About The Clardy Group
Amanda Clardy - Principal
With more than 30 years of experience, Amanda Clardy is a builder, creator, change agent, and innovator. She is passionate about applying her skills to building excellence in companies and leadership in people. Ms. Clardy has a background in general management, marketing, communications, and finance, having held executive-level positions at mid-size to large public companies in the healthcare and technology sectors.
Before joining Independa, Ms. Clardy was General Manager of Global eBusiness at Life Technologies, where she oversaw online sales of more than $1.3 billion with a team of sales personnel, digital marketers, IT, and user experience professionals. Prior to that position, Ms. Clardy was the Chief Marketing Officer at Life Technologies, responsible for the company’s global brand strategies, customer relationship management, marketing communications, and e-commerce. Under Amanda’s leadership, Life Technologies transformed how customers and the general public view and experience the Life Technologies brand. Ms. Clardy also held the positions of Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, and Senior Director, Global Pricing & Analytics while at Life Technologies. Before joining Life Technologies, she held a variety of strategy, finance, and management positions at Gateway, Inc., and at industrial technology leader ABB, Inc. Ms. Clardy earned her MBA at Purdue University and B.S. in Finance from Fairfield University.
Ms. Clardy serves on several philanthropic boards in San Diego and has received accolades for her leadership, including San Diego Businesswoman of the Year and Life Technologies CEO Award for founding the company’s first-ever women’s network to foster professional development and networking.
Gustavo Peralta - Creative Director
Gustavo Peralta has been a creative director/designer for over 20 years. His work spans various industries, covering both B2C and B2B companies. As a creative director/designer, he successfully developed the creative vision for brands across multiple platforms, including digital, print, and social media.
Responsibilities included aligning the client's brand vision with their portfolio of products and services. Overseeing the voice, messaging, and design principles to maintain consistency when reaching their audiences. He directed and inspired creative teams comprising copywriters and designers to achieve the best possible outcomes on each project. He managed vendor relations with video, photography, and animation companies.
Formerly a Creative Director at Thermo Fisher Scientific's award-winning in-house agency, he helped position the company as a market leader in the life sciences market. He is also running his own design consultancy, assisting in branding/design and marketing ways to promote large and small companies.
Brooke Knopp - Project Manager
Brooke Knopp combines a deep understanding of people with practical marketing and business experience to develop thoughtful, impactful strategies that truly resonate. Holding a degree in Communications (with an emphasis in Advertising) and a minor in Social Psychology from San Diego State University, Brooke has always been fascinated by how messaging influences behavior—and how the right story can inspire action. She spent over 15 years building a successful real estate career, starting in 2003 as a New Home Consultant and becoming a licensed broker in 2008. Along the way, Brooke refined her skills in branding, client experience, negotiation, and community-focused marketing—creating campaigns, messaging, and visuals that helped homes stand out and businesses grow.
In February 2025, Brooke joined The Clardy Group, bringing her unique mix of communications expertise, business insights, and client-focused thinking to marketing. Her experience managing her own business and working closely with people gave her practical knowledge of building trust and delivering results—two core principles she applies to every project. Today, Brooke channels her entrepreneurial spirit and marketing instinct into innovative strategies rooted in empathy, data, and storytelling. Whether developing a brand voice, designing a campaign, or crafting the right words to stand out, she approaches each challenge with curiosity, clarity, and care.
Matt McRae - Digital Director
Matt McRae is a creative powerhouse with over 18 years of experience designing and building brands. Originally from the UK, his talent was recognized early when he was recruited by McCann Erickson, the world’s largest global advertising agency network, immediately upon graduating from university. Working with brands such as American Airlines, Epson, and UPS gave him invaluable experience in what it takes to make big brands, even bigger
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Since founding his own design studio in 2009, Matt has grown his business exponentially. By 2011 he had relocated his operations to Los Angeles, where his client roster continues to flourish. Over the past 15 years in business, he has worked with a wide array of clients, from innovative startups to multi-billion-dollar corporations, across numerous industries. In addition to delivering creative work, he often works closely with clients to help shape brand direction and creative strategy.
Matt brings together a unique blend of advertising experience and multidisciplinary design expertise. His work spans website design and development, print and graphic design, photography, motion graphics, and campaign creative, enabling him to support The Clardy Group across a wide range of creative needs. Grounded in his advertising background, Matt approaches design as a strategic tool for achieving broader business goals. By keeping those objectives firmly in focus, he consistently delivers creative work that drives real impact.