Zirtual Names New Vice President of Strategy and Business Development to Executive Team

SAN FRANCISCO, July 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Zirtual, an online service that matches busy professionals and entrepreneurs with vetted and trained, dedicated virtual assistants, has named Sonny Garcia the company's new Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. Mr. Garcia will be leading Zirtual's growth strategy, sales, and marketing initiatives.

Mr. Garcia hails from an extensive background in business development, having spent the past 15 years expanding market growth for startups such as Research Now (formerly e-Rewards). Mr. Garcia helped to grow Research Now from startup stage to an industry leader in the online market research arena, while increasing revenue by 70 times over the span of the last decade. He began his career at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and was a top-ranked consultant in the company's Boston office every year of his employment.

"Sonny's comprehensive experience in propelling market growth for startups is a huge asset for us," says Zirtual Founder and CEO, Maren Kate Donovan. "But what makes him a perfect fit for Zirtual is his genuine love of connecting with clients to provide exceptional, boutique customer service and offer solutions to get the results they need."

Sonny is also a leader in a handful of community service organizations in the Dallas area. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Shakespeare Dallas where he is Past-Chairman. He is also Past-Chairman of the Vivaldi Patron's Circle, a donor organization for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

"I'm excited to be a part of the Zirtual team," says Garcia. "It's very fitting for me because I truly care about people and believe that we are not here to deal with our customers, we are here to serve them. I launch myself 100 percent into the goals and visions I believe in, which makes Zirtual a great match for me."

Sonny Garcia was recognized as one of Dallas' "40 Under Forty" by the Dallas Business Journal in 2009. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and his Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

About Zirtual

Zirtual is a services marketplace that matches busy professionals and entrepreneurs with vetted and trained, U.S.-based virtual executive assistants ("Zirtual Assistants," or ZAs). From solo entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 executives, Zirtual's clients choose from various monthly plans to have their own dedicated Zirtual Assistant. ZAs offer services to help professionals save time and boost productivity by performing a wide range of tasks, including different forms of online research, responding to emails, scheduling, event coordination, and much more. Zirtual also partners with various services in its Zirtual +Plus network to offer solutions for client needs from housekeeping to bookkeeping, meal delivery to content creation — all at special rates for Zirtual clients. Zirtual is headquartered in downtown Las Vegas, financed by Tony Hsieh (CEO of zappos.com), VegasTechFund (www.vegastechfund.com), and Mayfield Fund, and is now a part of the Downtown Project effort. For more information about Zirtual and its services, please visit: www.zirtual.com.

SOURCE Zirtual