Speakers and panelists from past conferences include executives from organizations such as McKinsey & Company, General Motors, Fluor, Google, Perot Systems, McDonald's, FedEx, IBM, Oracle, Mary Kay, Baylor University, American Airlines and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Dr. Tomas Krasny, Managing Director, GfK
After selling the company to GfK Group in 2000 he has been working in different management positions at GfK companies in
Dr. Mansour El Ganady, Managing Partner of GfK Egypt. Mansour has over 25 years of experience in marketing research and consulting. Specializing in developing markets, he has served clients such as J&J, Mercedes, YUM!, Siemens; as well as donor organizations like USAID, CIDA and EU, covering a wide range of business sectors and countries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
Mansour founded Market Insight in 1987 which now operates under the name GfK Egypt.
He graduated from Cairo University and obtained his Ph.D. in psychology from Vienna University in Austria. Mansour is a Certified Marketing Consultant (London Institute of Management Consultancy) and is marketing professor at Webster University and the Arab Academy.
Navigating Global Trends Through a Time of Turbulence:
Kathy Sheehan is Senior Vice President and General Manager of GfK Roper Consulting, a unit of GfK Custom Research North America. GfK is the fourth largest market research company in the world, with offices in 70 countries and more than 7,700 employees globally. In her current role, Kathy manages the consulting team that supports a variety of clients who subscribe to GfK Roper Consulting’s premier consumer trends services -- Roper Reports®, Roper Reports® Worldwide, and the GfK Roper Green Gauge study on the environment. Kathy’s clients include those in the food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, media and advertising categories. Kathy has also been a spokesperson for GfK Roper Consulting in various media, including
Prior to joining GfK Custom Research North America, Kathy was the Associate Director of Customer Knowledge at OgilvyOne Consulting, a unit of Ogilvy & Mather. There she led a variety of marketing research and customer relationship management projects with clients such as Kraft, Unilever, IBM, SmithKline Beecham and several Internet start-ups. While at Ogilvy, Kathy spearheaded the agency’s initiatives in the interactive analysis space.
Before joining Ogilvy & Mather, Kathy held several different roles at The Columbia House Company, most recently as Manager, Marketing Planning and Analysis. At Columbia House, Kathy was responsible for a wide variety of marketing analysis and research for Continuity, Club and new business initiatives.
Kathy is currently an adjunct professor in the Marketing department at
Ben Smithee joined D. Gustafson & Associates, LLC in January 2008 conducting domestic and global research with physicians and consumers, providing market research solutions to numerous industryleading clients and brand teams. His passion for innovation, technology and strong networking skills led Ben to seek out new solutions for the changing market research industry.
Realizing the increasing and important need for companies to better understand the youth and young adult market segments, Ben created Spych Market Analytics. Spych provides innovative solutions for clients who communicate or seek to communicate to these difficult to reach audiences. It empowers a team of young and talented moderators skilled in the most up to date and innovative technology and methodologies, backed by a team of Senior Advisors with a rich and extensive history in the market research industry.
Ben is actively sought after for speaking and consulting engagements revolving around social media, marketing, qualitative research and innovation. Spych was recently brought on to provide consultation for the 2009 South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, considered the breeding ground for new ideas and creative technologies.
The Social Media Revolution – A look at how Social Media has changed the way we use the Internet and communicate around the world.
Having spent nearly half of their lives online, Gen Y has revolutionized the way we use the Internet and communicate around the world through the introduction of Social Media. With the variety of available online tools, the communication and sharing of ideas and thoughts has truly become a borderless social universe.
Mr. Haseman has over 30 years of experience in management, strategic planning, operational analysis, and problem solving. He has extensive leadership experience in information technology projects, IT maintenance and service, and retail store operations. These leadership experiences cress multiple business capabilities from sales management, to customer service, to inventory control, to payroll and administrative systems. He has led multiple large-scale projects, directly impacting the success of his Retail and Consumer Product Goods clients.
Most recently, as Vice President with Avalion Consulting, LLC. he lead the consumer intensive business practice area and was responsible for overall business development, sales, and marketing for the practice. Previously, he worked as Vice President / Client Industry Executive (CIE) for EDS’ Global Industry Group thus providing strategic leadership and subject matter expertise to multiple existing and potential clients in the Consumer Product Goods (CPG) and Retail sectors. His global assignments included North and South America as well as ASIA – Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Engagements and projects include: 7-Eleven, AEON/Jusco, Best Buy, Claire’s, DelMonte, Dial, General Motors, Grupo Bimbo & Bimbo Bakeries USA, McDonald’s Argentina, Arcos Dorados, Femsa and Panamco. He managed design, development, implementation, and integration of systems and applications. In 2003, Chuck was recognized as one of EDS’ Top Performers for his leadership in providing industry knowledge to clients.
Bryan Rand is Director of Global Solutions of SDL International, a leader in global information management.
As a Director of Global Solutions for SDL International, Bryan’s expertise in developing global information solutions comes from a long career in helping organizations drive global process efficiencies. Since 1998, he has been increasing his proficiency and consistently creates strategic relationships through his expertise in global content management, brand management, XML authoring/publishing and globalization process improvement. His accomplishments include initiating, growing, and developing Fortune 1000 accounts across a verity of industries such as oil and gas, high tech, manufacturing, retail, travel and leisure, food and beverage, and life science.
As a frequent speaker, contributor, and attendee in Localization conferences, Bryan contributes at every level to the advancement of global information management. He is an expert in building sustainable relationships with large corporations and leading them with solutions that empower these organizations to accelerate the delivery of high quality multi-lingual content to global markets.
Bryan has a BA in Economics and a Minor in Business from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to SDL, he has worked for companies such as Hummingbird, Yahoo!, and Dell.
Data: Gather what matters then act on what you gather
Denis J. Dean is professor of Geography and Geospatial Information Science (GIScience) and head of the Geography and GIScience programs at the University of Texas at Dallas. He has taught classes in the application and theories of remote sensing, spatial data analysis, cartography and related fields to professional and academic audiences on five continents, and has published over 50 scientific papers on a wide range of GIScience topics. He currently teaches core classes in UTDallas’ Masters and Doctoral Geography and GIScience curricula, conducts research in a variety of technical aspects of GIScience, and oversees the administrative aspects of UTDallas’ Geography and GIScience programs.
Xiaoyan Zhao
Senior Vice President and Director Global Research and Consulting
GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media
Senior Vice President Account Development
GfK Roper
Dr. Zhao has more than 20 years experience in international research servicing global clients in the United States, Europe, and Asia. She led the firm’s efforts to develop capabilities in emerging markets, including pioneering tracking programs in the former Soviet Union and founding the firm’s headquarters in Hong Kong.
Her research credentials include global branding analyses for corporate clients such as Sony, Toyota, Ikea, Volvo, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft, as well as communication research for the United States government and the Associated Press, and the 2007 Avon Worldwide Women’s Poll and Empowerment Index. She directed Roper Reports Worldwide and is the research director for Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index and City Brands Index.
Dr. Zhao has conducted research in more than 40 countries around the world in the areas of values, attitudes, and lifestyle trends; positioning and communication; concept and message tests; segmentation; issues, risks, and policy influence; and corporate and national image and reputation.
She has a Ph.D. from Stanford University, specializing in International Communication
With over 20 years marketing research experience, Laura has significant experience in managing a wide range of projects for clients. She has extensive experience with both the private and public sectors. Her main strength is in the design of complex programs requiring complex sample designs and analytical techniques.
For the last 10 years her main focus has been working with clients on their global initiatives, as they look to understand the economic potential and the cultural differences faced in a global economy. Her clients include Fortune 100 companies as well as governments. Most recently she has been working with Simon Anholt, the founder of the notion of Nation Branding to provide the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index and City Brands Index.
Graduated from Social Communications at the Externado University of Colombia and has a Master in Media Management and Media Economy at the University of Navarra - Spain. Owns more than 8 years of experience in the areas of Market Research and Marketing in Latam, building MR companies and strong relationships with clients.
grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, and then went to Paris, France where she spent 25 years beforereturning to the United States definitely in 1999. Growing up in the Middle East and then later living for 25 years in Europe, Ms. Hedrick possesses deep insight into the historical, religious, cultural, and geopolitical forces driving the peoples of Europe and the Middle East.
Currently with Electronic Data Systems (EDS), an HP company, headquartered in Plano, Texas, Ms. Hedrick is regional manager, business development and marketing communications, for Hewlett-Packard’s translation and localization solutions, known as HP ACG. In 2005-2006, Ms. Hedrick worked with a former federal agent and Arabic linguist, as media consultant and lecturer, delivering training to the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin, Texas; from 2002 through 2006, she also owned her media-relations and marketing agency, Midsummer Media. Her earlier career included over 15 years of experience in international, business-to-business marketing communications and media relations in the high-technology arena.
With a telecommunications equipment supplier, Ms. Hedrick spearheaded an award-winning customer-loyalty program spanning 100 countries, and also managed marketing communications and media relations for its largest division in the United States. Her prior experience led her to develop and deliver large customer events in Cape Town, South Africa; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Cannes, France; and most recently, Dallas, Texas. She worked in many European cities as public-relations officer, and also launched medical-imaging systems in global, competitive environments.
Creating “Freeway” Communications in Global High Technology
Best practice – spanning 100 countries – that she launched and implemented from the headquarters of a global telecommunications corporation in the late nineties. Focusing on customer satisfaction and key account management, this year-round program included a three-day event, several cross-regional working groups, and an interactive Web site. The program created a “freeway” communications platform for the company’s officers and their existing customers.
Prior to its acquisition by GfK in 2008, the Strategic Innovation practice area was a separate consulting firm called The Arbor Strategy Group. Before entering the consulting world, Elliot had over 20 years of experience guiding marketing and new product development in both large public companies and fast-growing, privately-held firms. His 25 years of “front-line” and consulting experience covers a variety of industries ranging from fast-moving consumer goods to household products to OTC drugs.
