Loading...

We Are EmpireCLS

David Seelinger

David Seelinger

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

With over 30 years of experience in the livery transportation industry, David is the driving force behind EmpireCLS’ success as the premiere transportation service company in the world. Regarded for his trendsetting ideas, entrepreneurial vision and passionate hospitality, he is regarded as a pioneer for committing to delivering consistent service and innovations in an unregulated industry. His standards and drive have attracted innumerable affiliate partners allow EmpireCLS' reach to expand worldwide.

Meet the Team

Nat Buonfiglio

Chief Financial Officer

Nat joined EmpireCLS in January of 2011, and is responsible for corporate finance and accounting, treasury, insurance, and banking relations, and also serves as liaison with outside legal counsel.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, he served as Chief Financial Officer for private equity portfolio companies and mezzanine lenders in varying market sectors. Nat has more than 25 years of experience in financial and operational management for both public and private companies, with revenues ranging from $40 million to $650 million. He serves on the Board of Directors of industry associations, and is currently the Chairman of a charity established to provide financial aid to families of children battling cancer.

Nat holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Long Island University’s C.W. Post School of Professional Accountancy.

Edward Martinez

Chief Operations Officer

A seasoned operations executive with over 20 years of sales and operations experience in the transportation industry, Ed is responsible for managing key corporate, hotel and airline accounts and overseeing business operations and strategies for EmpireCLS.

Ed joined the EmpireCLS leadership team in 2005 and has played an integral role at several transportation companies, including Manhattan International Limousine and Carey International, where he previously served as Regional Vice President of Operations for the New York region.

During his tenure at Carey, Ed developed and implemented various initiatives for customer service, operations and IT departments as well as managing key accounts for business development.

Joey Phelps

Senior Executive Vice President

Joey joined EmpireCLS in 2001 in the company’s global dispatch department, and has garnered several promotions, including Operations Manager, Los Angeles; Director of Operations, San Francisco; GM, San Francisco; and GM, Los Angeles. He currently holds the position of EVP, Global Operations at the company’s Los Angeles location.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, Joey worked for Music Express, for a total of 15 years of experience in the industry. Joey also brings more than eight years of expertise in Internet marketing to the company.

Marissa Criaris

EVP, Sales

A successful, multifaceted executive with almost 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, Marissa is responsible for developing and implementing companywide business development and partnership initiatives for EmpireCLS.

As one of the company’s historic and multifaceted employees, Marissa joined EmpireCLS in 1996 before its merger and worked her way up through various sales and marketing position, establishing relationships with many of the company’s high-volume clients. She is responsible for streamlining many companywide marketing and operational efforts, including the creation of EmpireCLS' business development department, and the development of the company’s proprietary reservations software interface.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, Marissa worked as a sales executive for a New Jersey-based real estate development firm.

Steve Horowitz

Sr. Vice President, General Manager

Joining the EmpireCLS team in 2018, Steve’s excellence in the chauffeured transportation industry, spanning nearly 25 years confirms his veteran influence and professional enhancement to key departments at our Secaucus headquarters. Proactively involved in all aspects of the operation, including dispatch, chauffeur relations, customer care and global reservations, Steve’s career owes mention to his core mission; upholding the finest, most elegant experience for our clients.

Seth Marcus

Executive Vice President, Meeting and Event Sales

Seth Marcus serves as EmpireCLS’ Executive Vice President of Meeting and Event Sales.
An entrepreneurial spirit with over 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, Marcus is charged with overseeing companywide sales and marketing initiatives, as well as managing large account relationships on a global scale.

Marcus joined the EmpireCLS team in 2006 as its Eastern Regional Sales Associate and was quickly recognized for successfully acquiring and maintaining some of EmpireCLS’ largest and most detailed private customer and corporate accounts. He has held positions as the company’s eastern regional sales associate, business development executive, Director of Sales, and Senior Director of Sales, until his promotion to the executive management team in 2010. In his current role as Executive Vice President, Meeting and Event Sales he is responsible for building and further cultivating the company's sales and marketing partnerships within the meetings, incentive and conference space as well as developing other business opportunities and markets globally. In addition, Marcus will be contributing his knowledge of enterprise meeting software to assist with the company's proprietary event software technology, which they have been working on to impact the landscape of the industry.

Marcus holds a Bachelors of Business administration and management from Towson University and lives in Richboro, PA with his wife and children

Dina Perazzo

VP, Sales

An executive with over 20 years of transportation and customer service industries experience, Dina oversees many top corporate accounts and business development efforts for EmpireCLS.

Dina joined EmpireCLS in 2005 as an Account Executive in the client relations department, focusing on the company’s hospitality accounts. In her current role, Dina maintains relationships with many of the company’s top clients and oversees customer care and business development support teams.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, Dina worked for a luxury eyewear distributor for 10 years, holding several management positions for customer service and sales departments.

Tara Roche

VP of Sales

An expert in new business development and client service, Tara is responsible for growing EmpireCLS client roster and ensuring those clients receive the highest level of service. She is a veteran of the industry with more than twelve years’ experience, providing world class service to the largest media, entertainment and tech companies. Prior to her success in the luxury chauffeured ground business, Tara was a talent relations executive with MTV International, managing the international travel for top recording artists. Tara is a dedicated board member of the Covenant House Mother and Child Center, which provides shelter and services for homeless mothers and their babies. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons.

Gary Stevens

Executive Director, Sales & Marketing of EmpireCLS

With a travel career spanning over thirty-five years, Gary spearheaded and managed Leisure Travel divisions for some of the nation's leading travel agencies, consortia and franchises before joining EmpireCLS in 2015. Gary was also Promotions Manager of a major cruise line and has sat on various travel industry advisory boards & national marketing committees. Honored as a past cover feature story of the prestigious Luxury Travel Advisor magazine, he has been seen in various travel industry publications through the years.

Prior to the travel industry, Gary was a successful child actor-singer-dancer on TV in dozens of national commercials & voice-overs, making his Broadway debut at age 8 and last appearing at age 18, in the original cast of Sondheim’s legendary “Merrily We Roll Along”. Co-author of the acclaimed history book of “A Chorus Line”, entitled THE LONGEST LINE (Applause Books/Hal Leonard Publishing), Gary was cited by the National Endowment for the Arts on behalf of former President Bush, for honoring the show with a commemorative bronze plaque, which graces New York’s Shubert Theatre box office lobby.

Our Mission

We pledge to provide exceptional chauffeured hospitality, every day, which reflects our core values of personalized service, safety, security, innovation and dedication.

EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services has been helping people reach their destinations for over 30 years.

Our journey to becoming a global transportation leader began as a small limousine company in New Jersey, with a handful of vehicles and a simple idea to create memorable experiences for customers by practicing exceptional customer service and upholding personal safety and discretion. Our company has since grown in size and capabilities, but not our unwavering values of service.

Today, EmpireCLS provides comprehensive ground transportation solutions for Private Aviation, Luxury Hotels, Meetings and Events, Road Shows, Executive/VIP Travel, Security, Entertainment/Touring, and Travel Agencies in over 700 cities around the world.

Nat Buonfiglio

Chief Financial Officer

Nat joined EmpireCLS in January of 2011, and is responsible for corporate finance and accounting, treasury, insurance, and banking relations, and also serves as liaison with outside legal counsel.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, he served as Chief Financial Officer for private equity portfolio companies and mezzanine lenders in varying market sectors. Nat has more than 25 years of experience in financial and operational management for both public and private companies, with revenues ranging from $40 million to $650 million. He serves on the Board of Directors of industry associations, and is currently the Chairman of a charity established to provide financial aid to families of children battling cancer.

Nat holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Long Island University’s C.W. Post School of Professional Accountancy.

Edward Martinez

Chief Operations Officer

A seasoned operations executive with over 20 years of sales and operations experience in the transportation industry, Ed is responsible for managing key corporate, hotel and airline accounts and overseeing business operations and strategies for EmpireCLS.

Ed joined the EmpireCLS leadership team in 2005 and has played an integral role at several transportation companies, including Manhattan International Limousine and Carey International, where he previously served as Regional Vice President of Operations for the New York region.

During his tenure at Carey, Ed developed and implemented various initiatives for customer service, operations and IT departments as well as managing key accounts for business development.

Joey Phelps

Senior Executive Vice President

Joey joined EmpireCLS in 2001 in the company’s global dispatch department, and has garnered several promotions, including Operations Manager, Los Angeles; Director of Operations, San Francisco; GM, San Francisco; and GM, Los Angeles. He currently holds the position of EVP, Global Operations at the company’s Los Angeles location.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, Joey worked for Music Express, for a total of 15 years of experience in the industry. Joey also brings more than eight years of expertise in Internet marketing to the company.

Marissa Criaris

EVP, Sales

A successful, multifaceted executive with almost 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, Marissa is responsible for developing and implementing companywide business development and partnership initiatives for EmpireCLS.

As one of the company’s historic and multifaceted employees, Marissa joined EmpireCLS in 1996 before its merger and worked her way up through various sales and marketing position, establishing relationships with many of the company’s high-volume clients. She is responsible for streamlining many companywide marketing and operational efforts, including the creation of EmpireCLS' business development department, and the development of the company’s proprietary reservations software interface.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, Marissa worked as a sales executive for a New Jersey-based real estate development firm.

Seth Marcus

Executive Vice President, Meeting and Event Sales

Seth Marcus serves as EmpireCLS’ Executive Vice President of Meeting and Event Sales.
An entrepreneurial spirit with over 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, Marcus is charged with overseeing companywide sales and marketing initiatives, as well as managing large account relationships on a global scale.

Marcus joined the EmpireCLS team in 2006 as its Eastern Regional Sales Associate and was quickly recognized for successfully acquiring and maintaining some of EmpireCLS’ largest and most detailed private customer and corporate accounts. He has held positions as the company’s eastern regional sales associate, business development executive, Director of Sales, and Senior Director of Sales, until his promotion to the executive management team in 2010. In his current role as Executive Vice President, Meeting and Event Sales he is responsible for building and further cultivating the company's sales and marketing partnerships within the meetings, incentive and conference space as well as developing other business opportunities and markets globally. In addition, Marcus will be contributing his knowledge of enterprise meeting software to assist with the company's proprietary event software technology, which they have been working on to impact the landscape of the industry.

Marcus holds a Bachelors of Business administration and management from Towson University and lives in Richboro, PA with his wife and children

Dina Perazzo

VP, Sales

An executive with over 20 years of transportation and customer service industries experience, Dina oversees many top corporate accounts and business development efforts for EmpireCLS.

Dina joined EmpireCLS in 2005 as an Account Executive in the client relations department, focusing on the company’s hospitality accounts. In her current role, Dina maintains relationships with many of the company’s top clients and oversees customer care and business development support teams.

Prior to joining EmpireCLS, Dina worked for a luxury eyewear distributor for 10 years, holding several management positions for customer service and sales departments.

Tara Roche

VP of Sales

An expert in new business development and client service, Tara is responsible for growing EmpireCLS client roster and ensuring those clients receive the highest level of service. She is a veteran of the industry with more than twelve years’ experience, providing world class service to the largest media, entertainment and tech companies. Prior to her success in the luxury chauffeured ground business, Tara was a talent relations executive with MTV International, managing the international travel for top recording artists. Tara is a dedicated board member of the Covenant House Mother and Child Center, which provides shelter and services for homeless mothers and their babies. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons.

Gary Stevens

Executive Director, Sales & Marketing of EmpireCLS

With a travel career spanning over thirty-five years, Gary spearheaded and managed Leisure Travel divisions for some of the nation's leading travel agencies, consortia and franchises before joining EmpireCLS in 2015. Gary was also Promotions Manager of a major cruise line and has sat on various travel industry advisory boards & national marketing committees. Honored as a past cover feature story of the prestigious Luxury Travel Advisor magazine, he has been seen in various travel industry publications through the years.

Prior to the travel industry, Gary was a successful child actor-singer-dancer on TV in dozens of national commercials & voice-overs, making his Broadway debut at age 8 and last appearing at age 18, in the original cast of Sondheim’s legendary “Merrily We Roll Along”. Co-author of the acclaimed history book of “A Chorus Line”, entitled THE LONGEST LINE (Applause Books/Hal Leonard Publishing), Gary was cited by the National Endowment for the Arts on behalf of former President Bush, for honoring the show with a commemorative bronze plaque, which graces New York’s Shubert Theatre box office lobby.

Steve Horowitz

Sr. Vice President, General Manager

Joining the EmpireCLS team in 2018, Steve’s excellence in the chauffeured transportation industry, spanning nearly 25 years confirms his veteran influence and professional enhancement to key departments at our Secaucus headquarters. Proactively involved in all aspects of the operation, including dispatch, chauffeur relations, customer care and global reservations, Steve’s career owes mention to his core mission; upholding the finest, most elegant experience for our clients.