|
LEADERSHIP
Canoe's leadership team is comprised of experts from some of the top companies at the forefront of media innovation. Each member brings their own significant skill set to the table, which will play an integral role in bringing TV a giant step forward into the future.
Our advisory board members are industry leaders with expertise and experience in a range of businesses relevant to Canoe´s mission to make television a preeminent digital marketing medium.
|
|
CANOE EXECUTIVES
 |
|
CEO
|
 |
|
Kathy was appointed interim Chief Executive Officer in 2011. She is currently performing the dual role of CEO and Chief Operating Officer. Kathy joined Canoe as COO in June 2009. She is now responsible for setting the company’s vision, while also driving the success of Canoe’s entire portfolio of solutions and services and scaling Canoe’s national advanced television platform. Kathy’s leadership is ensuring that the promise of advanced television becomes a reality. Prior to Canoe, Kathy had a successful career in managing and scaling high-tech organizations, having served in key management roles and board positions in both start-up and mature companies for the past 15 years. Before joining Canoe, she was COO of Carrier Services at IDT where she directed pricing, profit optimization, business reporting and operations. In 2006, she was named COO of IDT Telecom where she oversaw the unit’s retail and wholesale businesses and was responsible for product management, IT, engineering and all operations. During her 10-year tenure at IDT, Kathy also served as CTO of IDT Telecom, EVP of Technology of IDT Corporation, and COO of the Engineering and Operations Division. Kathy was appointed to the IDT Telecom Board of Directors in 2001. Before joining IDT, Kathy spent several years as EVP of Development and Operations at Call Sciences, a start-up company developing Personal Number Services. Previously, Kathy worked on communications and software systems for Bellcore and Bolt, Beranak and Newman (BBN); and held technical and management positions in a variety of technology-based companies focusing on the development of energy systems and robotics. Kathy holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an M.S. in Computer Science from Boston University. |
|
|
|
Chief Technology Officer
|
|
|
Joel is responsible for all technical and engineering functions, including advertising operations, at Canoe. He leads all technology development and deployment efforts toward the creation of shared technology processes and standards for more robust audience interactivity, relevance and measurement. With over 30 years of experience, Joel has an exceptional track record managing complex product and project teams and large-scale enterprise data systems across several industries including cable, satellite, telecommunications and advanced advertising. Prior to joining Canoe, Joel was the Founder and CTO of DigiForge, LLC, a digital television development and professional services firm. Prior to DigiForge, Joel was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of OpenTV’s Americas Division where he led several major satellite, cable and telco deployments, including Emmy award-winning technology projects. Prior to OpenTV, Joel served as the vice president of engineering at TV Guide and was responsible for the development of TV Guide’s electronic program guide. Joel is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable leaders in the field of set-top device innovation. Throughout his career, Joel has led initiatives in software development, integration, network engineering and deployment with major set-top device manufacturers worldwide, including PACE, Thomson, Phillips, Motorola, Scientific-Atlanta and Amino. He has been involved in the launch of more than 25 million digital set-tops globally. In addition to engineering management and advanced advertising system success, Joel also has significant entrepreneurial experience. He founded two technology enterprises that were profitable from inception. Joel has a BA from Western State University and a law degree from the University of Denver. |
|
|
|
Chief Marketing Officer
|
 |
|
Vicki drives the strategic development and execution of all marketing and communications initiatives for Canoe Ventures, including the development of the company’s affiliate marketing program to serve its growing list of advanced television-enabled programming networks. Vicki comes to Canoe Ventures from Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, where she served as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications. In her time there, she managed all marketing functions including brand strategy, advertising, public relations, public affairs, promotions, creative services, and internal and external communications across Comcast´s nearly 90 markets. She additionally oversaw the re-branding of the division and led marketing initiatives to promote the use of spot cable´s multi-platform marketing solutions among local, regional and national advertisers. In 2009, CableFAX named Vicki one of the most powerful women in cable. She was also named a “Wonder Woman” in the Cable, Broadband, and Telecommunications Universe in 2009 by Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT). She received a WICT Accolade in 2008 as a “Woman to Watch” and has also been named by CableFAX as a “Top 100 Heavy Hitter.” Vicki holds an MA in Communications Management from the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California. |
|
|
|
Chief Product Officer
|
 |
|
Arthur has been a key leader in technology and product development at Canoe since its inception in 2008. In his current role, to which he was appointed in August 2011, Arthur drives the alignment of product strategy, product management and business development. For more than 20 years, Arthur has worked in the media and interactive TV industries where he has helped develop critical initiatives with standard bodies, industry organizations and providers. He is an active member of SCTE, and chaired the CableLabs Working Group which developed the EBIF technical specification for enhanced television. He is a long-term advocate of open standards-based technologies and other cross-MSO projects. Before joining Canoe, Arthur was a Senior Vice President at Bright House Networks where he was responsible for leading the development of new technology-based products and services for video, high-speed data, voice and wireless. In 2009, Arthur received the Individual Leadership Award of the 6th Annual Awards for Leadership in Interactive and Multiplatform Television, which was presented at The TV of Tomorrow show. This award is given to “an individual who demonstrated notable leadership in the interactive, multiplatform TV industry over the past year, and whose efforts helped move that industry forward.” He was also named one of the Most Influential Minorities in Cable by CableFAXin 2009 and 2010. Arthur is a member of NAMIC and CTAM, from which he received a Rainmaker Award in 2005.Arthur has a B.A. from Cornell University and attended the MFA Graduate Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. |
|
|
|
General Counsel
|
|
|
John Redpath joined Canoe Ventures in January 2010 as General Counsel. He oversees all legal concerns related to the Canoe’s growing relationships with programming networks and video distributors, as well as Canoe’s cable operator owners. He is also responsible for the company’s efforts around privacy and security regulatory issues. John has more than 30 years of experience, with most of his career spent at major media companies including Time, Inc. and HBO. Prior to joining Canoe, he served as Chief Legal Officer of the United States Golf Association and, before that, was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Time Inc., a global leader in media and entertainment, where he was responsible for almost all legal matters. From 1978 – 2002, John held a variety of legal positions at HBO, including Executive Vice President and General Counsel where he was responsible for legal work including the negotiation of film licenses, affiliation agreements, acquisitions, litigation strategy, government relations, and more. He began his legal career as a Corporate Attorney at Dewey Ballantine LLP in New York. John served as a Lieutenant of the United States Navy from 1966-1969. He received an LLM from New York University Law School, a JD from the University of Michigan Law School, and he graduated cum laude from Princeton University. A dedicated community leader, he also serves on the Board of Directors at “Learning Leaders,” which has grown to become the largest school volunteer and parent engagement program in New York City. |
|
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
 |
|
Neil joined Canoe in May 2009 to lead and manage finance, administration, accounting and reporting. In August 2011, his role was expanded to include corporate administration, human resources and corporate planning. Before joining Canoe, Neil served as CEO of Longview Consulting Group, an advisory firm he founded in 2005 that works with emerging and middle-market companies in the areas of marketing and financing strategy. Previously, he led corporate operations, finance and administration while serving as EVP and CFO for various companies including Audio Audit, a provider of verification technology; Mediaport LLC, a technology consortium comprised of the three largest global advertising holding companies Omnicom, Interpublic, and WPP Group; iPrivacy LLC, a software development company focused on providing Internet security protection for the financial services sector; and The Carson Group, a financial information and consulting company providing financial databases, stock surveillance and investor relations counsel to Fortune 500 corporations. Neil began his career as a certified public accountant with Price Waterhouse in New York. He holds a BS in Accounting from the School of Management, Binghamton University. |
|
|
|
Senior Vice President, Sales and Distribution
|
 |
|
Jim joined Canoe in 2009 and was appointed Senior Vice President, Sales and Distribution in August 2011. In this role, he leads all sales-related functions and drives the company’s go-to-market strategy focused on network distribution, client relations, business development and revenue generation. Jim brings a wealth of experience in the development and implementation of digital media product strategy in both broadcast and cable television. Prior to joining Canoe, he was most recently Vice President, Product at Synacor, the leading white label supplier of web services and digital media to the cable and telecommunications industries. Prior to Synacor, Jim was Vice President, Digital Media at A&E Television Networks where he led the development and management of the company’s digital media properties across all of the network’s brands. Before joining A&E, Jim was Founder and President of AvitageMedia, a consulting and production company for advanced television, interactive advertising, Internet, broadband, and digital. Jim began his career at CBS where, as part of the CBS Technology Center, he was awarded two patents for the use of computers in music. Since then, he has held executive positions including SVP, Product at Women.com, EVP/COO of Astronet.com and VP Product Development for Kurzweil Music Systems. In the mid 1990s, Digital Equipment Corporation acquired Jim’s CDROM production company to create Digital Media Studios. As GM/Executive Producer, Jim led the creation of some of the first shopping, music, VOD and other interactive television applications. Jim is active in a number of industry initiatives and organizations and serves in several roles for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Jim holds an MBA in Marketing and Masters and Bachelors degrees in Electrical Engineering. |
|
|
|
CEO & Founder, Bridge TwoWorlds, LLC
|
 |
|
Jim Garrity is the founder and CEO of BridgeTwoWorlds, LLC., a marketing consultancy helping advertisers, agencies and digital media companies bridge the gap between the worlds of traditional and digital communications. Prior to his retirement from Wachovia in 2007, Jim served as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Wachovia for more than a decade. Prior to Wachovia, he held executive roles in sales and marketing at both IBM (last position there was Director of Advertising, IBM US), and Compaq where he was Vice President, Communications. From 1995 – 2007 he served on the Board of Directors of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) which he chaired in 1998. He also founded the ANA’s New Technologies Committee in 1995 and chaired it until he retired from Wachovia. Jim is currently a Non-Executive Director of Burst Media and is Chairman of Canoe Ventures’ Advisory Board, Chairman of Digitalsmiths’ Advisory Board and serves as an advisor to Marketshare Partners, Visual IQ and Better Advertising, Inc. |
|
|
|
Director, VCU Brandcenter
|
 |
|
Rick Boyko, former Chief Creative Officer and Co-President of Ogilvy & Mather North America, joined the VCU Adcenter on July 1, 2003 as its managing director. In addition to teaching, he is responsible for financial and personnel management, as well as fundraising and outreach to individuals and firms in the advertising industry. In the years since Rick has become its director, the school has changed quite dramatically. Its curriculum has evolved to include, in addition to Art Direction and Copywriting, three new tracks: Communications Strategy, Creative Brand Management and, in 2008, Creative Technology. The student body has grown from 100 graduate students to 205 and the faculty from four professors to twelve. This change was capped o on January 14, 2008 with the changing of the school’s name from VCU Adcenter to VCU Brandcenter. Also in January 2008, the school moved into its new home, an open, creative and collaborative breeding ground designed by world-renowned architect, Clive Wilkinson. These changes have not gone unnoticed and in 2005, the Adcenter was ranked the number 1 advertising program in the country by Advertising Age’s Creativity Magazine. Number 1 in all three categories: innovation, program quality, and graduate quality. In 2007, Business Week recognized the school’s unique curriculum and named it one of the sixty best business/design schools in the world. Also in 2009, VCU Brandcenter won the O’Toole Award for Creative Excellence. The business world has taken notice as well, awarding the Brandcenter real assignments for its students from companies like Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, The Learning Channel, Tourism Industry of America, Business for Diplomatic Action, Newspaper Association of America, AICP, Virginia Tourism, The Gettysburg Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, UNICEF’s Tap Project for Richmond, and Radio Advertising Bureau. Rick began his career in 1974 as an art director at Leo Burnett Chicago and moved to Chiat/Day Los Angeles in the 1980s. He joined Ogilvy & Mather New York in 1989 and in 1997 was named Chief Creative Officer and Co-President of Ogilvy’s $1.5 billion flagship New York office. The following year Rick was also named North American Chief Creative Officer. He ascended to that post with a mission: to reclaim the creative ethos of legendary founder David Ogilvy. He worked to seamlessly integrate Ogilvy’s creative departments throughout the North American network and started many new initiatives to set Ogilvy apart from its competition. While Rick has won numerous advertising awards, he feels most proud of two accomplishments unrelated to advertising. First, in May 2001, in honor of his career achievements, Rick was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Then, in October 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy, Rick conceived of and was the driving force behind “Brotherhood,” a tabletop book honoring the 343 firemen who perished. It sold more than 200,000 copies and the proceeds of $1.5 million went to the families of the firemen. In light of Brotherhood’s contributions to the Fire Department of New York, Rick was designated an Honorary Deputy Chief in the FDNY. An active member of the VCU Brandcenter Board of Directors since 2000, he was honored on behalf of Ogilvy & Mather when they were inducted into VCU’s Founders’ Society. In 2008 Rick and his wife, Barbara, gifted the Brandcenter one million dollars. He is on the advisory committee of the Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), and is also the Dean of the Roger Hatchuel Cannes Academy. He has previously sat on the boards of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Napster and Butler Shine Stern & Partners. |
|
|
|
SVP, Integrated Marketing Communications and Capabilities, The Coca-Cola Company
|
 |
|
Wendy Clark oversees The Coca-Cola Company´s global design, marketing communications, media, sponsorships, interactive marketing and its Live Positively sustainability platform. Under her guidance, her team is leveraging the power and impact of holistic design, working to align and focus their ad agencies under a new value-based compensation model and driving great adoption and understanding of digital media with a “fans-first” mentality. Prior to joining The Coca-Coca Company, Wendy was Senior Vice President, Advertising for AT&T where she was at the helm of the company´s most ambitious and aggressive re-branding and advertising campaigns in its history. Before AT&T, she served as Senior Vice President and Director of Client Service at GSD&M, an internationally recognized advertising agency based in Austin, Texas and held a variety of field and corporate positions in advertising and marketing for BellSouth Mobility. She was inducted into the American Advertising Federation´s (AAF) “Advertising Hall of Achievement” in November 2007 and AdAge cited Wendy as “one of the most important women in marketing” in its “Women to Watch” 2007 issue. Fortune also featured her in its “40 Under 40″ issue where she was also named one of four “Women to Watch” in November 2009. Wendy is a board member of the Association of National Advertisers and the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Creative Writing from Florida State University. |
|
|
|
Chief Creative Officer, COLLINS:
|
 |
|
Brian Collins is Chief Creative Officer of COLLINS:, a design company dedicated to inventing brand experiences and communications that shape companies and people for the better. Prior to COLLINS:, Brian was Chairman & Chief Creative Officer of the Brand Integration Group (BIG) at Ogilvy & Mather. Brian’s clients have included Coca-Cola, CNN, Levi Strauss & Co., American Express, Motorola, Mattel, IBM, Amazon.com, MTV, Hershey’s and The Alliance for Climate Protection. Brian’s work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Week, ABC News and Fast Company, which named him one of five American Masters of Design. He is the founder of Designism, an annual symposium in New York City focusing on the role of social activism in design and advertising. In 2009, COLLINS: was awarded Gold from The One Show, The Clios, the 4A’s Gold for Strategic Excellence and a Cannes Silver Lion. Brian is a Distinguished Alumna of the Massachusetts College of Art. He is Vice President of The Art Directors Club of New York and is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts. He received an Honorary Doctorate from the Art Center College of Design in 2008. He speaks globally on design and innovation including at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and is a member of the Forum’s Global Agenda Council. |
|
|
|
SVP and CMO, General Electric
|
 |
|
Beth Comstock is SVP & Chief Marketing Officer of General Electric where she leads the company´s organic growth and commercial innovation initiatives as well as its sales, marketing and communications functions. She is responsible for ecomagination, the GE-wide business platform that is devoted to reducing environmental impact with new technology, and healthymagination, that is focused on achieving sustainable health through innovation by lowering costs, improving quality and reaching more people. Beth returned to the CMO role after having spent over two years as President of Integrated Media at NBC Universal where she oversaw the television ad sales, marketing and research teams with a focus on new advertising innovations. She also led the company´s digital media development and distribution including the formation of Hulu and Peacock Equity, and the acquisition of iVillage.com. In 2003, she was named GE´s first Chief Marketing Officer in more than 20 years and helped reinvigorate marketing across the company, introducing ecomagination, Imagination Breakthrough innovations and the “Imagination at Work” brand campaign. Previously, Beth held a succession of publicity and promotions roles at GE, NBC, CBS and Turner Broadcasting. She began her career in local television production in Virginia. Beth is a trustee of the Smithsonian´s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary. |
|
|
|
Founder and Creative Chairman, Droga5
|
 |
|
David Droga has been fortunate enough to work around the world and with the most talented individuals in the advertising industry. His previous roles include Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Publicis, Executive Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi London, Regional Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Asia, and in his earlier days Creative Director and Partner at OMON in Sydney. In 2006, he founded Droga5 in New York, which Creativity magazine named the “U.S. Agency of the Year” in 2007. As a result, David has now won “Agency of the Year” in four separate countries. Since 2009, Droga5 has been the fastest growing independent agency in America. To date, he is the single most-awarded creative at the Cannes International Advertising Festival with over 50 Lions. David has been inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement and honored with lifetime achievement awards across the globe. Mr. Droga sits on several boards, including the One Club, Magnum and New Museum. |
|
|
|
Independent Executive Advisor and Chairman of the Board, ANA
|
|
|
Gary Elliott most recently led HP’s Global Marketing Alliances, Corporate Sponsorships and Events, and the Executive Briefing Center. In this role, Gary was responsible for creating long-term strategic partnerships with companies such as Disney, DreamWorks Animation SKG, and Starbucks. His group also managed pan-HP sponsorships including the National Basketball Association, the HP Byron Nelson Championship, the Sundance Film Festival, Davis Cup Tennis, the San Francisco Forty Niners and the HP Pavilion/San Jose Sharks; as well as Corporate events such as the World Economic Forum, and numerous CEO-level programs. His team was responsible for identifying and evaluating key marketing partners and sponsorship opportunities worldwide. Gary also oversaw HP’s Executive Briefing Center which helped customers address and solve business problems in collaboration with HP’s experts, showcased new HP technologies, and enhanced sales opportunities. Gary is known for his ability to inspire and he challenges his marketing teams to think dynamically, take prudent risks, continually experiment with new ways to build brand relevance with customers and grow HP revenues. He successfully expanded the HP brand into new territories and new demographics by pioneering programs both within the HP global marketing community as well as through communities, partnerships and initiatives outside the company. He had directed HP global Brand Strategy and Marketing following the HP’s acquisition of Compaq in 2002. Gary founded HP’s Global Citizenship Council and has held leadership positions in the areas of Social Investment and Environmental Sustainability. Gary has garnered a number of recognized marketing awards during his tenure for HP, including the Art Directors Club Annual Vision Award, AdWeek Magazine’s Campaign of the Year, Creativity Magazine’s International Advertiser of the Year, the Cannes Gold Lion for Media, and Effie awards for marketing effectiveness. He has also received 12 international film awards for spearheading the historical documentary film “HP Origins”, which was an authentic record exploring HP’s celebrated history. He was Vice President, Worldwide Integrated Marketing Communications, at Compaq. Prior to joining Compaq, he was President, IBM Services Asia Pacific for Ogilvy & Mather, headquartered in Tokyo, and responsible for marketing communications in 14 countries. Gary has extensive brand, retail marketing and communications experience in the technology, financial services, tourism and motion picture industries. He has lectured at the college and graduate school level; is a frequent speaker at industry events. He is currently Chairman of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), a Board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northern California, and a member of the Board of Advisors for Managerial Economics at Allegheny College. Gary holds a BA in Psychology from Allegheny College. |
|
|
|
Independent Executive Advisor
|
|
|
Sarah Fay is a veteran of the media services industry: in her two decades of experience, she has developed and implemented groundbreaking new models for advertising and media. Over the course of her career, Sarah has become a well-known voice in the advertising industry on the topics of digital marketing and media integration. She has helped to build one of the most recognized digital companies in the world through a combination of acquisitions, new business wins, and organic growth. Until May of 2009, Sarah was CEO of Aegis Media North America. She was also responsible for launching and growing a significant part of that business during her eleven-year tenure at that company. As President of Carat Interactive and then President of Isobar, Sarah orchestrated the successful acquisitions and merging of several companies including Lot21, Vizium, Freestyle Interactive, Molecular, iProspect, Ammo and Bluestreak. Sarah is also responsible for launching Isobar Mobile, a highly regarded mobile marketing entity. An industry thought leader, Sarah initiated several ground breaking studies including “Born to Be Wired” (2003), which examined rapidly increasing internet use by teens, and “Never Ending Friending” (2007), which considered the increasingly vital role of social networking as a component of social behavior and also calculated marketing ROI for Social Marketing campaigns. Sarah has been widely quoted in such sources as Ad Age, Ad Week, DM News, B2B Magazine, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Additionally, Sarah regularly addresses audiences at major marketing conferences and participates on a number of company and industry boards. |
|
|
|
President and CEO, 4A’s
|
 |
|
Nancy Hill was named president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Advertising Agencies on February 1, 2008. Previously, she served as chief executive officer at Lowe New York. A veteran of 4A’s member agencies on both east and west coasts, Nancy has served as executive vice president and managing director at BBDO New York, where she oversaw several of the agency’s largest accounts. Nancy joined BBDO from Hill | Holliday, where she was first president of its San Francisco office, and later served as executive vice president and managing director for New York. In San Francisco, she was named one of the “75 Most Influential Women in Business,” in both 2001 and 2002, by the San Francisco Business Times. Her background is steeped in technology experience from clients such as Cisco, Microsoft, LucasArts, Sybase, Sony and Verizon. Nancy began her career in the recording industry. Later, she spent 11 years at Doner in Baltimore and TBWA\Chiat\Day before moving to San Francisco to lead Goldberg Moser O’Neill, which became Hill | Holliday in 2001. Nancy has served on the Board of Directors of the Miami Ad School and led the launch of its New York campus. In addition to many speaking engagements throughout the country, she is actively involved in a community and education program in Ecuador where she has a home. |
|
|
|
Global Director-Media, Licensing & Consumer Services, Kimberly-Clark
|
 |
|
Mark Kaline is responsible for directing Kimberly-Clark’s global media operations in support of the company’s business and marketing initiatives. He is responsible for driving excellence in media across the enterprise, including communications planning & buying, measurement, optimization and shared best practices. In his role, Mark collaborates with the marketing leaders of the company’s various businesses to help bring commercial ideas to market successfully and with consistency through an established integrated marketing planning process. His media center of excellence will be responsible for all forms of traditional media, as well as digital and emerging platforms. With 30 years of advertising and media experience, Mark joined Kimberly-Clark in October of 2008, after serving 11 years as Global Media Manager with the Ford Motor Company. At Ford he was responsible for the company’s media operations at the factory and dealer association levels, across all of Ford’s various vehicle & service brands. Also while at Ford, Mark was responsible for establishing and managing the company’s in-house branded entertainment unit, developing content relationships with major television and theatrical film properties, and helped lead the company’s charge into the online space in the late 1990′s. Prior to Ford, Mark served as Senior Vice President – Media Director at Campbell-Ewald Advertising, and has held positions at Ogilvy & Mather (Chicago), Kenyon & Eckhart, and at various radio & television stations in and around the Detroit area. Mark serves on several industry association committees and boards of directors, including the Association for National Advertisers, the Audit Bureau of Circulation, Nielsen’s Advertiser Advisory Board and the Council for Research Excellence. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in telecommunications from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. |
|
|
|
President and CEO, ANA – Association of National Advertisers
|
 |
|
Bob Liodice has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. (ANA) since 2003. He was previously Executive Vice President, responsible for member relations and business development with a primary focus on strengthening relationships with ANA member companies and broadening the membership base. He joined the ANA as Senior Vice President in 1995. Prior to the ANA, he was Vice President of Global Marketing and Sales for Grupo Televisa, a major worldwide broadcaster. Previous experience includes more than 15 years in marketing and financial management at Kraft General Foods including having served as category marketing manager for the Jell-O and Bakers brands. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of The Advertising Council, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), National Advertising Review Council, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Advertising Educational Foundation and he is an executive committee member of the World Federation of Advertisers. Bob holds bachelor degrees in accounting and management and an MBA in Finance from New York University. |
|
|
|
EVP, Digital, Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)
|
 |
|
Ted McConnell spent 32 years at P&G as a Technology Fellow, Manager of Communications Services, and finally 15 years in various roles leading Web Marketing Development. Prior to leaving P&G he developed P&G’s current Innovation Strategy for Digital Marketing. Currently, Ted is working as EVP of Digital for the Advertising Research Foundation, trying to advance the state of Digital Marketing Measurement. Ted also serves on several Boards, and maintains a consulting practice. |
|
|
|
Co-Founder and CEO, MarketShare Partners
|
 |
|
Wes Nichols is the Co-Founder and CEO of MarketShare Partners, a leading strategic marketing analytics firm focused on marketing ROI models and software that are used by Fortune 50 companies. Prior to starting MarketShare Partners, Mr. Nichols was President and CEO of TEQUILA, a 1,400-person direct and interactive marketing agency owned by Omnicom Group. Before that, he was Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Direct Partners, a full-service marketing services network. He helped build the agency into one of the largest and most respected direct and interactive agencies globally, with nearly 300 employees in four offices, serving EarthLink, Pfizer, Nissan, Mars, DirecTV and others. Direct Partners was acquired by Omnicom Group in 1999 and has become an important element of Omnicom´s digital and CRM strategy. Wes sits on the Board of Directors of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB), an organization focused on establishing marketing accountability standards and practices. He is also a Board member of The Wharton School´s Future of Advertising Committee, and is on the B2B Client Advisory Board of Google, an active member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a Senior Fellow of the Milken Institute and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy. He holds degrees from Randolph-Macon College and The Johns Hopkins University in Psychology and Business Management, respectively, as well as having completed post-graduate work in entrepreneurship and management at Harvard Business School. |
|
|
|
Independent Executive Advisor
|
 |
|
Michael Pohl has more than 25 years experience in the telecommunications and cable industries with companies integral to the development of IPTV, HDTV, On Demand, OSS and next generation advertising and infrastructure network tools. He currently serves as CEO of Jinni Media LTD, an Israeli company that offers a semantic search-and-recommendation engine that is based on “content genetics and user psychographics.” Prior to joining Jinni, Mike was President of the Global Strategies Group at C-COR, Inc. where he oversaw worldwide sales, marketing, product management and global strategy. Before C-COR, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of nCUBE Corporation. He has also held executive positions at SkyConnect, Douglas Communications Corporation, Tribune Cable Communications, and, at ARRIS Group, as Vice President/General Manager of the On-Demand Systems Division. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors at BigBand Networks, Inc. and Ascent Media Corporation. Mike was the 2008 recipient of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Vanguard Award for Associates & Affiliates. In 2009, Jinni was selected as a Red Herring “100 Europe” winner, an OnHollywood 100 winner, a Plugg Startup Rally winner, a SXSW Web Awards nominee, a TechCrunch Europas nominee and Jinni was named the best recommendation engine on the web by CNET. In September, Jinni won the Outstanding Achievement in web development WebAward presented by the Web Marketing Association. |
|
|
|
CEO, UMarketing LLC
|
 |
|
George Wiedemann serves as the CEO of UMarketing, LLC, a multichannel marketing services provider whose clients include Chase, Allstate, and bluefy.com. George began his career in 1968 at Time Magazine as the youngest Circulation Marketing Director in the magazine´s history. In 1976, he became president of Claritas, collaborating with founder Dr. Jonathan Robbin to develop the demographic overlay technologies still used today in database marketing. In 1978, he joined Wunderman, a Y&R agency, as Director of Client Services.Ed Meyer, CEO of Grey Advertising invited George to found Grey Direct in 1980, which he led for 21 years. Grey Direct, now G2 Direct and Digital of Grey Global Group, part of WPP, became a global direct response advertising agency with over $1 billion in billings in a network of 38 profitable companies. In 2000, he became President and CEO of Responsys, a leading commercial email company. Responsys´ blue chip customers included Lands´ End, Continental Airlines, Office Depot, Merrill Lynch and Wells Fargo Bank among many others. In 1998, he became a member of the Board of Directors of Rewards Network and was offered the position of CEO in 2002. After three years, he returned to the east coast to join Harte-Hanks as Managing Director of Harte-Hanks Partners, a strategic engagement arm of Harte-Hanks. George served on the Board of Directors of the Direct Marketing Association for fifteen years and was Chairman of the Board in 1999-2000. He is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. |
|
|
