Claire Geier

Claire has over 25 years of experience in research, strategic planning and advertising experience with Earle Palmer Brown and J. Walter Thompson. She was previously a political analyst on Capitol Hill. Category experience includes airline industry, banking, non-profits, utilities, healthcare and beauty. Claire has worked with such notable clients as: Blackboard, Inc., The Nature Conservancy, QuickChek Food Stores, MCVH Hospitals, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, Arnold Worldwide, Equals Three Communications, The Kaplan Thaler Group and McCann-Erickson. Claire graduated from the Catholic University of America with an AB degree in Political Science and received a MA in International Politics from George Washington University.

Debra Stern

A recognized leader of people and ideas, Debra Stern has brought creative intelligence to Fortune 500 clients across all industries for more than 20 years. Her credentials include roles as EVP Creative Director for Y&R NY, documentary filmmaker, and owner of JAM Inc, a consultancy specializing in external branding for luxury, beauty, retail and non-profits.

Debra has led creative work on global brands including Danone, Chanel, Mattel, Dr Pepper, Oil of Olay, Kraft, Colgate Palmolive, KFC, Met Life and Disney and has worked extensively in Europe.

She may best be known for her acclaimed work on the historic re-branding of SEARS (The Softer Side of Sears), completely transforming the chain into a women’s store within 18 months and earning her the moniker of Turnaround Artist.

A dynamic presenter, Debra has helped generate more than 350 million in new business billings and is a great strategic and creative asset to any New Business Unit who is crafting a pitch. In her role as Creative Director for the US ARMY, she engaged the Secretary of the US ARMY and 100 of the country’s highest ranking Generals with her highly skilled story telling and commanding presence.

She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Literacy Inc and serves as Marketing Chair responsible for all external branding initiatives.

With her unique ability to cut through volumes, synthesize data and identify brand drivers, Debra’s delivery of Brand Promise and its supporting architecture has helped many clients successfully govern brand decisions at every touch point within the customer universe.

Mel Schrieberg

Mel Schrieberg is a President/CEO with an outstanding career achieving record revenue growth for leading edge information services and software companies. He is recognized for his leadership skills, strong strategic planning, team building, and communications skills. He has a unique ability to envision and shape major strategic change based on in-depth market analysis, and implement by correctly aligning key managers and resources with the new direction. Mel is also known for his outstanding people management and motivational skills that lead to exceptional performance and results.

Mel brings 25 years of successful general management and senior sales and marketing experience in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments. His work has involved major profit and loss responsibility, coupled with successfully managing large local organizations. He has particularly strong expertise in assessing an organization and developing a tactical and strategic business plan. At IBM, he spent five years in strategic planning, and truly is an expert. He also taught strategic business planning at the Columbia University Business School.

He has an outstanding performance record starting at Xerox Corporation where he was the top United States Branch Manager. He was President of ROLM’s leading operating company in the United States (first company to integrate voice and data in the 1980s); the top Regional Manager at IBM; established the Global Account organization at ADP; co-founded Election.com, selected as one of the “Top 50 Privately Held Companies in the World” by Red Herring Magazine and designated by Harvard University as one of the “Top 25 Companies Changing the World;” and, as President and CEO of SpiralFrog, introduced the first ad-supported online digital music service in the world.

Mel holds an MBA in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, an MS in Industrial and Marketing Management from the University of Rhode Island, and completed the Executive Entrepreneurial Program at Harvard University.

Marilyn Gottlieb

Marilyn Gottlieb is president of The Crescendo Group, a small full-service public relations firm specializing in strategic planning, media relations, corporate writing and product publicity. Category experience includes consumer products, healthcare, food, travel, business-to-business and advertising.

Since its inception in 1993, the Company has worked with IBM, Fisher-Price, Tetra fish food, Nirvana Chocolates, The Greenwich Workshop limited edition fine art prints, the Enola Gay/Smithsonian project and the Alan Bean/Astronaut Hall of Fame project, The Senior Network, the Comprehensive Dental Group, Prudential and Golf & Travel magazine, among others.

In addition, The Crescendo Group works in tandem with ad agencies such as Publicis Bloom, O’Leary Clarke & Partners, Gotham and McCaffery Ratner Gottlieb & Lane. For these companies, The Crescendo Group has publicized campaigns for Macanudo, Punch, and Davidoff cigars, the Cayman Islands, Nature’s Best, Meridian Wine, and L’Oreal.

Ms. Gottlieb also has served as the public relations arm for agencies wishing to offer integrated communications and has helped clients search for larger or more specialized public relations firms.

Prior to starting her own company, Ms. Gottlieb spent nine years as senior vice president, director of public relations for Lintas, a $1.8 billion worldwide advertising agency for Fortune 500 clients including diet Coke, IBM, Molson beer, Maybelline, LEGO, Bayer aspirin, Lever Brothers’ Snuggle fabric softener and others.

Before that, she was with Ogilvy & Mather, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and New York Medical College. She produced a radio show and special events for the New York City Bicentennial Corporation, and has published numerous articles.

Ms. Gottlieb is a past member of the Board of Advertising Women of New York and a 1990 inductee into the YWCA’s prestigious Academy of Women Achievers. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at the New School of Social Research, where she teaches a workshop in public relations

Mark D. Nevins, PHD

Mark is a passionate consultant, coach, and educator. He has more than 15 years' experience working in organizational design and development; curriculum creation; leadership and management development; change management; and sales and client-facing effectiveness. Prior to founding Nevins Consulting, Mark was the Global Vice President of Human Resources and Professional Development for Korn/Ferry International, and led post-IPO organizational and cultural change. He was global head of Training and Development for Booz,Allen & Hamilton for six years, where he helped drive the HR strategy and was the architect of the highly regarded Booz, Allen Curriculum and served a number of the firm's clients around the world on training and change projects. Mark is a moderator for The Aspen Institute; he regularly lectures on major business school campuses; and he writes regularly in his areas of expertise: recent publications include The Advice Business (Prentice-Hall), a book on management consulting, and "21st-Century Leadership: Redefining Management Education," in Strategy and Business. Mark taught at Harvard University for nearly a decade; his Ph.D. is from Harvard, and his B.A. is from The College of the Holy Cross. He has worked and traveled in more than 60 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Michael C. Benyo

With over 20 years of experience in professional services, M&A integrations and executive coaching, Mike has advised clients within a wide range of verticals. With experience at Lehman Brothers, Paine Webber, and Merrill Lynch, Mike went on to become the Principal and co-founder of Quadris Consulting. Most recently, he was Regional President and the head of operations for the Eastern Region of an Omnicom subsidiary. Mike is passionate about ensuring his client's success, whether it's introducing process enhancements, or developing the exceptional talents of individual team members. Clients include AT&T, General Motors Credit Corp, MasterCard International, Viacom, British Airways, Gtech and DirecTV. Mike has a BA/BS from SUNY University.