Aly Hagen is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she earned a Bachelors Degree in Art History. She has worked in management/sales of theatrical merchandise for Araca Merchandise LP, one of the largest merchandise companies in Broadway theater. She has also coordinated the website and fan services for a top stage and screen actress.

A graduate of Boston University with a degree in Economics, Annie Begg has worked in Advertising Sales and Marketing for top publications such as The New Yorker, Vogue, and Rolling Stone. She is an aspiring world traveler, and has spent time abroad in Australia and Africa.

Clay Kohut - Director of Digital Media

Clay Kohut, a native Texan, moved to New York at the exceptionally young age of nineteen to try and "make it" in the "big city." He grew up with an insatiable hunger for everything tech. Just seven months into his stay, Clay was lucky enough to land a job doing what he loves as the Director of Digital Media for MMG. He has experience in all facets of New Media -- creating websites and iPhone applications, producing both streaming and non-streaming videos for the web, and developing digital marketing strategies uniquely tailored to media personalities.