Meet The Team
Brian Gabay
CEO
So what does a vibrant and gregarious individual do with their life these days? Well if you have lived abroad, are a fanatical New York Knicks fan, impersonated Elvis as a toddler on Maury Povich, are Bilingual and known to do voice-overs; then you ever so clearly build a Recruiting Firm!
I am not the quintessential prototype of the head honcho, but rather an honest, aggressive, in tune with current times, realistic human being who knows how to treat others. I have walked the recruitment circuit, working for top firms, which has led me to establishing Brian Simon Associates. I have coupled my unique style with unbreakable relations and connections; creating the perfect ingredients to the complete recruitment cocktail. My end goal is to help others and secure careers that will last a life time.
I have been in the shoes of a candidate and I have helped others in those same shoes as a recruiter – understanding is key.
As owner and CEO, I vow to play a significant role through the entire process, fulfilling your destiny and guiding you to the place you were meant to be. As a result of my robust relations and partnerships, vendors have left their fate in my hands, confident I will make the perfect connection. Throughout my career, I have had the luxury of creating a niche category for PR Recruitment, while establishing divisions as such.
Mark Hartin
Director
After graduating from St. John’s University in 2010, like many of us, I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to do with my professional career. I accepted a few different sales and management trainee opportunities, but to be honest, they were not the fit and there was no true passion in what I was doing. I was at a cross roads in my life - should I stay in NYC and continue to be in my comfort zone, or take a risk and live out my dream by moving to California? If you guessed California, you guessed it right!
I took the leap of faith and road tripped across the country to Los Angeles. Once there, I accepted a position as an internal recruiter helping build out a SaaS sales team from the ground floor up. I fell in love with connecting people to the right opportunity and not only helping them find their dream job, but helping them make new memories, new friendships and new relationships. I finally found a career I truly loved!
I continued on my recruiting journey and accepted a position as an internal recruiter connecting Psychiatrists and Psychologists to a small mental health organization based in West Hollywood, CA. What an amazing opportunity this was to learn more about the industry and see first hand the incredible work they do for others. After nearly three years, I decided it was time to move back to NYC to be closer to my friends and family.
Today, I am the Director of Recruiting and Social/Influencer Agent at Brian Simon Associates. My goal is to help you find a job/career just like mine - one where you are truly happy when you wake up the morning, you look forward to making the commute to see your amazing teammates and you look forward to a long productive days work. I want to get to know you on a personal and professional level and help you find a position that will truly change your lives!
Come by our office anytime as I would love to meet you in person. I am known for whistling around the office quite a bit and talking about my adventures in LA - you will know where to find me!
Shanna Smith
Associate Recruiter
My name is Shanna (some call me Shay). It has truly been a dream come true to work for Brian Simon Associates. I graduated from Oneonta State University in 2017. While I was there I began my love for recruiting. I was asked to participate in a nation wide search for the Communications department. Not only did I help with sourcing, but I also helped hire and participated in the on boarding process. Also, while I was in college I helped recruit for my sorority “Pi Delta Chi”. I knew that after I graduated I wanted to be a full time recruiter.
I studied communications and wanted a job where not only communicating but listening was a important factor. I am very glad that I found those factors here. We all as a team value listening skills and team collaboration.
When I am not in the office, I enjoy going to the beach and not just in the summer. The beach is my zen. Even in the winter when there’s chunks of ice in the frozen water. There’s never been a time the ocean didn’t look beautiful to me. I am very lucky to have the big apple on the week days and The Hamptons on my weekends. On the weekends I spend time with my family and try to enjoy the simple things and of course sometimes scroll through LinkedIn (lol). I look forward to helping you achieve your next step in your career.
