Team
Agency expertise. Client experience. An uncommon combination.
Who we are
Waza is a Japanese term that combines the concepts of high artistry with skillful technique. It neatly captures our vision for the firm: a combination of outstanding design and messaging infused with market strategy and the practical experience and battle scars of a career in the corporate marketing trenches—where messaging meets Magic Quadrant and PowerPoint hits pipeline.
We offer world-class design and engaging storytelling, infused with the from-the-frontlines experience of a team that understands not just how to design a brand, but also how to integrate, operate and live within it.
Leadership
Simon West
Partner and Co-founder
Simon West has more than 25 years of experience establishing B2B technology brands as leaders in emerging and high-growth market sectors, with a track record that includes five successful exits. including three of more than $1 billion.
Prior to founding Waza, West was Chief Experience Officer for autonomous mobility provider Beep, where he integrated marketing, product management and experience design across the company's software and services. He was formerly CMO for Magnitude Software, where he led a rebranding of the company and implemented marketing programs leading to record organic growth and a sale of the business in 2020.
He previously served as CMO of cloud provider Virtustream, now part of Dell Technologies; for SoftLayer, where he directed a repositioning that established the company as a global leader in cloud computing leading to its $2 billion sale to IBM in 2013; and for Terremark, a global cloud and data center leader acquired by Verizon.
Gus Granger
Partner and Co-founder
From start-ups to the largest brands in the world, Gus has created brands, experiences, and campaigns that have played key roles in building billions of dollars in revenue and enterprise value.
As founder and CEO of 70kft, he led creative direction and operations for a 50-person brand strategy and marketing agency specializing in enterprise technology, with a client roster spanning early-stage tech startups to Fortune 1,000 leaders including Verizon, HPE, and VMware.
As a member of the senior leadership team at VSA Partners, he helped lead the expansion of the hybrid brand strategy and design experience agency’s relationships in global technology verticals as well as expansions into emerging sectors in green energy and Web 3.0.
Extended Team
Jeremy Williams
Web Development
Jeremy Williams is a acclaimed Web Development leader with a passion for crafting clean, user-friendly interfaces and well-conceived code. Specializing in technologies like HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and various backend tools, he has extensive experience working with various CMS platforms and optimizing integration for third-party applications, including Salesforce.
As a team leader and standards advocate, Jeremy has led development teams at a number of agencies, in-house groups and served as a Senior Web Developer for Google.
Wayne Geyer
Creative Director and Strategist
Over a 25-year career, Wayne Geyer has developed an approach and a process that helps organization leaders get their stories straight—so they can engage in effective, productive conversations with their audiences. The output from Wayne's work directly impacts clients' sales, marketing, recruiting, on-boarding, and culture.
As a process facilitator, Wayne shares his knowledge and experience with creative professionals and teams—helping them solve communication problems more efficiently and effectively.
Shantal Gonzalez
Director, Project Management
Shantal is an experienced project manager with a strong background in marketing, advertising, and operations. She excels at leading teams, enhancing productivity, and driving compliance and best practices. Known for her critical thinking and risk management, Shantal builds strong stakeholder relationships while aligning operational budgets and improving processes.
Her career highlights include contributing to award-winning campaigns like The Real Cost at FCB New York and implementing project management methodologies at VSA Partners. Most recently, she supported major brands like Verizon, ASOS, and Smirnoff at MRM.