Baron Concors is Global Chief Digital Officer for Pizza Hut, an operating company of Yum! Brands, Inc. He is responsible for driving digital innovation across marketing, technology and partnerships to ensure Pizza Hut stays front and center with its technology connected consumers. Prior to this role, he was the CIO for Yum! Restaurants International where he was responsible for KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut technology in over 30,000 restaurants in over 120 countries. Before becoming CIO for Yum!, he was Chief Information and Digital Officer for Pizza Hut US. In 2009, Forbes Magazine named the Pizza Hut iPhone application the #1 branded mobile app of the year and Baron was named by Computerworld Magazine as one of the 100 Premier Technology Leaders in the world.

Daniel Eckert leads Walmart Services for Walmart U.S., which includes Walmart’s food, home, personal care, amusement & experience and financial services business lines. He also leads Walmart’s digital relationship activities for U.S. stores, which included the development, implementation and rollout of Walmart Pay. Prior to joining Walmart, Daniel served as SVP, HSBC Card & Retail Services, where he founded and led HSBC’s Venture Development & Payment Products group. Daniel also held positions at JPMorganChase and Accenture. Prior to his business career, Daniel served as a Logistics Officer in the United States Marine Corps. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Shashank Saxena has been a leader in the digital space his entire career. Prior to joining The Kroger Co. in 2012 he worked for Uptown Consortium, Dell computers, Target and Citi, where he successfully led multiple Internet and mobile programs. He was one of the founding members of the Global Mobile Center of Excellence (CoE) at Citi. Shashank was responsible for managing the Google Wallet, mobile check deposit, mobile P2P payments, Latin American mobile banking and multiple other programs for Citibank. Shortly after joining The Kroger Co., he was promoted to director of digital and e-commerce technologies where he managed the web, mobile, tablet, e-commerce and platform development teams within the Kroger technology organization. Shashank was recently promoted to Senior Director, Special Projects – Strategy and New Business Development, which includes partnerships, new business development and strategic growth initiatives for the company.

Amit Bhardwaj is a customer focused loyalty and digital marketing leader with expertise in contextual and 1 to 1 personalization using digital channels and customer journeys. He thrives on crafting customer strategy to retain, grow and acquire new customers and developing omni-channel loyalty programs. At Marsh Supermarkets he led the implementation of the first ever ibeacon platform for contextual and proximity marketing. Amit has worked in marketing and customer loyalty with retailers including SpartanNash, Albertsons and Supervalu where he activated insights across the multi-million member customer base. He also implemented one of the first RFID solutions at Dell working for an Austin technology startup. Trained as technologist Amit holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jennifer Bowser is a Mobile Product Manager at Allstate Insurance where she specializes in product development for consumer facing apps. Jennifer began her career in mobile in 2010 when she created Allstate’s first mobile quoting tool as a pilot program, and she’s been passionate about all things mobile ever since. Her current app programs include GoodRide, a motorcycle enthusiast app, and Digital Locker, a web and app based home inventory platform. She also serves as the iOS product lead for Allstate Mobile.

Alex Campbell is one of mobile marketing’s original pioneers, working tirelessly to educate marketers on mobile as a viable discipline. He has dedicated himself to uncovering mobile’s true value, establishing ROI modeling best practices used by leading retail brands and marketers. A true entrepreneur at heart, Alex oversees Vibes’ innovation strategy – always looking for the next great mobile technology brands can leverage to drive untapped customer engagement and revenue opportunities. Alex has received numerous accolades, including Red Herring’s Top 25 Tech Rebels, Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” and induction into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2009.

Trey Courtney leads Global Product Management for Mood Media, a leading in-store media specialist that uses a mix of music, visual and mobile solutions to help its clients communicate with customers and drive incremental sales in retail establishments. Trey brings 12+ years of experience in technology development and professional services at both large and small companies. Prior to Mood Media, Trey worked in a variety of product management and professional service roles at companies like Accenture and eBay.

Rob Crews is a data-driven CMO with deep experience in the restaurant industry. He is Principal of Rob Crews Marketing, a firm that connects technology firms with restaurant companies. Previously, he was the Chief Marketing Officer of Ovation Brands, the parent company of Old Country/Hometown Buffet and Ryan’s Steakhouses. Rob was the CMO of Church’s Chicken where he built a delivery agnostic CRM platform, and prior to that, ran international marketing for The Wendy’s/Arby’s Group. Rob holds an IDM Award in Mobile Marketing from the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing in the United Kingdom.

Tim Doherty manages the Dunkin’ Donuts mobile app and was a key leader in the launch of On-the-Go mobile ordering this year. Tim also led various third party integration projects, including loyalty and analytics tools and SDKs, helping him bring a multi-faceted viewpoint to the company’s digital strategy. In 2015, Tim brought new capabilities to the Dunkin’ Donuts tech platform, spearheading integrations with mobile wallets and sports team loyalty programs. Tim’s background is in restaurant marketing systems, and he continually looks for ways to create elegant customer experience through technology, while driving business value.

David Drain has more than 20 years of experience in association management, event planning, writing and speaking. He has served as executive director of the Digital Signage Association (a group he co-founded), the Self-Service & Kiosk Association and the merged organization, Digital Screenmedia Association. Previously he was EVP for the Foodservice Consultants Society International. He currently oversees five summits for Networld Media Group ranging from mobile, interactive customer experience, bank CX, restaurant franchising and fast casual restaurants.

Shannon Eagle is a digital marketing professional focused on enhancing consumer engagement through emerging technologies. With a creative and data-driven mindset, she works to create efficiencies and relevant uses of innovative platforms to leverage micro-moments with consumers. In her current role, she leads digital commercial marketing, developing demand creation across consumer touchpoints in support of Beam Suntory’s portfolio, including iconic global brands such as Jim Beam, Makers Mark and Courvoisier. Prior to her current role, Shannon’s experience spans from IT to auditing to leading the development and implementation of Beam Suntory’s in-field analytics tool for the sales organization.

In her current role as head of digital consumer research, Michelle Evans follows the technological advances that are forever altering the way that consumers research, shop and pay for products and services. Her expertise spans topics like mobile pay, mobile apps, e-commerce, m-commerce, mobile marketing, digital marketing and social media marketing. From her research, she produces opinion pieces, in-depth reports, multimedia content and general analysis to help clients make informed, long-term strategic business decisions as it relates to this emerging connected consumer. Michelle is a recognized expert in this fast-changing industry and was named to Innotribe’s Power Women in FinTech Index in 2015.

Curtis Ford’s long held obsession with all things marketing has led him to touch nearly every facet of marketing. His passion for brand strategy and natural curiosity led him to the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota where he double majored in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management. Before joining Great Clips, Curtis spent time on the agency side as a digital marketing consultant and brand strategy account executive. In his current role at Great Clips, Curtis focuses on executing measureable promotions across nearly all channels by infusing brand identity and data to deliver maximum value at every touchpoint.

Jessica Groopman is an independent analyst and advisor specializing in consumer-side Internet of Things. Her research and analyst practice concentrates on the application of sensors, automation, and smart systems in B2C and B2B2C businesses, with an emphasis on customer-facing use cases, interface design, automated services and privacy. She is a regular contributor to numerous 3rd party blogs and news/media outlets. She is also a contributing member of the International IoT Council, the IEEE’s Internet of Things Group, IoT Gurus, and FC Business Intelligence’s IoT Nexus Advisory Board. Jessica is featured on Onalytica’s top 100 influencers in the Internet of Things.

Christopher Gumprecht is the Marketing Technology Manager for Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. With 15+ years in the organization, having previous roles, first in operations and training, then managing and administering the point of sale systems for 100+ locations, he is now a key marketing leader for over 50 unique concepts. Spearheading the LettuceEats mobile app and delivering insight for additional marketing channels like loyalty, SMS and email, Christopher provides a unique perspective combining his years of experience to drive customer acquisition and engagement. He is continually exploring new ways to integrate technology seamlessly into the customer experience with an emphasis on content, mobile and data.

Graham Gunst brings 14 years of experience guiding organizations such as Google, Nike, Microsoft and the U.S. Army in influencing audiences and driving measurable results. As Associate Partner at IBM, Graham is focused on interactive experience and digital strategy – leading the creation of transformative ideas and solutions by fusing strategy, data and design to help get IBM clients to the future first by reinventing their customer experience. Previously, as Managing Director for Technology at Acxiom, Graham worked closely with industry leaders such as Epson, Google and Microsoft to apply data insights to their communications strategies.

Tim Hackbardt is a 20+ year veteran in the restaurant industry who has served over 15 restaurant brands across QSR, FC and FSR categories. His firm BrandTrip Partners is focused on solving “The Big Stuff” for restaurant chains around the world. This includes those big initiatives that for whatever reason brands can’t get to, or can’t complete, due to resources or time. Developing new restaurant concepts, architecting a turn around, driving new technology solutions, marketing strategies, menu engineering, menu development and other game changing branding initiatives that will drive short and long term value are a few examples of the “The Big Stuff” BrandTrip Partners has helped brands move forward to win in our ultra-competitive industry.

Will Hernandez has 14 years of experience ranging from newspapers to wire services and trade publications. Before becoming Editor of Mobile Payments Today, he spent two years as the content manager for PaymentsJournal.com, a leading payments industry news aggregator and information hub published by Mercator Advisory Group. He spent four years covering the payments industry as an associate editor for multiple publications in SourceMedia’s Payments Group based in Chicago including ATM&Debit News, CardLine, PaymentsSource.com, ISO&Agent Weekly and American Banker.

Prem Kiran joined Fishbowl in November 2015 when CLYP Technologies, an intelligent marketing automation company, was acquired. He leads product strategy for all Fishbowl products. Prem is a die-hard entrepreneur at heart, with a strong passion for building innovative products and solutions that address market needs and generate long-term value. Prior to founding CLYP in 2013, Prem was an executive at SAP where he was one of the youngest senior leaders, placing him in the top 2% of the company’s executives. He is an expert in product vision, strategy, and development; business development and growth strategy.

Douglas Kwong is Digital Director at Cicis Pizza, where he has refreshed and launched various online customer platforms as part of the company’s revitalization initiative. In the past year in the role, he helped to build a new responsive website with an expanded digital footprint, a new email program which doubled engagement in click-through rates, and launched a branded mobile loyalty app. Prior to joining Cicis, Douglas devised and executed online initiatives to grow exposure and e-commerce revenue at global hospitality organizations Hilton Worldwide and Choice Hotels International. He is also President and Co-Founder of the Diabetic Shoes HuB, an online retailer of orthopedic footwear and accessories.

Erin Levzow has a proven history and background in strategizing consumer experience and online branding. Known as a dynamic and multi-talented marketing leader, Erin was named as a 2015 Mobile Marketer “Top 25 Women to Watch in Mobile” award winner. Prior to joining the Freebirds Tribe, Erin served as Director of Digital for Wingstop in Dallas. Before relocating to Texas, Erin resided in Las Vegas and advanced her way to become the Executive Director of Marketing and eCommerce at the Palms Casino Resort.

At 3Cinteractive (3C), Jeremy Martin is responsible for partnership, market and strategic opportunity development. Working closely with clients, he uses a combination of creativity and business acumen to engage with brands as a trusted partner who innovates, designs and delivers disruptive mobile programs. Jeremy has leveraged his deep mobile knowledge to help create products and offerings for some of America’s largest and most admired brands. Jeremy has more than 10 years of experience in mobile with a focus on business development, sales and client operations. Prior to joining 3C, Jeremy spent six years with Verizon Business as a branch manager in their enterprise practice.

Kane McCord is COO of Ibotta where he leads retail and brand partnerships. Prior to Ibotta, Kane was a senior leader in the marketing and sales practice of McKinsey & Company, where he advised some of the world’s largest retail and CPG companies. Kane holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS Finance from Indiana University.

Sean McCormack is Chief Technology Officer for Harley-Davidson where he is responsible for multiple areas including, technology strategy, enterprise architecture, innovation and global operations. Prior to joining Harley-Davidson, Sean served in executive roles with ManpowerGroup and Miller Brewing/MillerCoors. Previous to that, he served in leadership roles at several start-ups and mid-size companies across multiple industries to include e-commerce, automotive, educational and e-voting. He began his career in the United States Air Force, focused on military intelligence.

Kevin Meagher is SVP Business Development for ROC-Connect, a technology company offering an enterprise grade cloud platform to support the IoT and the deployment of smart home products and services. Kevin has been recognized as a global pioneer and thought leader in the smart home and IoT. Kevin is the former VP and General Manager of Lowe’s Smart Home initiative where he led Lowe’s IoT program. Kevin founded Intamac Systems, a UK company offering a cloud platform delivering smart home solutions to the mass consumer market through telecommunications companies and utilities.

As Vice President of Community, Raj Nijjer oversees community development at Yext, a global Digital Location Management (DLM) leader based in New York. Raj is also the publisher of GeoMarketing.com, a leading daily source for location marketing news for marketing professionals. Prior to joining Yext, Raj managed GoDaddy’s online presence and commerce division, growing it into a $100m+ business. While at GoDaddy for nine years, Raj held multiple leadership roles launching new and innovative products resulting in over twenty patents filed and four issued. A startup fan and digital media zealot, Raj is an angel investor and advisor to multiple startups.

Aaron Noveshen is the president and founder of companies that envision and embody the future of food including The Culinary Edge Ventures, Pacific Catch restaurants and Starbird. His latest endeavor is to change the landscape of convenience dining. Alongside Co-Founders Stephen Goldmann and Steven Goldstein, Aaron introduced Starbird as the first concept conceived, owned and operated by The Culinary Edge Ventures. With Starbird, Aaron introduces a new category of dining, “super premium fast food,” and transforms the traditional drive-thru experience with the removal of the car queue and the addition of mobile ordering and payment.

Jordy Patano currently serves as the Digital Marketing Manager for Pita Pit USA overseeing a broad array of marketing programs – from the Pit Card loyalty program to mobile/digital strategy and execution. She graduated from Emory University in 2010 and jumped into public relations and social media, working for No Limit Agency in both Atlanta and Chicago. At No Limit, Jordy was focused on creating and implementing the PR, social and digital marketing strategies for nearly 50 franchise brands across multiple industries. At Pita Pit, she knows the vital importance of modern technology in connecting the Pita Pit brand digitally to the Pita Pit customer.

Rick Ruskin leads marketing for OnStar AtYourService, a new online commerce platform that connects drivers with retailers and merchants on their drive. AtYourService provides OnStar subscribers with information, convenience and valuable offers tied to their specific destinations. It initially rolls out in the U.S., where OnStar receives more than 35 million requests for directions, and supports more than 53 million mobile app interactions each year. Rick has extensive background delivering new products and creating breakthrough marketing for iconic brands and companies.

Kevin Sanders recently joined Splick.it as Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to that, he was VP of Brand Marketing at Pita Pit, a 230+ unit chain of fast casual restaurants based in Idaho, where he oversaw all national and local marketing initiatives for the brand, including advertising, social media, public relations, loyalty, online ordering and mobile marketing. Previously, Kevin worked in the footwear and apparel industry at Timberland where he led global brand management for Timberland’s Outdoor Performance division. In that role, he was responsible for refining the brand’s positioning and ensuring a consistent and cohesive brand presentation throughout the world.

Joe Scartz leads retail marketing agency TPN’s digital marketing and commerce team. He has more than 15 years in marketing with significant digital marketing and e-com experience for some of the biggest brands in the world including TPN clients Clorox, PepsiCo and Cricket Wireless. Prior to joining TPN, Scartz was president at Digital BrandWorkd and spent 8 years at Omnicom-owned Critical Mass. Joe enjoys relating the story of the time he pitched a perfect game…in a wiffle ball tournament.

As Head of Strategy at Waterfall, Matt Silk drives innovative mobile marketing programs for restaurants serving to increase consumer engagement, generate revenue and expand the brand’s footprint. These marketing programs integrate traditional marketing channels with the new and emerging technologies of today. Prior to Waterfall, Matt held senior positions with E*TRADE Financial including Director of Retail Product Management, where he was responsible for web brokerage and core user experience. He began his career at the Wharton Small Business Development Center, where he managed a portfolio of clients and provided one-on-one management consulting to entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia region.

Anne Marie Stephen is the CEO + Founder of KWOLIA, innovation intelligence and strategic advisory firm for emerging technologies connecting the physical and digital worlds. Technologies including mobile, location, data/analytics are shaping consumer experience and engagement with brands, retail, hospitality and entertainment. As a global customer-focused product and service developer, customer experience guru and trends forecaster she has worked with leading companies including: IBM, Panasonic, TPN, Hershey’s, Disney, Chico’s, AutoZone, Ralph Lauren, Hickory Farms and Macerich to integrate innovative solutions for over a decade. She is also the founder of Smart Women in Retail Leadership (SWIRL) and president of LBMA Chicago.

As VP, Director of Emerging Technology and Innovation at Leo Burnett, Tod Szewczyk helps bring new platforms, partners and ways of working into the agency. He provides insight and best practices to successfully integrate new technologies into marketing initiatives for creating immersive and engaging brand experiences. Tod has led the agency’s development of the proprietary Leovative content platform, LBsparc Retail Inspiration Lab and FutureShop/Leovative expo events. In addition, Tod’s writing has been published on the Chicago Ideas website under the “Future Today” series and through Leo Burnett’s Leo Scope program.

Catherine Tabor is founder and CEO of Sparkfly. For digital marketers who are focused on offers and promotions, Sparkfly is a vital data provider. By leveraging connectivity to the existing point of sale, Sparkfly powers in-store attribution tracking, increasing campaign ROI by enabling real-time optimization. She has been one of Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Women to Watch. A visionary in the digital space, Catherine is a firm believer that mobile offers can be the unifying force between mobile media and the point of sale.

Mark Tan is currently a Sr. Product Manager at Amazon focusing on user experience for consumer sellers and used products. His work spans across different categories, which include video games, electronics, books, music and movies. He is also managing a non-profit organization, Luminated Career Consulting and acts as an advisor for the University of Washington, Foster School of Business BIG Consulting Program. Previously, he worked as Product Manager for Quixey, a mobile app search and discovery startup based in California, establishing groundwork for deep-linking during its early stages and integrating this technology to partners such as Alibaba.

Matthew Townsend brings 20 years of retail experience to the mobile industry for such brands as Tractor Supply Company, Haggar Clothing, Lucchese Boots, and Joe Boxer. His primary focus includes customer facing mobile experiences from mobile commerce, mobile point of sale and mobile application strategy. Building experience from the ground up has provided Matthew with the knowledge of what not to do and can offer numerous lessons learned to make your mobile integration successful.

Jeff Ulrich has worked in the airline business for over 25 years. His background is as varied as the number of years he’s worked for Continental and now the new United; from call centers to airports to technology, all of his experience has focused on enhancing the customer experience. In his current role as Senior Manager of eCommerce Digital Innovation, Jeff focuses on new technologies and ways to deliver exceptional customer experiences through United’s mobile digital channels. Jeff lives to travel and loves gadgets, so he’s passionate about his role at United.

Rob Walter has spent the last 10 years helping retailers and brands grow their online and in-store businesses. At RetailMeNot, Rob serves as Vice President of Retail and Brand Solutions. He leads teams responsible for deepening relationships with retailers, brands and restaurants in North America. Prior to RetailMeNot, Rob spent three years at eBay as a leader in the Merchant Development group, responsible for helping retailers grow their business on the eBay marketplace. He worked for seven years at ChannelAdvisor, cloud-based e-commerce solution provider, leading various sales and account management teams.

Jeannie Walters has spent nearly 20 years evaluating and improving customer experiences. She’s worked with Verizon Wireless, Allstate, Bath and Body Works, Orangetheory Fitness, Citrix and many others. Jeannie is a certified customer experience professional (CCXP), the Chicagoland Ambassador and a CX Expert Panel member for the Customer Experience Professionals Association, a professional member of the National Speakers Association, and a TEDx speaker. She’s passionate about making the everyday interactions we all have as customers better and writes, speaks, studies and trains on customer experience issues around the world. Her mission is “To Create Fewer Ruined Days for Customers.”