Tracy Adams is Senior Director of Research & Insights at the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), where she leads large-scale initiatives that shape how evidence informs strategy across the advertising and marketing ecosystem. Working at the intersection of research, strategy, and decision-making, she brings sociological and cultural perspectives to how insights are framed, interpreted, and applied—helping organizations move from insight to action. With nearly two decades of experience spanning academia and industry, Tracy specializes in building shared frameworks that help the field navigate complexity, methodological change, and the evolving role of AI in marketing research. She convenes interdisciplinary leaders across brands, agencies, platforms, and academia to advance rigorous, forward-looking approaches to measurement, analytics, and research innovation. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University.
Lyndsey joined NBCUniversal in 2019 within NBCU’s Insights & Measurement organization. In this role, she partners closely with ad sales leadership to develop new measurement solutions that help advance NBCU’s leadership position in the advertising marketplace, focusing on cross-company priorities like the launch of Peacock and deployment of global measurement efforts in partnership with Sky. Lyndsey and team also oversee ad experience testing to drive commercial innovation strategies and new ad product development. Prior to this transition, Lyndsey was Director of Measurement and Performance at The Walt Disney Company. Earlier in her career, she held digital research positions at FOX Sports and Viacom. In 2018, Lyndsey was named one of Cynopsis Media’s “Top Women in Digital” and one of Cablefax’s “People to Watch.” She holds a B.S. in Communications from Boston University.
Pedro is the CEO of Mediaprobe. He holds a PhD in Psychology, in the field of Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. He was a Resident Researcher in the Neuropsychophysiology (Psychology Department) from 2007 to 2012 and a Professor of Biosocial Criminology (Law Department) from 2012 to 2022 at the University of Porto. His research expertise includes the cognitive electrophysiology of emotional processing, the biological bases of personality and decision making, and applied psychophysiology. He has multiple peer reviewed papers in high impact journals. Throughout his career, he combined his academic activity with consultancy roles in market research.
David is the Co-Founder and Chief Analytics Officer of Lumen Research, a trailblazer in attention measurement and advertising optimisation. With a proven track record in marketing mix modelling, David’s career began under the mentorship of the renowned Les Binet at DDB London, before he went on to build expertise at Data2Decisions and Dentsu. In 2013, David co-founded Lumen, revolutionising the industry by pioneering eye-tracking technology to offer unprecedented insights into consumer attention for advertising effectiveness. Armed with a dual background in Mathematics and Economics (BSc) from the University of Warwick, alongside an MA in Philosophy and Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, David’s expertise bridges the worlds of data science, economics, and human behaviour, driving innovation in the field of advertising analytics.
Aarti is a storyteller, strategic thinker and insights leader with over 18 years of experience in consumer insights. She currently leads global research & insights at Snapchat. In her role, she manages a global team to produce thought leadership to educate the advertising industry and marketing community on new ad formats, audiences and platforms through data-driven insights and empirical evidence. Her team also manages measurement relationships with Global Media Holding companies and media partners. Aarti’s career has taken her across four countries and two continents. Prior to joining Snap, she was a client leader at Kantar managing a portfolio that included Microsoft, LinkedIn, Visa, TikTok and Snapchat. Before that, she built the Insights and Analytics practice at MediaCom Canada. Here she launched Canada-specific solutions to measure media performance to drive business for MediaCom’s clients. Prior to that, she was located in Singapore, where she was the Asia Pacific lead on brand performance and creative development research for PepsiCo and Friesland Campina.
Ex-agency nerd turned Co-founder and CEO of Springboards.ai. Springboards.ai is built to keep creative people in the creative equation by using AI to spark ideas, not replace them. With 15+ years in advertising, media, and marketing, he has worked with brands of all sizes to find unexpected ways to stand out. Today, he’s focused on building tools that help keep people at the center of the creative process.
Daniel oversees operations and development of MediaScience’s custom research solutions – ensuring cutting edge methods and procedures. Daniel also plays a key role in servicing clients, insights reporting, and product development. Before joining MediaScience in early 2018, Daniel spent nearly five years at the Advertising Research Foundation, collaborating with members involved in event sponsorships and ARF’s research initiatives. Daniel resides in Westchester, NY with his wife and two children.
Colin Campbell is associate professor of marketing at University of San Diego’s Knauss School of Business. Colin is known in both industry and academic circles for his extensive work in social-media advertising, social-media marketing, video advertising, influencer and native advertising, subversive collectives and consumer psychology. A recipient of the JAR Best Reviewer award, Colin most recently served as one of John Ford’s associate editors. He won the Knauss School’s High Impact Research Award 2021–2022 and Best Article 2020 at Business Horizons.
Nicole Cooper leads the Audience Insights team at Roku, transforming proprietary viewership data into narratives, intelligence, and strategies for advertisers. An early employee of Roku’s advertising business, she founded the Audience Insights practice in 2019 and grew it into a trusted, industry-facing voice for TV storytelling. Nicole is passionate about examining media and its impact on culture. Her expertise spans TV tentpoles, streaming trends, cultural moments, and viewer behavior. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Customer Analytics from Washington University in St. Louis and is based in Chicago.
Amy Crawford works at the intersection of music, brands & innovation as VP, Creative Development (Americas) at Songtradr/MassiveMusic. It’s highly likely that you interact with award-winning music and sound that she created as you go about your day, having led sonic branding & design efforts for global brands, entertainment and media having led sonic branding efforts for global brand and entertainment clients including Disney, HBO, ESPN, PepsiCo and beyond. Her thoughts on sonic branding and the future of music in media have been published by The New York Times, AdAge, AdWeek, Muse by Clio, Hypebot and more. She has been invited to lead workshops and/or speak alongside Muppet friends from the Jim Henson Company, at SXSW, at Advertising Week, the AICP, The Gathering and at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is a member of The Recording Academy and President of the East Chapter Board of the Association of Music Producers.
Sean Cunningham leads VAB, marketer’s foremost industry source for insights-driven video research, intelligence and thought leadership in the U.S. With deep ad agency experience as a senior-level strategic advisor to marketers on all media formats, Sean is passionate about championing marketers in their quest to maximize outcomes, solve business challenges, build high-value brands and drive overall sales and profitability growth. The continual evolution of VAB reflects his belief in the perpetual drive to reinvent a successful company as a pillar advantage for all marketers. He was recently recognized in Crain’s 2023 New York Business’ Notable Leaders in Advertising, Marketing and PR. Known for his ability to deeply immerse himself in a brand’s business, Sean has considerable experience in many of the largest consumer product verticals including automotive, technology, consumer electronics, consumer product goods, retail, beer, distilled spirits, hard goods, as well as business-to-business marketing sectors. Previously, Sean held the top executive positions at multiple leading U.S. media and ad agencies in New York and Toronto, including Universal McCann, where he was integral in driving a period of unprecedented new business growth. His tenure culminated with Universal McCann being named 2002 “Agency of the Year” for its outstanding performance by leading industry trade publications Advertising Age and Adweek.
Peter R. Daboll is Head of U.S. at DAIVID.co, an AI-powered ad creative and content analytics platform, bringing over 25 years of strategic insights and analytics leadership to the advertising technology sector. A pioneer in applying artificial intelligence to advertising—implementing AI/ML solutions as early as 2015—Peter has generated over $100M in recurring revenue across multiple technology companies while maintaining exceptional 90%+ client retention rates with enterprise customers including Google, Meta, AT&T, and P&G. As CEO of Ace Metrix, Peter scaled the company from startup to $30M in annual revenue with 80% gross margins, building the industry’s first SaaS platform for creative effectiveness measurement before leading a successful exit to iSpot.tv in 2020. At iSpot.tv, he drove 30%+ annual revenue growth as Chief of Strategy and Insights, developing breakthrough AI tools for emotion detection and video creative analytics. His earlier career includes leading global teams of 200+ data scientists at Yahoo and growing comScore’s Media Metrix division from $2M to $70M across 12 international markets, culminating in a successful 2006 IPO, as well as heading IRI’s Analytics group (now Circana). Peter is the bestselling author of “ADitude: Using Data to Inspire Extraordinary AD Creative” and an established thought leader featured on CNN, CNBC, and Fox News. He holds an MBA from York University’s Schulich Business School and has received the Advertising Research Foundation’s “Great Mind Award” for his contributions to the industry.
Tina Daniels serves as the President and COO of Aquila. Tina has spent the last 20 years advising the world’s largest brands and agencies on digital marketing strategy. Tina has held client service leadership roles at Google, Microsoft and Razorfish focusing on digital transformation, media and measurement. Tina is an experienced board member, holds an MBA from Harvard and is recognized for building high-impact teams and advancing digital marketing innovation.
Megan is Google’s Director of Agency Partnerships and also leads the sector’s data, measurement and analytics practice. Her team is responsible for partnering with agencies to drive business growth as well as data, measurement and tech transformation as agencies reimagine their value proposition in this age of AI. Prior to her current role, Megan also spent 15 years at Google leading various teams in the Food, Beverage & Restaurant, Healthcare, and Travel verticals.
Jackie Day is a Director of Inclusive Insights and Analytics at WPP where she leverages data, culture, and marketing expertise to drive client growth. With a passion for inclusivity and representation, Jackie helps brands authentically connect with diverse audiences. Her data-driven strategies empower clients to expand into new markets and broaden their customer base. She brings extensive experience across CPG, Auto, Tech, and Retail industries to Fortune 500 brands. Jackie co-chairs the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Committee and serves on the ARF Women in Analytics board.
Larry’s career sits at the intersection of academia and practice. After receiving his doctorate, he held full-time senior-level research positions at IPG and Ogilvy. As a faculty member, he remained active in the industry through research consulting with corporate partners. An expert in sponsorship and sports marketing, Larry has conducted hundreds of studies for corporate sponsors and sports organizations. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed books and has been widely publicized in the media.
Megan de Leon is a Vice President in the Market Strategy and Understanding sector at Ipsos, a global leader in market research and consulting. Megan is a highly regarded specialist in media and entertainment research with a decade of industry experience. She specializes in uncovering deep audience nuances, brand strategy, and ad sales for some of the most prominent names in the industry. Prior to Ipsos, she was a part of the guest insights team at Vail Resorts Corporate and prior to that, started her career at the boutique research firm 2CV. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA and is currently based in Colorado.
Pete is Chief Research Officer at Nielsen and has decades of experience in market research, audience measurement, big data and statistical modeling techniques. In his current role he leads Nielsen’s Data Science Organization, overseeing the development of audience measurement methodologies across video, digital and audio globally. This is his second stint at Nielsen: between 2004-2015 he was a primary architect of Nielsen’s data integration products and contributed to patented innovations in Set Top Box measurement, Digital and Outdoor Advertising Research. Between 2015-2022, Pete was Chief Research Officer at clypd, an advanced TV platform start-up acquired by Xandr in 2019, which in turn was acquired by Microsoft in 2022. Before moving to the United States, Pete was a board director at RSMB TV Research in the UK, where he worked primarily on the BARB TV audience measurement currency as well as data fusion projects. He started his career at NOP Market Research in London. Pete is a graduate of King’s College, London University.
Since joining Horizon in 2011, Michele has been a pivotal force in the evolution of Insights at Horizon. As the Chief of Horizon Futures and a seasoned strategist and innovator, she plays a crucial role in advising Business Solutions, Product, and Investment teams on cultural trends, consumer insights, multicultural strategy and channel planning. Her expertise spans a broad spectrum of the advertising field, from consumer & cultural insights and data-driven media planning to media research & analytics. A firm believer in the power of building and evolving solutions, Michele continuously seeks out better methods and strategies that create differentiation for clients. Her current role as a strategic consultant and futurist impacts a diverse portfolio of brands including Capital One, Revlon, Gogo Squeeze, Kohl’s and AMC Networks. Recognized as one of Broadcast & Cable’s Top Planners and Strategists, Michele’s commitment to excellence and the pursuit of innovation make her an invaluable asset to any brand.
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.
Gilles serves as the Vice President of Data Science for Antenna, the leading data and analytics provider for subscription services. A recognized expert in data fusion and statistical integration, Gilles specializes in architecting measurement systems for the next generation of media. For more than 20 years, his work has consistently bridged the gap between complex data science and client-facing business value, from scaling global digital advertising measurement systems to implementing multilevel machine learning algorithms for internet measurement. Prior to Antenna, Gilles held various leadership roles in data science at Nielsen and NetRatings. A native of France, Gilles began his career with French audience measurement company Médiamétrie.
William has over 50 years of experience in the media and marketing information industries. He is a retired independent director from the Boards of two public companies: Rentrak and Comscore, where he served as co-chair of the Governance Committee and Chair of the Innovation and Technology Committee. From January 2009 until March 2025, William served as Executive Chairman of Consumer Orbit L.L.C., a consumer science company with a focus on the integrating findings from existing media currency databases with consumer generated transactions-based data. Consumer Orbit was sold to Tenetic in March of 2025 when he joined the Tenetic Board. William is a graduate of the University of Alabama, which he attended on an athletic scholarship graduating in 1972. He is a pioneer in the use of transactions-based databases, holding two patents for the Integration of Disparate Data sets.
Colleen Fahey Rush is formerly the Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer at Paramount, driving insights and analytics for their iconic broadcast and cable brands. A passionate advocate for the research community, Colleen joined the ARF Board in 2008 and went on to become the third woman in the organization’s history to serve as Board Chair — a role in which she guided the ARF through a pivotal leadership transition and helped set it on a path of renewed purpose and growth. She is a recipient of the ARF Board of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award and a co-founder of the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM). Colleen holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BS in Communication from Cornell University.
As Head of Data Science at Univision, Sergey manages a team of data scientists that build products to drive personalization, engagement, and audience monetization across Univision’s digital ecosystem. Prior to Univision, Sergey built cross-platform measurement products at Paramount Global. Before he was a media nerd, Sergey automated back-office processes using machine learning for clients in the financial industry and worked at cybersecurity and digital advertising startups. Sergey also enjoys sharing and communicating what limited knowledge he has by teaching data science and machine learning courses at several bootcamps/hacker academies/universities. He obtained his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience at Dartmouth College.
Hortense Fong uses machine learning, econometric, and experimental methods to study how emotions impact consumer behavior. A distinguishing feature of her interests involves going beyond ML’s use in prediction to study how to incorporate domain-specific theoretic and managerial knowledge into ML systems and make them more interpretable. She also has a broader interest in questions at the interface of marketing and society (e.g., fairness). Prior to joining Columbia Business School, Professor Fong received a Ph.D. in Quantitative Marketing from Yale.
Joseph Garland is a seasoned leader in data science and media measurement, with nearly two decades of experience spanning finance, non-profit, and digital media. Since joining Comscore in 2018, Joseph has played a pivotal role as the primary methodology owner for personification and several flagship products, including Cross-Platform Campaign Results. Joseph innovates new approaches and methodologies to address the evolving challenges of media measurement. His industry experience and commitment to methodological excellence make him a valued voice in advancing the future of audience analytics.
Joetta Gobell is the Head of Data Strategy & Solutions for People, Inc. Joetta spent her time in academia as a cognitive scientist, studying the psychological and computational underpinnings of human information processing, with a specific focus on visual attention. Her scientific quest has included questions like, “How does paying attention to something change our experience of it?” to “How do viewers resolve ambiguous visual scenes to understand what they are seeing?” to “What are the dynamics of the distribution of visual attention across multiple locations in space?” Outside of academia, Joetta has spent nearly two decades exploring human motivations and needs while working in product development, market research, and media (digital and TV). At People, Inc., she manages a team of researchers who share her passion for understanding the richness of human behavior through the questions people ask and the content they turn to for answers.
Tracy Gutin joined Kantar in 2014 and has over 15 years of research experience. She helps new and existing clients across their creative and media needs, overseeing the management and analytics of her team. She also has extensive experience in brand research, including strategy and tracking. Her passion lies in finding the story within the data and bringing it to life in a way that is meaningful, impactful and actionable for her clients. Tracy has been an active contributor and leader within the Neuroscience domain at Kantar for the past 8 years. She was previously the Central region champion, and now assists across all of North America. She has intimate knowledge of the neuro offerings that span across all of Kantar’s creative and brand solutions. Tracy has her MBA from Wayne State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Michigan State University.
Annie Hagerty is the Manager of Research & Insights at Comcast Advertising. Since joining Comcast Advertising in 2020, Annie has focused on thought leadership, storytelling, and data-driven insights that shape advertiser strategy. She specializes in campaign analysis and consumer behavior research, partnering with industry experts to inform decisions in a changing media landscape. Annie is passionate about advancing the role of research in advertising. Annie currently resides in Denver, CO with her husband.
Emmy®Award-winning media technologist Bill Harvey has spent over 35 years leading the way in media research with over-the-horizon pioneer thinking in New Media, optimizers, measurement standards, privacy standards, the ARF Model; and inventions such as ADI/DMA, set top box data (this is what the Emmy® was for), addressable commercials, passive peoplemeters, media/purchase singlesource by Big Data matching (4 U.S. patents assigned to TRA, Inc.). Co-Founder of Next Century Media and New Electronic Media Science, third party research companies serving 70+ of the top 100 advertisers, as well as most of the major cable and satellite operators, networks, agencies, and other research companies; first to turn set top data into TV audience data to media research standards; leader of standard setting process in media measurement through ARF, 4As, ANA; former executive of Arbitron, Interpublic, Grey Advertising, and OpenTV. Inventor of addressable commercial and passive peoplemeter concepts, consulted on PPM and ScanAmerica with Arbitron, developed first automated marketing mix modeling system for General Foods. Initiated and spearheaded the writing of the industry privacy principles for the ANA, 4As, and ARF joint task force CASIE (Coalition for Advertiser Supported Information and Entertainment). Co-Founder of TRA, the first company to merge singlesource and Big Data, acquired by TiVo. Co-Founder of RMT, Inc., the first company to identify the video and motivational genome (DriverTags), which make creative/media optimizable.
Ryan is a Global Research & Insights Lead at Snapchat where he is primarily focused on thought leadership work related to audiences and creators. Prior to Snapchat, he was at Reddit and Twitter doing advertising research and measurement. He holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a master’s degree in emerging media studies. When he isn’t uncovering the latest audience and creator insights, you can find him walking, eating, and gallery hopping his way through NYC.
Ed Hunt is a Research Associate and the Director of the Spiegel Scholars Program at the Spiegel Research Center at Northwestern University’s Medill School. He conducts research on two related areas of advertising: the fundamentals of persuasive messaging and media planning. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication from The University of Texas at Austin.
Janelle James is a Marketing Strategist, Consumer Expert, and DEI Specialist with a BA and MBA from Harvard University. She is currently SVP at Ipsos NA, leading qualitative research for Media & Tech brands and recently took on an expanded role at Ipsos as the US Head of Cultural Intelligence supporting innovation across methods with inclusive approaches. Janelle is an alum of Leo Burnett, DDB, Edelman, and Kantar. Her work often involves analyzing data to find new approaches to reach diverse audiences and over the years has partnered with brands like McDonald's, P&G, Samsung, eBay, and American Express. Janelle is an Effie Award Juror, has 6 published opinion pieces across Newsweek and Ad Age, and co-chairs the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council. Janelle also hosts the council’s monthly podcast called 'CultureConnect' which works to advance thought leadership on culture and communications that drive business growth.
Prasad Joglekar is the founder and CEO of Deben Media Corp. Deben is a cross-platform, cross-currency, containerized software to optimize Video ad-spend. A version of Deben powers Locality’s Collective Platform. Prior to founding Deben, Prasad has spent nearly two decades in the advertising industry with sales and product roles at Dish Media Sales, Viacom, Omnicom Media Group and Comscore. Prasad has a BE in Computer Science from Pune University and an MBA from Dartmouth College. He lives in the mid-Hudson Valley with his family.
David Kietz leads Kantar’s Client Service Agency practice across North America, serving as a measurement-outcomes and intelligence partner to major holding companies and independent agencies. At Kantar, David oversees a multidisciplinary team delivering lift-based measurement, creative and media effectiveness solutions, cross-channel insights, and integrated AI-enabled data tailored to agency needs. He works closely with senior agency stakeholders to modernize reporting frameworks, embed data more seamlessly into planning and reporting workflows, and streamline the path from insight to action—strengthening commercial narratives, improving decision-making, and deepening client trust. With deep experience across measurement, strategy, and client leadership, David brings structure to complexity, aligns cross-functional teams, and embeds frameworks to accelerate client decision-making, sharpen clarity, and drive more impactful outcomes. Based in New York, he plays a key role in shaping how Kantar supports clients navigating media complexity, unlocking growth, and embedding a more predictive, intelligence-driven approach to media effectiveness.
Katie Killeen joined Kantar in 2022 and brings more than eight years of media experience. She partners with clients across industries to uncover why campaigns and creatives perform—linking audience, message, and context to outcomes and transforming data into actionable guidance. Katie began her journey at Kantar by supporting Creative teams with macro-level insights and trend analysis. Today, she works cross-functionally with both Media and Creative teams to connect performance metrics and deliver full-funnel insight and optimization. A strong advocate for innovation, Katie leverages cutting-edge AI and machine learning techniques to dive deeper into the drivers of effectiveness, helping brands shape strategies that maximize impact and future success.
With a career spanning over 20 years, Jason Klein is a transformative marketing leader. As co-founder and COO of SeeMe Index, he helps brands and agencies unlock untapped audience growth by connecting inclusivity to measurable ROI. A champion of ensuring all people are seen and represented, Jason is dedicated to helping brands navigate rapidly shifting consumer behaviors while embracing authentic representation. In his previous role at Google, Jason led data science and insights strategy for the BrandLab and Human Truths teams, where he published pioneering research and developed the Everyday Allyship training for thousands of colleagues. Before that, as brand director for Maybelline, he spearheaded the 2015 relaunch of the Fit Me Foundation, setting a new standard for inclusive shade ranges. Jason has shared his perspective on AI and inclusivity at stages like Campaign’s AI Deciphered and CEW’s DEIB Forum. He holds a Master of Applied Economics from Cornell, an MBA from Yale School of Management, and attended Wharton for the Google Marketing Academy. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ community. In his spare time, he enjoys being a serial game show contestant.
Zach is a Co-Founder and the Vice President of Sales & Brand Partnerships at Adelaide, where he plays a key role in global revenue operations. His career in advertising began with some of Y&R’s digital pioneers, which led to account and strategy positions in digital media at GroupM and Joule. Zach’s first startup experience was at Onswipe, a publishing platform for mobile and tablet devices. As Vice President of Client Development, he oversaw publisher and M&A relationships and led a team responsible for marketing, revenue strategy, and sales development. Zach’s entrepreneurial spirit earned him a spot in Business Insider’s “30 Under 30 Most Creative People in Advertising,” a recognition fueled in part by his creation of WhatHappensInMediaPlanning.tumblr.com, a blog satirizing the advertising industry. Zach earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Hamilton College and currently resides in Connecticut.
David Kurzynski is an SVP of Data Science at Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement. During his 18 years with Nielsen, David has been a leader of innovation, focused on transforming how we measure consumers’ television content and ad exposure. He’s helped lead several transformation initiatives from integration of cable set top box data into Local US TV measurement to the ingestion and editing of ACR Smart TV data for audience measurement. As the Big Data and Computations Data Science leader at Nielsen, David is focused on integrating large data sources with Nielsen’s high quality television audience measurement panel assets. This includes using machine learning techniques to create scalable, portable solutions that make these data usable across Nielens’s Audience Measurement portfolio. His team is focused on transforming the way we use technology to solve research challenges while maintaining the high-quality levels Nielsen is known for. David is passionate about diversity and leadership development, along with volunteering and giving back to the community. He lives in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and two children.
Caitlin Leffers is a Manager of Data Science at Comscore, where they lead analytical work focused on media audience measurement and research. With over ten years at Comscore, Caitlin has extensive experience applying statistical modeling and data science techniques to large-scale audience data. Caitlin holds an AB in Computer Science from Bryn Mawr College and a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from Tulane University. Their interdisciplinary background informs a rigorous, research-driven approach to audience analytics, with a particular focus on measurement methodology, data quality, and inference at scale.
Anastasia is the founder & CEO of CreativeX, a technology company that powers creative-decision making for the world’s best brands. CreativeX technology is used globally by Fortune 500 brands like Unilever, Mondelez, Heineken, Google, and more to measure creative efficiency, consistency, representation, and impact across all creatives worldwide. Anastasia spent 5+ years at Google, where she worked on nearly every ad tech and analytics product and led entrepreneurship efforts in EMEA. She’s been a nomad all her life and has lived in Bahrain, Vietnam, Hungary, Russia, France, England, and the US. She remains a mediocre tennis player and an aspiring writer.
Bob Liodice is chief executive officer of the ANA, a position he has held since 2003. He previously served as executive vice president, responsible for member relations and business development with a primary focus on strengthening member relationships and broadening the membership base. Bob 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. His previous experience includes more than 15 years at Kraft in financial management and as category marketing manager for the Jell-O and Bakers brands. He is a member of the boards of directors of The Advertising Council, BBB National Programs, ANA Educational Foundation, Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), and World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). Bob leads the SeeAll Marketing Alliance (SAMA), and he is chair of the Privacy for America coalition. Bob holds bachelor degrees in accounting and management and an M.B.A. in finance from New York University.
Yan is the CEO and Co-founder of TVision, the only company which measures individual viewer attention to both TV content and ads. TVision helps brands, their agencies, TV networks and OTT platforms better understand how people really watch TV so they can make more effective media decisions. Yan founded TVision while earning his MBA at MIT. Prior to TVision, Yan started and managed Yo-ren, a leading digital marketing agency in China and also worked at McKinsey in Tokyo. He has an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Yan grew up in both Japan and China and currently resides with his family in New York.
George London is a seasoned technology leader who has spent his entire career helping companies use data to make better decisions. He began his journey at Bridgewater Associates—the world’s largest hedge fund—where he worked on macroeconomic modeling and investment research. Later, he founded a startup that helped consumers explore and discover music through data. As one of Upwave’s first engineering hires, George joined the company with the mission to build its statistical capabilities from scratch. Over the years, he has grown with the organization—serving as Head of Data, Vice President of Engineering, and now as Chief Technology Officer. Throughout his journey, he’s contributed to nearly every aspect of Upwave’s systems and product while coaching and leading its technical teams. George holds a BA in Philosophy from Yale University and lives in Oakland with his wife and labradoodle. His earliest brand loyalty was to Nintendo—a reminder that innovation should always bring joy, creativity, and wonder.
Bob Lord is a global executive leader and technology visionary with more than three decades of experience transforming organizations through technical innovations, leveraging data, and developing open ecosystems. As President of Horizon Media Holdings and Interim CEO of Horizon Global he is leading a reset of the agency model focused on transparency, future-forward collaboration, and simplicity. At Horizon, Bob oversees its portfolio of marketing services and connected intelligence divisions, including Horizon Media, Horizon Next, One Horizon, Blue Hour Studios, Horizon Commerce, Horizon Business and the Horizon product organization. Before joining Horizon, Bob served nearly a decade at IBM as the company’s first Chief Digital Officer, where here revolutionized the company’s go-to-market strategy by building a powerful open ecosystem of developers, partners and clients. Earlier, Bob transformed digital marketing as Global CEO of Razorfish, guiding its integration into Publicis Groupe, and later as President of AOL, where he helped pioneer programmatic advertising and contributed to its multibillion-dollar acquisition by Verizon. Bob serves on the boards of Integral Ad Science, Delve, and Certified Collectibles Group, and has previously held roles with Williams-Sonoma, Screenvision Media, and several Blackstone portfolio companies. An Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, he teaches in the Scaling Technology Ventures program and co-authored Converge: Transforming Business at the Intersection of Marketing and Technology. Bob is a strong advocate for inclusive leadership and collaboration to drive industry transformation. His work has earned him multiple industry honors, such as MediaPost’s Executive of the Year 2025, Adweek’s Top 50 Executives and CRN’s 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs.
Giulia Manca is a Senior Research Consultant at eye square’s Brand and Media Experience Unit. With a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan and a Master’s, along with a doctoral thesis in Neuroscience, from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, she specializes in eye movement and perception studies. Giulia applies her expertise in eye-tracking and quantitative research to provide insights in market research, focusing on optimizing media experiences through understanding attention and perception. She emphasizes measuring implicit responses to enhance engagement and effectiveness in brand communication, bridging scientific research with practical applications.
Stephen has spent the past 10 years at Google where he is the Head of Cross-Media Outcomes Measurement for the US. His team is responsible for collaborating with Google measurement partners on research, innovation and customer activation to help marketers measure and optimize their marketing investments. Prior to Google, Stephen led analytics teams at Accenture and Nielsen.
Laura Martin received her BA from Stanford and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation. Martin began her career at Drexel Burnham Lambert in media investment banking, followed by Capital Research & Management, where she advised $100 billion and managed a $500 million portfolio of media stocks. She moved to Credit Suisse First Boston in 1994 as the senior media analyst, where she was nationally ranked by Institutional Investor in 1999, 2000 and 2001. In 2002, Martin moved to Paris to become EVP of Financial Strategy and Investor Relations for Vivendi Universal. In 2004, she founded Media Metrics, publishing equity research on the largest entertainment, cable and Internet stocks in the U.S., where she was nationally ranked as “Best of the Independent Research Boutiques” by Institutional Investor for many years. In 2009, Martin moved to Needham & Company, LLC, where she currently publishes research on the largest public Internet, Entertainment and Advertising companies.
Jay is a market researcher with extensive experience in designing and managing market research studies, data analysis, and drawing out valuable insights from market research data. His career spans blue chip client companies (Time Inc. NBC, and AOL), industry-leading market research suppliers (Gallup, Knowledge Networks and GfK MRI), and an academic research institute. He has been published in a wide variety of publications (academic journals, a Chinese advertising trade publication, a British advertising industry journal, and The Philadelphia Inquirer). He is a co-inventor on three issued US patents for methods of media exposure.
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.
Sable Mi is a senior analytics and research executive with over 20 years of experience helping brands, platforms, and partners turn complex data into confident business decisions. Her work sits at the intersection of data integrity, identity, and measurement—supporting growth in an increasingly privacy-constrained, cross-platform marketing environment. She has held executive operating roles, including Vice President of Analytics and Chief Research Officer, where she led enterprise analytics strategy, advanced measurement and modeling capabilities, and translated complex methodologies into decision-ready insights for senior leadership. This hands-on experience gives her a pragmatic, business-first perspective on what measurement can—and cannot—deliver. Sable is widely recognized as an industry leader known for challenging assumptions, stress-testing methodologies, and driving transparency across the measurement ecosystem. She currently chairs the ARF Analytics Council, the CIMM Identity & Data Collaboration Group, and the I-COM MMM & Attribution Council, and has previously served in leadership roles with the IAB Measurement Committee and ARF Identity Resolution initiatives. A frequent advisor, speaker, and published author, Sable brings clarity to emerging areas such as identity, synthetic data, experimentation, and advanced modeling—always with a focus on governance, accountability, and real-world applicability. She has been recognized with the IAB Service Excellence Award in 2013 and 2018 and is based in San Francisco, California.
Tyler Montague is Vice President of Client and Research Success at Swayable. After more than 25 years developing campaigns and building brands in the advertising industry, Tyler now leads a team at the forefront of measuring creative effectiveness and helping clients learn what really works. Over the course of his career he’s led teams across sectors including everything from CPG, retail and financial services to healthcare. The Client Success team at Swayable is a blend of market research, technology and strategy specialists who help brands leverage data to inform agile creative processes.
Brian Morse leads Locality’s Collective, a new initiative merging broadcast expertise with data-driven media capabilities, that delivers targeted and measurable solutions to elevate the advertiser experience. Prior to Locality, Brian spent six years developing advanced TV solutions at Ampersand, driving addressable TV innovations across major cable providers. He began his career by spending 10 years at NBCUniversal in national ad sales before moving to Comcast to launch their Addressable TV offering. A seasoned sales executive with over two decades of national TV experience, Brian specializes in advanced TV and data-driven advertising solutions. He has a proven track record of driving significant revenue growth and leading high-performing sales teams. Brian received a degree in telecommunications from Penn State University, and he and his family reside in Brooklyn, NY.
Jennifer Ng holds 25 years of experience in marketing analytics, measurement, insights, and building high performance teams. She is currently the General Manager, Advertiser Insights at The Trade Desk responsible for delivering strategic data and insights to advertisers and building innovative insights tools. Prior to The Trade Desk, Jennifer helped build the Client Measurement team at Meta, with expertise in the CPG and Pharma categories. And at Kantar Millward Brown, she held leadership positions driving innovation in research and data collection including introducing digital ad effectiveness methodologies to the APAC market.
Megan is a Manager on the Primary Research team at Omnicom Media. Her role at Omnicom Media entails co-developing and managing custom research projects supporting thought leadership, segmentation, and consumer research about current social issues. She supports brands with consumer insights that they can harness through activation to better engage with their consumers in relevant and meaningful ways. Prior to her current role, Megan worked on the research vendor side where she gained valuable skills and experience on the nuts and bolts of implementing and managing market research studies. Megan’s passion for research should not come as a surprise given her background in psychology and her natural curiosity about human behavior. Megan earned a M.S. in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh and a B.S. with a dual major in Biology and Psychology from Stony Brook University. In her free time, Megan enjoys traveling and discovering the world.
Mary Ann Packo is CEO of Ipsos North America. Previously, she was Senior Partner at Hypothesis Group. Over the course of her career, Mary Ann has worked for many of the largest insights agencies in the world and has led brand-building businesses, both corporate and entrepreneurial. Previously, Mary Ann held senior management positions at WPP, as CEO of Kantar Insights, CEO of Kantar Gold Rush, and CEO of Millward Brown North America. Prior to that, Mary Ann was a pioneer in the Internet and digital media measurement arena as president and chief operating officer of Media Metrix, from start-up through to IPO. She has also worked outside the U.S. as President of NPD Canada’s custom research business and Executive Director of Ipsos-NFO, a Paris-based European Joint Venture.
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Named one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, and is a regular commentator on CNN and CNBC, and serves on the Board of Directors of 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLWS). Shelly is a prolific author. Along with his daily newsletter, his books include, the Amazon #1 Bestseller, Blockchain – Cryptocurrency, NFTs & Smart Contracts: An executive guide to the world of decentralized finance and Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV, the seminal book about the technological, economic, and sociological forces that have changing everything about the the business of television, Overcoming the Digital Divide: How to use Social Media and Digital Tools to Reinvent Yourself and Your Career, and Digital Wisdom: Thought Leadership for a Connected World.
winkal Patel is a Manager of AI Product at Comcast, driving the development of next-generation AdTech and Media Operations products. He specializes in building and scaling solutions that leverage ML/AI to extract and activate metadata, powering innovative entertainment experiences and improving operational efficiency. Since 2014, Twinkal has built a diverse career spanning product management, incident management, and release management within the technology industry. His experience blends deep technical expertise with strategic product leadership, enabling him to bridge complex AI technologies with real-world business impact. Outside of work, Twinkal is passionate about travel, pottery, carpentry, soccer, swimming, and gardening.
Jennifer Pelino is a multidimensional media, data, and commercial strategy executive with deep experience building growth platforms at the intersection of analytics, technology, and advertising. She currently serves as SVP, Media Growth and Partnerships at Genius Sports, where she drives strategic partnerships and revenue growth by transforming complex data and audience intelligence into measurable business impact for brands, media companies, and sports organizations. Previously, Jennifer led growth strategy and commercialization at Sports Innovation Lab and held senior leadership roles at Circana (formally IRI) 84.51 and dunnhumby and SC Johnson, advising global brands and retailers on marketing effectiveness, go-to-market strategy, and performance optimization across paid, owned, and earned media ecosystems. She is widely recognized for translating analytics and innovation into scalable commercial results. A frequent industry speaker and published thought leader, Jennifer champions innovation, equity, and the advancement of women across media, technology, and sports. She holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Maddie is a director of Strategic Planning at Influential, where she helps brands unlock measurable business growth through creator partnerships. With a background spanning influencer strategy, measurement, and client leadership, she specializes in building outcome-based programs that connect cultural relevance with quantifiable results. She has led influencer initiatives across Beauty, Fashion, Finance, Pharma & CPG, partnering with brands to demonstrate how creator marketing drives not just engagement, but real business results.
Michael Platt is a neuroscientist known for asking some of the most challenging questions in 21st-century neuroscience — and conceiving innovative ways to find the answers. Principle questions focus on the biological mechanisms that underlie decision making in social environments, which has broad-scale implications for improving health and welfare in societies worldwide. Broad expertise in psychology, economics, evolutionary biology, and ethology — in addition to collaborations with colleagues in these fields — has enabled him to reach ever-deeper levels of understanding about the neural bases of cognitive behavior. Michael received his BA at Yale and his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, both in anthropology, and did a post-doctoral fellowship in neuroscience at New York University. His work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Klingenstein Foundation, the James S. McDonnell Foundation, the EJLB Foundation, Autism Speaks, the Broad Foundation, the Klarman Family Foundation, the Simons Foundation, and the Department of Defense, among others.
Natasha Potashnik is Vevo’s Head of Data, Research & Measurement. Overseeing the data science, research, analytics, and measurement teams, she is responsible for applying AI, machine learning, and insights to all parts of the business, in close collaboration with engineering. Her teams ensure excellence in the use of data at Vevo, including everything from building new measurement methodologies to creating advanced AI optimization algorithms. Previously, Natasha was CTO and Co-Founder of the wellness startup Superbloom, where she spearheaded technology, data science, software, analytics, and product efforts. She also served as an SVP and Partner at Known, where she led a 90+ person media science team using machine learning to plan, buy, and optimize data-driven advertising. Natasha earned her B.A. in Mathematics from Yale University and her PhD from Columbia University.
Steven is a senior marketing major at Rutgers Business School and a first-generation college student from New Jersey. During college, he gained experience in marketing through internships with companies including Google and Henkel while also taking on leadership roles across several student organizations. After graduation, he plans to join Google as an Associate Product Marketing Manager in New York City. He hopes to reach global audiences while continuing to mentor first-generation and underrepresented students.
Efthymios Psaraftis is a seasoned leader in global media strategy, insights, and analytics within the CPG industry. He currently serves as Senior Manager of Ad Tech & Capability at Kenvue, where he drives the company’s worldwide AdTech, advanced measurement, and media innovation agenda across markets. With an academic foundation in computer science and extensive experience in local, regional, and global roles at PepsiCo, J&J, and Kenvue, Efthymios integrates technical fluency with strategic acumen. His leadership in media analytics has been recognized across the industry, including contributions to major organizations as advisor, featured in industry playbooks, and the receipt of the ANA Genius Award for Kenvue’s Futureproof Media Strategy in 2025. Efthymios holds a BSc in Management Science and Technology from Athens University of Economics and Business and is a qualified data analyst through the British Computer Society. A native of Greece, he brings a global mindset and a passion for innovation, learning, and community impact. He mentors university students and startups and remains active outside of work through surfing, floor gymnastics, and volunteering.
Bharad Ramesh is Co-Founder & CEO of Aqxle AI, building a Trusted Visibility Score for AI Search and modernizing legacy agency workflows for the AI era. He brings 20+ years of media agency experience across WPP, Omnicom, and Publicis, including leadership roles across Asia and China, and has worked with brands such as Unilever, P&G, Carnival, HP, Delta, and Volkswagen. He writes The Wild West of AI Search and is a recipient of the WPP Atticus Award for Thought Leadership.
Rameez is an innovator in the digital media space. As one of the early “Head of Growth” professionals, he has worked at the intersection of marketing, data, and product since 2015. Tase was an early pioneer of many of the growth & retention tactics that are standard in digital media & commerce businesses today — and continues to evolve these strategies, including defining “what great looks like” and the approaches to achieve greatness. Rameez 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 the company 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.
For nearly two decades, Dan has been providing strategic guidance and consumer intel for clients ranging from big media entities to tech startups, universities, sports giants, and nonprofit/NGOs. A former sportswriter with an MBA in marketing from Pepperdine and a communications degree from Berkeley, he has a long history of sifting through data to find a meaningful story.
Amy Reisenbach leads all creative affairs for the CBS Television Network including the primetime, daytime and late-night creative departments and supervises all comedy and drama development, alternative, specials and current programming, scheduling and casting. Reisenbach joined CBS in 2005 as manager of current programs. Her efforts resulted in promotions from manager, director and vice president to senior vice president in a span of 10 years. During that time, she worked on a variety of shows and excelled at forging deep relationships across the Network and CBS Studios, a trait that continues to serve her well. A strong advocate of writers and producers, she became executive vice president of current programming in 2017. In that role, she oversaw the department that supports current programming for CBS Entertainment and CBS Television Studios. She also led the Network’s top-rated CBS Daytime lineup. Reisenbach grew up in Los Angeles and dreamed of working in television from a young age. She began her career at Warner Bros. Television in the drama development and current departments after graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in social and behavioral sciences.
Mollie Rosen is the President, Member Solutions at the 4As, where she leads the organization’s efforts to strengthen member value through innovative programs, resources, and services that help agencies to adapt, innovate, and lead amid industry transformation. With nearly two decades of account management experience at leading agencies including McCann Erickson, D’Arcy, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Publicis, Mollie brings a deep understanding of client relationships and agency operations to her leadership at the 4As. Her background uniquely positions her to anticipate member needs and design solutions that drive both business growth and operational excellence. Earlier in her career, Mollie managed global campaigns for some of the world’s most iconic brands. Starting with Unilever and later leading global work for Procter & Gamble, she developed a passion for collaboration, brand stewardship, and results-driven strategy. Since joining the 4As in 2014, Mollie has championed a modern, member-centric approach to the organization’s mission. She has played a pivotal role in reshaping the 4As’ vision for member engagement, creating new opportunities for connection, learning, and partnership across the agency community.
Brian Sabella is the Director of Original Content and Research Innovation at ESPN Research & Insights. Over more than a decade at ESPN, he has worked across everything from audio and podcasts to MLB, the UFC and SportsCenter, developing a cross‑platform perspective on how audiences discover, engage with, and interpret content in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Today, Brian helps lead research for ESPN’s non‑live event programming as well as integrating AI‑enabled tools and evolving methodologies to better understand the next generation of sports fans. His work sits at the intersection of media, technology, and human behavior—translating complex data into actionable insight that informs creative, strategic, and business decisions. Known for combining traditional research methods with new capabilities, Brian specializes in process transformation and innovation, combining methodological discipline with practical experimentation to ensure research remains forward‑looking and efficient in a rapidly evolving media world.
Steffen is a distinguished expert in the intersections of neuroeconomics, brand management, causal analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing. He is the co-founder and management director of concept m AI, an insights company that combines deep psychological consumer insights with AI for a better marketing performance. With a foundation rooted in robust academic inquiry and practical expertise, Steffen’s work illuminates the pathways of consumer decision-making processes, blending traditional marketing with cutting-edge technological insights advances.
Since 2007, Stefan has been working as a brand and media specialist in the Brand and Media Experience unit at eye square. After six years of gaining invaluable knowledge within the company, he became the head of his unit in 2013 and has been a partner since 2018. Stefan upports advertisers and marketers with studies on the understanding of media types, advertising formats, and creative services. In addition to his intensive involvement with moving image advertising, Stefan is one of the leading experts in the processing and impact of digital creation and social media advertising. He is also an award winner for a media ethnography study Mapping the Impact for Screenforce in 2023 (Horizont Real Impact Award, 2023). Stefan leads global studies on the impact of creator ads in the social marketing mix (Authenticity Sells, Snapchat, 2024) and is responsible for the internationally award-winning study “Power of Creation” (IAB Research Award, 2016), plus moderates workshops on digital creation and regularly speaks at conferences.
With over 25 years of experience, Adam is one of the most well-rounded and respected leaders in the industry, having served in many senior strategic leadership roles. He is currently Client President at WPP Media. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading key client relationships and teams, elevating their approach to the dynamic advertising and media landscape. Adam also serves as exec sponsor of the North American AI Council at WPP Media, helping to evolve the adoption, applications, and codified knowledge of AI systems and tools across the agency and client teams. Adam returned to WPP Media last year- where he once developed and led digital media practices- from overseeing business and partner marketing efforts at Niantic, focusing on how Augmented Reality (AR) games, entertainment, and immersive experiences unite digital and physical worlds.
Abhijit has spent over two decades leading digital transformation initiatives that drive loyalty, brand equity, and measurable growth for global organizations. As Vice President at Major League Soccer, he oversees marketing and advertising technology strategy, shaping how one of the world’s fastest-growing leagues leverages AI, data, and modern MarTech infrastructure to deepen fan engagement and unlock commercial impact at scale. Prior to MLS, Abhijit led marketing innovation at Mastercard and spearheaded omnichannel transformation at Macy’s, architecting data-led growth strategies across complex, global enterprises. His work sits at the intersection of technology, consumer behavior, and performance—helping brands convert attention into sustained business value.
Kristin is a senior research analyst at Comcast Advertising, where she designs studies and analyzes primary data to uncover insights for advertisers and publishers. Her research explores the structural and creative features of ads which influence the viewer experience and drive behavioral outcomes. Prior to joining Comcast, she studied the neuroscience of storytelling and interpersonal communication and taught at a clown college. She has a PhD in communication from the University of Pennsylvania.
Keith is currently Managing Director of the Marketing Science Institute. He joined the organization in 2023 as Research Director in 2023, responsible for addressing corporate members’ needs and priorities with relevant and valuable academic research, and for developing and maintaining MSI’s community of marketing scientists and academics. Prior to joining MSI, Keith was an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northeastern University and University of Illinois, Chicago, and a marketing and technology consultant for Fortune 500 companies, identifying needs and solving problems with research and analysis. He has a Ph.D. in marketing from University of Georgia, an M.A. in psychology from Vanderbilt University, and a B.A in psychology and sociology from Miami University. Keith has published highly cited articles on research methodology, digital marketing, brand communities, and video game marketing in a range of academic marketing journals including Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Marketing Letters, and is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.
Kristin Smith-Clinton is a brand, cultural, and creative strategist who helps organizations turn insight into growth. Her work sits at the intersection of cultural intelligence, behavioral science, and storytelling guiding brands to make smarter, more human, and more profitable decisions in an increasingly complex marketplace. Across her career, Kristin has led strategy, communications, and research for global and category-defining brands including Dove, McDonald’s, Jordan, Porsche, General Mills, Kendo, Molson Coors, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mattress Firm, and Pine-Sol, helping them navigate shifting consumer behavior, cultural change, and evolving expectations. Before joining UWG INC., Kristin served as Strategy Director at Hero Collective, where she advised brands such as House of Cheatham, Shell, Porsche, Jordan, and TIAA on brand positioning, growth strategy, and cultural relevance. At UWG INC., she leads the agency’s strategy practice across new business and key client partnerships including National Pork Board, Pernod Ricard, Northwestern Mutual, and the American Heart Association delivering consumer insight, cultural analysis, and business strategy that enable brands to compete with clarity and confidence. Kristin’s expertise spans brand strategy and positioning, consumer research and insight, influencer and culture-led marketing, journey mapping, and creative storytelling across both multicultural and general market audiences. A proud HBCU alum, Kristin holds a dual B.A. degree in Art and Political Science from Jackson State University. Known for her “golden-brained” ability to balance analytical rigor with creative intuition, she brings both left-brain and right-brain thinking to every challenge.
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.
Pouya is the Director of Data Science at TelevisaUnivision working on the Household Graph initiative. Pouya holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UC Davis and has prior ML & Data Science experience at FourSquare, Apple, and Qualcomm.
Gareth Tuck is our Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at eye square. He graduated in psychology. His team conducts global advertising impact and shopper experience studies for clients from the FMCG, consumer electronics and e-commerce sectors. Expert in eye tracking and behavioural research methods. Conducted studies in 2022 in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, UAE, Indonesia & Australia where the attention and recall of online ads on various social media platforms was compared with attention to TV ads. Publishes regularly in journals such as International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction & Affective Computing and Intelligent Interactions.
As SVP of Measurement Strategy & Innovation, Benjamin Vandegrift leads the Measurement group at VAB. His mission is to educate and empower others to stay ahead of what’s next in the ever-growing world of video measurement while highlighting what matters most & simplifying the complex, so that marketers are able to make better-informed decisions utilizing cutting-edge video measurement technology. Prior to joining the VAB, Ben has spent the past 10 years building a reputation for being a passionate, innovative, and engaging leader in media. He began his career at Comcast Advertising, where he was instrumental in the design, development and deployment of multiple innovative media measurement and attribution solutions. He served as a lead of their Audience Intelligence initiative, which at the time was one of the first advanced audience-based buying and measurement solutions in the industry. In addition, Ben was a lead in the development and deployment of Comcast’s suite of attribution solutions allowing marketers to evaluate the lower-funnel impact of their video campaigns. Following his time at Comcast Advertising, Ben spent three years at TVSquared where he served as Director of Product Marketing. There he honed his ability to understand and explain the intricacies of cross-platform measurement and attribution solutions. In this role, Ben led the activation efforts across their Enterprise and Advanced TV client base, working with organizations including Spectrum Reach, Cox Media, Ampersand, Tegna, and Tubi. While at TVSquared, he educated and coached over 5,000 media professionals across the US and Europe on measurement technology, methodology and data positioning. Ben’s experience developing and deploying video measurement and attribution solutions for over 10 years enables him to ask the right questions so that he can effectively translate the capabilities and value of measurement solutions to marketers.
Deepak is Head of Neuroscience Insights at Kantar North America. He has been working with Kantar for over five years to improve insight delivery from neuroscience tools, including client-specific training programs, especially focusing on Facial Coding. Deepak has over 13 years of experience in neuroscience (using EEG, Facial Coding and eye tracking) in the area of advertising, packaging, brand equity, product development and shopper solutions globally. He has been among the few people in the industry who have educated clients worldwide on the application of neuroscience in market research and integration with traditional survey methods. He also has close to 20 years of experience in traditional qualitative and quantitative marketing research techniques. Deepak was an Executive Vice President – Client Services at Nielsen NeuroFocus where he managed the International business & managed relationships with several global clients making neuroscience a protocol in the areas of copy testing, packaging, product testing and POS testing. Prior to NeuroFocus, Deepak was a Senior Vice President and country head for Nielsen Custom Research in the US for 8 years. He has played a variety of other leadership roles and worked across several industries.
Dr. Duane Varan is CEO of MediaScience®, a global pioneer in media and advertising innovation research and lab-based research integrating neurometrics, facial expression analysis, eye tracking, response latency testing and other new advanced methods in better understanding the emotional dimensions of people’s media encounters. Dr. Varan is the recipient of a number of awards including the Australian Prime Minister’s Award for University Teacher of the Year and the Advertising Research Foundation’s Erwin Ephron Demystification Award – one of the advertising research industry’s most prestigious awards for lifetime achievement. Dr. Varan also continues to publish in academic journals and was ranked 7th worldwide in terms of the number of top-tier publications in the last decade-long review for the advertising research discipline.
Marc is a marketing strategy, data, and analytics executive with 20+ years’ experience. Marc is responsible for TransUnion’s Marketing Solutions Knowledge Lab which is focused on the creation, documentation, and education of new and best practices in the use of marketing data, analytics, and technology. He is also responsible for driving thought leadership and innovation across TransUnion’s Marketing Solutions identity, audience, and measurement offerings, delivering strategic insights that help brand leaders make better, more data-driven, marketing decisions. Recent work includes working with MMA Global developing the Movable Middles audience strategy and Brand as Performance Study.
Michael brings a unique blend of expertise in mathematics, theoretical physics, and data science as applied to media measurement and advertising to his role as Chief Research Officer at Comscore. Michael has played a key role in developing and reinventing Comscore’s measurement solutions across TV, internet, computers, and mobile devices. Under his leadership, Comscore launched its groundbreaking TV measurement capabilities, and is now redesigning its cutting-edge solutions to enable true cross-platform measurement. His stewardship of Comscore’s analytics strategy builds on a strong, 25-year track record of achievement. Prior to joining Rentrak and Comscore, he served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Digital Insights and Analytics at Starcom MediaVest Group and, before that, as Chief Research Scientist at erinMedia, where he was granted multiple patents relating to mathematical methods for estimating demographics from privacy-safe digital return-path data. Prior to joining the media measurement industry, Michael – who holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Chicago – was an academic and educator. He completed his post-doctoral work at Syracuse University in Physics, won a Fulbright Scholarship to teach and do research in computational physics at Yarmouk University in Jordan, and served as Chairman of the Department of Physics at Shippensberg University in Pennsylvania. Michael has lived and worked in four countries around the globe, and his family includes his wife, three adult children, two dogs, and three cats. He currently lives in Oakland, California.
Jon is Managing Director of CIMM, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement. He 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.
With over a decade of experience in market research, Jaclyn Williams leads Full Funnel Marketing Effectiveness Research at TikTok, helping advertisers unlock the full potential of the platform. Her work empowers marketers to better understand TikTok’s diverse audiences and apply full-funnel solutions that drive meaningful engagement and business outcomes throughout the purchase journey, meeting consumers where they are, in formats that feel native, entertaining, and additive to the TikTok experience.
Ewa Zawol is a global media leader with over 20 years of international experience shaping how brands grow. As Global Partnership Director at dentsu, she focuses on evolving video, media effectiveness across today’s fragmented platform landscape. With experience spanning the US, Europe and the UK, Ewa speaks about attention, video ecosystems and the balance between brand and performance - bringing a pragmatic, future-focused perspective grounded in real business outcomes.
Jiawen Zheng is a senior at Baruch College pursuing a major in Marketing Management with a minor in Japanese. She is an ARF WIDE Scholar (Cohort 4) with an interest in the data-driven side of marketing. Her passion for marketing began with its dynamic and constantly evolving nature, which inspired her to explore how data informs modern marketing decisions. As she approaches graduation, Jiawen is eager to explore opportunities in marketing analytics and continue developing her analytical skills. She is excited about leveraging data to drive strategic marketing decisions and looks forward to the opportunities and discoveries that lie ahead in her career
Dirk is an expert in depth psychological marketing and advises companies and corporations in numerous industries and countries worldwide on the basis of market, media and cultural research. As co-founder of the global research boutique Concept M, the marketing consultancy Flying Elephant and the AI-driven from insights to impact company concept m AI, he accompanies topics such as the adaptation of new technologies such AI or the transformation of advertising communication in the new digital media world.
Julian Zilberbrand, Global Head of Data Solutions at LG Ad Solutions, is an accomplished leader with a strong track record of success in adtech and martech, product development, measurement and marketplace strategy. Prior to joining LG Ad Solutions, Zilberbrand was the CEO of Ivey Milton Consultants, a consultancy dedicated to guiding mid and early-stage companies through the intricate landscape of media, advertising, and technology. He has built an extensive career in senior leadership positions at Zenith, Starcom and Paramount, where he played a crucial role in diverse areas including the creation of an in-house media buying agency and the implementation of addressable TV strategies and business growth for Ad Sales. This came after an esteemed 11-year tenure at Publicis Groupe. Known as a vocal and respected leader in the industry, Zilberbrand has received several industry recognitions from Ad Age, AdMonsters, TVOT and more, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences for organizations including Beet.TV, CIMM, TVOT, and IAB. Zilberbrand has also held advisor roles for companies such as Doubleverify, Innovid, SpotRunner, TVision, Adcuratio, and previously chaired the Media Rating Council’s Digital Committee.
AUDIENCExSCIENCE 2025: Past Event Highlights
ARF Attention Measurement Validation Initiative: Phase 2 Report (2nd Edition)
Cross-Platform Measurement Options from an Agency Perspective
How to Calculate Reach and Frequency Using Virtual IDs (VIDs)
To further, through research, the scientific
practice of advertising and marketing
© the Advertising Research Foundation. All rights reserved. – Privacy Policy
