Executives
Jay Clarke
President and CEO
As president and CEO of Magazines.com, Jay Clarke blends the ideals of athletics with the ideas of entrepreneurship to create the leading online subscription resource for magazine subscribers and publishing companies.
Jay, a former banker, started Magazines.com in 1999, working with investor Time Inc. to buy the “magazines.com” Web address, relaunching the site as a magazine subscription destination. Today, Magazines.com carries more than 2,000 publications, from People and Food Network magazine to Veterinary Economics and Government Technology.
He draws on his love for sports in his work at Magazines.com, where Jay sees himself as a coach to his fellow employees. “My job is to understand a person’s goals and then do all I can to help them reach those goals,” he says. “I want Magazines.com to be a place where publishers get a chance to connect with new readers and our team has the opportunity to work on interesting projects and do good work.”
Before founding Magazines.com, Jay worked at SunTrust Bank, where he began his career after graduating from Georgia Tech. He spent 12 years with SunTrust in the Southeastern corporate accounts division, where he managed SunTrust banking relationships with some of the most successful large and middle-market corporations in the country. “SunTrust was a great opportunity for me to see how executives build growing, profitable companies.”
After SunTrust, Jay partnered with Doug Johns, formerly of Compaq, to start Monorail Computer Corporation, a new consumer personal computer manufacturer. As Monorail’s chief financial officer, Jay led an effort that yielded $40 million in startup capital, and in 1996, Monorail introduced the first sub-$1,000 computer for consumers through CompUSA. In 1997, Fortune magazine highlighted Monorail as one of the country’s hottest startup companies.
Today, Jay is actively involved in several business organizations, including the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee, where he belongs to the board of directors, and the Young Presidents’ Organization. Jay is also active at Nashville’s Christ Presbyterian Church, where he has served as an officer since 2001.
Not surprisingly, Jay counts several sports magazines including Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, Garden and Gun, and WaterSki as his favorite magazines. He also enjoys reading Nashville Lifestyles, a local magazine.
Jay and his wife Jill live in Franklin, Tenn. They are the proud parents of Jim, Jessica, and Philip.
Jeff Ballard
Chief Financial Officer
As chief financial officer, Jeff oversees finance and accounting at Magazines.com.
Jeff, who grew up north of Nashville in Greenbrier, Tenn., joined Magazines.com in 2005. Previously, Jeff served as controller for the Corrections Corporation of America, a $1 billion publicly held prison management company.
During his tenure there, Jeff was named financial executive of the year in 2004 by the Institute of Management Accountants (Tennessee Valley region) and was featured in the Wall Street Journal for his accomplishment.
Jeff graduated magna cum laude from Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s in accounting. A certified public accountant, he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants.
When he’s not working, Jeff can be found on the links or coaching his sons’ youth sports teams. Not surprisingly, Jeff enjoys reading Sports Illustrated, Golf magazine and Golf Digest. Jeff and his wife Bethany live in Brentwood, Tenn. They are the proud parents of Grant and Ethan.
Andy Sperry
Vice President of Partnerships
As Vice President of Magazines.com, it is Andy’s responsibility to expand product lines and revenues for the company. Bringing with him a strong background in digital marketing and an extensive portfolio of successful business ventures, Andy was welcomed to Magazines.com in August 2012.
Before joining Magazines.com, Andy tried his hand at entrepreneurial roles, launching several brands such as InkFlip, a subscription-style ink cartridge delivery service, and venture capital backed company Branditty. In another of his ventures, The Water Trigger, he brought his innovative product idea to life, starting at the drawing board and then seeing it through to the manufacture of the product in Taiwan.
Andy graduated summa cum laude from Miami University in Oxford Ohio in 1992. His education continued into the world of software sales and sales management, when an appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank gave him the exposure he needed to open many more entrepreneurial doors.
One of the reasons for Andy’s constant success is his drive to see projects through to the end. “To do great things you must become a great finisher, something most people aren't willing to tackle day in and day out.” This is clearly evident in his 7 years with iTouch/Controlscape, in which he worked in every role from concept through to development, writing documentation for the devices, assisting with the telephone support and working in various marketing roles. “Only when the excitement of something new is long gone does the opportunity to stand out and produce greatness appear.” In his previous role as Director of Digital Products for SouthComm, Andy was responsible for all digital offerings in the company’s 6 regional markets. This included a Daily Deal promotion, a full digital marketing suite and various SEM and SEO tools. It is his strong background in digital marketing and branding here and in other roles that gives him the skills necessary to take Magazines.com to the next stage with new product lines.
In his spare time, Andy keeps his passion alive by reading many of the popular business magazines such as Inc., Entrepreneur and Fast Company. He devotes a large amount of his time to Search Ministries Nashville, and also enjoys time with his wife Marianne and coaching his 2 children in a variety of sports
Scott Vogel
Vice President of Marketing
As Vice President of Marketing, Scott is responsible for leading the marketing team and its agency partners to profitably grow sales. Joining Magazines.com in 2013, Scott has more than 20 years of line experience as a general manager and marketer in e-commerce, retail and consumer packaged goods.
Most recently, he served as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Company Owned Channels at the Oreck Corporation. Previously, he served as Vice President of the 700 unit Retail division at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and as President of Valvoline Instant Oil Change, a chain of 500 franchisee and 300 company owned units. He also has led a successful start-up in the collectibles industry, and started his career in entry level marketing with Clorox, advancing to the role of Vice President and General Manager of the Laundry business.
He has an MBA from Harvard Business School, and undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Scott and his wife Reen live in Brentwood, Tenn. with their daughters Kate and Molly. Sports Illustrated, People and Entertainment Weekly are all very popular at the Vogel household.