2015 Speakers

Jason Goldberg

GVP, Commerce Strategy | Razorfish

Jason “Retailgeek” Goldberg leads the Commerce Strategy Practice at Razorfish. Jason is a 4th generation retailer, who launched his first e-commerce site for Blockbuster Entertainment in 1996. In the subsequent 15 years he has served as a principal customer experience architect for top retailers including Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. With a focus on e-commerce and digital marketing for omni-channel retailers, he has worked with over 100 clients on the Internet Top 500 and has been responsible for billions of dollars in on-line revenues. Under his twitter feed @retailgeek he is one of the most followed e-commerce subject mater experts on the web. He is a member of the board of directors of shop.org (the digital retail arm of the National Retail Federation). Jason has served as an expert witness in Federal Court on e-commerce, is a member of the RetailWire braintrust, has a regular column on mediapost and was voted one of retail’s top global influencers by Vend.

BLAINE HURST

Executive Vice President, Technology and Transformation | Panera Bread

Blaine joined Panera Bread in January 2011 as senior vice president of technology business strategies. In March 2012, he was named SVP of technology & transformation, and in May 2013 Blaine was promoted to EVP of technology & transformation. He is responsible for the organization’s technology, digital strategy, eCommerce customer support, and its off-premise catering services.

Geoff Alexander

EVP & Managing Partner Wow Bao | Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

Geoff joined Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) in 1993. Over the past two decades, his career has thrived in some of the most notable concept’s in LEYE’s ever-burgeoning local, national and international portfolio. Since 2009 Geoff has served as president of Wow Bao; LEYE’s fast casual Asian concept. Under his leadership, Wow Bao has implemented mobile & desktop on-line ordering, added bicycle delivery and domestic shipping, installed self-ordering kiosks, pioneered a mobile gift card & loyalty platform, and has turned Wow Bao into a well-respected Chicago social media influencer.

Matthew Allard

Founder and CEO | Runtriz

Matthew founded Runtriz in 2006 to enable travelers to better communicate with hotels. Runtriz launched the world’s first “iPhone Hotel” in 2008, and since has continued to innovate new technologies for the hospitality industry in over 89 countries. As CEO and founder of Runtriz he leads innovation and product development as well as business development and overall strategy. Matthew has spoken on a number of panels including Cal Tech Mobile forums, ALIS Conference, the Intelligence Group’s Trend School with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and has taught masters level computer science classes at USC on mobile application development.

Sean Andersen

Director, Interactive & Mobile Services | Six Flags Entertainment

Sean is director of interactive devices at Six Flags Entertainment, where he focuses on bringing emerging media to entertainment reality. Sean is responsible for how Six Flags engages with its guests and employees through interactive social, local and mobile applications. Sean has also developed one of the leading digital out-of-home TV experiences, delivering interactive enjoyment for Six Flags guests while driving advertising revenue from sponsors. In addition to delivering innovation for the company, Sean continues to grow the ecommerce and critical web applications both on-premise and in the cloud, while promoting continued revenue growth and enhanced user adoption.

Adam Aronson

CEO & Founder | lilitab

Adam has been designing custom kiosks for public-use environments since 1994. Drawing on this wealth of experience in the self-service sector, he realized the power of putting a tablet computer-driven touchpoint anywhere you would care to mount one. More economical, fun and with a greater depth of interactivity than other existing solutions, it just made sense. lilitab was born! Adam generally oversees new product development, operations and financial management of the company.

Chris Baird

Executive Vice President | OptConnect

Chris is the EVP of OptConnect, a Grant Victor company, and an industry leader in M2M wireless connectivity solutions for ATMs, self-service kiosks and wireless point of sale systems throughout North America. As EVP, Chris leads the executive management, business development, sales, operations and marketing teams, as the organization works toward the conversion of ATM and self-service kiosk communication in North America from hard-wired telephone lines to new wireless platforms for more cost-efficient and manageable operation. Chris has served as the EVP since 2011, in addition to serving since 2006 within the ATM sales, operations and service industry.

Beck Besecker

Co-Founder and CEO | Marxent

Beck is the co-founder and CEO of Marxent (marxent.com), the leader in virtual reality and augmented reality solutions for sales and marketing. Prior to founding Marxent, Beck spent 13 years building interactive marketing solutions for Fortune 500 retailers and brands, including Target Stores and Tesco. In 1999, he founded Copient Technologies which enabled large retailers to easily manage personalized promotions in-store and online. Copient was acquired by NCR in 2003. Beck then served as EVP of New Business at Catalina Marketing, the nation’s largest in-store promotional network.

Steve Birnhak

Founder and CEO | Inwindow Outdoor

Steve is the founder and CEO of Inwindow Outdoor (www.inwindowoutdoor.com), a pioneering technology firm creating unforgettable interactive advertising in public spaces for numerous national brands. The company has been featured in dozens of major publications and won 27 industry awards. Prior to Inwindow, he co-founded Swapdrive, turning a prototype file storage technology into a VC-funded company acquired by Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC).

Ken Bronson

Director, Technologies | Avatar

Ken has over 30 years experience in the media delivery business, having managed everything from concept development to multi-location delivery and operation of corporate media networks. For over 15 years he directed the Busch Satellite Network for Anheuser-Busch, where Ken proposed, developed, and managed it through three major upgrades and transitions from analog, to digital, to HD production across two carriers and into web and app delivery. At Avatar, Ken manages the digital out of home and new technology integration efforts for clients.

George Burciaga

Owner & Founder | elevate DIGITAL

George started his career developing and implementing BIOS correction software, which was later licensed to Microsoft. He went on to launch smarTECHS.net, a Chicago-based IT firm specializing in application, infrastructure and project management for private and public sector clients. George was honored in Washington by two U.S. Presidents as a technology business leader, was inducted into the University of Illinois Hall of Fame, and received the Inc. 5000 award for his efforts to redevelop New Orleans after Katrina through smarTECHS.net. George launched his most recent technology firm, elevate DIGITAL in 2012, which is transforming consumer communication at street-level with its “Citizen Mobility Experience”, a platform which provides content, messaging, services, and predictive data across connected SMART devices.

Shailesh Chaudhry

Director, Business Strategy | Intel

Shailesh is director of business strategy for Retail Solutions Division of Internet of Things Group at Intel Corporation. In his current role, he is responsible for developing and executing the Retail Solutions Division strategy. Shailesh authored Intel’s Responsive Store vision, “Intel is committed to help retailers deliver the perfect personalized shopping experience for shoppers”, and is now enabling that vision in partnership with retailers, CPG brands and eco-system partners.

Paul Christilaw

Product Manager | Omnivex Corporation

Paul is a passionate technology evangelist with more than 30 years of sales, marketing, and channel experience. Focused on complex sales, Paul is skilled at technical sales and management, product management, marketing, and alliance/channel development. His industry experience includes companies like Oracle, Microsoft, Dell and SAP as well as smaller companies link ADB Systems, Envision, and Prophix.

Philip Ciaccio

Sr. Analyst, Web and Mobile Systems | Dunkin’ Brands

Philip is a UX/UI designer, front-end developer and digital marketer with experience at Dunkin’ Brands, MetLife, Hanover Insurance, Pro-Change and for his own Advaria Integrated Marketing. He processes a detailed understanding of web and mobile standards and best practices, payments and commerce, and creating experiences that drive users to satisfaction and conversion. Working with internal and external resources Philip takes teams to the next level of customer centered solution design and development.

Amanda Collins

Area Manager, Flagship Operations | AT&T

Amanda is the area manager at the AT&T Flagship Store. She leads a team of customer experience managers and oversees the store’s mission to enhance the brand perception of AT&T. She is responsible for strategizing with internal stakeholders to optimize store processes and keep the customer experience leading edge in the industry.

Nick DeCarlo

Director, Restaurant Solutions | The Wendy’s Company

Nick is the director of restaurant solutions for The Wendy’s Company, and is currently responsible for all in- brand restaurant technology, including point of sale solution, digital menu boards, wifi, device–to-device integration, restaurant architecture, core team member for PCI compliance, payment architecture, restaurant technology innovation, and mobile strategy. Nick has held multiple roles in his 13 years with the organization, including application development, project lead on operational reporting, six years in the PMO, a key member of the PCI cross functional team, three years dedicated to Oracle projects and, most recently, executing the brand wide implementation of a single POS solution.

Jean-Luc Decaux

Co-Chief Executive Officer | JCDecaux North America

Jean-Luc oversees sales, marketing and strategy for JCDecaux North America, which includes the airport, street furniture, transit, mall, and digital billboard advertising programs. Jean-Luc joined JCDecaux USA (New York) as executive vice president or sales and marketing in 2000 and, two years later, the company named him Co-CEO of an expanded JCDecaux North America. JCDecaux Group is the world leader in out-of-home media with a presence in more than 60 countries worldwide, with 1 million + advertising panels. JCDecaux is the number one outdoor advertising specialist in the world, as well as the market leader in Europe and Asia Pacific.

Chris Demery

Group VP, IT Applications| Sr. Business Partner | Bloomin’ Brands

Chris is responsible for all technology initiatives that support or serve internal users throughout the Bloomin’ Brands (Outback, Bonefish, Carrabbas, & Fleming’s) enterprise – a network that comprises nearly 1400 international and domestic stores and over ninety thousand corporate and franchise end-users. He’s responsible for integrating internal technologies with customer-facing applications, as well as implementing ERP and BI systems that support the Enterprise. In addition to restaurant applications, Chris has strong cross-industry business expertise in software engineering using agile & extreme programming methodologies, process improvement, project management, & six-sigma. Along with his current IT applications responsibilities at Bloomin’ Brands, Chris has led teams to effectively use enterprise collaboration and technology to drive business initiatives.

Brandon Elliott

VP, Technology | Possibility Place

Brandon is a first generation “digital native” who grew up with the latest technology device, game system or computer in his hands. This childhood hobby is what triggered Brandon’s life-long passion for technology and his relentless drive to create, improve, innovate, and transform the way we live, work, and play. Brandon specializes in Information Technology and is a former business owner with 24+ years of hands-on experience including engineering, development, and management; he’s customer centric and results driven with experience working with IT, executive management, and key business personnel to bring business strategy and technology innovation together.

David Gedoun

Territory Manager, Retail | Cradlepoint

David brings over 16 years of experience with respect to distributed enterprise, retail deployments through companies which include Computer Associates International, SonicWALL, Fortinet and now Cradlepoint, deploying roughly 50,000 doors throughout his career. His areas of expertise include PCI DSS compliance, continuity, security, wireless and networking “Store of the Future Applications” onto converged security appliances. David holds a Bachelor of Science in management from Florida State University and a Master’s of International Business from Florida International University.

Dan Gertsacov

Chief Digital Officer | Arcos Dorados (McDonald’s Latin America)

Dan is responsible for leading the digitalization of McDonald’s Latin America (Arcos Dorados), designing and implementing the overall corporate strategy to take the customer experience to a new level of accessibility, loyalty and commitment to the brand. Prior to his current role, Dan was the Regional CEO for Lenddo, the world’s first online platform that empowers the emerging middle class to use their online social connections to build their creditworthiness and access local financial services. Previous to Lenddo, Dan was responsible for Google’s operations in the Andean Region, Central America and the Caribbean.

Rob Gonda

VP, Global Digital & Data | McDonald’s

In Rob’s role at McDonald’s, he helps define the company vision for all digital go-to-market strategies, and leads the global data enablement strategy that empowers business intelligence and customer insights. Rob has 20+ years of experience in digital experiences, business management and consulting, and branding and advertising for clients such as Coca-Cola, Chrysler Group, Unilever, Diageo, and Target. His areas of specialty include systematic innovation management, strategic planning, foresight, enterprise application solutions, big data, and product and service design. Rob has been an active thought leader in the industry giving keynotes and speaking at international conferences, authoring books and articles, and chairing digital experiences and technology industry associations.

Jessica Groopman

Industry Analyst | Altimeter Group

Jessica is an industry analyst with Altimeter Group where she conducts research on disruptive technologies, and specializes in the Internet of Things. Her current focus is the application of sensors on consumer-facing businesses, with an emphasis on customer experience, the ethical use of data, privacy, contextual marketing, automated service, and wearables. Jessica’s report on customer experience and the Internet of Things offers an industry-first framework assessing how brands can approach IoT. She is a regular contributor to Wearable World News and other 3rd party blogs. She is also a contributing member of FC Business Intelligence’s IoT Nexus Advisory Board. Jessica is featured on Onalytica’s top 100 influencers in the Internet of Things. Find her on Twitter @jessgroopman

Christopher Hall

Senior Editor | DigitalSignageToday.com

Christopher is managing editor of content for B2B publisher Networld Media Group, and the editor of DigitalSignageToday.com, the leading news portal for the digital signage industry, covering digital out of-home advertising, digital billboards, experiential digital branding, and digital signage hardware, software and displays. An award-winning former newspaper reporter and magazine writer, Christopher is a five-year veteran of the digital signage and kiosk industries who has consulted for and spoken on the digital signage industry sector-wide.

Sid Jatia

Vice President, Direct-To-Consumer Digital | Under Armour

Sid is a business leader with 15 years of successful track record leading large organizations through a digital first sensibility. Currently, at Under Armour his team is focused on driving channel innovation, both in retail and e-commerce. Previously at Razorfish, he led several engagements involving omni-channel strategy, new models of merchandising, commerce optimization, and store activation. Sid has led business transformation projects for clients such as Target, JC Penney, Samsung, HSN, Express, US Foods and AT&T.

Eric Johnson

COO, Co-Founder | Moki

Eric is a seasoned tech-startup executive. He has been VP of finance at Omniture (acquired by Adobe), CFO at Wingate Web (acquired by Active Network) and COO at Allegiance Inc. At Allegiance, Inc. Eric was instrumental in driving multiple years of double-digit growth along with raising a $12M series B round. Eric graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Brigham Young University and is a certified public accountant. At Moki, Eric is responsible for all sales, financial operational and legal functions. It’s a good thing that he’s trained himself to not need any sleep.

Scott King

Strategy Director | frog Design

Scott has over 20 years experience in business strategy, experience strategy, retail & brand strategy, design research, business process development, systems integration, product development, product lifecycle, and supply chain management. A flexible thinker and planner who uses a creative approach to building and fine-tuning business models and methods with a deep understanding and first-hand working knowledge of how people and tools come together to best serve short and long term goals. At frog Design, Scott focuses on experience strategies and designs for retailers, and the practice of design research. In addition to frog Design, Scott has worked for Whole Foods Market, IdealFlow, Dell Computer and Accenture.

Craig LaRosa

Divisional VP, In-Store Experience & Design | Sears Holdings Corp

Craig has led programs for a multitude of services: designing a consultative retail service and space for the Canadian diamond chain, Spence Diamonds; reinventing Holiday Inn’s guest experience, to focus on relaxation, play and eating and drinking; creating a streamlined experience that works best for both patients and healthcare providers for Quest Diagnostics. He writes regularly about service and environments design for publications including Fast Company and has addressed multiple types of audiences, including the Events Design Summit, the National Restaurant Association, the Service Design Network Global Conference, and the IDEC National Conference.

Veronica Luna

Associate Manager, Operations | Taco Bell Corporation

Veronica is passionate about developing programs that can simplify the process & flow for both the customer and the employees. Her current role is to help transform the team member and customer experience through advances in technology. Veronica has over 16 years’ experience in designing, managing and implementing future technology platforms for Taco Bell.

Colleen Maxwell

Senior Social Media Coordinator | Chicago White Sox

Colleen is the senior social media coordinator for the White Sox, and currently oversees eight social media platforms as well as two #SoxSocial Lounges at the ballpark. Her role includes social and digital strategy, including campaigns such as the 2014 All-Star Final Vote and the 2014 Frank Thomas Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. With a background in journalism and graphic design, she focuses on using visually-appealing elements, creating a transparent and accurate social voice and connecting one-on-one with fans.

Patrick May

Product Marketing Manager | Dell

Patrick is the product marketing manager for Dell’s Commercial Displays and Digital Signage Business. Patrick began his career at Dell in 1999 and has worked his way through various roles and responsibilities, previously working as a solutions architect to develop virtual desktop integration architectures for large customers including the Federal Government. Since joining the Dell Displays Marketing organization, Patrick has loaned his expertise to help solidify and grow Dell’s digital signage business along with the expanding commercial display product line.

JD Miller, PhD

Vice President | Workplace Systems

JD is the VP of the Americas at Workplace, a company which helps retail, hospitality, and airlines create smart schedules that drive revenue. He began his career at web content management company Vignette, and has held a series of progressive sales and management roles at LexisNexis, West Monroe Partners, IBM, and Runzheimer International. JD earned his PhD from the University of Illinois, where his research explored ways that organizations use social networking and web technologies to advance corporate goals. He frequently speaks on sales, marketing, and PR approaches for the 21st century, and the impact that technology has on the professional workforce.

Jeff Pinc

Director, Food Service Solutions | Panasonic

Jeff is director of food service for Panasonic System Communications Company, a division of Panasonic Corporation. PSCNA delivers content creation, collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for customers in food service, retail, government, healthcare and education. Jeff has over 15 years of experience in providing cutting edge food service technology solutions with a variety of technology companies. He joined Panasonic in 2014 after previously working for MICROS Systems Inc. As vice president of sales and strategies at MICROS Systems Inc., he led many major projects resulting in large scale technology deployments, helping many global restaurant brands achieve a high return on investment.

Ben Putland

Chief Operating Officer | Grand Visual

Ben has accrued more than 14 years’ experience delivering digital media innovation, and has built and led project teams in the UK, Holland, Japan for the likes of Proximity, Wieden+Kennedy and Dentsu and now heads up Grand Visual’s business in the US. Since he started at Grand Visual in 2012 he has overseen the production of hundreds of DOOH campaigns for clients such as Google, Pepsi, Disney and Microsoft, many of which have won industry awards; including four Cannes Lions in 2014.

Stephen Randall

EVP, Mobile and Social | Monster Media

Stephen is a serial entrepreneur with global experience building technology platform businesses. Stephen was founder and chief executive of LocaModa Inc., the pioneers of digital out-of-home social media. In August 2013, LocaModa was acquired by Monster Media, where Stephen now serves as EVP Mobile and Social. Prior to LocaModa Stephen was a founder, COO and EVP of Symbian, the mobile joint venture between Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and Psion that he helped build into the first global mobile operating system. Before venturing into mobile and social technology, Stephen invented and developed the world’s first digital guitar, for which he received a British Design Award from HRH Prince Phillip.

David Salberg

Global Enterprise Manager | Verizon

David is the global enterprise manager at Verizon, supporting the financial sector. A company that is now Fortune 15, David has been with Verizon since 2002 and has been in many roles, from small business to local enterprise to vertical HQ organization focused on the financial sector and valued partner program and Internet of Things. Today David still supports the financial vertical in a blended organization called Verizon Enterprise Solutions. It’s a blended organization comprised of wireless, the former Verizon Business, Terremark, and the various overlays supporting the group.

Kent Savage

Founder & CEO | Apex Supply Chain Technologies

Kent is a serial entrepreneur, inventor and investor. Widely recognized as international expert in the field of supply chain and factory automation technologies and advanced point-of-use technologies, he has spent more than 30 years providing innovative leadership and managing the growth of organizations devoted to the development, marketing and financing of dispensing, control and information technologies. Having been awarded numerous domestic and international patents, he oversees the company’s strategic direction.

Scott Schwalbe

Co-Founder & CEO | Nimbelink

Scott is the co-founder and CEO of Nimbelink, an IOT technology solutions company, focused on creating fast, efficient, remote customer experiences. With cellular connectivity, it is possible to take the experience to the customer. Scott is focused on helping companies understand and take advantage of the emerging technologies that encompass IOT. With over 15 years of business and technology experience in various industries, Scott brings a unique perspective to the Interactive Customer Experience Summit. Scott has an MBA and has held various leadership roles in both large and small companies, along with 20 years in the US Navy.

Katlann Smith

Senior Vice President | Banking Center Marketing | Emerging Capabilities | Bank of America

Katlann develops and field-tests innovative marketing strategies for Bank of America’s retail branches. In her 13 years with Bank of America, she has specialized in driving customer engagement, bringing large-scale programs such as targeted offers, mystery shops, and new sales roles to market. Katlann is a certified six-sigma blackbelt, known for creating new ways to measure and analyze behavior to drive fact-based decisions. Her passion for helping customers is the guidepost to all of her work.

Kayla Spiess

VP, Partnerships and Alliances | Infusion

Since joining Infusion in 2007, Kayla has worn several hats with a focus on building the Infusion brand and increasing awareness. In her current role as vice president of partnerships and alliances, Kayla is responsible for Infusion’s key partner relationships globally. Together with her team, Kayla has built out Infusion’s model for bringing on strategic managed partners and identifying growth opportunities within those relationships.

Paula Suarez

Director of Software Analysis and Development | Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc

Paula is director of software analysis and development for Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants. Paula leads the company-wide implementation of technology projects and oversees in-house software development efforts. Her focus is on streamlining business processes using advanced technology options. Prior to joining Dickey’s Barbecue in 2011, Paula served as division business systems analyst for RealPage, a software development company for major property management companies. Paula’s experience also includes over a decade working within the area of business systems analysis, software development and technical training. Past career achievements include the development and launching of the first military housing technical training program for Lincoln Military Housing. Paula holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Southern Methodist University, as well as a technical degree in computer information systems-software development.

Neil Sudaisar

Sr Director, DIRECTV Enterprise Solutions | DIRECTV

Serving customers with distinction, building long-lasting business relationships, and developing successful teams are Neil’s focus as he leads DIRECTV’s Enterprise Solutions team. Before joining DIRECTV, Neil held senior management positions at Best Buy and Qwest, Inc. At Best Buy, he led the integration of Geek Squad services across merchant organizations and developing partnerships with industry leaders such as Microsoft, AAA, and AT&T. At Qwest, Neil led the development and execution of customer retention and acquisition strategies for alternative channels including indirect retail, door-to-door, click-to-chat, and online affiliate programs. Neil’s career constants are passion for the customer, building people and teams, and delivering results.

Eric Michael Vazquez

Project Manager | Encore Event Technologies

Eric is project manager of the Innovation Group at Encore Event Technologies. Eric focuses on designing, testing, building, and managing value propositions over their entire lifecycle for hospitality and gaming clients. While at Encore Event Technologies, Eric has delivered interactive experiences to clients from Caesars Entertainment to the Merchandise Mart. Eric has 15+ years of experience across web and mobile platforms in product development, project management, and customer engagement in the consumer goods, financial services, and hospitality industries. Eric believes the future of hospitality lies in the successful integration of next generation technology into the fabric of the guest experience.

Michael Wior

Chief Executive Officer | Omnivore

Mike is a highly accomplished IT professional with 11 years of proven experience in advanced network management and administration, disaster recovery, storage design/engineering, and server/storage ecosystems. He is an exceptional leader and project manager, skilled at applying broad-based business acumen to the resolution of complex technical issues while driving profitable growth and meeting or exceeding objectives. Mike is a knowledgeable engineer with unparalleled work ethic and a keen understanding of company vision and customer needs.

Yassir Zouiten

Senior Product Manager, Global Kiosk | MoneyGram International

Yassir is responsible for fostering marketable solutions that eliminate customer pain points. He is accomplished in leading market research, requirements definition, and subsequent go-to-market strategies for new and innovative products. He successfully led the development and implementation of self-service solutions for the world’s second largest money transfer company. These solutions not only improve the user experience and reduce operational costs, but also make financial services accessible to more customers in almost any partner environment.