Parissa Behnia
Parissa is the Idea Chef of 678 Partners. She helps companies whip up meals in their business development kitchens that sate customer appetites and make them come back for more. Her irrepressible imagination and strategic mindset are the salt and pepper of her business arsenal and are tools that can be applied to many industries.
Parissa’s marketing education came first from American Express where she managed multiple card acquisition and loyalty campaigns. She also developed her expertise pairing data and customer focused strategy while delivering profitable accounts to the American Express franchise.
While at Citigroup, Parissa developed her strategic business and marketing skills further by leading branding, value proposition and new product development initiatives. She was also directly instrumental in improving top line and bottom line portfolio revenue performance while gaining a reputation for being a great team leader, team player and collaborator.
Parissa is a founding member of Pasfarda, an organization committed to the promotion and global exchange of arts and culture. She is a foodie, wannabe pastry chef and glued to HGTV, FoodTV, Bravo and Project Runway. Parissa holds a BA from Northwestern University and MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Amir H. Rafizadeh
Amir is 678 Partners’ Network Sommelier. Over the past two decades, Amir has developed and mastered advanced business development strategies that can create, more efficient revenue streams for business owners and senior executives alike. These unique skills in pairing the right concepts for the right people are much like how one would pair a fine wine with a great meal.
At Glaxo Wellcome, he quickly distinguished himself for his leadership skills and his ability to motivate his 40 strong sales force which spanned the UK. His vision and his drive reversed the fortunes of his unit and tripled sales in a two year period. He also became a trusted resource and conducted seminars to share best practices with Glaxo sister companies that spanned the globe.
In the last decade, he has developed a reputation as a trusted advisor because of his razor sharp client focus and his objective advice borne out of his sense of integrity. His primary focus has been providing meaningful solutions to private business owners and to help them achieve their objectives.
Amir is committed to serving the community and has donated his time to Boys and Girls Club and many other non profits. He loves the Lakers, Aston Martins and any Cabernet out of Grgich Hills Estate (but open to your recommendations). Amir holds a BS from University College of London and MBA from University of Bristol.