Maureen Mullen, L2 Research and Advisory Lead

Maureen Mullen leads L2’s research and advisory group and has benchmarked and/or developed digital and social media initiatives for over 300 prestige brands. She began her career at Triage Consulting Group in San Francisco. At Triage, she led several managed care payment review and payment bench- marking projects for hospitals including UCLA Medical Center, UCSF, and HCA. She has gone on to lead research and consulting efforts focused on digital media, private banking, M&A, insurance industry risk management, and renewable energy economics for professional firms and academics. Maureen has a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from NYU Stern.

Ben Arnon, Wildfire Interactive, Director of Sales

Ben Arnon currently leads Wildfire’s efforts on the east coast. Based in New York City, Ben spent the first decade of his career in the media content business. Based at the time in Los Angeles, Ben initially worked in feature film development at Jersey Films and then held brand and retail marketing roles at Universal Pictures. Ben later joined Yahoo! Music as Director of Business Development, where he led an initiative to syndicate Yahoo’s licensed music video content to major social networks including Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and Piczo. Additionally, Ben managed several content acquisition deals for both Yahoo! Music and Yahoo! Movies. In 2008, Ben moved to Washington, DC to become Director of Business Development & Sales at Blue State Digital, a CRM technology and new media strategy firm best known for leading all new media strategy and technology for President Obama’s presidential campaign. At Blue State Digital, Ben led efforts to sell community engagement and brand marketing programs that replicated the strategies and tactics utilized by the Obama campaign’s new media program to major media and consumer brands. Ben possesses an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a B.A. from Emory University.

Doug Checkeris, Consultant, former CEO, MediaCom

Since leaving MediaCom in 2011 Doug has been involved in a variety of consulting projects. The primary focus of these projects has been the productive application of technology in the advertising and media arena. In addition Doug is an active partner in a digital startup focused on new methods of content distribution.

At MediaCom, Doug served as Chief Executive Officer of MediaCom Canada, then MediaCom USA and ultimately, MediaCom North America, managing over 700 employees in 6 offices across the region. Doug successfully built teams, balancing the need to create an open and inspiring work environment, combined with a clear focus on meeting operational and financial goals.

Doug is currently vice chairman of Dress For Success, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women located in 110 cities across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Poland, the Netherlands, the West Indies, and New Zealand.

Doug received a B.A. in Economics from McMaster University and has been an active member of a wide variety of industry associations including the 4A’s Media Committee and a media judge at Cannes.

Anthony Psacharopoulos, comScore, Inc., Senior Vice President

Anthony Psacharopoulos has a wealth of industry, consulting, and market analysis experience, having advised clients on strategic and marketing issues in a number of industries including media companies, financial services, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals/healthcare, and CPG. At comScore, Anthony manages sales for the Retail, Travel, Health, and Media East verticals. 

Prior to comScore, Anthony worked with Corporate Value Associates, a strategy consulting firm that was spun off from Boston Consulting Group, where he worked on a wide range of projects (including strategic audit and value creation, product mix optimization, product introduction strategies, and other sales and marketing initiatives) in several industries (including financial services, metals, retail and packaging) in North America and Europe. 

Anthony has an MBA from University of Michigan and a B.A. in Commerce and Economics from University of Toronto.

Aron Pilhofer, The New York Times, Editor of Interactive News

Aron Pilhofer is editor of Interactive News at The New York Times. His team blends journalism and technology to enhance The Times’s reporting online through social media, community and dynamic, data-driven Web applications. He is co-founder of two news startups: DocumentCloud.org and Hacks and Hackers. Aron joined The Times in 2005 as a projects editor on the paper’s newly expanded computer-assisted reporting team, where he specialized in stories related to money, politics, and influence for the politics desk and Washington bureau. Prior to joining The Times, Pilhofer was database editor at the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, on the national training staff of investigative reporters and editors and worked for a number of years as a statehouse and projects reporter for Gannett newspapers in New Jersey and Delaware.

Martin Stoddart, Zite, VP of Business Development

Martin Stoddart is Zite’s vice president of business development. He focuses on publisher relations and revenue generation. Martin’s impressive resume includes stints at Bing, IBM, and HP, and an M.B.A. from MIT.

Tom Jarrold, JET/MMS, Founder

Tom Jarrold recently launched the new creative brand agency, JET/MMS, headquartered in New York City. 
 
JET/MMS is a full service brand agency specializing in luxury lifestyle brands in the fashion, retail, fragrance, beauty, hospitality, liquor and beverage categories.  Capitalizing on a unique set of dual experience sets — as both a chief marketing officer and a creative director, Tom charts a more holistic course at JET/MMS with focus on big ideas – built on solid business objectives and strategy, harnessing the power of digital, and delivered through innovation, creativity, and visual excellence. 
 
Prior to launching JET/MMS, Tom was critical in the regeneration and digital transformation of the Armani Exchange brand. Directing from the platform of the “Accessible Armani” brand strategy he was instrumental in defining, Tom has been critical to the stellar growth of the brand.
 
Prior to joining A|X, Tom served as brand director at bluefly.com, where he oversaw the development of the bluefly brand. Tom’s previous experience includes time in account management and strategic planning at high profile ad agencies and brand consultancies, including TBWA/Chiat Day and Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners.

Elizabeth Pizzinato, Four Seasons, SVP, Marketing and Communications

Elizabeth is responsible for global interactive marketing, marketing communications, public relations, and corporate communications initiatives on behalf of the Four Seasons brand and its properties around the world. With an ever-expanding portfolio of hotels in more than 35 countries, building the brand’s reputation and leadership in the luxury sector through strategic marketing activities is both challenging and rewarding.

Her scope of responsibility encompasses the company’s brand-level communications activities in interactive, digital, advertising, promotions, direct marketing, and the Four Seasons magazine and newsletters. Elizabeth also oversees strategic media relations outreach, crisis management, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and reputation management.