Steve Levy, CMRP
President - Ipsos Reid [East]

While starting his career in sales (at Xerox) and then brand management (at Mars foods), Steve Levy has been involved in the marketing research and information business since the late 80’s in Canada.  In his current role he leads Ipsos Reid’s business based in Toronto. In this role he:  Manages a staff of over 130 Marketers and Researchers; Is responsible for local  product development, innovation and R&D; Oversees the publication/release of white papers  and a number of significant research programs; and is a frequent public speaker at conferences and client events.

In addition to his management role, Steve continues to act as team leader for a number of accounts mostly in the technology sector.  Over the years he has been and remains active in both the research and marketing industries:

• CMA (Canadian Marketing Association) - Board and Executive Committee Member – Current
• MRIA (Marketing Research & Intelligence Association) – 2010 50th Anniversary Conference Chair
• CASRO (Council of American Survey Research Organizations) – Board Chair 2003-2006 and 2005 30th Anniversary Conference Chair

CAMRO (The Canadian Association of Market Research Organizations) – Past President

Lenny Murphy, Editor-in-Chief of GreenBook Blog
and CEO of BrandScan 360

Leonard Murphy: Lenny is a seasoned and respected market research industry leader with an entrepreneurial drive. He has been called a visionary and is renowned as an innovator. He has successfully established and led several companies in the MR space including Rockhopper Research, a leading full service global research firm and MDM Associates, a MR consulting firm, before founding current companies: BrandScan 360 and his consulting practice LMC group (www.asklmcg.com).

In his consultant role he functions as a senior business strategist and adviser to numerous firms within the MR space, as well as disruptive agencies developing MR-centric initiatives. He also works across the industry to drive the development of innovative research technologies and best practices by developing strategic alliances with multiple "best in class" providers.

Lenny serves on the Board of The Market Research Global Alliance, the premier social network for the global MR profession. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Research Industry Trends Monitoring Group & Publisher of the GreenBook Research Industry Trends Study, the oldest study in the industry devoted to tracking changing trends in MR. He serves on the Advisory Boards of the Festival of NewMR and The Merlien Institute, and he is also the Chairman of the IIR Technology Driven Market Research conference.

Rounding out his busy professional life, Lenny is the Editor in Chief of the GreenBook Blog

Shane Skillen, Hotspex

In May 2000, Shane founded Hotspex with the vision of using the Internet to involve consumers globally in designing and developing new products and services for leading, multinational brands. After 12 years, over 10 million survey completes and projects in over 25 countries, Hotspex is one of the most innovative marketing research companies in the world, specializing in helping clients make the right strategic decisions that will grow their business.

Shane is always looking for new ways to use technology in facilitating the process of consumer understanding and product innovation. As a result of this effort, Hotspex is evolving the way marketers understand brands, categories and consumers. For example, Hotspex's flagship research solution, MarketSpex, blends neuroscience and cognitive theory to derive how people truly make decisions, giving marketers an unprecedented understanding of the of their brand and the market.

Shane recently launched Hotspex Innovation which is a new practice that helps clients develop new business models, brands and product/service offerings. After just 14 months Hotspex Innovation has generated opportunities worth over $20 million for 11 clients across food, beverage, wine, professional services, retail and pharma.

As an Officer of the National Board of the MIRA he hopes to start a Movement around stopping declining response rates and raising the image of MR in board rooms around the world. For more on starting a Movement please watch this wonderful talk Shane had the great pleasure to see in person at TED 2010: http://bit.ly/KlBH8R

Shane has a business degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business with a specialization in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. He was recognized as one of Marketing Magazine's One's To Watch for being a young entrepreneur that has had a significant impact on the marketing community. He is regularly asked to present at conferences and in May 2012 had his CMA presentation featured in the Marketing Section of the Financial Post. Shane is a retired semi-pro snowboard racer, semi-retired DJ and father of 3 young boys. He is endlessly curious about the Human Condition and is always seeking new frameworks to understand why people do the things that they do.

Corrine Sandler - Fresh Intelligence Research Corp.

Corrine Sandler is the founder and CEO of Fresh Intelligence Research Corp., the most progressive and innovative Canadian MR company using world-class technology and unique methodologies that empower decision makers with immediate, actionable and transformative intelligence. Over the past 18 years, Corrine has been immersed in the dynamic world of marketing and research and has become a recognized innovator in her field. She has worked with some of the world’s finest companies in developing innovative, sustainable and profitable consumer, brand, corporate and trade strategies for their market-leading products and brands. Corrine has a multicultural background and started her career in South Africa.

Corrine’s recent presentations include: May’10, Winnipeg, CA: Key note speaker “Gaining Digital Wisdom through online research”, Canadian Conference for Credit Union leaders; Sept’10, Montreal, CA: Opening speaker on “Measuring the impact of brand experiential marketing”, Infopresse Conference; Oct’10, Toronto, CA: Shopper Marketing Panel Expert, Grocery Innovations; Mar’11, Brussels, BEL: “Neuroscience and psychotherapy effect on shoppers” (Best Presentation Award), ESOMAR.

Corrine is a seasoned research writer and her work has been published in Canadian Grocer, VUE and Strategy Magazines.