Linda J. Luca & James Fink

Teaches at Data & Marketing Institute

Linda is a former Executive Vice President and Group Managing Director for McCann NY where she managed the Unilever Foods and Major League Baseball accounts.
Joining McCann in 1981 as an Account Management trainee, Linda successively worked her way to a Group Managing Director. During those years, she managed a variety of premier packaged goods accounts such as Unilever’s Bertolli Foods, PF Changs, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Cadbury’s Dentyne, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Black & Decker, Coca-Cola’s Sport Drinks, Johnson & Johnson’s Acuvue as well as various accounts in other industries. She has an established track record in developing integrated marketing communications campaigns, launching new products, and managing various digital offerings for these clients.
Because of her contributions to the industry and her clients’ business, Linda’s work has been acknowledged often. In 1990, she received McCann-Erickson General Manager’s Award, the Agency’s highest recognition. In 1992, Linda was awarded the YWCA Woman Achievers in Business Award. Over the years, she served as an advocate for health claims in food advertising at various FDA seminars. In addition, several campaigns she helped develop received Silver and Bronze Effies and AME awards in the food category. The Unilever campaign received the Global Silver Award. Linda also served as an Effie and an AME judge.
When not attending to client needs, she led McCann’s Human Futures Development program. This program is designed to teach emerging stars the essential tools needed to succeed in the communications industry. For over 15 years, she has been an active participant and advocate for the Advertising Education Foundation. She coordinates the AEF’s Visiting Professor Program for McCann and has spoken at numerous colleges and universities over the years under the AEF’s program.
Currently, Linda is teaching Integrated Marketing Communications and Marketing Principles at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in the Bronx. In 2013, she was the first Adjunct to be honored with the University’s "Cura Personalis" Award, given to the faculty member who most demonstrates care of the whole person, challenges students and provides them with the support to excel.
Linda received her MBA in Finance from Pace’s Lubin School of Business (1981) and her BA in History from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1971). She resides in the Bronx with her husband, Gerard Tarpey, former Computer Services Director for Pace University.


James began his career in sales, within the media industry. He has successfully closed several deals and his achievements quickly moved him from sales into management. He's managed divisions for top-rated radio stations in Los Angeles, for CBS and for Univision. Later, at Univision, James was promoted to Director of Sports and oversaw broadcast negotiations with several NFL, MLB, and college sports teams. Eventually, he found himself in the role of CMO for a Direct Response ad agency, focused on driving ROI for ad campaigns on radio and TV. Having combined experiences in various marketing roles, James was dissatisfied with the idea of wasted ad space and scattered targeting. He wanted to find a way to center ads on the individual and better ensure success for brands, both on a sale/ROI level and a brand awareness level. James wanted to change the mindset of how companies reach their core consumers and high-level potential prospects. His solution is Optikal, an OmniChannel marketing agency, powered by integrated technology, data analytics, and optimizing media strategies based on data-driven results. James and his team are redefining OmniChannel Marketing to make advertising more precise and to deliver better results.