Meet our Team
Chris Pitisci is the Managing Partner and Founder of Pitisci & Associates. Chris is a University of Florida graduate and a third generation Tampa native. He began his Information Technology staffing career when he joined a publicly traded, national consulting firm that provided both staff augmentation and project-based professional services. Following his eight years there, Chris transitioned to a local, full-service executive search and professional staffing firm as a partner and Vice President of IT Recruiting. In 2008, Chris co-founded and was a partner in a local finance, accounting and technology staffing company. He directed its IT department, which demonstrated significant growth under his leadership.
In January 2015, Chris established Pitisci & Associates based on the principles of trust, integrity and attention to detail. The aim of Pitisci & Associates is to create long term relationships with candidates and clients to ensure the success of both. Pitisci & Associates is distinguished by each team member’s enthusiastic dedication and unwavering commitment to provide the highest level of service. At Pitisci & Associates, the success of their clients and candidates is the cornerstone of their business.
Craig Darrell is a Sales and Recruiting specialist at Pitisci & Associates in Tampa, Florida with over 6 years of experience in the IT, healthcare, and talent acquisition industries. He previously worked as a Client Account Manager at AMN Revenue Cycle Solutions and as a Senior Recruiter at himagine solutions inc. He has expertise in Healthcare Information Management and has worked on projects related to medical coding, clinical documentation, and education/training. He also served in the United States Air Force as a Radar Signal Intelligence Exploitation Specialist for 4 years and holds an Information Technology degree from the University of South Florida.
John Sebesta is a progressive professional who has established long lasting business relationships in the Tampa Bay area over the past 28 years. John began his career in sales with a Fortune 500 company that provided outstanding training and a strong foundation in sales management. Quickly advancing to the top tier by consistently attaining his sales goals, John was assigned his own sales office and achieved over $3 million in recurring revenue within 5 years as a result of his strong leadership and management skills.
Eight years ago, John realized that his networking skills and keen knowledge of the business market were a perfect fit for the IT staffing industry. He took a position as the Director of Business Development at a full service recruiting firm on Florida’s east coast, charged with expanding the market to include the Bay area. John found immediate success in the new position and in early 2015, he joined Pitisci & Associates, where he is now using his exceptional skills to maximize existing relationships and develop new strategic accounts. John prides himself on providing exceptional service with a keen focus on the specific needs of his clients. Introducing his network of contacts to Pitisci & Associates was a logical step for John, as he shares the company’s commitment to integrity, quality and service. A Florida native, John resides in St. Petersburg.
Stephen Rideout is an innovative business professional who brings over 20 years of sales and recruiting experience to Pitisci & Associates and has been instrumental in generating new business in the Tampa Bay market. Stephen is tasked with growing sales and acquiring clients within new markets, while maintaining top C level relationships with existing businesses.
Prior to joining Pitisci & Associates, Stephen was a Sales Manager for Emerson Network Power. At Emerson, Stephen consistently achieved an annual 30% revenue growth for the Florida markets.
Prior to Emerson, Stephen worked for two executive recruiting firms sourcing and placing professionals in the fields of accounting, finance, IT, manufacturing and operations, increasing annual revenues by an average of 25% over his 11 year tenure there.
Throughout his career, Stephen has established himself in competitive markets by innovating and driving sales numbers. Stephen grew up in Tallahassee and graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Management.
Chris Martel has been recruiting top IT talent for agencies and Fortune 100 companies in the Tampa Bay market since 1988.
She not only brings advanced recruiting and sourcing skills, but also a deep understanding of technology in the local market. Her ability to research and understand complex requirements has proven invaluable when partnering with hiring managers and candidates. Her exceptional knowledge leads to a fast and efficient process which saves the client significant time and results in quality hires with low turnover.
Chris consistently earns high praise for her ability to locate outstanding candidates for difficult to source positions. She has extensive experience with both small and large companies, earning strong loyalty from both.
Chris has placed 112 employees in a single fiscal year for positions ranging from IT support through executive levels.
Brenda Pitisci is an established IT recruiter and a Tampa native with over 25 years experience. Brenda has achieved national recognition with Ajilon and has been awarded the “Presidents Club” distinction for outstanding performance four times in her career. This award is earned by being in the top 5% of recruiters nationally. Her local clients include companies like American Express, Revolution Money, and Metro Information Services.
Brenda has broad experience across the IT spectrum, having recruited top notch candidates for the following positions: business analysts, security engineers, architects, cloud engineers, program/project managers, QA, DBA’s developers, network engineers, systems engineers, and all executive IT levels. She has placed professionals in a wide range of industries, including financial, telecommunications, healthcare, government, aerospace, and technology.
Helen Clarke is a proven IT recruiter who brings over 30 years of recruiting experience to Pitisci & Associates. Helen has achieved national recognition in her field; she has been awarded the “Presidents Club” distinction for outstanding performance four times in her career, with more than ten nominations. In addition to agency recruiting, Helen has a strong corporate recruiting background, having placed candidates in numerous Fortune 500 companies.
Helen has recruited quality candidates for the following positions: program/project managers, QA, DBA’s developers, business analysts, network engineers, systems engineers, security engineers, architects, cloud engineers and all executive IT levels. In addition, she has staffed professional service projects. She has placed professionals in a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, healthcare, government, aerospace, and technology.
Brian Dodd has a Business degree from USF and has been recruiting in the Tampa area since 1999. Brian’s history and experience have given him a thorough knowledge of sourcing and a keen understanding of technology enabling him to consistently produce top IT talent. In turn, he has been able to develop and foster client and candidate relationships that have lasted throughout the years. With his proven track record of filling complex requirements in a short time frame, Brian’s clients recognize they can rely on him to meet and exceed their expectations and his candidates have confidence in his ability to provide opportunities that best match their skills and capabilities. Brian’s high level of performance, reliability and integrity will augment Pitisci and Associates and continue its development as the go-to IT staffing firm in the Tampa Bay area.
Emily Johnson is a Senior HR/Recruiting professional with more than 16 years progressive experience. She is extremely accomplished in full cycle recruiting, research and analysis, professional development and project management. Emily has a proven track record of sourcing exceptional talent, and making strategic placements that contribute to the long-term success of professionals and organizations. She has placed over 400 qualified candidates with clients in the Tampa Bay Area. Emily has a Bachelor’s Degree from James Madison University in Political Science and History.
Laura Sherrier is a Sr. Recruiting professional with over 11 years’ experience in the IT field. She has successfully staffed corporate and start-up positions ranging from entry level to Sr. Executive level.
In addition to building strong relationships with her candidates, Laura’s recruiting expertise includes sourcing, selection, behavioral interviewing, and relationship management. Laura graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s in business management and Entrepreneurship.