Passion. Diligence. Experience.
We are a team of seasoned management consultants with deep experience in marketing strategy and execution, market research, and analytics. We founded Cyrca because we love solving problems – thoroughly, elegantly, and above all, practically. Our senior leadership is deeply involved in all of our client engagements, because that’s where the action is. And in many cases, the “big picture” solution requires more than just expertise and experience, but an up close understanding of the details.
Leadership
PARTNER
Marc Steiner
Marc has a passion for combining his 25 years of management consulting expertise with insights from fields as diverse as demography, anthropology and military strategy to help rethink fundamental approaches to product and customer strategy. Prior to founding Cyrca, Marc’s career included stops at Deloitte Consulting and boutique consultancies, and as a Partner with Lenati he established several practices, including Customer Acquisition and Retention, Go To Market Strategy, and most recently Customer Insights and Analytics. He received his MBA from the EDHEC in Nice, France, and dual degrees in Biology & Political Science from Brown University.
PARTNER
Amanda Piro
Amanda is known for her insatiable curiosity and an ability to develop a near-encyclopedic understanding of client data and research findings to find patterns amidst seeming noise. As a strategist, she has led projects spanning Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Acquisition, and Brand Strategy for clients ranging from small non-profits to executives from Fortune 50 companies. She has designed and led numerous quantitative and qualitative research projects, and particularly enjoys focus groups and ethnography. She draws upon her broad experience in pricing, global marketing operations, marketing strategy, and loyalty program design to connect research to actionable strategies. Prior to Cyrca, she led special projects at Holland America Line and co-led Lenati’s Customer Insights and Analytics practice. She holds dual B.A.s from the University of Washington in International Political Economy and French (magna cum laude). In her spare time, she’s an avid mountaineer and climber, with active roles in both The Mountaineers and the North Cascades Institute.
PRINCIPAL
Laurie McLean
Laurie is an experienced program manager and marketing strategist with over a decade of experience, with a strong entrepreneurial drive and ability to lead teams and deliver results. Laurie has a proven track record of managing complex strategic projects, tech assessments, implementations, and pilots. She is effective at delivering high quality results in ambiguous settings and is a strong self-starter. Laurie thrives on collaboration, innovation and creatively solving problems. Laurie has supported clients in a variety of industries, including technology, retail, healthcare, travel and government. At Lenati Consulting, Laurie was an Engagement Manager, responsible for leading client engagements and delivering superior customer strategies in ambiguous settings. Projects were cross-functional, requiring a high degree of collaboration, planning, and the ability to influence stakeholders to adopt a shared vision. Laurie is also skilled at developing and applying strategic frameworks, collaborating and running facilitation workshops, and synthesizing insights to tell a compelling story. Laurie has supported clients and marketing teams across Microsoft, Nordstrom, Uber, Vans, Group Health, DSW, Adobe, American Eagle, Expedia, Hotels.com and Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
PRINCIPAL
Krista Gunstone
Krista is an innovative Customer Experience (CX) and Loyalty leader with over 12 years of experience spanning both senior roles in industry and management consulting – bringing a unique blend of real-world pragmatism and consulting rigor. Her expertise is in Marketing Strategy, Loyalty & Membership Program Design, CX Design, Engagement Marketing, GTM, Product Management, Personalization, and Tech Enablement – designing programs and delivering results for world-class brands including Amazon, Nike, Nordstrom, Expedia, Microsoft, T-Mobile, American Eagle, Foot Locker, REI, and more. Currently residing in Europe, Krista joined Cyrca Strategy in 2020 as a Principal and member of the leadership team supporting both EMEA and US-based clients. Her background spans retail/eCommerce, CPG, high-tech, cloud computing/SaaS, travel & hospitality, telecom, and healthcare. Prior to joining Cyrca, Krista led Alexa Devices Online Marketing Engagement for Amazon Europe. Krista held multiple senior roles in both consulting and industry including Head of the Retail Practice at PK Global (formally Lenati) and Brand Marketing Strategy at Nordstrom Corporate in Seattle, WA.