About Your Speakers
Lou Weiss is the Chief Marketing Officer of The Vitamin Shoppe. In this capacity, he is responsible for all customer acquisition and relationship marketing, Vitamin Shoppe's Healthy Awards loyalty program, and overall marketing and advertising for both the retail and direct-to-consumer businesses. Mr. Weiss is also responsible for the overall business performance of the direct-to-consumer business including the internet, catalog, and customer care. Mr. Weiss joined the company in 2006 as Vice President and General Manager of Vitamin Shoppe Direct.
As SVP/GM, Americangreetings.com, Kathy oversees product development, merchandising and marketing for a family of websites reaching over three million subscribers and twenty million unique visitors monthly. She is an experienced multi-channel direct marketer and an adaptive business unit leader with a proven track record of launching new marketing initiatives. Her career spans both business to business and business to consumer organizations both online and offline.
Sean Bunner serves as the Operating Vice President of Advanced Services for HSN, a business segment of HSN, Inc. In this role Mr. Bunner is responsible for the business development, operations and marketing of HSN’s Interactive Media applications including: Shop by Remote (iTV), Video on Demand, Broadband and Mobile services.
As VP Global E-Commerce for www.orvis.com and www.orvis.uk.co, Brad Wolansky is responsible for all things web including onsite merchandising, online marketing, and outbound e-mail for all channels of Vermont-based Orvis. A retailer from the day he was born into a family luggage shop business, Brad has been a buyer, marketer, Divisional Merchandising Manager of Gift/Home at Orvis (as well as Director E-commerce Merchandising at www.wilsonsleather.com). Orvis has 45 company-owned stores, 600 dealers, and circulates over 50 million catalogs a year. Brad's also an avid private pilot who enjoys the challenge of precise instrument operations.
Prior to co founding Shoebuy.com, Inc., Bill established and operated an invite-only roundtable for senior executives of Fortune 100 companies, including 3Com, Charles Schwab, Chiron, Cisco Systems, Clorox, E-Trade, Gap Inc., Genentech, Hewlett-Packard, PeopleSoft, and Sun Microsystems.
Michael Cooper leads The Home Depot’s Specialty Channels businesses inclusive of HomeDepot.com (E-commerce Business), Your Other Warehouse (Plumbing Wholesaler), and World Imports Lighting (Upper End Lighting Importer /Wholesaler). These business units contribute approximately $1 Billion in revenue and operate integrated but to some extent independent Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Call Center, and Information Technology platforms from the Retail Stores. Michael joined The Home Depot in August 2001 as Director of Strategic Planning and has held various roles in Merchandising, Supply Chain and Store Operations including Store Manager, District Manager and Regional Vice President. Most recently, Michael led the scoping and budgeting effort for the US implementation of an SAP ERP.
Perry joined the NHL in 2007 and is responsible for leading a comprehensive direct to consumer multi-channel marketing strategy. His responsibilities range from leading the development of the NHL Fan Database to overseeing web analytics and digital consumer insights. His role at the league cuts across NHL.com, merchandise sales (retail, catalog, e-commerce), subscription products (e.g., NHL Center Ice, NHL fantasy games), New Media and many other NHL fan touch points. Prior to the NHL, Perry was the senior director of customer strategy and database marketing for Time Warner Cable, where he was responsible for enterprise-wide direct-to-consumer marketing strategies and initiatives for 14 million subscribers and 12 million prospect households.
In 1994, Lauren Freedman leveraged her 15 year retail and catalog career and passion for merchandising to found the e-tailing group, inc. The e-tailing group, inc. is the multi-channel merchant’s eye, bringing a merchant’s sensibility to evolving the multi-channel shopping experience. A Chicago-based consultancy, they provide strategic and e-commerce merchandising solutions to merchants selling online as well as to firms targeting that market. Her company’s annual mystery shopping and merchant surveys provide a comprehensive overview of the state of e-commerce, setting industry standards while simultaneously highlighting best practices.
An extensive client list has included Fortune 500s and start-ups. From involvement with the initial launch of sites like Toys “R” Us, The Vitamin Shoppe and Kodak to specific initiatives for clients including Scholastic, Staples, Circuit City, J.Jill, MoMA Retail, Orbitz, M&M’s, USA Today, West Marine and MSN. Her role becomes Strategist, Merchant, Facilitator, Educator and Spokesperson.
As a veteran and visionary within both the Retailing and the Internet industries, Freedman is a frequent resource to the trade and business press and her speaking engagements are worldwide. Freedman authored her first book, It’s Just Shopping, which provides a comprehensive; behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of multi-channel selling.
Patrick Livingston is the Senior Manager of E-Commerce, Merchandising and Analytics for The Orvis Company in Sunderland, Vermont. In this position, he is responsible for merchandising the company’s U.S. and U.K. websites, overseeing SEO efforts, and leveraging web analytics to optimize site efficacy. Prior to working with Orvis, he was the Online Marketing Manager for ShopPBS.com, the consumer-direct site for the Public Broadcasting Service. In his spare time, he likes to fly-fish, snowboard, and hang out with his kids.
Jay Greenberg is Director, eCommerce with Spencer's. Responsible for Spencersonline.com and SpiritHalloween.com as well as the Spirit Halloween catalog, Greenberg joined Spencer's in July 2007. Previously Greenberg was eMarketing Manager at Franklin Electronic Publishers where he oversaw all eCommerce activity for Franklin.com and managed the catalog business.
An industry veteran, Jay served in a variety of marketing and sales roles with The Franklin Mint, and holds a BS in economics from Arizona State University and an MBA from the University of Illinois.
Nikki Baird is a Managing Partners at RSR Research, a technology analyst firm specializing in retail technology. Nikki focuses on technologies that enable the retailer-consumer relationship.
Steve Rowen is a Managing Partner at RSR Research, a technology analyst firm specializing in retail technology. Steve focuses on emerging issues and technologies in the retail industry.
Abby's background is in the usability field. She received her Masters Degree in Human Factors from Clemson University and worked as a consultant for User Centric, a Chicago based usability firm, before joining Delta. In her role as Usability Manager she is responsible for making delta.com as easy to use as possible in order to increase online ticket sales and online check-ins. One way she accomplishes this is by using traditional usability testing to get feedback from users before launching new functionality. To supplement that data, she uses multivariable testing, customer website feedback and customer experience management tools.
Scott Drayer is the Director of Marketing at Paul Fredrick MenStyle, a menand's fashion apparel direct marketer located in Fleetwood, Pa. Scott is responsible for the management of both Paul Fredrickand#x2019;s online and offline marketing channels, including the Paul Fredrick catalog, PaulFredrick.com website, email, search, print advertising and alternative media programs. He has been with the company for 9 years, upon his graduation from Penn State University with a B.S. in Marketing.
Archie Miller leads design and customer experience including user testing, prototyping, interface design, and overall web experience strategy at electronics retailer Crutchfield Corp. Since joining Crutchfield in September 2005, he has led a team through site redesign, integration of community and learning content, and the establishment of an in-house user testing lab. Archie previously worked on design teams for clients including Wachovia, Amtrak, L'eggs and McKesson.
Pinny is a veteran internet marketer. As a knowledgeable and charismatic speaker, he frequently presents at conferences around the world. Pinny was one of the original ICE.com founders in 1999 and his insight and innovative thinking has lead ICE.com to become one of the leading online jewelers and a recognizable household name. Today, Pinny continues to contribute to the success of the company with particular focus on the customer experience and web 2.0 initiatives.
Jason created Diaperbags.com with a business partner in 2003. Over the course of a few years they fine tuned a successful ecommerce drop-ship model and shipped thousands of diaper bags to expectant mothers around the world. His next venture took him into social media where he launched Outdoorzy.com with two like-minded outdoor enthusiasts in 2006. The site's unique niche market and social features quickly made it a widely recognized name throughout the outdoor market. After a stint as a web marketing consultant he joined CoolComputerBags.com in 2008 as VP of Marketing. Since then CoolComputerBags.com has seen 400% growth in traffic and sales. The company recently switched to a robust open source platform to capitalize on improved conversion and SEO.
Richard BenBassett is Senior Director of eCommerce for Sally Beauty Supply LLC, the world’s largest retailer of professional quality beauty products. In this role, he is responsible for leading and developing the eBusiness strategy and marketing plan for all eCommerce initiatives and promotional programs for the recently established business unit.
Prior to Sally Beauty Supply, Richard held the position of Vice President of Merchandising for Folica Inc. a leading on-line beauty retailer. During his tenure Richard implemented numerous merchandising strategies and retail-focused initiatives that drove the company’s sales to new levels.
A beauty and retail veteran with more than 19 years of merchandising experience, Richard has also held executive merchandising positions with other national specialty retailers including Ratner Companies/Hair Cuttery, Ritz Camera Centers, and Boater’s World Marine Centers.
Danielle Leveille has eight years in retail marketing. After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Marketing from Bentley College in Waltham, MA, she began her career in Media at Mullen Advertising managing interactive media planning for Eddie Bauer and other retail clients. In 2004, she joined the Tweeter Home Entertainment Group leading their Guerilla Marketing program. Revolutionary for Tweeter, the Guerilla Marketing program empowered the commission-based sales associates to acquire new customers and retain existing through a marketing tool kit. Joining PetSmart in 2007, Danielle started with a focus on CRM driving key initiatives including the 2008 re-launch of the PetPerks loyalty program and driving new customer acquisition by developing a look-a-like model of PetSmart’s best customers. Transitioning to PetSmart.com to lead Multi-Channel Integration & Merchandising, Danielle continues to leverage the customer database to drive customer-centric initiatives that increase sales, loyalty and a richer cross-channel experience.
With a BFA in Visual Communication and 12 years of online design experience, Kevin has a solid foundation in graphic design. A connoisseur of email campaigns and an award-winning logo designer, Kevin has managed DelSol.com for 5 years. Del Sol is a manufacturer/retailer of color-changing apparel and accessories with 70 stores in 15 countries. Kevin resides in Salt Lake City between the mountains where he snowboards, and Utah Lake where he wakeboards.
Chris Feldwisch has served as the Ecommerce Marketing Manager for Finish Line since October 2003. In this role he oversees and manages paid search, affiliate marketing, shopping comparison engines and more. Before joining Finish Line, Chris was in media planning at Foote, Cone and Belding and in paid search sales at Altavista and Overture. He holds a BS in Advertising from Ball State University in Indiana.
Tom Davis is the Director of Ecommerce for Tommy Hilfiger USA, a men’s and women’s fashion brand, located in New York City. He has 13+ years of ecommerce experience. Tom joined Tommy Hilfiger in 2007 as point person to re-platform and re-launch its ecommerce business. Tom is responsible for the operations, marketing and management of their online shopping business. This includes, but not limited to, SEM, SEO, email, site design, photography, operations and its ecommerce technologies. Prior to joining Tommy Hilfiger, Tom managed a team that designed and deployed Sirius Satellite Radio’s first ecommerce storefront.
Mike Deckman serves as Internet Marketing Manager for Vintage Tub & Bath, an Internet Retailer Top 500 company and America’s largest private retailer of clawfoot bathtubs. Since joining Vintage Tub & Bath in 2007, Mike led his team through advanced in-house SEO, SEM, Affiliate, and SCE tactics that resulted in consistent double-digit growth for the company. Mike is from Northeast Pennsylvania and is an avid paintball enthusiast.
Will manages the North America and Asia Pacific affiliate programs on eBay Partner Network and can offer a number of insights into how etailers can build and sustain successful affiliate programs. He can reveal success factors and best practices to help attendees design powerful programs that drive high-quality traffic, reward top affiliates and increase revenue for all parties.
Alex is the Director of Programming in the Multichannel Programming Department at QVC. He is responsible for developing engaging multichannel programming strategies and for establishing and championing multichannel programming strategies and standards for QVC. Alex previously held positions as the Director of Internet Content, Community and Multichannel, Director of Home Merchandising, and Manager of Internet Content and Metrics. He has over 10 years of Internet experience. Alex’s prior experience includes being the Director of Product Development at iGrandparents.com, National Account Manager for Business Services division of AT&T and Sales and Marketing Specialist for Ernst and Young LLP.
Scott Savitz founded Shoebuy.com in 1999 and serves as Chief Executive Officer. Under his guidance, the company has quickly become one of the largest retailers of footwear and related apparel on the Internet partnering with over 800 brands and representing over 700,000 products. In February, 2006, Shoebuy.com was purchased by IAC/InterActive Corp. which owns other properties including Match.com, Citysearch, Evite.com, CollegeHumor, and Ask.com.
Udayan Bose founded online advertising management firm NetElixir in 2004. Based on his experience and understanding of the complexities of running profitable paid search campaigns, Udayan developed a system that delivers efficient, superior campaign management and performance for clients worldwide. Prior to starting NetElixir, Udayan was Director of Business Development for iGlobalMedia/PartyGaming, the world's largest online gaming company. He built their PartyBingo.com business from scratch into a major revenue generator. Udayan holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and an M.B.A. from Mumbai University, India.
Jack Jia is a founder and CEO of Baynote, a leading provider of collective intelligence platform to hundreds of major eCommerce, Media and Enterprise websites with recommendations for products, content, search, email, video and mobile phones. Prior to Baynote, he was an SVP & CTO at Interwoven with several executive responsibilities in engineering, product management and marketing, strategy and technology vision. As the founding VP of engineering, he was instrumental in building and growing Interwoven from the ground-up to a public company (NASDAQ: IWOV), valued at billions at its peak, with over 1000 employees. He was a founder and CEO of V-max America and led operating systems and applications development at SGI, Sun Microsystems, Stratus and NASA. He is a frequent speaker at major conferences and has appeared on television programs in several countries. He is a contributing author in "XML Handbook, the 4th Edition", "Online! The Book", "Content Management Bible", and writes regularly about key technology issues and trends. He is a board advisor for Santa Clara University and the president of HYSTA, a premier non-profit organization for promoting entrepreneurship.
Meyar Sheik, CEO & Co-founder of Certona is a seasoned software industry executive with over 20 years of experience. Since 2000, Meyar has been a web analytics pioneer working with some of the largest sites on the Internet such as ESPN, Fox, Sony, Best Buy, Disney, CBS and many other leading brands, in the areas of web analytics, personalization and real-time content optimization.
Since co-founding Certona in 2004, Meyar and the Certona team have been focused on applying Certona’s innovative, real-time behavioral targeting, optimization and adaptive personalization technologies to generate more revenue and higher conversion rates for online retailers and other multi-channel businesses.
Prior to co-founding Certona, Meyar was the CMO and COO of web analytics leader, WebSideStory (now part of Omniture). Before joining WebSideStory, Meyar was the Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Strategic Alliances for the Enterprise Application Integration software vendor SuperNova, Inc., where he orchestrated the sale of the company to Seattle-based WRQ, an enterprise software company.
Meyar has a BS in Electrical Engineering from New York Institute of Technology and an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology.
With eighteen years’ experience in marketing and product management for software and Internet solutions, Tim Callan ensures the effectiveness of customer outreach for all aspects of VeriSign's Authentication business. His frequent engagement with customers, technologists, and industry insiders alike leaves him uniquely positioned to view and comment on the cutting edge of industry and technology trends with an eye to the customer's perspective.
Before joining VeriSign, Tim was Partner at high-tech marketing firm VividHues and Vice President of Marketing at Santa Cruz Networks, an Internet collaboration services startup that was named one of Fortune Magazine's "12 Coolest Companies" in 1998. Prior to that, he held product management and marketing roles at several business productivity software firms. As Product Manager at Delrina Corporation, Tim drove the WinFax product to become the best selling independent Windows application in the world.
Tim is a founding member of the CA/Browser Forum, which developed the guidelines for the Extended Validation SSL standard and is the world’s foremost spokesperson for this important new online security standard. A steering member of the Authentication and Online Trust Alliance, Tim authors an online security blog with readership of over 20,000 that can be found at www.verisign.com/ssl-blog
Mr. Callan is an award-winning author of short fiction and a festival-screened independent filmmaker. He received his B.A. in English from UCLA
After receiving his undergraduate degree in Economics from Harvard College and his law degree from Harvard Law School, in each case with honors, Tim practiced law for approximately 27 years and was a partner for 21 years with the law firm of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tim has extensive leadership experience advising CEOs and senior management teams on corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. He serves as a director on the boards of DBA Direct, Inc., Lucrum Incorporated, and Worldwide Equipment Enterprises, Inc. Tim brings a broad business perspective and interdisciplinary skills to Jewelry Television®.
Mike Cooley, Vice-President of sprint.com, is responsible for the strategic, creative, and technical initiatives impacting the web experience for both customers and prospects. He manages all electronic activities through Sprint.com including ecommerce, ecare, and site side marketing, while also managing Sprint’s mature online distribution partner portfolio (e.g., Amazon.). He is also responsible for the tactics to drive traffic, conversion rate and transactions through the channel, including support of a multi-lingual audience. He has fourteen years of experience in the wireless industry and joined Sprint Nextel in 2003. Prior to that, he was co-founder and COO at Sundial.com, which was one of the first wireless online retailers in the United States and powered portals such as Yahoo, MSN and Priceline. Mike has also held management positions at Deloitte Consulting and Motorola. He earned his MBA from University of Michigan and B.A. in Economics from Tufts University.
Timothy Seward is founder and President of ROI Revolution, Inc., a data driven PPC Management Company focused on delivering profitable PPC results.
Timothy’s 26-person (located in Raleigh, NC) company manages millions of dollars per quarter of ad spend in the PPC accounts of 65 clients throughout the USA, Canada and the UK.
ROI Revolution is one of the few companies in the world that has been handpicked by Google to be one of seven charter Google Analytics consulting partners (since August 2005) and one of only three Google Analytics Seminar Leaders, as well as being an AdWords Qualified Company.
Timothy operated a wholesale distribution company in the "bricks & mortar" world in the 1990's and successfully sold it freeing himself up for a new adventure.
Realizing that technology was the edge that allowed him to quickly scale his successful business, he went back to school for a degree in computer science.
In just a few short years, Timothy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Florida Gulf Coast University, founded ROI Revolution, was "discovered" by Google and has been running online paid search marketing campaigns since April 2002
Right place, right time is the best way to describe Ron Samuelson’s experience in the diamond business. Although he stepped right into a leadership position in his family’s 87 year-old diamond business, the fact that he did this in the early 90’s, just as the internet was emerging, offered him a unique opportunity. He immediately saw the power of online marketing as a way of helping him elevate his game and become a force in Baltimore’s diamond landscape. By leveraging his knowledge of diamonds and his understanding of all things digital – website, social networking, blogging and email - he has helped Samuelson’s Diamondsbecome the area’s leader in online diamond buying and selling. Ron also started the Facebook Diamonds Fan Page, with almost 300,000 Diamond Fans interacting every day. He has been featured in Baltimore Magazine’s 40 under 40, profiled in the Wall Street Journal and leads the Facebook Jewelers Network, the cutting-edge resource for jewelers on the world’s most popular social networking site.
Kevin leads ForeSee Results continued growth in the retail industry through his expertise and experience. He works with the product, delivery, client services, and marketing teams to maximize ForeSee Results’ value to our retail clients. Kevin has over 10 years of critical e-commerce experience and was formerly the Vice President and Managing Director of Tower Records. More recently, he was the Senior Vice-President of E-Business with Borders where he re-launched Borders.com as an e-commerce site.
Kevin is a recognized and respected figure in the online retail industry. He has been a featured speaker at many e-retail conferences like Shop.org, eTail, and Internet Retailer, in addition to being featured and quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, the Detroit Free Press, and more. He is also a member of Shop.org's Policy Advisory Committee, Cross-Channel Retailing Consortium, and the eTail Content Advisory Board.
He received his degree in Business Administration from Golden Gate University with advanced training in general management, project management, and quality assurance.
Geoff has more than twenty years of experience in technology marketing, Prior to Tealeaf, Geoff served in executive roles at Tumbleweed Communications, evangelizing the use of the Internet as a channel for secure messaging & communications, Luminate Corporation, introducing the concept of the Management Service Provider for Web-based application management, and Mercury Interactive, developing brand awareness and establishing the markets for application testing and application performance management.
Trinity Insight is led by Craig Smith who is the founder and managing director. He oversees all active engagements within Trinity and his experience in eCommerce dates back to when online commerce first gained mainstream adoption.
Craig has developed eCommerce deliverables for some of America's most recognized brands and has created research and documentation for numerous eCommerce business initiatives, including an in-store pickup project and reverse logistics system implementation.
Matt has over 15 years of experience in the information technology field and has spent the last 5 years plying his craft in the email marketing field. He currently serves as the Director of Client Services at Listrak where he is responsible for all aspects of customer satisfaction including support, education and account management. Matt is also the company’s deliverability expert helping Listrak’s clients implement best practices for reaching the inbox. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and webinars on all topics related to email marketing. Matt holds a BS in Business Administration from Albright College where he graduated with Highest Honors.
With over two decades of merchandising experience, Robert Cell is an e-commerce and personalization expert. A former executive at Kellogg Company, he has run numerous innovative shopper-focused companies including COO of Blue Martini, a pioneer of e-commerce solutions, and CEO of AdSpace Networks. As CEO of MyBuys, he is pioneering the adoption of mass one-to-one marketing across multiple channels and is passionate about both consumer response and client success. Robert holds an MBA with High Distinction and a BSE from the University of Michigan.
As director of marketing and advertising, Mary Ellen Thieroff has been at the forefront of using technology to advance KC Company’s position in the building products industry. With 8 years experience in the building products and services industry, her previous experience includes marketing within the financial services sector. Mary Ellen leads a team that focus on lead generation/direct response, brand development, public relations and community initiatives.
With a solid foundation in brick and mortar retail that has taken him around the U.S. and on a four year adventure in the Caribbean, Troy brings passion and creativity to his unique style of online marketing. He is a full time employee of ZAGG Inc, managing their online marketing efforts. Troy lives in Salt Lake City, Utah and in his spare time enjoys guitar, video production, and consulting for burgeoning online companies.
Michael Fried is the Director of Strategic Analysis for Backcountry.com, a leading outdoor retailer based in Park City, Utah. He is responsible for the company’s web analytics and provides guidance in the areas of financial analysis, online marketing, merchandising, and content analysis.
Michael brings a strong metrics centric focus to the organization where numbers drive the business. By creating transparency and insight into the numbers, Michael believes that managers should be debated the solutions rather than chasing the problems.
Backcountry.com currently manages several sites including Backcountryoutlet.com, Dogfunk.com, Tramdock.com, Explore64.com, Steepandcheap.com, Whiskeymilitia.com, Chainlove.com, Bonktown.com, Brociety.com, Hucknroll.com and Realcyclist.com
David Stone has more than 20 years of executive management experience in Fortune 500 and emerging growth technology companies, with a strong emphasis on innovative payment systems and loyalty solutions. He has served as a senior executive in several financial services firms, including American Express, where he pioneered the first universal prepaid product, the American Express Gift Cheque, which quickly grew to sales in excess of $300M. Just prior to CashStar, he worked with Intel Capital’s Mobile Commerce team in identifying new applications for mobile and digital couponing. He also assisted Waste Management with the development of the company’s new Web 2.0 venture, Greenopolis, which focuses on incenting and rewarding consumer green behaviors.
Parks will further elevate the overall experience for eTail attendees as she brings to the table over 7 years in both the retail and interactive marketing industries. Before joining Range, Parks saw success in building a solid paid search, display and SEO foundation at Pier 1 Imports.
Rahmon is CEO of YourAmigo, an organic search marketing services company which he co-founded in 1999. YourAmigo offers performance-based search solutions for medium to large websites around the world, with customers including Sony, Avon, Reebok, the Home Shopping Network and Brookstone, to name a few. YourAmigo’s services operate on websites in 30 different countries and in many different spoken languages, with 80 million web pages under management. The company leads the world in scalable search engine optimization for large websites. It also offers Search Engine Enhanced Content (SEEC), a new organic search marketing service pioneered by YourAmigo to create additional search traffic well beyond the SEO of existing content.