Our Team

T

he Silver Age team is comprised of strategic and creative consultants, our professional Advisory Board and a network of trusted partners. Collectively, we serve as an extension of your leadership team to identify opportunities and drive sustainable business growth.

Our Advisory Board partners directly with you to deliver the expertise of proven leaders. With experiences that span from leading healthcare marketing organizations to engineering data strategy, products and platforms, to launching breakthrough therapies to delivering hands-on senior care – our team is uniquely positioned to help you tap into the power and potential of the Silver market.

SILVER AGE ADVISORY BOARD

Michael McCartney
Founder

Al Topin
Healthcare Marketing Expert

Christi Wise
Product Innovation Leader

Eduardo Alvarez
CX Expert and Global Marketer

Julianne Rizzo
RN and Hospital Administrator

Michael McCartney

Silver Age Founder

The future of health is happening. It’s changing the way we predict, diagnose and treat disease, and maintain health. Our ability to connect these innovations to those that need them most, our aging population, will have a significant impact on the physical, financial and mental health of many. Silver Age was formed to create that connectivity to elevate Silver health and well-being.

I began my career within the Leo Burnett and Publicis organizations. I was fortunate to grow up in the industry working on many of the world’s biggest brands, such as Kellogg’s, McDonald’s and Nintendo. I was a key member of innovation teams that designed and delivered new design, packaging and digital capabilities to our Fortune 500 clients.

Following 12 years in big agency CPG, I redirected my focus to healthcare marketing. As a front-line agency strategist and account lead, I’ve partnered with major players in healthcare IT, pharma, device and OTC, including McKesson, AbbVie, Alcon, Baxter, Shire and J&J. Our work spanned the strategy, design and delivery of multi-channel communications for patients, physicians and payors as well the commercial launches of pioneering therapies in oncology, immunology and diabetes.

In my most recent leadership roles with Sandbox, I served as a member of the executive team responsible for running all aspects of the organization. As GM and Chief Integration Officer, I focused on operations, acquisition and integration to support an agency roster that featured American Express, John Deere, Shire, Sprint and Takeda.

I’m a passionate health and wellness advocate – personally and professionally. When not working with organizations to realize their vision, I can usually be found outdoors, spending time with my wife and two children, renovating and coaching youth sports.

Al Topin

Healthcare Marketing Expert

Al is an accomplished marketing strategist with experience on both the agency and client-side. His combined background in brand building, research, strategic planning and management gives him clear insights to provide hard-nosed advice to senior healthcare management.

His in-depth experience with pharmaceutical marketers, device manufacturers, providers, payers, as well as healthcare consultancies, has given him a seasoned perspective and proven track record of delivering impact for product launches, rebranding programs and strategic planning.

Mr. Topin holds a BA from Washington University in St Louis and an MSJ in Advertising from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He’s authored over 15 published articles on marketing and product management and has presented at a variety of conferences.

For 33 years, Al built and managed Topin & Associates, a mid-sized Chicago-based healthcare and medical advertising agency with U.S. and global clients large and small. Al currently serves as a strategic healthcare consultant offering broad advisory and planning services on both a project and retainer basis.

Christi Wise

Product Innovation Leader

Christi Wise is a Product Innovation leader with a passion for turning strategy into reality. She has led the design and development of many new offerings to serve employers and employees during her 25+ year career, spearheading critical and complex business initiatives that achieve a strategic vision, new revenue sources, profitable business models, and operational excellence in markets nationwide.

Most recently, Christi founded the Healthcare Group Labs at Fidelity Investments, where her team explored high potential offerings and concepts to be proven and refined using a test and learn approach before building them at scale. Programs included applying AI/ML, conversational interfaces, behavioral economics and more.

Prior, Christi founded a Workplace Labs function and was head of Health Solutions Product at Fidelity focused on delivering health and insurance benefits to Fortune 100 clients and their employees. Earlier, she was a Partner at Hewitt Associates, a leading global provider of human capital and management consulting services where she led Customer Experience. Before that, she was a Lead Designer at a Marketing Communication Design Agency and Assistant Professor Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Christi has led many specific explorations focused on the Silver market that include creating retiree health transition services, establishing well-being metrics, leading design thinking exercises and developing product concepts, messages and prototypes that have informed mature offerings. She holds two patents and is recognized as a thought leader in health, wellness and experiential design. She is a frequent speaker and judge of health design challenges.

Christi earned her Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago with an Emphasis in Interactive Communication Design, and a Bachelors in Fine Arts, Design & Psychology Honors College from Michigan State University.

Eduardo Alvarez

CX Professional and
Global Marketer

Eduardo is a CX Professional with 25 years of multicultural experience. He has lived and worked in markets including the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia in categories that span from Technology and CPG to Financial Services, Insurance and Automotive. A key driver in his success has been his ability to inspire the use of creativity in technology to integrate multiple channels into a compelling customer journey – driving sales and nurturing profitable customer relationships.

For over 20 years, Eduardo served in Interactive Marketing leadership roles at Leo Burnett Worldwide, driving the integration of B2C, B2B, CRM and interactive best practices. During his tenure, he spearheaded the formulation of innovative marketing strategies and digital platforms for major international brands.

His most recent assignment was with Publicis in Tokyo, where he was the CX Director managing a team of 10 Japanese specialists. The role encompassed all aspects of marketing operations, including consumer engagement strategy, planning, data analytics and predictive modeling, web metrics, text mining and reporting. For McDonald’s Japan, Eduardo led initiatives to increase store traffic and sales volume by optimizing data analytics and behavioral segmentation. He has also led critical marketing automation (Salesforce) and CRM programs in the Asian markets for category leaders such as Mercedes Benz and Gucci.

He excels in understanding the cultural nuances of global markets and connecting brands to consumers through the creative use of technology. He is an architect of multichannel strategies that amplify brand impact to enrich experiences and engagement.

Eduardo holds a degree in Computer Science from IUNP and has completed advanced coursework at Northwestern University and Marian University in Database Marketing, Information Systems and Business Administration.

Julianne Rizzo

Registered Nurse, Hospital Administrator and Senior Advisor

Julianne has over two decades of healthcare experience as a Registered Nurse, Hospital Administrator and Certified Senior Advisor. In 1996 she earned her nursing degree and began caring for cancer patients and working as an operating room RN. Her passion for providing compassionate care for patients and their families as they move through some of life’s most challenging moments became a central component of her healthcare career.

In 2007 Julianne earned a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Leadership, and in 2012 she earned her MBA in Healthcare Management and Administration. She subsequently held several positions in hospital systems and was instrumental in managing initiatives to maintain patient safety, enhance staff productivity and acquire physician practices.

After multiple years in management, Julianne realized that she had a different calling. Her understanding of the stress that health issues can place on aging adults and their families led her to become a Certified Senior Advisor. She applies her nursing expertise, communication skills and business acumen to consult directly with seniors to assess their needs and determine care options based on medical, emotional, financial and geographical considerations.

Julianne has cultivated an uncanny ability to connect and care for Silvers. Sharing these experiences and insights with our clients allows many to benefit from her extensive experience in caring for older adults.

She is a Chicago-area resident, and as her last name implies, she is indeed a die-hard Cubs fan.

Silver Age LLC

318 W. Adams

Suite 1600

Chicago, IL 60601



312.515.3270

connect@silverageco.com