Tracy Adams, PhD, is Senior Director of Research & Insights at the ARF, where she leads the organization’s research agenda and advances industry-wide initiatives in advertising and marketing. With a background in sociology and cultural studies, she brings a critical, interdisciplinary lens to research in advertising and marketing.
Jordan Barillas is a VP, Business Operations at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Working across Distribution, Television, Motion Picture, Crunchyroll, Alamo Drafthouse, and Sony Pictures Networks India, she is primarily responsible for identifying, building, and deploying internal growth strategies. She started her career on Wall Street, before working at independent film studios and then Fox Entertainment, where she oversaw digital content with Gordon Ramsay's studio and vertical video content development and production. She has an MBA from UCLA Anderson and a BS/BA from the Huntsman Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, she is involved with Outfest, wayOUT, and Angel City Pit Bulls. She enjoys watching great movies, playing great video games, and eating great food.
Passionate about staying at the forefront of the ever-changing entertainment and media landscape, I have spent the past 20+ years as a researcher and strategist with expertise in the television and streaming ecosystem. I work with an industry leading research team to uncover evolving consumer viewing behaviors and inform content development, distribution, and monetization strategies across platforms. Currently, I serve as Executive Director, Research, at Warner Bros. Global Insights & Analytics, where I spearhead research initiatives that inform the development, production, marketing, and sales of syndicated content. I leverage advanced analytics tools, including Nielsen and third-party platforms, to transform complex datasets into actionable insights.
Alie has spent over a decade at the intersection of data and commercial strategy, helping organizations discover what data is actually telling them. At YouGov, she led the behavioral data division for over seven years, shaping the zero-party data landscape before it became an industry conversation. Now as CRO at IV.AI, she oversees the revenue function for a platform that has spent ten years solving hard data problem. IV.AI pulls together fragmented datasets, organizes them into vector databases, and deploys custom agents that turn that unified intelligence into real decisions for some of the most innovative brands. Her perspective on AI is grounded in the right data meeting the right orchestration layer: not just what the models can do, but whether the data underneath them is built to deliver.
Paul Donato joined the ARF as Chief Research Officer in October 2017. Paul is a highly regarded leader in media and advertising research with more than two decades of industry experience. Earlier in his career he co-founded WPP’s Media Research Business Unit, served as CEO of Kantar Media, and Technical Director of IBOPE Latin America. He was the EVP and CRO for The Nielsen Company for more than a decade, overseeing Nielsen retail, consumer, mobile, and media measurement methodologies. Upon leaving Nielsen, Paul founded Jatopond, a media and market research firm. He also has led business units at Simmons, and at Audits and Surveys Worldwide. He currently sits on the Future State Committee of the National Air and Space Museum. In addition to leading the research team, Paul will also play an active role in overall ARF leadership, helping to guide future direction.
Lisa Dracolakis is Vice President of Insights, Strategy & Analytics at Sony Pictures Television, where she leads consumer insights and strategic analysis across U.S. and international productions, helping shape decisions spanning creative development, marketing, strategy, and franchise growth. With more than 20 years of experience in entertainment research, her experience spans television insights for Sony, The Walt Disney Company, Discovery, and Paramount. Her expertise centers on understanding audiences, storytelling, and culture to influence what content gets made, how it is positioned, and why it succeeds. Lisa holds an MBA from USC and a BA in Communication Studies from UCLA.
Joanna Drews is the co-founder and CEO of HyphaMetrics, a company specializing in TV Omnichannel and Cross-Device Audience Measurement. With nearly two decades of experience in the media industry, she has worked across marketing, data analytics, product management, and corporate development at organizations like Comscore, GroupM, Axwave and iCrossing. Drews founded HyphaMetrics to address gaps in cross-screen media data, utilizing a proprietary technology in a privacy-compliant panel environment to track viewing across devices. Hypha captures all forms of media consumption—from streaming and linear TV to gaming and digital content; providing a unified view of audience behavior across every screen and streaming platform. Hypha’s data is used by all sides of the media trading ecosystem to uniformly communicate using the precise, individual-level metrics needed for trading, yield optimization, and analytics. In addition to her role at HyphaMetrics, Drews serves on the board of directors for DatafuelX, where she contributes her expertise in adtech and media measurement. Known for her innovative approach to audience measurement, Drews has played a key role in advancing data-driven solutions for the TV and advertising industries.
A media measurement veteran and innovator, Brian Fuhrer is a true expert on audience engagement. As Senior Vice President of Product Strategy and Thought Leadership at Nielsen, Brian helps shape the strategy for national and cross-platform television audience measurement, working with the world's largest media companies, streaming services, advertisers and agencies. Brian has spent the last several years at the epicenter of the media industry's seismic shift to streaming. He is instrumental in translating this complex landscape into actionable insights for Nielsen's clients—work that is most recognized in The Gauge, Nielsen’s monthly report that provides a clear, high-level view of total TV and streaming usage. With more than 30 years of experience at Nielsen in media research and product development, Brian brings deep knowledge of the media and advertising industry across both U.S. and international markets to every conversation. Brian frequently speaks at various industry events, and his commentary is regularly featured in major business and trade press. He holds a B.A. in marketing from the University of South Florida and has been granted multiple research-related patents. He lives near Tampa, Florida with his wife Rene.
Jon Giegengack is the founder and principal at Hub Entertainment Research. He launched Hub in 2013, as the convergence of technology and entertainment began to gain speed. Jon recognized the need for real-time insight about the changing world of digital entertainment: from how people discover new content, to how they consume it, to how they pay for it (if they pay at all). Jon works with leading entertainment brands including ABC, Comcast, Netflix, Sony, AMC and AT&T. Jon has more than 20 years of experience in research for the entertainment industry. He is a regular speaker at industry events organized by Streaming Media, NYC TV Week, TVOT, SubSummit, the Advertising Research Foundation, to name a few; and has been quoted in publications like Variety, TheWrap, Forbes, Bloomberg, and more. For the latest insights, subscribe at hubintel.substack.com.
Matthew Gottlieb has led research for NBC Sports Advertising & Partnerships since 2019, shaping insights across the Olympics, World Cup, NFL, NBA, Golf and more. He also oversees campaign effectiveness across the NBCUniversal portfolio, delivering full-funnel insights and driving impact measurement innovation for advertising and sponsorships. He began his career as a political pollster and later led Insights & Analytics at Whistle Sports, as well as worked on Verizon’s NFL sponsorship team. A graduate of Wesleyan University and NYU’s Stern School of Business, Matt cheers on his beloved Washington Commanders from his home in Brooklyn.
Noelle Huynh is a senior leader with 15+ years of experience spanning media, advertising research, analytics, and consumer insights at the intersection of technology, media, and entertainment. She has built and managed high-performing teams at Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max, and Hulu, consistently operating at the forefront of audience measurement, advertising effectiveness, and consumer strategy. Noelle began her career at OMD, gaining a broad foundation in how linear, digital, and print media are planned and optimized. She joined Hulu in 2010, when the streaming landscape was still taking shape. She helped build Hulu’s advertising research function, eventually expanding her scope to lead consumer research and marketing analytics. She then brought her expertise to Meta, focusing on marketing research, before joining HBO Max as VP of Research, where she shaped positioning, brand strategy, and pricing. Most recently, Noelle served as SVP of Research & Measurement at Warner Bros. Discovery. In this role, she oversaw the company’s most consequential measurement initiatives, including a multi-year strategy to modernize currency measurement, as well as convergent planning and always-on audience and effectiveness measurement underpinned by identity.
Stephanie is VP of Insights, Strategy & Analytics at Sony Pictures Television, where she takes a holistic approach to research, bringing together audience intelligence, content performance data, primary research, and strategic thinking to help shape content and business decisions. With Sony content available across streaming, social, broadcast, and cable, Stephanie navigates a wide range of measurement approaches and KPIs to build a more complete understanding of content performance and audiences in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Throughout her career across entertainment and advertising, she has worked at the intersection of technology and media, pioneering new approaches to measurement and translating complex data into actionable insights. A storyteller at heart, Stephanie is passionate about bringing data to life, challenging conventional thinking, and ensuring the voice of the consumer is at the center of strategy.
Scott became the CEO and President of the Advertising Research Foundation in March 2017. Prior to joining the ARF, he held senior research positions at leading global media companies, including 18 years at Time Warner, and 14 years at Conde Nast, covering both the consumer and the advertising sides of the media business. Throughout his career, he has kept a foot in both the academic and business worlds, teaching for 5 years at NYU and for 18 years at Columbia Business School. He serves as an adviser to the Social Science Matrix Program at UC Berkeley and is on the Board of the Population Reference Bureau. An avid art lover, he also is on the board of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He holds an A.B. degree from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Jim Meyer is general manager of DASH, the ARF’s TV universe study, which he co-founded with Paul Donato, and managing partner of Golden Square, LLC. He advises media and research companies on growth strategy and development. Before starting his advisory practice in 2018, Jim held senior leadership roles in research, media, management consulting and digital technology. Jim led research divisions of Kantar and Ipsos and served as CMO at Ipsos, GroupM and the TV platform Ampersand. Prior to those roles, Jim was co-founder and CEO of Mindset Media, a progressive digital audience targeting platform and market research provider, and interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors of On2 Technologies, a listed producer of video compression software. Both companies are now owned by Google. Jim served on the Board of Directors of theStreet.com and led market segmentation practices at two management consultancies, The Cambridge Group and Novantas (now Curinos). Jim holds a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Duke University. He spent the first 20 years of his career as a New York advertising executive working with Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s and General Mills.
With over 25 years of experience harnessing the voice of the consumer to drive brand strategy, enduring innovation, award-winning content, and brand equity. Proven track record of success with the world’s most beloved brands and Fortune 100 companies, including Warner Bros, Harry Potter, DC, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, P&G, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Neutrogena, Barbie/Mattel, AT&T, and, most recently, HBO Max Kids. Lead a large team of researchers who drive consumer-centric strategy and insights for various businesses. Have had the privilege of leading strategic insights and research across all phases of the business cycle – from trends and early ideation to new product and content development to advertising/promos/launch and activation research. Expertise in youth consumers (children, teens/tweens, millennials), CPG, beauty, entertainment, and themed experiences. Extensive experience with global, multi-country, and multicultural research. Currently focused on the entertainment landscape – from linear to SVOD audience insights, content development and show testing, network/platform performance and analysis, digital platform insights, segmentation and brand health, and entertainment brand/franchise strategy.
For more than three decades, Sandy Padula has helped shape some of television’s most beloved brands by bringing audience insight, fandom, and storytelling to culture-defining networks. As Vice President of Enterprise Research and Consumer Insight at E.W. Scripps, she serves as a trusted voice of the consumer, transforming research into bold business decisions that help Scripps connect more deeply with audiences and identify new opportunities for growth. Long before "data-driven" became a buzzword, Sandy was an early champion of integrating consumer sentiment and data insight into bold content, brand and platform decisions for prominent television networks. Today, she's breaking new ground by embedding AI into insights to amplify the customer voice across Scripps’ local television stations and premium national sports and entertainment networks. Just as important as her professional accomplishments is her commitment to people. A passionate mentor and advocate for women leaders, Sandy has served on the WICT Atlanta Board, guides students and lectures at the University of Southern California and the University of Alabama, and dedicates herself to helping others build meaningful careers in media. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.
Horst Stipp, Ph.D. joined The Advertising Research Foundation in January 2011 after a long career in research at NBC Universal. Currently, he serves as EVP, Research & Innovation, ARF. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University and has been involved in media research for over 40 years. His publications cover a wide range of media and marketing topics. He is a recipient of an ARF Lifetime Achievement Award (2015). His current research focus is changes in media use and measurement.
Rameez Tase is Co-Founder & President of Antenna, the leading provider of data and analytics for subscription media services in the U.S. An innovator in the digital media space and one of the early "Head of Growth" professionals, Tase has worked at the intersection of marketing, data, and product for more than a decade. He was an early pioneer of many of the growth and retention tactics now standard in digital media and commerce — and continues to evolve them, including defining "what great looks like" and the approaches to achieve it. Tase has led a handful of startups to best-in-class growth milestones, including Axios, where he helped scale the company beyond 2 million subscribers, and Mic, where he helped scale beyond 400 million video views. As a result of their premier growth trajectories, both companies completed successful Series C fundraises. Previously, Tase spent several years as an Analyst in Private Equity & Investment Banking.
Ben Valenta is the Executive Vice President of Strategy & Analytics at FOX Sports. He is one of the sports industry's leading experts on sports fandom and the author of Fans Have More Friends. Prior to joining FOX Sports, Ben was a consultant advising an incredible array of clients, including Anheuser-Busch InBev, YouTube, Nike, National Geographic, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the New York Knicks, and the New York Rangers.
Laura Vanison is VP of Research & Measurement at Vevo, where she leads a global team executing advertising and audience measurement, custom research, and thought leadership that strengthens Vevo’s market position. She brings 15+ years of media and market research experience, translating consumer behavior and campaign performance trends into actionable insights and forward-looking measurement solutions. Prior to Vevo, Laura led campaign effectiveness and channel planning research at Universal McCann for leading consumer and entertainment brands.
Maia serves as VP, Strategy at Hypothesis Group, an insights and strategy agency that helps leading brands understand culture, audiences, and emerging behaviors. Her expertise sits at the intersection of brand positioning, innovation, and culture across technology, financial services, and entertainment. She has helped brands navigate everything from evolving fandom and media behaviors to the changing role of AI, platforms, and culture in how people connect with brands. Her work has contributed to multiple Ogilvy Award-winning campaigns and the first-ever 100-second broadcast ad.
Jon has 25 years of professional experience in media and advertising, in the US and internationally, working as an advisor and consultant to major media and technology enterprises, investors, policy makers and regulators. At CIMM, Jon is leading a range of initiatives, including work on the future of cross-platform measurement, the transition to a multi-currency market, and the use of data across the TV ecosystem. Jon is also Executive Director at The Project X Institute and Editorial Director of Beet.TV’s events and industry retreats. Prior to moving to the US from the UK, Jon founded and led MTM, an international research and strategy consultancy. He graduated from Cambridge University with a top first in Social and Political Science and has an MPhil in Social and Political Theory.
Samantha Zhang is a Senior Data Scientist at the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), where her work spans topics including attention measurement, digital privacy, and the practical applications of artificial intelligence across the advertising and marketing industry. She also contributes to data production and survey design for DASH, ARF’s MRC-accredited study of the consumer television and media landscape. Prior to joining the company, she held data roles in personalization and product analytics at Spotify and The New York Times, seeking to bridge the gap between quantitative data and business outcomes.
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