Compete's financial services team is led by an experienced team of professionals who have developed industry expertise at companies including Bank of America, CMGI, FleetBoston Financial, IDC, and Shawmut Bank.
Ron Sheklin, General Manager of the practice, is a sought after speaker at industry conferences and is quoted frequently in major trade and general business publications.
Practice Leadership
Ron Sheklin
General Manager, Financial Services
Ron has more than 18 years of experience across financial services, e-commerce, and consulting. As the leader of Compete’s Financial Services practice, Ron is responsible for driving marketing efficiency and online channel effectiveness for clients in banking, insurance, and investing. Prior to joining Compete, Mr. Sheklin was co-founder and COO of Partnerwise Communications, a specialty affinity and co-brand partnership marketing firm. Previously, he directed initiatives in lending, e-commerce, and retail deposits at Capital One Financial. Prior to that, Ron was a consultant with Corporate Decisions, Inc. and Mercer Management Consulting delivering customer-driven growth strategies to Fortune 500 and private equity clients.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Management & Technology Program, Mr. Sheklin holds a BS from The Wharton School of Business and a BAS from the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Aaron Katz
Director
Aaron has more than 15 years helping companies generate actionable insight, and drive business results, from quantitative and qualitative data. As a Director in the Financial Services practice, Aaron leads client relationships with Fortune 500 auto insurers, investment companies, credit card issuers, and other diversified financial providers. Previously, Aaron was Director of Market Research for Fidelity Investments’ retail organization where he focused on customer loyalty and satisfaction. Prior to Fidelity, Aaron was a Senior Research Consultant at Forrester Research, conducting primary custom research for clients in both B2B and B2C contexts in the areas of financial services, consumer electronics, online services, and software. Aaron’s background also includes tenure as a derivatives analyst with Bankers Trust and a software development consultant for major firms, including Carlson Companies, American Express, and Qualcomm.
Aaron has a B.A. and M.A. in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a M.A. in Sociology from Brown University. He completed all coursework and exams towards a Ph.D. in Sociology at Brown University, meriting a Hamish Dissertation Fellowship in 2003 and a NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant in 2004.
Michael Perlman
Director
Michael brings experience in financial services, strategy consulting, and technology to Compete. Most recently, Michael worked at Falcon Investment Advisors, a middle-market private equity firm, where he analyzed investment opportunities across a variety of industries. Previously, Michael was a Group Manager within Siebel Systems’ strategy group where he developed sales, service, and marketing strategies for customers in multiple industries. Michael has also held strategic consulting positions at both ZEFER, Inc. and MarketBridge, Inc.
Michael holds a BA from Hamilton College and an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University where he was a Park Fellow.