Gabriel Aleixo – Managing Director, BrainJuicer Latin America
Gabriel Aleixo, Managing Director of Brainjuicer Latin America, has over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his marketing career in Brazil, working in multinational consumer goods including Beiersdorf and Philips Electronics. Gabriel is a communications graduate with an M.B.A. in e-Business by ESPM Sao Paulo.
Fahad Ali – Senior Research Executive, Starcom MediaVest Group Dubai (Vivaki MENA)
Fahad Ali is a senior research executive at Starcom MediaVest Group, Dubai. He has worked across a range of categories such as FMCG, Automobiles, and Luxury products in both areas of quantitative and qualitative research. Fahad is particularly interested in the use of unconventional research methods, including eye-tracking and facial recognition, to uncover deep-rooted consumer insights.
Sharon Alvarado – VP, Ad Sales Research, Comedy Central and Spike TV/Viacomp
Sharon Alvarado is VP, Ad Sales Research for Comedy Central and Spike TV for the Viacom Entertainment Group. In this role, she oversees Comedy Central and Spike TV’s Ad Sales Research team and supervises all aspects of research for Ad Sales efforts and pricing and inventory functions. Sharon has been with Viacom for over 16 years, most recently as former senior director of Ad Sales Research for Comedy Central and Spike TV. In between her stints at Viacom, she served as director of Ad Sales Research at E! Entertainment Television. Sharon holds a B.S. degree in communications from St. John’s University.
Tom H. C. Anderson – Founder & Managing Partner, OdinText – Anderson Analytics
Tom H. C. Anderson is founder and managing partner of OdinText – Anderson Analytics. A pioneer in the field of text analytics, his firm was the first to apply natural language processing in the marketing research field. Tom is invited to speak at over 20 research industry events each year and also lectures frequently at Columbia University and the University of Connecticut.
Heather Andrew – CEO, Neuro-Insight (UK) Ltd
Heather Andrew is CEO of Neuro-Insight UK. In this role, Heather manages projects that look at brain response to different types of brand communication, in order to maximize the its effectiveness within and across media. Prior to Neuro-Insight UK, she worked for many years in consultancy with PWC and Oxford Strategic Marketing where she ran projects for multi-national companies across a range of industry sectors.
Robert Atencio – Global Vice President of Consumer Insights, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare
Robert Atencio is global vice president of consumer insights for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, overseeing insights for some of the top selling OTC brands in the world. Previously, he was vice president and officer of insights and customer strategy for Walmart stores U.S. Over the last eight years, Robert and his teams have won six ARF David Ogilvy Awards and in 2009 he received an ARF Great Mind Award.
Jody Ayers – Senior Director, Global Custom Insights & Analytics, Walmartt
Jody Ayers leads the Walmart U.S. Insights team supporting Operations, Walmart.com and U.S. Business Development. Jody has delivered Insights at Walmart over the last ten years, leading both research and analytic functions. He was honored by The ARF in 2008 with a Rising Star Great Mind Award. Jody has a B.S. in chemical engineering and an M.B.A., both from the University of Arkansas.
Chris Bacon – EVP, Global Research Quality & Innovation, The ARF
Chris Bacon serves as executive vice president of global research quality and innovation at The ARF. In this role, he leads the Foundation's Research Quality initiatives, and steers multiple Forum programs, including the Generations Forum, Multicultural Forum, and Shopper Forum. Prior to The ARF, Chris led the global consumer and shopper insights team at the E. & J. Gallo Winery since March, 2006. He reshaped the consumer insights function to focus on driving consumer and shopper learning into the decision-making process throughout the winery. Prior to joining Gallo, Chris was Global Director of Consumer Insights for the Personal Care Division of Colgate-Palmolive.
Vassilis Bakopoulos – Head of Industry Research, Mobile Marketing Association
Vassilis Bakopoulos heads research for the Mobile Marketing Association where he is tasked with organizing the industry’s wish list of top questions on mobile's role in the marketing mix. Vassilis started his career in Greece, where he became chief methodologist at Research International. He moved to New York in 2005 and since then he has held various senior roles at Kantar and more recently at Digitas.
Edmund Graham Balogun – Graduate Student, City College of New York
Edmund Graham Balogun is a final year graduate student at the City College of New York. Edmund is well versed in research and has extensive knowledge in branding, marketing and data analysis. He has been published several times and his recent publication, “Bias in Market Research,” won third prize at the annual City College graduate symposium in April 2014. He has worked as a research consultant and recently completed an internship at the United Nations.
Allison Barnes – Digital Anthropologist, The Coca-Cola Company
Allison Barnes is a digital anthropologist for The Coca-Cola Company. In this role she studies online behavior of audiences to develop techniques for capturing conversations and gathering insights that help deliver stronger marketing. Prior to joining Coca-Cola she worked as a social analyst at W2O Group, a leading digital and marketing analytics firm.
Neha Bhargava – Manager, Advertising Research, Facebook
Neha Bhargava is manager of Advertising Research at Facebook , where she helps advertising partners prove and grow the value they see from Facebook. Previously, Neha was a strategy consultant focused on providing marketing and product decisions based on big data. She began her career as an engineer building rockets. Neha holds a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennylvania Wharton School.
Joseph Blechman – Senior Manager, Consumer Analytics & Research, AOL
Joseph Blechman is senior manager of consumer analytics and research at AOL. He is a research pioneer, adapting advanced primary research techniques to the digital era. Joe specializes in revealing underlying insights to uncover the roots of consumer behavior. He enjoys applying innovative techniques to measure difficult to reach audiences and enabling longitudinal conversations with consumers through cultivation of online communities.
Mike Bloxham – SVP, National TV and Video, Frank N. Magid Associates
Mike Bloxham, SVP, National TV and Video at Frank N. Magid Associates, has worked in media research for over 25 years, advising corporations, media owners and government agencies on marketing and communications issues. A recognized innovator and thought leader, he has extensive experience in attitudinal and behavioral research across media and marketing channels with an emphasis on the integration of emerging and traditional media among audiences from children to seniors.
Barry Blyn – VP, Consumer Insights, ESPN
Barry Blyn, VP of Consumer Insights at ESPN, oversees all of ESPN’s direct fan research to inform, guide and shape the brand’s programming strategies, on-air production, marketing messages and digital product development. Barry has developed and leads the ESPN Brand Health Program, in-depth brand story based on highly imaginative qualitative techniques and rigid quantitative research to ensure ESPN’s leadership is deeply immersed in fans’ view of the brand.
Peter Bradbury - SVP, Strategic Account Management, Nielsen
Peter Bradbury is SVP, Strategic Account Manager of Nielsen’s US WATCH Business. In this role, Peter and his team work closely with some of Nielsen’s largest and most strategically important media clients including CBS Corporation, Univision and Microsoft. His career with Nielsen spans 19 years and includes various senior roles in Nielsen’s WATCH and BUY businesses, both domestically and globally.
David Brandt – EVP, Advertising Effectiveness Strategy, Nielsen
David Brandt is EVP, Advertising Effectiveness Strategy at Nielsen. David is a 35+ year veteran of the market research industry with extensive experience in the area of Ad Effectiveness. At Nielsen, he is responsible for advancing thought leadership in this area, including enhancing the Nielsen Neuro offer and advancing and integrating Nielsen's end to end advertising effectiveness capabilities within the Ad Solutions group.
Bonnie Breslauer – EVP, Client Relations, Lightspeed Research
Bonnies Breslauer is the executive vice president of client relations at Lightspeed Research. She joined Lightspeed Research in April 2001 and has 20+ years of experience in the marketing research industry. Bonnie started her tenure at Lightspeed Research early in the company’s history and has held many roles, both regional and global. Previously, Bonnie worked for major full-service marketing research suppliers including TNS, the M/A/R/C Group, and Maritz Marketing Research.
Rex Briggs – CEO, Marketing Evolution
Rex Briggs is CEO of Marketing Evolution and author of two best selling books, What Sticks (2006), and SIRFs Up, The Story of How Spend To Impact Response Functions (SIRFs) Software and Algorithms Are Changing The Face Of Marketing (2012). One of his many accomplishments include originating the Cross Media Optimization Studies (XMOS) to quantify digital's role in the mix, working in close partnership with The ARF.
Cenk Bulbul, Ph.D. – Head of Strategy and Insights, YouTube Ads Marketing Team, Google
Cenk Bulbul, Ph.D., is the Head of Strategy and Insights for YouTube Ads Marketing team at Google. It is a good day on Cenk’s team when they turn data and research into actionable insights and strategies for brand marketers. Cenk runs YouTube Insights as a platform to publish his team’s work. Before Google, Cenk held leadership positions as a global marketing strategist at Ogilvy & Mather, McKinsey & Company and Telecom Italia Mobile. He holds an MBA in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD in Marketing from New York University where he studied influence of emotions on consumer behavior.
Artie Bulgrin - SVP, Research and Analytics, ESPN
Artie Bulgrin is the senior vice president of research and analytics at ESPN. Preceding ESPN, Artie was director of research and sales data services at ABC National Television Sales, Inc. He is a past president of the Radio and Television Research Council and former chairman of the Media Ratings Council and The ARF. Artie is also a board member of The ARF and serves on its executive committee.
Silvina Cendra – Planning Director, Grupo Gallegos
Silvina Cendra is planning director at Grupo Gallegos. Silvina has over 14 years of experience in advertising, marketing, research and economics. Her affinity and expertise on the marketplace led her from Argentina to Puerto Rico, to New York, and now, California to work for a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies including Comcast, Verizon Wireless, JCPenney, Target, and Pfizer, among others.
Nancy Chang - Media Director, BPN
Nancy Chang serves as media director at BPN. BPN is a full-service planning and media buying agency that is part of the IPG Mediabrands global network. Its mission is to build audience engagement across all touchpoints by pro-actively managing its client’s media investment and constantly adjusting to market conditions.
Dan Chapsky – Data Scientist, Facebook
Dan Chapsky is a data scientist on the marketing science team at Facebook. He focuses on researching the value of different targeting techniques online. Prior to Facebook, Dan worked on building recommendation systems and predictive analytics at a dating website.
Michael Chavarria - Director, Business Development, SoapBoxSample
Michael Chavarria serves as director of business development at SoapBoxSample, a vibrant new start-up in a rapid growth phase. With ten years of experience in market research on both the sales and research sides, Michael’s open-minded, engaged approach offers clients a business savvy and reliable partner for their research needs.
Patrick Comer - CEO, Federated Sample
Patrick Comer is the chief executive officer at Federated Sample. He has ten years of experience with start-ups as a founder, investor, and executive with seven years experience in the market research industry. In 2005, he joined OTX Research to improve sample acquisition and routing technology adding $1-2MM in EBITDA annually. Ipsos announced its acquisition of OTX in January, 2010 for $71MM. Previously, Patrick was the founder and Vice President of Sample Czar founded the surveys group at IFILM.
Chanon Cook – SVP, Strategic Insights & Research, Comedy Central, Viacom Entertainment Group
Chanon Cook is the SVP of Strategic Insights and Research for Comedy Central of the Viacom Entertainment Group. Chanon oversees research to advance brand, programming, and multi-platform development as well as provides key consumer insights to guide creative strategy. She has been key in advancing the network’s understanding of Millennials, especially their lifestyles and media usage, since returning to Comedy Central in 2006.
Stephanie Cunningham - Associate Director, Global Insights Business Lead, The Clorox Company
Stephanie Cunningham, currently the associate director, global insights business lead for the specialty division at The Clorox Company, has over 15 years of consumer and shopper insights expereince. During her time at Clorox, she has held roles including associate director of shopper insights for the specialty division and shopper insights manager for Kingsford Charcoal, Fresh Step and Scoop Away Litter. Prior to joining Clorox, Stephanie worked for American Greetings, Marcus Thomas LLC, and Royal Appliance.
Sunando Das – Head of Marketing Sciences, TNS UK
Sunando Das is head of Marketing Sciences at TNS UK. In this role, he presently leads marketing science team. Sunando has 17 years of experience, having worked various global and regional roles. He has presented at industry events such as the ESOMAR congress and with The ARF, and is published in Journal of Brand Management. He has led the development of a number of IPs in his prior roles, including one IP receiving ‘innovation of the year’ award.
Robert John Davis – Executive Director of Content, OgilvyOne
Robert John Davis is the Executive Director of Content at OgilvyOne in New York where he leads the Content Marketing Practice. Rob’s career began in the early 1990’s running the content and creative side of pioneering ISP/ news start-up IN Jersey (later sold to Gannett). He joined MTV as Executive Producer of Convergence in the late 90’s and later revitalized the interactive businesses of the AMC, IFC and WE television networks. Rob earned his BA at the University of Scranton and his MS in TV/Radio/Film from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
Maureen Dawson – Associate Director, Consumer Analytics & Research, AOL
Maureen Dawson is associate director, consumer analytic & research at AOL. In this role, she oversees research for AOL’s Retail, CPG, and Health clients, developing consumer and marketplace insights that give clear implications to advertisers and agencies, with a focus on ad effectiveness and ROI measurement. Recent industry presentations include ESOMAR’s “Digital Dimensions in Stockholm” (June 2014) and ESOMAR’s “Best of USA” (July 2014), and The Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange’s FutureM conference (September 2014).
Justin De Graaf – Global Media Insights Director, The Coca-Cola Company
Justin De Graaf is the director of Global Media Insights at The Coca-Cola Company and sits within the Knowledge & Insights team in Coke’s worldwide headquarters in Atlanta. He supports the marketing organization by developing and deploying both external and in-house media insights solutions throughout the Coca-Cola system to help drive stronger and more efficient marketing.
Marc de Swaan Arons - Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Board Member, Millward Brown Vermeer
Marc de Swaan Arons is currently chief marketing officer and executive board member of Millward Brown Vermeer. Marc co-founded EffectiveBrands and is a thought-leader in the burgeoning area of global marketing leadership. He is co-author of the best-selling book, The Global Brand CEO: Building the Ultimate Marketing Machine.
Claudia Del Lucchese – Packaging and Design Insights Manager, Mondelēz International, Inc.
Claudia Del Lucchese, Packaging and Design Insights manager of Mondelēz International, Inc., is responsible for providing strategic insights to improve on-shelf performance of products. Prior to this role, Claudia was the Consumer Innovation leader for Kraft Foods, responsible for bringing innovation into consumer research for long-term technology development and cross-category platforms within R&D.
Allan Dib - SVP, NA Research, Insights, Planning and Measurement, MSLGROUP
Allan Dib has 20+ years of experience across three continents as a marketing, market research, and insights professional. Allan is a strategic business leader with deep expertise across a full array of research techniques. Prior to joining MSLGROUP, he held management positions with MediaCom, GFK, Nielsen Online and IPSOS.
John Dick – Founder & CEO, CivicScience, Inc.
John is founder and CEO of CivicScience, Inc. A serial entrepreneur and business development executive with experience launching and growing innovative companies in established markets, his most recent stinit was as the founder and president of GSP Corp. John began his career as a press aide to then-Senator Rick Santorum. He is a graduate of Rollins College and a frequent lecturer at the Carnegie Mellon University Don Jones Center of Entrepreneurship.
Terrett Drake – Research Director, U.S., ConceptM
Terrett Drake, U.S. research director at Concept M, has been in the qualitative market research industry for over ten years. He is specialized in communications and media research based on the in-depth psychological approach. Prior to Concept M, Terrett gained rich experience with TNS, where he developed various qualitative projects and research designs for major Fortune 500 clientele. Terrett holds a B.A. in social sciences with concentrations in international relations and history and a minor in public policy and management from The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU. He is currently based in New York City managing a global client base.
Vicki Draper – Director, Consumer Analytics & Research, AOL
Vicki Draper is director of Consumer Analytics & Research at AOL where she conducts innovative primary research for sales & product teams. Vicki received the 2013 EXPLOR Award for Innovation in Research for her groundbreaking “Seven Shades of Mobile” study which was also highlighted in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of the Harvard Business Review, "How People Really Use Mobile". She has presented at many conferences including the 2014 Seattle Interactive Conference, and the 2014 I–COM Global Summit in Seville.
Joe Empert – Principal, Advanced Analytics, AT&T Mobility
Joe Empert is a principal marketing scientist leading the marketing mix modeling practice at AT&T Mobility. He is responsible for the application of advanced analytics to measure and optimize the impact of media and advertising. Prior to AT&T, Joe has held positions in marketing analytics, engineering & technology at Fiserv, Delta Air Lines and United Technologies. Joe earned an M.B.A. from Georgia State University, a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech and a graduate certificate in data mining from Oklahoma State University.
Tom Ewing – Content Director, BrainJuicer Labs
Tom Ewing, content director at BrainJuicer Labs, explores the interplay of digital culture and consumer behavior, and is known for his POV on the latest developments in market research. He is a prolific speaker on the industry conference circuit, and has won MRS' “Best Presentation” and ESOMAR's “Best Paper.” He has also been awarded with AMA's “4 Under 40” award.
Peter Filici – VP, Strategy and Insights, Univision Network
Pete Filiaci is a VP in Univision’s Strategy and Insights Group, a dedicated consulting team of veterans from media, marketing and agency backgrounds who help marketers develop and execute their strategies to drive sales with Hispanics. Peter has been with Univision since 1998 and has 25 years of experience in the media industry. In his current role, he focuses on the Restaurant category and speaks about the Hispanic consumer opportunity at a variety of industry conferences.
Colleen Fahey Rush - EVP, CRO, Viacom Media Networks
Colleen Fahey Rush serves as chief research officer for Viacom Media Networks. In her role, she oversees Viacom Media Networks' research groups, leading the company in cultivating insights into its target demographics from kids and teens, to young adults, men, boomer and LGBT audiences. Colleen began her career at CBS, and then went on to serve as director of research at Telemundo, before becoming Associate Partner and Director of Research at J. Walter Thompson.
Brian Fine – Chairman, QOR; CEO, Australia Online Research; Adjunct Professor, University of Technology, Sydney Business School
Brian Fine is currently CEO of Australia Online Research and chairman of Quality Online Research. He has extensive experience and has worked across a wide range of industry categories measuring brand equity and health, corporate reputation, customer experience, multivariate analysis (including ‘driver analysis’), CVA and choice modeling; as well as working on major brand, advertising and customer experience tracking surveys. Brian frequently presents at ESOMAR as well as other major industry conferences and most recently was awarded “best paper” at the AMSRS conference in 2013. Brian has also been recently appointed as Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney Business School [UTS] for the 4th consecutive 3 year term.
Joan FitzGerald - VP Television Sales and Business Development, comScore
Joan FitzGerald is vice president of television and cross-media solutions at comScore. She joined comScore from Arbitron, where she served as vice president of Arbitron’s Cross-Platform Services. Her research has been published in the Journal of Advertising Research and major media research conferences.
Charlie Fiordalis – Managing Director, Media Storm
Charlie Fiordalis is the head of Media Storm’s digital practices and works across all accounts, including FOX, MTV, Phillips 66, and Starz. Prior to joining Media Storm, Charlie spent more than 15 years leading teams in digital media, marketing, and creative across a wide range of categories. Most recently, he spent more than three years at marketing agency Organic’s New York office as executive director of client services. Charlie holds an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the Johnson School at Cornell University.
Belle Frank - EVP, Global Director Strategy & Research, Y&R
Belle Frank is executive vice president and global director of strategy and research for Y&R. Starting in 1993, she helped develop Y&R’s BrandAsset® Valuator (BAV®) model and directs a variety research to creatively solve business problems. Belle authored The Advertising On-Ramp, a how-to about breaking into the agency world, and has co-authored several pieces in Admap, including “Reinventing Qualitative Research” (Feb, 2007).
Gayle Fuguitt - CEO & President, The ARF
Gayle Fuguitt became the first woman to lead The ARF when she became CEO and president in April 2013. She spent 32 years at General Mills, where she was lauded for bringing the voice of the consumer to the decision table. She has served on the board and executive committee of The ARF from 2005 to 2012. She earned her B.A. in economics and a B.S. in industrial relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.B.A. with a concentration in marketing research from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. A passionate supporter of non-profits, she remains a trustee at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Gayle was inducted into the Market Research Council, Inc. (MRC)’s Hall of Fame in 2014.
Gian Fulgoni - Co-Founder & Executive Chairman Emeritus, comScore, Inc.
Gian Fulgoni is co-founder and executive chairman emeritus of comScore, Inc. He was named a “Great Mind” by The ARF, which in 2014 also conferred on him a Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to The ARF board and support of The ARF community. Gian serves on the boards of PetMed Express (NASDAQ:PETS), InXpo, Prophet, Dynamic Signal, and CBR. He is also president of the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester (NAFUM).
Amit Ghosh - Principal, Project Team Leader, Forbes Consulting
Amit Ghosh is principal, project team leader at Forbes Consulting. Amit has more than 20 years of market research consulting experience, specializing in segmentation, brand positioning, message development and testing, and emotional measurement. He has spoken at various leading industry conferences including AMA, PMRG, and the Nonconscious Impact Measurement Forum. Amit holds an M.S. from the University of Massachusetts with a concentration in marketing management and research methods.
Venu Gorti – Co-Founder & Solution Development Lead, Cogitaas
Venu Gorti is the co-founder of Cogitaas and currently leads its Solution Development team. Venu is an innovator in analytics and has made significant contributions across the areas of Pricing, Brand Equity, Competitive Strategy, Trade Spend Optimisation, Sales and Distribution. Prior to Cogitaas, Venu was at Unilever where he partnered with business heads of 40+ brands, across 10 countries to achieve business targets using advanced analytics.
Olesya Govorun, Ph.D. – Director, Strategy & Insights, Dannon
Olesya Govorun is a director of Strategy & Insights at Dannon. She began her marketing research career at Burke and then TNS in Cincinnati. She later joined Dannon in April 2011, after completing her executive M.B.A. at Purdue University. Olesya has authored several publications in academic journals and also holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from Ohio State University.
Jeffrey Graham – Director, Global Ad Research, Twitter
Jeffrey Graham leads sales research globally for Twitter; focusing on helping marketers understand the value of Twitter investments and use Twitter data to improve their marketing mix. Previously, Jeffrey led Advertising Research for the Americas at Google. He was awarded a Ph.D. in sociology in 2009 for his work on rumor control and has published extensively on digital research and marketing effectiveness measurement.
Roxanne Gray, Ph.D. – VP, Marketing Research Manager, Wells Fargo
Roxanne Gray, Ph.D. is VP, market research manager at Wells Fargo. She previously worked in advertising research at Leo Burnett, and as a clinical psychologist at Kaiser Permanente. A licensed psychologist, Roxanne holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.
Scott Grunther – EVP, Standard Media Index
Scott is EVP at Standard Media Index, leading the ad intelligence company’s media business, sales and strategy. Scott is a 20 year expert with a deep passion for television, advertising and new media technologies. Previously, he led effectiveness analytics teams at IAG Research, Nielsen and Ipsos. Scott holds a B.A. from Hamilton College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.
David Guenthner – Senior Director, Global Consumer Insights & Analytics, Walmart
David Guenthner leads the Research Team within Walmart’s Global Customer Insights and Analytics group. At Walmart, David has supported various functions and buyer groups, across various product categories including prescription medication, barbecue grills, and Halloween costumes. During his tenure at Walmart, he has been honored twice with an ARF David Ogilvy Award for “Excellence in Advertising Research” in Retail. Prior to Walmart, David was with PepsiCo and General Mills. David holds a B.A. and a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. in marketing research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research.
Shristi Gupta - President, IRI’s Media Center of Excellence
Srishti Gupta is the president of IRI's Media Center of Excellence. The group helps CPG clients dramatically increase return on media through unparalleled insight into the relationship between media interactions and purchase behaviors, improving marketing mix effectiveness across all marketing activities.
Hirofumi Hamaguchi – Chief Analyst, Strategic Planning, DENTSU INC.
Hirofumi Hamaguchi is chief analyst of strategic planning at DENTSU INC. He has extensive experience in marketing strategies, with an emphasis in understanding the effectiveness of marketing activities. Hirofumi has contributed to projects spanning across industries such as automobile, finance, packaged goods collaborating with various global analytic firms. His recent work revolves around cross media optimization considering long-term effects.
Jerry Haselmayer - CEO & Co-Owner, SEEK Company
Jerry Haselmayer is CEO and co-owner of SEEK Company. In this role, he has led SEEK to rapidly become a global industry leader in idea generation and qualitative research. Jerry is passionate about company culture—how to humanize the workplace, and SEEK’s purpose of releasing the full potential in people, inspiring and cultivating big ideas, and doing good in the world: humanizing innovation for the world and bringing connection to the real people that we’re trying to help.
Wenda Harris Millard – President & COO, MediaLink LLC
Wenda Harris Millard is President & COO of MediaLink LLC, a leading strategic advisory and business development firm that provides critical counsel and direction to the media, advertising, and entertainment industries and to companies and investors that interact with those sectors. Before joining Medialink, she was co-CEO and president at Media for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Wenda has received numerous industry awards, most recently in 2012 as one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Advertising in the Last 100 Years” by Advertising Age.
Jacob Harris - Principal, Schireson Associates
Jacob is a principal at Schireson Associates, a strategy consultancy that serves a broad range of clients with custom solutions across industries, from Fortune 50 companies to non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Schireson, Jacob lead strategy and new business initiatives for 7 years at a music and digital media company, which he helped build and ultimately sell to a Sony subsidiary.
Bill Harvey – Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor, TRA (TiVo Research)
Bill Harvey co-founder and strategic advisor of TRA (TiVo Research). An innovator whose vision has led the media industry for decades, Bill was recognized in 2008 with The Advertising Research Foundation's Great Mind Award, and in 2014, he became the first recipient of The ARF's Erwin Ephron Demystification Award. Bill is an inventor with four issued U.S. patents to date. He has consulted for over 100 Fortune 500 companies.
Steve Hasker - Global President, NIelsen
Steve Hasker is global president of Nielsen. He oversees Nielsen’s media business as well as our entire global product portfolio across the media and consumer sectors. Steve joined Nielsen in 2009 from McKinsey & Company, where he was a partner in McKinsey’s Global Media, Entertainment and Information practice. In this role, Steve was responsible for serving clients on issues of strategy, growth and innovation in television, syndicated information, filmed entertainment, sports, and digital advertising. He joined McKinsey in 1998 and spent three years on the Partner Election Committee at the firm. Prior to McKinsey, Steve spent five years in several financial roles in the U.S., Russia, and Australia.
Dave Healing – Senior Consultant, BrandTrust
Dave Healing is a senior consultant at BrandTrust. In this role, Dave leads global projects for clients across many industries. His extensive experience in research, ethnography, and moderation makes him the ideal candidate to head training and development of the ever-growing team of Brandtrust researchers. Dave volunteers with International Justice Mission and has a background in psychology as well as a master’s of divinity
Justine Herz - Director, Advanced Video Practice, OgilvyOne
Justing Herz is director of advanced video practice at OgilvyOne. She is an experienced integrated marketing professional with a resume that includes the world’s most coveted agencies and brands. Prior to her current role, Justine excelled in Account Management on numerous accounts including American Express, BP, Gillette, Lowe’s, LensCrafters and Nissan.
Jayne Hickey – Senior Manager, Consumer Insights, Global Beverages Group, PepsiCo
Jayne Hickey is currently senior manager of Insights with PepsiCo’s Global Beverages Group, where she is responsible for managing consumer insights for Pepsi, Mirinda and Sparkling Innovation. Jayne is a brand and consumer enthusiast with over nine years’ experience in both qualitative and quantitative marketing research. Prior to joining PepsiCo, she worked for Millward Brown Digital, a WPP company, a leading research company in measuring advertising and marketing effectiveness.
Lori Hiltz – CEO, Havas Media North America
Lori Hiltz is chief executive officer of Havas Media North America. As an integrated media pioneer, Lori leads over 1,000 Havas Media employees in cross-functional teams across eight offices. Her notable accounts include Fidelity, LVMH, and Sears. Prior to her current role, Lori led the Havas Media Chicago office, bringing her wealth of experience to drive strategic thinking, innovation, and media optimization for the Sears Holdings Corporation. Lori also held senior leadership positions at Omnicom’s PHD. Lori holds a B.A. in advertising from Michigan State University.
Charlie Hinton – Executive Director, Marketing Analytics, AT&T Mobility
Charlie Hinton is currently executive director of Marketing Analytics at AT&T Mobility. Prior to AT&T, Charlie served in various media planning and director positions at BBDO, Mullen LHC and Bates USA. She has won numerous marketing awards including two Gold Effie awards and has been recognized by Advertising Age as a media maven. Charlie earned a B.S., magna cum laude from Georgia State University.
Juliana Smith Holterhaus - General Manager, Market Research, Lumi Insights
Juliana Smith Holterhaus is the general manager of market research, has been a part of Lumi Insights since the spring of 2011. With a background in decision sciences and psychological research, she enjoys engaging and problem solving with clients in the applied market research and consulting space.
Joe Hopper – President, Versta Research, Inc.
Joe Hopper is president of Versta Research, Inc. and has served on the board of the American Marketing Association (AMA) in Chicago as VP of Market Research. He was previously a faculty member at the University of Chicago and the National Opinion Research Center, and holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Colorado.
Michael Horn - VP, Research & Analytics, Resonate.
Michael Horn is currently vice president, research and analytics at Resonate. Prior to Resonate, Michael was SVP & managing partner of Universal McCann’s Decision Sciences unit, overseeing measurement and optimization activities across global clients including Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Chrysler and Charles Schwab. He previously held research and analytics leadership roles at mcgarrybowen, OMD and R/GA.
Alex Hunt – President, BrainJuicer
Alex Hunt, president at BrainJuicer, has over a decade of market research experience and a track record of delivering insights rooted in his clients’ issues. He is currently responsible for leading BrainJuicer – a global research and innovation consultancy – in the Americas, overseeing offices and teams in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo, and was one of the pioneers of BrainJuicer’s FeelMore50 – a ranking of the world’s most effective, emotional U.S. advertising. Before joining BrainJuicer in 2009, Alex began his career at Millward Brown, working across a range of large CPG, media, financial, and retail clients.
Richard Huskey – Manager, Media Neuroscience Lab
Richard Huskey is the Manager of Media Neuroscience Lab. His work explores media use from neuroscientific and evolutionary perspectives. Prior to joining the Media Neuroscience Lab, Richard held several corporate research positions at companies including Nissan North America, The Walt Disney Company, and Lieberman Research Worldwide.
Matt Idema - Product Marketing Director, Facebook
Matt Idema is the director of monetization product marketing at Facebook and leads the company’s advertiser product marketing efforts. He is responsible for identifying new market opportunities for ad products, influencing ad product strategy and for the go to market programs that support Facebook’s global advertising business. Prior to joining Facebook, Idema held several senior leadership positions at Yahoo, serving as vice president of the company’s local businesses. Idema began his career as a strategy consultant with Accenture.
Ruchira Jain – VP, Consumer Strategy & Insights, PepsiCo India
Ruchira Jain is currently the VP of Consumer Insights at PepsiCo India. Ruchira is responsible for driving innovations in consumer insight methodologies and for scientific decision making in the organization. She is an accredited marketing professional of the American Marketing Association (2002) and has been published in Quirks Marketing Research Journal. Ruchira is a gold medalist from MICA (1996-98) with specialization in marketing research.
Alex Johnson – Head of Innovation, Global Operations, Kantar
Alex Johnson is head of Innovation, Global Operations at Kantar. In this role, his focus is on collecting or acquiring new (and often more complex) data and how to analyze and connect it. Alex has worked in technology since the mid-90s and in market research since 2000, most of which with Kantar. He first worked for Millward Brown as an online specialist, having spent a number of years in the web industry.
Brian Katz – VP, Advertiser & Purchaser Insights, TiVo Research
Brian Katz is currently VP of Advertiser & Purchaser Insights at TiVo Research. He joined TiVo Research in April 2014 with nearly twenty years of media research experience in cable, digital and broadcast television. Brian is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in generating cross-platform media and consumer insights to lead decision making around content creation and monetization, marketing, scheduling, distribution and ad sales strategy. Before TiVo, Brian held multiple roles at NBCU and began his career at Paramount Domestic TV.
Scott Johnston – Director, Client Services, InfoScout
Scott Johnston is a director at InfoScout where he leads theClient Services team, helping Retailers and CPGs grow their business leveraging InfoScout’s real-time mobile panel. With a foundation in retail, Scott started his career in merchandising at Target and subsequently directed the Target business for retail solutions, developing it from a small user base to one of RSi's largest retail channels.
Michael E. Kassan, Chairman and CEO of MediaLink LLC
Michael E. Kassan is chairman and CEO of MediaLink LLC where he helps bridge the gaps between media, marketers, and technologists. Prior to MediaLink, Michael led Initiative Media Worldwide as COO and Vice-Chairman from 1994 to 2001. He currently serves as Chair of the UJA-New York Marketing Communications Committee as well as on the Boards of the American Advertising Federation, the Ad Council, and the Hollywood Radio and Television Society.
Charles Kennedy - ARF West Member Engagement Officer, The ARF
Charles Kennedy is the chief research innovation officer at the The ARF. In this newly created role, Charles is guiding The ARF in the “leading and bleeding edge” of Innovation and Foresight, and identifying and leading the latest and most important research needs facing the industry. Prior to joining the ARF, Charles was EVP, Research and Insights for NBCU Cable Entertainment. In this role he oversaw all research activity for the portfolio of channels – which include USA, SyFy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Chiller, Cloo, Sprout and Esquire. Earlier in his career Charles held the title of SVP, Research, for the ABC Television Network.
Rob Key - Founder & CEO, Converseon
Rob Key is the founder and CEO of Converseon, the leading social consultancy. For over a decade, Converseon has helped leading brands around the world harness the power of social intelligence to drive competitive advantage. Rob also serves as acting chairman of Revealed Context, Converseon's sister organization, which provides award winning advanced text analytics solutions designed to help transform raw social data into meaningful, actionable and predictive insight. Prior to Converseon, Rob was head of the Innovations Group at a division of Young & Rubicam and a member of the WPP.com board.
Fred Leach - Head of Marketing Science Research & Development, Facebook
Fred Leach leads Facebook's Marketing Science Research and Development team. He has spent the past decade conducting consumer research in academic and business settings, focused on the effectiveness of advertising. Fred joined Facebook’s Marketing Science team in 2010 and prior to his current role, he lead the development of Facebook’s measurement framework with advertisers in several sectors, most recently focused on consumer packaged goods.
Michael Lee - VP, Associate Director, National Broadcast, BPN
Michael Lee, VP, Associate Director, National Broadcast at BPN, has been in media for over 15 years working on several high profile accounts such as General Mills, Chase, Toyota/Lexus/Scion, Nationwide and most recently Tyson-Hillshire Brands. He has been an integral part of several successful launches including Toyota’s inaugural NASCAR season, their Super Bowl campaign, and most recently the Hillshire American Craft launch.
Jay Leon – VP, Research, Turner Sports
Jay Leon is the VP of Research at Turner Sports, supporting all of the Turner Sports properties. Prior to joining Turner, he was VP of Research for Tribune Entertainment and VP of Ad Sales Research for King World Productions. Jay has also held research positions with Petry Television and The Sporting News. He received his M.B.A. from Baruch College’s Graduate School of Business. He resides in Ardsley, New York, with his wife Erica and has two children.
David Levy - Co-Founder & COO, true[X] media
David Levy is the chief operating officer of true[X], focused on the company's business operations and publisher development. With an expertise in premium publisher economics, David has lead innovation around how publishers can best utilize engagement advertising. Since founding true[X] in 2007 David has had a passion for creating an ad model that would reward publishers for investing in quality content.
Tom Lilley – Consultant, Sense Worldwide
Tom Lilley is a consultant at Sense Worldwide. He has worked extensively on research and strategy projects for global brands, and is responsible for the Pepsi Now Network. His entrepreneurial flair also throws him regularly into innovation and service design projects.
Jackie Lorch – VP, Global Knowledge Management, SSI
Jackie Lorch is vice president of SSI’s Global Knowledge Management group and has been with SSI for 24 years. She was a member of the team which developed SSI’s first online panel and managed the panel for several years. In her current role, she conducts research on research in support of SSI clients’ research objectives. She is a frequent speaker at industry events. Lorch has a BA from the University of Leeds, England, an MBA from The University of Connecticut and is a graduate of the University of Georgia Principles of Marketing Research program.
Nancy Luna – Director, Front End Innovation & Trends, Kraft Foods
Nancy Luna, Director Front End Innovation & Trends, Kraft Foods, has great passion and energy for innovation, insight and creative challenges. Over the past 15 years she has leveraged consumer insights and sound marketing research to help create great company, brand, advertising and innovation strategies for major U.S. and global FMCG brands such as Cheerios, Yoplait, Green Giant, and various others. Nancy is versed in design thinking and stays at the forefront of innovative approaches to understanding consumers and customers.
Nehal Mahmoud – Graduate Student, City College of New York
Nehal Mahmoud is a graduate student at the City College of New York’s branding and integrated communications master's program and is a Colin Powell graduate fellow. She is originally from Edmonton, Canada, where she earned her B.Sc. in physical sciences from the University of Alberta and studied public relations at MacEwan University. Nehal has worked for large technology companies as well as not-for-profit organizations in marketing and communications roles, and firmly believes in the power of a great story.
Carl D. Marci, M.D. – Co-founder, Chairman, & Chief Science Officer, Innerscope Research
Carl Marci, M.D. is founder, chairman and chief science officer of Innerscope Research. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed science journals, gives lectures internationally, and is a leader in the new fields of social and consumer neuroscience. He received his B.A. at Columbia University, his M.A. at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and his M.D. at Harvard Medical School.
Carla Mayumi – Business Partner, Talk Inc.
Carla Mayumi is a business partner at Talk Inc., focused in digital and online research, specialized in talking to digital consumers. She also coordinates nonprofit projects that investigate young Brazilians social behavior such as the "Brazilian Dream of Politics", which investigated how young Brazilians activists are interacting with traditional politics. She is also a consultant for innovation in education, due to her travels and studies to co-write the book Around the World in 13 Schools.
Flavio Marcondes – Knowledge & Insights Team Lead, Coca-Cola, Brazil
Flavio Marcondes is Knowledge & Insights Team Lead at Coca-Cola Brazil. Flavio has been with Coca-Cola Brazil since 2005. In his current role, he is responsible for contributing in many areas of the business, from product innovation to communications development and branding. Flavio also leads the insights for all sparkling brands and the Olympics. He has 15 years marketing research experience and previously worked at Research International, Unilever, and Grupo Pão de Açúcar.
Mainak Mazumdar – Chief Science Officer, Simulmedia
Mainak Mazumdar is the chief science officer of Simulmedia. In this capacity, he is responsible for managing Simulmedia’s data science team in leading the invention and innovation of measurement methods and in using data science to differentiate their products. Mainak has nearly 20 years experience leading strategic initiatives and innovation programs integrating digital with core research. Previously, Mainak was Chief Strategy Officer at GfK. He holds U.S. patents in audience measurement and data integration techniques.
Con Menicus, Ph.D. – Senior Statistician, Qantas Loyalty, Qantas Airways Ltd
Con Menictas is senior statistician with Qantas Airways Ltd, Qantas Loyalty. In this capacity, he focuses on developing bespoke research methods and predictive models for loyalty behavior, segmentation and frequent flyer member choices, as well as developing text and data mining solutions for big data.
Mark Menig - Chief Executive Officer, TrueSample
Mark Menig serves as chief executive officer at TrueSample. He was a member of the team that founded TrueSample in 2008 and brings over a decade of experience in global business leadership, corporate entrepreneurship, and technology innovation to his current role as the CEO at TrueSample. He has worked passionately within the business to help bring it to it’s current position as the industry’s leading independent data quality solutions provider.
Satya Menon – Chief Marketing Scientist, Millward Brown North America
Satya Menon is Chief Marketing Scientist at Millward Brown North America where she leads the Marketing Accountability area and Marketing Science operations. Satya has a unique background that spans over 20 years of quantitative market research, academic research, and teaching at top business schools in the U.S. She received her Ph.D. in marketing from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and a graduate degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Maggie Merklin - SVP, Analytic Partners
Maggie Merklin is senior vice president at Analytic Partners responsible for global business development with a focus on new solutions and innovations. She puts emphasis on bringing added value to the analytics delivery process and driving change management so client organizations can make the most effective use of AP deliverables.
Jed Meyer - U.S. Research Director, Annalect
Jed Meyer serves as U.S. research director for Annalect, part of Omnicom Media Group. Jed is focused on developing models and processes to support and sustain the integration of online and offline data across all Annalect platforms, creating a single communications planning source. Prior to joining Annalect, Jed spearheaded Nielsen’s entry into both online ratings and set-top box data, conceptualized and brought to market Nielsen DigitalPlus.
Sable Mi – Senior Director, Research Strategic Planning, BrightRoll
Sable Mi is the senior director of Research and Strategic Planning at BrightRoll, where she leads the company's efforts in new research product development and testing, custom research for strategic accounts, and cross-platform measurement to demonstrate the effectiveness of digital video advertising. Sable has over two decades of experience in advertising, with deep knowledge culled from working at both full service agencies and the leading ad tech company. Sable earned her M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and her M.A. in Mass Communication from Towson University.
Chuck Miller - President, DM2
Chuck Miller is the president at Digital Marketing and Measurement. TrueSample partners with Chuck and his company to ensure objectivity in the analytics that inform how our solutions function. Chuck is president of Digital Marketing & Measurement, LLC (DM2), a research agency focused on communications and measurement in emerging media. During his 20+ years in research, Chuck has built significant capabilities in provider and end client organizations, including 10+ years as a vice president at AOL and Time Warner leading Consumer Insights and Business Intelligence functions. A pioneer in online research, Chuck is named Inventor on a US Patent associated with the first survey router.
Kevin Moeller - EVP, Head of Research, North America, UM
Kevin Moeller is executive vice president, head of Research, leads UM’s North American research team, overseeing the development of actionable insights, tools and custom research projects. Prior to joining UM, Kevin was executive director of research and analytics at Media Behavior Institute. Kevin’s past work experience includes positions at MediaCom, U.S., Discovery Communications and Nielsen.
Dave Morgan - CEO & Founder, Simulmedia
Dave Morgan is the chief executive office and founder of Simulmedia. He previously founded and ran TACODA, Inc., an online advertising company that pioneered behavorial online marketing, as well as Real Media, Inc., one of the world’s first ad serving and online ad network companies. He also served as EVP of Global Advertising Strategy at AOL.
Elissa Moses – EVP, Neuroscience and Emotion, Ipsos
Elissa Moses established the Ipsos Neuroscience and Emotion Innovation Centre to conduct R&D and introduce Integrated System 1 and 2 methodologies for insights and decision-making. Prior to joining Ipsos, Elissa was chief analytics officer at Emsense. She is the author of The $100 Billion Allowance; Accessing the Global Teen Market, co-author of ESOMAR’s 36 Questions to Help Commission Neuroscience Research, and a JAR reviewer.
Kajal Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D. – VP, Performance & Measurement, Xaxis
Kajal Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D. is VP, of Performance and Measurement at Xaxis. In this role, he is responsible for providing analytics support to all GroupM agencies across North America. Prior to this, Kajal was an analytics director at a marketing consulting company specializing in MMM for large financial companies. Kajal holds a Ph.D. in economics from Indiana University and was previously a professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame for nine years.
Ciju Nair, Ph.D. – VP, Analytic Consulting & Innovation, Millward Brown North America
Ciju Nair, Ph.D. is VP, Analytic Consulting & Innovation at Millward Brown North America where he leads the Marketing Effectiveness & ROI practice. Ciju has a unique background that spans 15+ years as an empirical modeler and marketing practitioner. Ciju received a Ph.D. in marketing from the Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis. He also holds a M.B.A. from the S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, and a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology.
Nick Nyhan - Chief Digital Officer, Kantar; CEO WPP Data Alliance
Nick Nyhan is the chief executive officer of WPP’s Data Alliance, a horizontal unit that helps the Group’s companies access and leverage data, and chief digital officer of Kantar. Nick entered the WPP Kantar family as the founder and CEO of Dynamic Logic, acquired by Millward Brown in 2005.
Robin Opie - Chief Analytics Officer, Datalogix
Robin Opie is currently the leader of the Datalogix Analytics organization. In this role, he is responsible for delivering and continuously improving the predictive algorithms, campaign optimization techniques, reporting capabilities, product development, client support, and testing strategies across all aspects of the business.
Jacky Parsons – Research Director, Sense Worldwide
Jacky Parsons is Research Director at Sense Worldwide. For 20 years, she has consulted with global clients across a variety of sectors, identifying insights and translating them into marketing and innovation strategies. Jacky advocates intelligent, sensitive interpretation and application of research findings to creative work, and has pioneered approaches that bring creative agencies and creative consumers closer together.
Adam Paulisilck - VP, Marketing & Channel Strategy, Nielsen Catalina Solutions
bio coming soon!
Mike Peretz, EVP, Ad Sales Revenue Management & Operations, A&E Networks
Mike Peretz is EVP, Ad Sales Revenue Management & Operations for A&E Networks. He is a cable television executive with over 20 years of experience in the TV business. In this role, Mike is responsible for all revenue management activities across each of AETN’s ad sales platforms. Prior to AETN, Mike held roles at CBS Sports and Tyco Toys. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Marketing from Rutgers College.
Steven Wolfe Pereira - CMO, Datalogix
Steven Wolfe Pereira is the chief marketing officer at Datalogix. He has global responsibility for brand advertising, corporate communications, and product and vertical initiatives. He also leads global agency partnerships and development. Previously, Steven was EVP at Starcom MediaVest Group and also served as managing director of multicultural marketing unit MediaVest Multicultural.
Raymond Pettit, Ph.D. – Chief Analytics Officer, iTVX, Rentrak
Raymond Pettit, Ph.D. is chief analytics officer for iTVX, Rentrak’s branded entertainment measurement service. In this role, he designs and implements analytical and research projects. He specializes in advanced analytics, modeling, and research solutions and services. Raymond holds a doctorate in social science research from the University of Illinois and has authored two books on marketing and advertising research as well as numerous white papers, articles, and conference presentations.
David Poltrack - Chief Research Officer, CBS Corporation / President, CBS VISION
David Poltrack is chief research officer of CBS Corporation and president of CBS VISION. He designed and oversees CBS Television City at the MGM GRAND in Las Vegas and is currently chair of the board of directors for The ARF. He is an adjunct professor at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Steinhardt School of Education. David holds a B.A. in history (magna cum laude) from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. in marketing from NYU.
Peter Pynta – Director, Sales & Marketing, Neuro-Insight Pty Ltd.
Peter Pynta is currently director of Sales & Marketing at Neuro-Insight Pty Ltd. He has over 24 years experience working in the media, advertising and research industry. He has specialized in the development of business units that provide targeted consumer research and media insights within companies like News Corp, Nielsen, the Ten Network and the Nine Network.
Andrew Reid – Co-founder & CTO, SponsorHub, Inc.
Andrew Reid, co-founder and CTO of SponsorHub Inc., oversees all SponsorHub offerings, including the XScore, X-Stream, and Emotive Analytics. Previously, Andrew was VP, Products at Kaleidoscope, a division of Interpublic Group (IPG), where he spearheaded the creation of IPG's SponsorScience product, a platform for evaluating and managing major sponsorships for Fortune 500 companies. He also oversaw the development of proprietary software used for key brand campaigns for General Motors, Sprint, and BMW. Andrew began his career in China where he spent five years building a digital marketing agency.
Abigail Rendin – Senior Manager, Consumer Neuroscience Champion, Olson Zaltman Associates
Abigail Rendin is senior manager, consumer neuroscience champion at Olson Zaltman Associates. In this role, she seeks, cultivates and implements rigorous innovative research methodologies that leverage how the mind works to develop insights for Fortune 100 and non-profit clients throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and Latin America. Abigail holds a B.A. in anthropology and a B.A. in international studies, both from Pennsylvania State University.
Bret Rice – Sr. Director of Research, Comcast Spotlight’s Eastern Division
Bret Rice, a 22-year veteran of the cable industry, is senior director of research for Comcast Spoltight’s Eastern Division. In this role, he leads a team of 32 researchers – located within nine cities – that service sales teams across 22 Northeastern markets.
Andrew Robertson - President & COO, BBDO
Andrew Robertson is president and chief executive officer of BBDO Worldwide since June 2004. Andrew first came to BBDO in the UK in 1995, joining Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO where he subsequently served as Chief Executive. In 2001, he moved to BBDO North America to serve as president and CEO. He began his advertising career at Ogilvy & Mather, London as a Media Planner. He switched to account management and was appointed to the Board of Ogilvy & Mather in 1986. In 1989, he joined J. Walter Thompson and in November 1990, was appointed Chief Executive of WCRS.
Jacqueline Rosales - Chief of Operations, Soapbox Sample
Jacqueline Rosales is currently chief of operations at SoapboxSample, a vibrant new start-up in a rapid growth phase. Jacqueline has 20 years of experience in marketing research and in her current role, focuses on the client experience by bringing together best-in-class technology solutions, innovative methodology approaches and exceptional staff.
Holly Rozelle – Associate Manager, Strategy & Insights, Dannon
Holly Rozelle is an associate manager of Strategy & Insights at the Dannon. Holly started her career in Shopper Research but quickly transitioned to Consumer when her passion for understanding the person behind the shopper quickly became evident. Her research on the consumer has exhibited several topics such as segmentation, psychological profiling, explicit versus implicit reactions, copy testing, and product innovation ideation. Holly has an M.B.A. from the Sam Walton College of Business and undergraduate degrees in marketing and supply chain from Shippensburg University.
Michael Saxon - SVP, Client Delivery, Symphony Advanced Media
Michael Saxon is the senior vice president of client delivery at Symphony Advanced Media. Michael manages client services for Symphony Advanced Media, and is also involved in product design and research methodology. Previously, he held product marketing and client service positions at Harris Interactive, TNS, and Nielsen Online.
Xavier Sanchez de Carmona - The ARF
Xavier is the senior research director at The ARF. He leads the Nerve Center at the ARF. Previously, Xavier worked at Reckitt Benckiser as the consumer and market insights lead for Lysol across US and Canada, and at General Mills at the Latin America, South Africa and US divisions.
Terrae Schroeder – Head of Global Insights, Pringles, Kellogg’s
Terrae Schroeder currently heads Pringles Global Insights at Kellogg’s. In this role, she oversees a broad insights platform and delivers powerful insights that fuel brand growth. Previously, Terrae spent 11 years at Procter and Gamble, with broad experiences across brand and category development, data analytics, retailer strategies, and most recently leading Behavioral Sciences Insights for beauty and grooming She won an ARF David Ogilvy Award for her work on Olympics “Thanks Mom” campaign in 2013.
Kamal Sen, Ph.D. – CEO, Cogitaas
Kamal Sen, Ph.D. is the CEO of Cogitaas where he focuses on corporate strategy and planning. He founded Cogitaas to build enhanced role of analytics in corporate strategy and executive decisions. Kamal previously headed Business Analytics and Strategy Planning at Unilever covering 100 brands, in 15 countries, winning multiple awards. He has worked as an academic, policy planner with financial institutions and recognized as Rated Economist in global finance.
Don Sexton – Professor, Marketing Decisions, Risk and Operations, Columbia University
Don Sexton has been teaching for more than 40 years at Columbia University and has also served as the chair of the International Business Division. In addition to Columbia University, he has taught at several institutions including the University of California, Berkeley and INSEAD. Don has written articles for numerous publications such as the Harvard Business Review, Journal of Marketing Research, and Management Science. His most recent book, Value Above Cost, explains how marketing determines financial performance.
Padmini Sharma – President, Jester & Genius/Insights Consultant, Susan G. Komen
Padmini Sharma is president of Jester & Genius and is Insights Consultant on behalf of Susan G. Komen. Padmini is a Brand Strategist & Consumer Insights consultant who advises clients on communication and innovation strategies to create sustained marketplace growth. Prior to this, she was a director at PepsiCo Frito-Lay. Padmini holds a master's degree in advertising from the University of Illinois Urbaba-Champaig.
Matthew Sharp – Associate Director, Consumer Analytics & Research, AOL
Matthew Sharp is associate director, consumer analytics and research at AOL. In this role he leads cross-category campaign effectiveness and primary research initiatives, uncovering consumer and marketplace insights to help AOL’s clients develop more effective digital marketing strategies. In 2014, Matthew has presented path-to-purchase insights at two Innovation Enterprise events in Chicago (Business Analytics Innovation & Retail Customer Analytics Summit) and was recently interviewed by The Financial Brand for research he led exploring why consumers switch banks.
Ravi Sherkar – Associate Research Director, Starcom MediaVest Group, Dubai (Vivaki MENA)
Ravi Shekar works as an associate research director at Starcom MediaVest Group, Dubai. In this role, he manages everything under the purview of human understanding and ROI based analytics for the Vivaki group and its clients in the MENA region through the use of quantitative, qualitative and behavioral research methodologies. He has over eight years of experience across research and communication agencies in India and the MENA region working on prestigious accounts including P&G, Mondelez, MARS, PMI, and Samsung
Jerome Shimizu - Chief Research Officer, Millward Brown Digital
Jerome Shimizu is the chief research offiier at Millward Brown Digital. In this capacity, he is responsible for helping to define the company’s unique market strategy and developing innovative data driven research solutions. Previously, Jerome was CRO at InsightExpress. Prior to this, he worked at Nielsen for 11 years.
Ronjan Sikdar – VP, Digital, Media Analytics, Nielsen
Ronjan Sikdar leads the digital practice for Media Analytics at Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers watch and what they buy. In this role, he consults the top players in digital advertising to help them understand how to reach consumers in today’s fragmented, multi-screen world. Ronjan has over ten years of experience at Nielsen in several roles, including new product strategy & innovation, e-commerce and social media. His key areas of interest include understanding the shift to digital video consumption, and how that will affect the future of television. Ronjan attended Carnegie Mellon University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in statistics.
Kate Sirkin - EVP, Global Research Director, Starcom MediaVest Group
Kate Sirkin is EVP and global research director at Starcom MediaVest Group. In this role, she oversees a massive worldwide budget and manages emerging media trends, data, and support for SMG clients, initiates proprietary studies, and acts as the company’s voice on critical media issues. She is a founding member of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board, an ARF board member, part of the executive board of CIMM, and on the Print and Digital Research Forum program committee.
Brad Smallwood - Head of Measurements & Pricing, Facebook
Brad Smallwood is head of measurements & pricing at Facebook. Prior to this, Brad was the general manager of Yahoo’s multi-bullion dollar display advertising marketplace. With companies like Namezero, AllAdvantage, and Revcube, he developed a series of state-of-the-art ad tageting and ad serving techniques.
Renee Smith - Chief Research Officer, Kantar
Renee Smith serves as Kantar’s chief research officer. She has recently been working on innovation in the areas of survey modularization and data fusion, mobile data collection, micro surveys, and solutions that connect big data with custom surveys. Renee sits on the Kantar Innovation Board and is a member of the Google Consumer Surveys Advisory Board.
Jasper Snyder – EVP, Research & Innovation: Cross-Platform
Jasper is EVP, Research & Innovation at The ARF where he is focused on cross-platform media consumption and measurement. Jasper has 15 years of experience leading quantitative and qualitative research and analytics projects across the consumer and B2B sectors. Before joining The ARF, Jasper worked in Ipsos’ Strategy Partner Group, providing guidance to major clients on all aspects of corporate and brand strategy. Prior to this, Jasper was VP of Insights at the industry-leading social media consultancy Converseon, client services manager at BuzzBack Market Research, and head of Primary Research for Datamonitor (Technology) in London. Jasper holds a degree in law and French law from the London School of Economics, a master’s in tax law from Queen Mary, University of London, and a Diplome d’Etudes Juridiques from Strasbourg University.
Tasha Space – Founder, CS SPACE
Tasha Space, Founder of CS SPACE, is a highly regarded strategist whose clients include Nike, Virgin, Comedy Central, Citi, ESPN, and Pfizer, among many others. Prior to founding CS SPACE, Tasha held vice president positions at two global, award winning advertising agencies. Tasha also teaches a course at Columbia University on the “Business of Brands.” She has a masters’s of science in market research.
Jim Spaeth – Partner, Sequent Partners
Jim Spaeth is a partner of Sequent Partners. Prior to co-founding Sequent Partners Jim served as President of The ARF. Previously, Jim spent over a decade developing new research tools to improve clients' business performance at PEAC ViewFacts, ScanAmerica and ASI. He has also led the media research and planning function at General Foods and Young & Rubicam. Jim is the co-author of Market Research Matters and has served on the boards of many industry associations. Jim holds a B.A. in mathematics and an M.S. and Ph.D. in econometrics.
Stan Sthanunathan – SVP, Consumer Marketing Insights, Unilever
Stan Sthanunathan is SVP of Consumer Marketing Insights of Unilever based in London. He heads the insights function globally for Unilever. Prior to joining Unilever, Stan was VP of Marketing Strategy & Insights for The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, heading up the function on a global basis. His research career started in 1985 with Pathfinders: India with whom he was associated for almost seven years. Upon leaving, he was general manager of the agency. Stan earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Bombay University and followed this with his M.B.A. from the India Institute of Management in Bangalore, India.
Horst Stipp – EVP, Research & Innovation: Global & Ad Effectiveness
Horst Stipp is EVP, Research & Innovation: Global & Ad Effectiveness. In this role he focuses on the needs of global members, as well as ARF’s global strategy. He joined The ARF as EVP of Global Business Strategy in 2011. Prior to The ARF, Horst was SVP, Strategic Insights & Innovation in the Research department of NBCUniversal, where he oversaw strategic marketing and consumer research for NBCU’s TV networks as well as new digital platforms. Horst received his Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University and has been involved in media research for over 30 years. His publications, in English and German, cover a wide range of topics, from advertising effectiveness and branding to the development of the media in the digital age.
Tam Su – Senior Director, Product, Crimson Hexagon
Tam Su is senior director of Product at Crimson Hexagon, where he focuses on product innovation and customer experience. Tam has 17 years of experience as a product innovator leading both UX and product management practices at various Fortune 500 and early stage companies. Before Crimson Hexagon, Tam led design and product at RepairPal, a venture-backed startup in San Francisco focused on improving the auto repair experience. Prior to that, he led customer experience at Satmetrix Systems, a Stanford-backed venture that co-developed the NPS (Net Promoter Score) methodology.
Sheena Sudra – Enterprise Marketing Manager, National Australia Bank
Sheena Sudra, enterprise marketing manager at National Australia Bank, brings 12+ years of international experience to the Marketing Planning and Performance leadership team at NAB - working across all business units as well as Brand & Sponsorship. Her team champions the creation and optimization of effective and cost-efficient marketing activity through delivering actionable insights to the business.
Michael Sussman - President, BAV Worldwide
Michael Sussman serves as president of BAV® Worldwide. He manages BrandAsset® Valuator, Y&R’s global brand model and database. Michael oversees the integration of BAV® and other quantitative tools into brand strategy, combining planning and analytics. Michael’s team uncovers opportunities for brands and provides insights to drive strategies. His brand positioning framework, BrandTensity®, is the standard Y&R approach to identify compelling platforms for its clients.
Rolfe Swinton – Chief RealityMiner, RealityMine
Rolfe Swinton is chief realityminer at RealityMine, a big data analytics business which creates and manages mobile passive behavior tools that help businesses to understand consumer behavior by collecting and analyzing data from mobile devices, routers, PCs and third party data sources.
Alice Sylvester – Partner, Sequent Partners
Alice Sylvester is a partner at Sequent Partners. In this role, she has been involved in industry ROI initiatives, new media metrics development, and cross-media measurement. Alice has a diverse interdisciplinary background in media research, brand research and account planning. Alice is a past chairman of The ARF board of directors, and a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Advertising Research. Alice is also co-author of Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer.
Stephanie Tangeman – Campaign Effectiveness Lead; Intel Insights & Market Research, Intel
Stephanie Tangeman is campaign effectiveness lead of Intel Insights & Market Research. In this role, she leads several aspects of campaign effectiveness measurement for Intel’s consumer campaigns, covering TV, digital, print, and social media. She has over 15 years of marketing experience at Intel and has managed product marketing teams and held roles in the company’s operations. Stephanie received a B.S. in industrial & operations engineering from University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Indiana University.
Derek Thompson - Chief Strategy Officer, PlaceIQ
Derek Thompson is currently chief strategy officer at PlaceI. In this role, he leads the development of the strategy team and works closely with the executive team to further refine the firm’s go-to-market strategy, product roadmap, and further advance both agency and client partnerships. Prior to joining PlaceIQ, Derek led the mobility practice at Starcom MediaVest Group. Derek was responsible for the advancement of mobile capabilities, operationalizing, mobile strategy, partnerships, innovation, and new business development. Derek is a hybrid digital marketer and mobile specialist with the proven ability to understand, differentiate, and create competitive advantage with ad tech platforms.
Thomas Troch – Senior Research Manager, InSites Consulting
Thomas Troch is senior research manager at InSites Consulting. Thomas is experienced in developing collaborative innovation programs for global clients like Heineken, Vodafone, and Dannon. He is a regular contributor to the research and innovation community and often speaks at industry conferences such as PIM 2014. He also lectures at universities. Thomas is published in multiple journals including Touchpoint: The Journal of Service Design.
Duane Varan, Ph.D. – CEO, MediaScience
Duane Varan, Ph.D. is CEO of MediaScience, a role he holds concurrently with his appointment as professor and executive director of Audience Labs at Murdoch University in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Australian Prime Minister's University Educator of the Year award. Duane is well-published and an authority of new research methods incorporating biometrics, facial coding, and eye tracking methods.
José E. Vélez-Silva – Senior Director, Multicultural Marketing Communication, Comcast
José E. Vélez-Silva, senior director of Multicultural Marketing Communication at Comcast, is responsible for leading the company’s efforts to increase market share and brand consideration across the Multicultural audience. He directs, oversees, and manages multicultural ad agency relations and all aspects of the development of Multicultural advertising campaigns.
Hannu Verkasalo, Ph.D. – CEO, Verto Analytics Inc.
Hannu Verkasalo, Ph.D. is currently CEO of Verto Analytics Inc. Hannu has an extensive entrepreneurial background and has founded several companies in the digital space. Over the past 15 years, he has advised over 20 ventures across the U.S. and Europe. Prior to Verto Analytics Inc., Hannu was an SVP with the mobile analytics firm Zokem, which was acquired by Arbitron Inc. in 2011. Hannu has a Ph.D. in mobile analytics from Aalto University and holds a master’s degree in engineerings, social science, and economics.
Eric Villain - Managing Director, Brand & Customer Experience, GfK
Eric Villain is managing director of brand and customer experience at GfK. He has over 25 years of experience in marketing insight, spanning a wide array of brand management disciplines, including innovation, communication development, and customer satisfaction. Previously, he served as president of media and technology at Ipsos OTX Media CT. He has also been a qualitative expert, having conducted several thousand focus groups, in-depths, and workshops over the years.
Tara Walpert-Levy – Managing Director, Google & YouTube
Tara Walpert Levy leads the Americas Agency team at Google & YouTube, driving strategic partnerships that help media, creative, and performance agencies prosper in a digital age. She is also responsible for Google’s media specialist sales teams ranging from U.S. Hispanic to Sponsorships and Media Programs. Prior to Google, Tara was the President of Visible World, building the company into the leading targeted TV advertising platform. Tara has been named by Fast Company as one of the “Most Creative People in Business,” by Advertising Age as a "Women to Watch”, and by Crain’s as one of NYC’s “40 Under 40”. She is also an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School and a member of the board of directors for Wharton Future of Advertising and dmg World Media.
Kirk Ward - EVP Market Structure & Analytics, TNS North America
Kirk Ward leads the newly established market structure and analytics group at TNS North America. Previously he led the Innovation and Product development practice area for TNS North America. Prior to that Kirk had a global role in offer management and development efforts for the newly merged TNS on a global basis.
Adriana Waterston – SVP, Marketing and Business Development, Horowitz Associates
Adriana Waterston, SVP, Marketing and Business Development at Horowitz Associates, is a recognized expert on the U.S. Hispanic market. Her articles on the topic have been widely published in the industry press. She has spoken at events such as AHAA, NAMIC, CTAM, The ARF, and the Hispanic Television Summit. She was named one of the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” by Cablefax, and has received a CTAM TAMI award.
René Weber – Director, Media Neuroscience Lab
René Weber is director of the Media Neuroscience Lab, a professor of Mass Communication at the University of California Santa Barbara, and the chair of the International Communication Association's Mass Communication Division. His research focuses on cognitive responses to mass communication and new technology media messages. His research has been published in major communication and neuroscience journals and in three books.
Keith Weed – Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Unilever
Keith Weed is chief marketing and communications officer at Unilever and is responsible for the marketing, communications and sustainable business functions. Keith has led a step change in marketing at Unilever, most notably with significant advances in digital marketing and technologies, and has championed the development of brands with purpose through Unilever’s crafting Brands for Life strategy. Outside of Unilever, he is a fellow of The Marketing Society, and as an engineering graduate, a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He is also chairman of the World Economic Forum Consumer Industry Board, chairman of Business in the Community International and a non-executive director of Sun Products Corporation.
Bret Weinberg – Principal Consultant, InfoScout
Bret Weinberg is a principal consultant with InfoScout’s client services practice. He has utilized a background in statistics to help marketers across Australia and the United States make more informed media and in-store decisions. Bret is currently helping design innovative ways to ensure that clients have a competitive advantage with InfoScout’s unique data.
Chris Wilson – President, National Television, Rentrak
Chris Wilson is president of National Television at Rentrak. In this role, Chris’ mission is to further the development of new products and services to measure TV across every platform. Previously, he served as SVP, Sales at Scarborough Research Company, as well as president and COO of Simmons Market Research Bureau, which was purchased by Experian Research Services where he later became President. Most recently, Chris was the CEO and president of LogicLab, a division of Merkle LLC.
Steven Wolfe Pereira - CMO, Datalogix
Steven Wolfe Pereira is the chief marketing officer at Datalogix. He has global responsibility for brand advertising, corporate communications, and product and vertical initiatives. He also leads global agency partnerships and development. Previously, Steven was EVP at Starcom MediaVest Group and also served as managing director of multicultural marketing unit MediaVest Multicultural.
Leslie Wood - CRO, Nielsen Catalina Solutions
Leslie Wood is chief research officer of Nielsen Catalina Solutions. There she is responsible for research and development. She has a long history of involvement in single-source methodologies, including BehaviorScan, Scan America, and Project Apollo. She is treasurer of the Market Research Council, secretary of the Advertising Research Council, and Nielsen’s liaison to the Center of Research Excellence’s ROI Committee.
Becky Wu, Ph.D. – Senior Executive Vice President, Luth Research
Becky Wu is currently senior executive vice president at Luth Research. She joined Luth Research in 2001 and brings unique perspectives in a wide array of research practices, particularly in the areas of digital tracking for advertising effectiveness, new product development, media measurement, and branding and marketing strategies. Becky has worked with companies including LG Mobile Communication, Cox Communications, Comcast Cable Communications, Cricket Communications, HSBC, Disney Digital Publishing, and ProFlowers.
Pranav Yadav - CEO, Neuro-Insight US
Pranav Yadav is chief executive officer of Neuro-Insight US. By using the passive, granular insights of neuromarketing, Pranav helps advertisers and media companies make the most compelling connections between products and consumers. Previously, Pranav worked at ReD and Goldman Sachs.
Tania Yuki - CEO and Founder, Shareablee
Tania Yuki is chief executive officer and founder of Shareablee, a leading provider of actionable social business intelligence. She is a digital innovator who has spent most of her career in digital marketing, measurement and analytics, and was recently honored with a Great Mind Award from The ARF and featured in Fast Company and Forbes as one of 12 women driving digital in New York. Tania is also the founder of wimlink, an organization that holds regular events and seminars promoting entrepreneurship, leadership and the professional development of women.
Shelley Zalis - CEO, Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange
Shelley Zalis is the chief executive officer of Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange. Under her vision and guidance as founder and chief executive officer at OTX—which was acquired by Ipsos in 2010—became the 18th largest research company in the world. In 2008, she was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Award in the online services category, and in 2010, she won The ARF “Great Minds in Innovation” Award.
Jennifer Zeszut – CEO, Beckon
Jennifer Zeszut is CEO of Beckon—a SaaS analytics software company. Jennifer has been a marketing leader for top brands like eBay, Proctor & Gamble, and Cost Plus World Market, and has advised many more as head of Strategy and Analytics for Razorfish. Prior to Beckon, she founded Scout Labs (social media monitoring, analytics, & engagement platform) sold to Lithium in 2010. She has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, FastCompany and TechCrunch, and has been invited to the White House to speak on entrepreneurship.
Dirk Ziems – Founder & Managing Partner, Concept M
Dirk Ziems is founder and managing partner at Concept M, a specialized agency with a global network across Europe, the U.S., and China. Dirk is a psychological researcher with more than 20 years experience in qualitative research. His work is based on an in-depth psychological approach, which represents the intersection of Psychoanalysis, Archetypes, Gestalt Psychology and Semiotics. Dirk also teaches marketing research at the University for Technology and Economics Berlin.
Michael Zimbalist - SVP, Advertising Products & Research Development, The New York Times Company
Michael Zimbalist is senior vice president, advertising products and research and development of The New York Times. In this capacity he provides strategic leadership across advertising products, ad operations, inventory, yield management and programmatic. He also oversees industry and agency relations. Michael founded the Company’s R&D Lab in 2006. In 2012 he was named a Media Maven by Advertising Age, and in 2013 he received a Service Excellence Award from the IAB.
