LOS ANGELES — The winners of the 2015 XBIZ Executive Awards honoring adult entertainment industry professionals in the online market were announced on Jan. 13, at a special XBIZ 360 executive dinner event in the penthouse of Hollywood’s chic Andaz Hotel.
Among the winners were those representing the industry’s vibrant digital media market:
With new business being the lifeblood of any business, the front-line executives who foster growth for their enterprises are priceless members of the team, second to none — such as XBIZ’ 2015 Business Development Executive of the Year, Paul K. of CCBill.
“It’s easy to develop business when you work for such a great company,” Paul told the audience of his industry peers.
A successful enterprise is often known for its leaders who become known as the face of the company, with this rare breed of gregarious individuals championing their brand at every turn — individuals such as XBIZ’ 2015 Brand Ambassador of the Year, Affil4You’s Joey Gabra.
Key individuals serving as the “power behind their brands,” marketers wear many hats as an essential part of the executive brain trust — professionals such as XBIZ’ 2015 Marketing Executive of the Year, Sam Rakowski from Mr. Skin.
Managing a pool of talent requires a sharp mind, so XBIZ’ Senior Leadership award recognizes those individuals with the outstanding ability to motivate, inspire and build solidarity among all levels of personnel — such as this year’s winner, Gamma Entetainment’s Joel Drappeau.
Risk often goes hand in hand with creativity, with some pioneers blazing unknown trails to explore what’s on the horizon and adopt new strategies that often become standard practices for years to come — pioneers such as Wasteland’s Colin Rowntree, winner of XBIZ’ 2015 Progressive Leadership of the Year Award.
Embracing cutting-edge technology is a hallmark of our industry, and those executives who embrace new technological solutions lead the way for the future, such as ExoClick’s Benjamin Fonze, XBIZ’ 2015 Tech Leadership of the Year Award winner.
Winners of XBIZ’ Community Figure of the Year Award represent the spirit of our industry and are a shining example of strength, character and business acumen, with Gamelink’s Jeff Dillon exemplifying the excellence that earned him the nod in 2015.
“This industry is more than a way to put food on my table and to shop at Louis Vuitton,” Dillon explains. “For me, it’s all about the community.”
The most demanding and responsible person in a company must not only oversee every aspect of an enterprise, but must also serve as its vision, with the buck truly stopping at the desk of the 2015 XBIZ
Chief Executive of the Year Award winner, SexGoesMobile’s Andy Wullmer.
“This is the best industry in the world!” Wullmer exclaimed to the world, adding, “we make the world a better place.”
The adult entertainment industry has always been ripe for entrepreneurs with the right stuff — courage, ambition and drive to build or lead a thriving business, with the XBIZ Businesswoman of the Year Award celebrating one extraordinary woman who encompasses all of the needed traits, who has demonstrated leadership that’s above and beyond in every challenge. Such as 2015’s winner, FriendFinderNetworks’ Nancy Roberts.
A natural decision-maker equipped with hard-earned experience and an inherent ability to steer the ship, those exemplary talents honored by the XBIZ Businessman of the Year Award define consummate and passionate professionals — powerful executives who were born to lead and are driven to succeed. Such as 2015’s winner, AdultCentro’s Stan D’Aman, who is “hoping to fulfill the trust that [XBIZ] put in me with this award.”
This year’s crop of XBIZ Executive Award winners highlight the creativity, dedication and professionalism of the online adult entertainment industry — pointing to the continued strength of the online adult industry.
The 2015 XBIZ Executive Award winners are:
- Business Development Executive of the Year
Paul K., CCBill - Brand Ambassador of the Year
Joey Gabra, Affil4You - Marketing Executive of the Year
Sam Rakowski, Mr. Skin - Senior Leadership of the Year
Joel Drappeau, Gamma Entetainment - Progressive Leadership of the Year
Colin Rowntree, Wasteland - Tech Leadership of the Year
Benjamin Fonze, ExoClick - Community Figure of the Year
Jeff Dillon, Gamelink - Chief Executive of the Year
Andy Wullmer, SexGoesMobile - Businesswoman of the Year
Nancy Roberts, FriendFinderNetworks - Businessman of the Year
Stan D'Aman, AdultCentro