Matt Aeppli
Senior Vice President Spirits Marketing
Pernod Ricard USA

Matt Aeppli is Senior Vice President, Spirits Marketing, Pernod Ricard USA. Aeppli assumed his role in September 2009 after serving as Vice President Global Marketing for The Absolut Company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Aeppli joined the former Absolut Spirits Co, Inc. (ASCI) in 2004 as Vice President of Marketing for Absolut in the U.S., and was appointed to his current position, Vice President Global Marketing, The Absolut Company in Stockholm, in 2007. Before joining ASCI, Aeppli served as Global Marketing Vice President for Captain Morgan Rum at Diageo. He had extensive prior global marketing experience at leading fast-moving consumer goods companies, including the former Seagram Inc. (as Vice President, Marketing – Latin America), Coca-Cola , British-American Tobacco and Colgate-Palmolive.

 

Dan Arnold
Managing Director
Infogroup | ORC

Joining ORC in 1994, Dan Arnold has over 15 years of research experience providing clients with customized research solutions for a wide variety of business needs. During his first decade at ORC, Dan was a Research Director serving primarily B2B clients in our Industrial practice. Having worked with a majority of Guideline’s F1000 clients while in that role, he became keenly familiar with the challenges faced by clients that are trying to 1) develop customer insights in a B2B world, 2) dimension the landscape and monitor activities and strategies among B2B competitors, and 3) trying to assess market opportunities in B2B white spaces.

Over the last 5 years, Dan has focused his efforts on understanding and serving the business needs of ORC’s consumer facing clients. Currently, he is the Managing Director of ORC’s Consumer Practice, overseeing the fulfillment of strategic research for nearly 200 accounts, representing a broad spectrum of industries, including: Media/Entertainment, Food/Beverage, Retail, Household Goods, Personal Care, and Travel/Hospitality.

Throughout his career, Dan has crafted hundreds of custom, qualitative research solutions, helping clients with assessing market opportunities, and conducting benchmarking/best practice studies, adjacency/white space analyses, user needs assessments, gap analyses, competitive intelligence studies, and crafting online research solutions. Dan also advises some of ORC’s largest clients in market entrance and investment strategies, M&A evaluations, research process improvements and sustainable innovation. His areas of expertise include home improvement and building products, OTC health and beauty aides, and household/personal care.

Prior to joining ORC, Dan was a project manager for a boutique consulting firm servicing Fortune 500 companies with outsourced research services. Dan began his professional career as a Lecturer of Humanities at Florida State University.

 

Lisa Arthur
Chief Marketing Officer
Aprimo

Ms. Arthur serves as Aprimo’s Chief Marketing Officer driving global market and brand strategy, demand generation and customer-centric initiatives. A 25-year marketing veteran, she has served as CMO for Internet leader Akamai Technologies and B2B2C application provider Mindjet. Ms. Arthur spent nearly 7 years at Oracle where as a Vice President of Marketing, she managed the market entry and growth for Oracle CRM as well drove market and demand initiatives for all of Oracle’s services including its E-Business Suite On-Demand. Most recently, as the founder for Cinterim, Ms. Arthur applied her market-centric processes and insight to provide strategic counsel for Silicon Valley start-ups and Fortune 50 technology companies. Ms. Arthur is a seasoned keynote speaker addressing diverse topics at Web 2.0, Office 2.0, American Marketing Association (AMA) Strategy Confer¬ence, Stanford University and MIT Sloan CMO Summit. She has also appeared on Asia’s Wall Street Journal broadcast and published papers with AMA. Ms. Arthur is a former advisory board member of the CMO Council and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University.

 

Cam Balzer
Vice President Marketing
Threadless

Cam spreads Threadless love across the interwebs and beyond, eradicating pockets of Threadless-less-ness wherever they may be found. Every day at Threadless, Cam explores new modes of online interaction and marketing. Before joining Threadless, Cam abandoned doctoral studies in English literature at Northwestern University to run the public website for Baxter Healthcare, to architect the ConsumerGuide.com website and online marketing program, and to build social media and search marketing practices at Performics, a serially-acquired online marketing agency. Cam lives in Evanston, IL with a family of artists. Cam blogs infrequently at www.web-cite.com and rebroadcasts marketing tweets at @webcite.

 

Mark Chmiel
Former Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer
Denny's

Mark Chmiel is the EVP, Chief Marketing & Concept Innovation Officer for Denny’s Corporation. In this role, Chmiel is responsible for identifying strategic business opportunities and managing all initiatives designed to drive sales and evolve the Denny’s trademark in current and new categories of business.

He is the architect of the recent Free Grand Slam Give-Away during the Super Bowl. This highly successful, integrated event activated more than 49 million visits to the Denny’s website, gave 2 million people Free Grand Slams, and received approximately $50 million in PR exposure.

Additional accomplishments include revamping the late-night business segment, Denny’s Allnighter, and introducing, B-fast 2 Go, Denny’s take-out and catering program.

Chmiel joined Denny’s in April 2007 as Senior Vice President of Concept Innovation. In this position, he identified and developed a new fast-casual breakfast concept, Fresh Express, which transformed the business model and brand.

He served as Chief Marketing Strategist for Baja Fresh, a division of Wendy’s International, Inc., and has more than 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, mainly in brand development on Madison Avenue; American Home Foods, Burger King, Chi-Chi’s Mexican, Dr Pepper, KFC, 7-Up, got milk?, and M&M Mars.

 

John Costello
Chief Global Customer & Marketing Officer
Dunkin' Brands

John Costello joined Dunkin’ Brands in 2009 as Chief Global Customer and Marketing Officer.

John oversees Dunkin’ Donuts’ strategic worldwide marketing efforts and brand identity, serving as head of the Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. marketing team and partnering with the operations team to further drive sales. He also provides functional direction to the Dunkin’ Donuts international marketing team, as well as Baskin-Robbins U.S. and international marketing teams.

One of the early pioneers of multi-channel marketing, John has served as the Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing at The Home Depot, Senior Executive Vice President of Sears, and Chief Global Marketing Officer of Yahoo. He has also led several companies, including serving as President of Nielsen Marketing Research U.S. Earlier in his career, John Costello held a number of senior marketing and brand management positions at The Procter & Gamble Company and also served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Pepsi-Cola, USA.

John was named one of the 30 Most Influential People in Marketing by Advertising Age, one of the Top 10 Merchants by DSN Retailing Today and was elected to the Retail Advertising Hall of Fame. He is also a director of The Ace Hardware Corporation.

 

BJ Emerson
Social Technology Officer
Tasti D-Lite LLC

BJ Emerson brings a strong blend of technical and creative abilities to his role as Social Technology Officer for Tasti D-Lite. In his 12 years of experience, BJ has overseen the rapid expansion of technologies to include providing hosted applications for entire franchise networks. In 2005, BJ led the deployment of a $2M Corporate and Franchise Enterprise technology platform which won a Microsoft Pinnacle award for Excellence in 2006.

Featured in Twitter’s Business 101 Case Studies, BJ has spearheaded the integration of the Tasti D-Lite brand experience with online communities by engaging customers and working with franchisees to expand the brand through social media. Recently, BJ led the development of the first ever loyalty program to feature an integration with social sites Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.

 

Karen W. Katz
President & Chief Executive Officer
Neiman Marcus Stores

Karen Katz is President and Chief Executive Officer, Neiman Marcus Stores and Executive Vice President, The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. The Neiman Marcus Group is the premier retailer of luxury and designer merchandise in the United States. Since its founding in 1907, the company has been known for its commitment to merchandising excellence and customer service. 

Annual sales for The Neiman Marcus Group specialty stores segment were $3.6 billion in Fiscal 2009.

Ms. Katz oversees the strategic direction, merchandising, operations, creative services and expansion of the Neiman Marcus Stores, and leads strategy development and enterprise marketing for the corporation.

Neiman Marcus operates 41 Neiman Marcus stores in the most affluent markets in the United States, as well as 28 Last Call and Horchow Finale Stores. CUSP, the Company’s new retail concept targeting a younger, contemporary customer premiered in 2006, and operates 6 stores in major markets.

Ms. Katz joined the company in 1985 as a Merchandise Manager of Neiman Marcus, Town & Country in Houston, Texas. In 1987, she became Vice President and Divisional Merchandise Manager for Handbags and Designer Accessories. Ms. Katz returned to the stores in 1991 as the Vice President and General Manager of Neiman Marcus, NorthPark. In 1996, she became Senior Vice President, Director of Stores and in 1998 was elevated to Executive Vice President of Stores. In 2000, Ms. Katz was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, Neiman Marcus Direct, the company’s catalogue and e-commerce direct marketing business, including the Neiman Marcus and Horchow brands. She assumed her present position in December 2002, and was elevated to Executive Vice President, Office of the Chairman, The Neiman Marcus Group in 2007 with oversight of the company’s strategy, business development and marketing.

Prior to her affiliation with The Neiman Marcus Group, she was employed by Foley’s Department Store as a buyer, department manager and an assistant buyer.

Ms. Katz was educated at the University of Texas and received a master of business administration from the University of Houston. She has attended Executive Education Programs, with special emphasis in customer service, at Harvard University, Graduate School of Business.

Ms. Katz maintains a strong commitment to charity and community service in her native city of Dallas, Texas. Currently, she serves of the board of Fort Worth, Texas based Pier One Imports, UT Southwestern Board of Visitors, the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, and the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. Additional board positions have included the Dallas Theater Center, Bryan’s House, Charter 100, the Jewish Community Center of Dallas, St. Mark’s School of Texas, Southern Methodist University (SMU) Cox School of Business and the SMU -Tate Lecture Series. 

Ms. Katz and her husband, Alan, reside in Dallas and have a son, Alex who is a sophomore at Stanford University.

 

Jennifer Kavanagh
Vice President, Digital & New Media
Oxygen Media

As Vice President of Digital & New Media, Jennifer Kavanagh is responsible for innovating and leading Oxygen’s digital initiatives on all existing and emerging platforms. Well versed in the online space for 12 years, Kavanagh joined Oxygen as Director of Interactive Marketing in 2006. Under her leadership, Oxygen.com has experienced rapid multi-platform growth. In November of 2009, Kavanagh was honored as a Top Women in Cable Technology by WICT and CableFAX Magazine.

Kavanagh' currently oversees Oxygen’s suite of digital assets including Oxygen.com and the recently launched and wildly successful OxygenLive.com, an interactive two-screen experience for the viewer. Oxygen.com is a hub for Generation O featuring editorial content that focuses on everything from television to fashion, and includes an interactive offering around games and social media. Kavanagh oversees the development of each Oxygen series microsite which include blogs, photo galleries and the bOnus act, an additional act to every original episode available exclusively to online and mobile users. She also oversaw Oxygen’s first web based series, “Mommywood,” based on the NY Times bestselling book of the same title by Tori Spelling.

Recently, Kavanagh oversaw the launch of a suite of digital assets including Fantastic Plastic Makeover, a tool that allows users to upload a photo and give themselves a “virtual facelift” utilizing advanced computer vision and image processing algorithms; ShopOholic, where users are able to shop—using a single integrated cart—for Oxygen branded merchandise from their favorite Oxygen shows; and tweetOverse, Oxygen's exclusively branded micro-blogging universe powered by Twitter technology.

Kavanagh is also leading the digital side of the Oxygen Everywhere strategy. Oxygen Everywhere is a multiplatform strategy that puts the network in front of its young, female audience, wherever they are. Kavanagh is responsible for optimizing sponsorship opportunities online as part of Oxygen’s Super 360 offerings, which extends on-air advertising sponsorships into relevant content on NBC Universal’s female focused properties, including custom editorial on www.oxygen.com.

Before joining Oxygen, Kavanagh was Director of Client Services at NETexponent where she was responsible for leading strategic marketing initiatives online for clients including the New York Times, Verizon and Financial Times.

 

Lisa Kennedy-Hurd
Solutions Architect, Enterprise Marketing & Brand Execution
Eastman Kodak

Lisa Kennedy-Hurd is Solutions Architect within Kodak’s EMBE Retail practice. She’s been improving operational and marketing performance for over 12 years for Fortune 500 clients in building customer loyalty, driving innovative approaches, and consolidating and streamlining operations. At Kodak Lisa assists enterprise clients in bringing together business solutions, technology and expertise that maximizes marketing and product effectiveness through Precision Marketing, Brand Protection, and Business Process Transformation offerings.

Prior to joining Kodak, Lisa served as an Enterprise Solutions Director at WorkflowOne and Pitney Bowes Management Services providing leadership in integrated outsourced solutions in a variety of vertical markets. Prior to working as a solutions consultant, Lisa worked in the printing industry at IKON Office Solutions as Operations Director for the managed services division and Strategic Sales for the offsite services group.

Lisa attended the University of Oregon and resides with her husband, Joseph, in San Francisco, CA along with their son, Joseph, a senior at Stuart Hall High school, and daughter, Rachael, who is a sophomore at San Francisco State University.

 

Bill LaPierre
Senior Vice President Business Intelligence
Infogroup | Direct Media Millard

Bill LaPierre is Senior Vice President of Business Intelligence at Infogroup Direct Media Millard, where he oversees the analytics, research, modeling, competitive insight and data trending needs of over 300 catalog clients. His expertise in customer acquisition and circulation planning comes from more than twenty-five years of direct marketing experience. Moreover, Bill’s experience in multichannel merchandise evaluation and catalog creative critiques has been key in helping many Direct Media Millard clients launch their business and profitability grow.

Prior to joining Millard Group, Bill was the Catalog Marketing Manager at Brookstone. His responsibilities included circulation planning, orders and sales forecasting, list management, and merchandise analysis. Bill also formerly served as Circulation Director for the Potpourri/Stitchery catalogs and as Marketing Manager for the publisher, Artech House.

Bill is a frequent speaker for the Direct Marketing Association and all three of the New England direct marketing groups, having conducted seminars on starting a mail order business, catalog critique, and strategic planning for catalogers. Bill is also Past President of the Vermont /New Hampshire Direct Marketing Group.

 

Dick Lynch
Chief Marketing Officer
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Dick Lynch joined Popeyes® in February of 2008 as Chief Marketing Officer, following his consultancy as interim CMO which began in November 2007. After leading a strategic overview of Popeyes’ marketing, advertising, culinary, and go-to-market initiatives while serving as interim CMO, Mr. Lynch has developed and implemented a new brand strategy that has rejuvenated Popeyes brand.

Dick Lynch has led an impressive career in brand consulting and consumer strategy. Prior to joining Popeyes, Lynch served as a principal of GO LLC, a marketing consulting firm specializing in restaurant and food retail from 2003 to 2008, where he developed brand strategy and innovation plans for concepts including Burger King, Ruby Tuesday, and Buffalo Wild Wings. His experience extends beyond restaurant and food retail to include global branding strategy for such companies as IMG, the world's largest sports marketing firm.

From 1982 to 2003, Mr. Lynch served as executive vice president at Campbell Mithun Advertising where he led the development of brand architecture and positioning for brands such as Domino's Pizza, Martha Stewart Everyday and H&R Block. He also held key creative roles from 1978 to 1982 with Tracy-Locke Advertising in Dallas, TX and Ketchum Communications in San Francisco, CA.

Since joining Popeyes, Mr. Lynch has led the resurgence of the brand by repositioning Popeyes from a conventional fried chicken concept to the more distinctive and proprietary Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. He led the development of a new brand identity which conveys the brand’s Louisiana roots and has overhauled the menu, again to leverage the Louisiana heritage of the brand. Under Lynch’s leadership, the brand’s approach to advertising has been reconfigured and media impact has more than doubled. He has created the Popeyes Louisiana Culinary Heritage Institute to reward the best operators with a New Orleans immersion into the brand’s culinary heritage. These efforts culminated in positive same store sales in 2009, the first time since 2006, and Popeyes outperformed the QSR industry that year, the first time since 2002.

Mr. Lynch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

 

Rachel McCarthy
Director of Product Development
JetBlue

Rachel joined JetBlue in July 2009, after a long career at legacy carriers, Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, GA, and United Airlines, based in Chicago, IL. She came to JetBlue Headquarters in New York to head up the Product Development team and to refresh the customer experience, keeping the product innovative.

Prior to joining JetBlue, Rachel, among other responsibilities, successfully led the "Team that changed three service classes to two" and Global Marketing Communications for Delta Air Lines, and led the redesign of United’s premium classes team as well as the Customer Solutions department (on and offshore) for United Airlines.

She is a native of Surrey, England, and studied at Guildford College of Technology. She is married and she and her husband John live in Manhattan.

 

Tricia Norton
Senior Vice President, Marketing
TIMEX

Tricia Norton is the Senior Vice President of Marketing at the Timex Corporation. She was named to this position in June 2007 and brings more than 21 years of marketing and sales leadership to this role. She is responsible for global brand management, marketing strategy and initiatives that include advertising, public relations, integrated campaigns, Timex.com, and licensing.

Prior to this role, Ms. Norton was Vice President of the Timex Luxury Division, and managed the licensed watch business for the Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino brands in North America. She joined Timex in 1999 as Brand Manager for the company’s Sport division. She was named Vice President of Marketing in 2001 and broadened her responsibilities to include the Timex Ironman License business, Outdoor division and the technology based Health & Fitness division.

In addition to her tenure at Timex, Ms. Norton served as President of the Watch Division at Jones Apparel Group with full profit and loss responsibility for the business. She also held senior marketing and sales positions at Reebok International.

Tricia Norton holds an MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and a bachelor's degree in Management Science from Bridgewater College.

 

Tim Oakhill
Executive Vice President, Marketing
Simmons Company

Tim Oakhill joined Simmons in January 1997 and has served as Executive Vice President, Marketing since March of 2007 where he is responsible for all marketing, brand management, public relations, and domestic and international licensing. Prior to this role, Mr. Oakhill was Senior Vice President of Marketing from June 2005 until February of 2007. He served as Vice President - International and Domestic Licensing from January 2004 to June 2005. Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Oakhill managed various Simmons brands in the Vice President of Brands and Brand Director roles, including BackCare® and Deep Sleep® from January 1997 to August 2002 and Beautyrest® from August 2002 to January 2004. Prior to joining Simmons, Mr. Oakhill served as Marketing Manager for Eastman-Kodak Company where he was responsible for product marketing of one-time use cameras, consumer film and APS digital products. Prior to joining Eastman-Kodak, he held the position of Account Supervisor for Bates Worldwide, a global advertising and promotions firm managing accounts such as Texaco, The National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB All-Star Game), and NASCAR. Previously he worked with Eric Ericson & Associates Advertising managing the advertising and promotions for both Wendy’s and Murray bicycle accounts and he began his career as an Assistant Account Executive with Burton-Campbell Advertising. Mr Oakhill is a member of the Better Sleep Council, an advisory committee for the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), and holds a BS in Marketing and a BA in Journalism/Advertising from the University of South Carolina, and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

 

Jeff Rohrs
Vice President, Marketing
ExactTarget

As VP of Marketing for ExactTarget, Jeff spearheads the company’s marketing research, education, and SUBSCRIBERS RULE! initiatives. He is also one of the driving forces behind the company’s annual Connections User Conference and a frequent speaker at industry events including ad:tech, The CMO Club, the Email Insider Summit, the Online Marketing Summit, SES & SMX. A “recovering attorney” and loyal Clevelander, Jeff is cursed to walk the Earth as a Cleveland Browns fan.

 

Jennifer Rooney
Editor of CMO Strategy and Talentworks 
Advertising Age

Jennifer Rooney is editor of CMO Strategy and Talentworks at Advertising Age. In her role, she edits CMO Strategy, a section that delivers content focused on areas critical to executive-level marketers. She also edits Talentworks, a comprehensive destination for job seekers and hiring firms in the advertising, marketing and media world.

Jenny has 14 years of experience at industry and business publications such as Sales & Marketing Management magazine, where she served as editor-in-chief; Business 2.0, where she served as senior writer covering marketing; and Chief Executive Magazine, where she served as contributing editor.

A recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award, her areas of proficiency have included sales, marketing and advertising; management issues; mass media and communication; consumer and business internet use; information technology; health care; and legislative and regulatory issues in multiple industries. She has served as a guest speaker at industry events and has provided commentary for various media outlets, including Bloomberg TV, Fox News, CNBC and CNN. 
Jenny received a Master of Science degree in magazine journalism from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in 1994 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature/Creative Writing from Miami University in 1992.

 

David Sank
President, Stoneridge Partners 
and 
Former Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President, Strategy, Oneida Ltd

David Sank is an experienced senior executive known for his record of transforming underperforming brands and businesses. He has consistently created value and reinvigorated businesses by developing transformational strategies, energizing teams, leading innovation, developing business adjacencies and reducing operating costs.

Most recently, David served as the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategy for Oneida Ltd. Oneida is the #1 brand of flatware and tabletop products in the U.S. He authored a strategic transformation plan which was the blueprint for the company’s revitalization. David then led his teams to implement a world-class new product innovation process, develop a direct to consumer e-commerce business, license the brand for strategic categories, focus on global B-T-B growth, rationalize product lines and overall accelerate profit growth.

Prior to joining Oneida, David served as Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for Cecilware Corporation, a manufacturer and marketer of commercial beverage dispensing equipment. David began his career in consumer products working 13 years with Kraft Foods, Campbell’s Soup Company and General Mills. Prior to working in the consumer packaged goods industry he was an Assistant General Manager with Marriott Corporation.

David received a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University in 1985 and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1989. He resides in Kinnelon, NJ with his wife Carol, and two daughters, Jade and Sofia.

 

Jan-Patrick Schmitz
President & Chief Executive Officer
Montblanc North America LLC

Jan-Patrick Schmitz was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Montblanc North America in August 2003. Mr. Schmitz oversees the North American business, including sales and marketing, a retail network of 37 boutiques, and a wholesale distribution of 850 points of sale, including 100 Shop-in-Shops.

Mr. Schmitz’s vision has taken Montblanc to new heights in the luxury market. A charismatic individual with a sixth sense for innovation, he has sponsored projects such as “The 24-Hour Plays” on Broadway, as well as partnering with and supporting The Juilliard School with their numerous events and programs. He has expanded Montblanc's commitment to Culture and the Arts through the Foundation d’Enterprise Montblanc de la Culture, which supports and recognizes modern-day art patrons who give their time, energy, and resources to support cultural programs. Mr. Schmitz is also dedicated to supporting Montblanc’s on-going efforts against global illiteracy through The Signature for Good initiative with UNICEF.

He has been instrumental in positioning and shepherding Montblanc into the 21st century and elevating it from a household name, known for its dominance in the world of fine writing instruments, to a luxury brand. The company expanded into fine time pieces and jewelry and has built a strong female clientele who recognizes the cache of Montblanc. In 2007, the brand introduced the new Haute Joaillerie collection which includes the world’s most precious Montblanc star cut diamond necklace. In 2008, with the Nicolas Rieussec collection, Montblanc launched its first own movement, thereby entering the world of true watch making. In addition, with the acquisition of Villeret 1858, Montblanc has an exclusive position in the world of Haute Horlogerie.

Mr. Schmitz joined Montblanc in 1994. He was appointed Director of the International Executive Committee in 2002. Before his promotion to the U.S. Market, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Montblanc Japan, where he led the Montblanc subsidiary to six impressive years of growth.

 

Peter Stamos
Executive Vice President - Retail Services
Miller Zell, Inc

Peter Stamos is Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Miller Zell, a vertically integrated retail services agency headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Miller Zell is a leader in providing retail strategy, design and in-store shopper communications programs. Peter leads Miller Zell’s retail strategy practice, business development, marketing and public relations teams and is responsible for over $100 million in client revenue annually.

With over 20 years in executive sales management, consulting, business development and marketing, Stamos previously served as interim president of publically traded MicroTRAKgps, Inc., Principal and Chief Sales Officer of Velocity Sales Consulting and Regional Vice President for Pandesic (an Intel/SAP joint venture company).

Throughout his career, Peter has developed sales, new product introduction and go-to market plans with a specialized focus on improving customer retention, new revenue development, overseeing new sales channel construction and optimization of shareholder value.

Stamos has been recognized in Who’s Who in the Midwest for the past ten years and an active member and speaker for The Executives Club of Chicago and the American Marketing Association. Stamos is also an executive advisory board member at the University of Florida’s David F. Miller School of Retail and the In-Store Marketing Institute based in Chicago.

Peter is a graduate of St. Johns University and earned his MBA from NYU’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. He currently resides in Chicago.

 

Melanie Wells
Executive Editor, Forbes Media and Editor, Forbes.com CMO Network
Forbes Media

Melanie Wells is an Executive Editor at Forbes Media, where she edits stories for Forbes magazine and Forbes.com. In 2009 Melanie created the popular CMO Network on Forbes.com, a site with insightful original content and video created for high-level marketing, media and ad agency executives. As part of managing that site, Melanie hosts a video interview series with CEOs and chief marketing executives.

Melanie joined Forbes magazine as a senior editor in 1999 and since then she has authored or edited more than 10 major cover stories on entrepreneurs, such as Richard Branson, and consumer and marketing trends, including the first piece on “neuromarketing.” She also wrote a popular piece that examined the strange power of so-called cult brands. In 2007 she was promoted to Assistant Managing Editor of the magazine.

Before joining Forbes, Ms. Wells spent five years as a business reporter and marketing columnist at USA Today in New York. Prior to that, she was a writer and columnist at Advertising Age.

Ms. Wells has also contributed articles to The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, among other publications. She is frequently invited to discuss business and marketing trends on TV outlets, including CNN, CNBC, Fox News Channel and ABC’s “Good Morning, America.”

 

Randall Young
Principal, Solutions for Business, Business Solutions and Services Group 
Eastman Kodak Company

Randy Young is a Principal within Kodak’s EMBE Retail practice. He’s been improving operational performance for over 25 years as a consultant. Randy has provided delivery leadership for Fortune 500 clients in setting supply chain strategy, driving innovative approaches, and consolidating and streamlining operations. His cross- functional experience in driving Operational Excellence qualifies him to assist retailers in improving their marketing processes and to manage the change required to quickly achieve measurable results. At Kodak Randall assists retailers in bringing together business solutions, technology and expertise that maximizes marketing and product effectiveness through Precision Marketing, Brand Protection, and Business Process Transformation offerings.

Prior to joining Kodak, Randall served as NA Operational Excellence Leader at Capgemini in their Retail Practice providing implementation leadership in a variety of retail formats. Prior to consulting Randall began his career in manufacturing for Texas Instruments, working in support of Global Positioning Systems.

Randall is a graduate of Purdue University. Randall and his wife, Pixie, reside in Carrollton, Texas and have a daughter, Alex who is a junior at Santa Clara University.