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Why work with us? Well, mostly because of us.
 
Lee Rafkin
Lee Rafkin
Global Director, Simplification

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Never underestimate the power of travel to transform a kid's perception of the world. In Lee Rafkin's case, a trip to Brazil at the age of eight quite simply rocked his planet, and led to his return years later as a high school exchange student in Rio de Janeiro. From this experience was born an appreciation of exotic cultures, a love of languages, a global perspective, and a desire to boil things down to their core essence in ways that transcend cultural barriers.

Today, Lee leads the global Simplification practice, the business that started it all at Siegel+Gale almost 40 years ago. His view is that "everything communicates" and that simplification is a powerful strategic tool in differentiating and transforming brands. His vision is to expand the scope and global reach of the practice, from designing functional communications to optimizing customer experience in all channels and consumer touchpoints. That takes Lee and the Simplification business into the realm of online, social media, mobile, and anywhere else the time-famined consumer wants to go. These are spaces that Lee knows well, as both a client and as a consultant.

 
Irene Etzkorn, Simplification Practice Advisor
Irene Etzkorn
Simplification Practice Advisor, New York

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You'll find her axiom, There is no such thing as a boring project, there are only boring executions sandwiched between aphorisms by Albert Camus and Alan Turing in "Quotes about Design," among the numerous other "Irene Etzkorn" references cited online and in the press. Irene, a long-time collaborator with Alan Siegel, is credited with helping him to widen the applicability of simplified communications beyond business forms and legal literature to become a means of rethinking the customer-organization relationship and retooling it to become a one-to-one conversation.

 
Christine Mauro
Christine Mauro
Strategy Director, New York

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As a Strategy Director and Information Architect in the Simplification Group at Siegel+Gale, Christine specializes in solving complex communication problems for clients.

Since joining Siegel+Gale in 1994, Christine has developed simplified design and architecture for documents, web sites, on-line applications, information flow processes and content strategies for clients in industries ranging from brokerage services, telecommunications, consumer credit, mutual funds, insurance, banking, healthcare, utility, and government.

 
Charlene Raytek
Charlene Raytek
Strategy Director, New York

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As a Strategy Director at Siegel+Gale, Charlene works in the simplification practice to create streamlined, clear communications. For over 20 years, Charlene has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies to create thoughtful approaches to information challenges across a range of industries included financial services, insurance, telecom, consumer products and pharmaceutical companies.

 
Rachael Keeler, Senior Information Architect, New York
Rachael Keeler
Senior Information Architect, New York

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As a senior information architect in Siegel+Gale’s Simplification Group, Rachael creates user-centered solutions that satisfy customer expectations for utility and ease of use, while also support­ing business requirements and brand strategy. She is involved in analyzing user needs and business objectives, including conducting interviews with stake­holders and users, developing content and workflow maps that indicate process and systems implications, navigation, and content relationships. Rachael’s clients have included the SEC, NASD, Allstate, Motorola, and Genworth.