Globalocity 2012 Speakers

Gene Alvarez

Vice President, Gartner Research
Mr. Alvarez has more than 28 years of IT experience in business impact assessment, vendor management, project management, software development and delivery of complex business applications. Mr. Alvarez is an international expert on sell-side strategies and technologies such as e-commerce and m-commerce sales applications, CRM, context aware computing, channel/partner relationship management, catalog/content management, catalog/configuration management and presentation, commerce/merchant applications and services, Web content management, personalization, and consumer portals. A top-rated speaker, he has presented at many industry-related conferences worldwide, been published/referenced/featured in various media and trade publications, and named as one of the most influential Hispanics in Information Technology. Prior to joining Gartner, he held positions with Nine West Group, KPMG Peat Marwick, New York Power Authority and AT&T Communications.

Julie Ask

Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
Julie Ask, vice president and principal analyst for Forrester Research, is a recognized expert on the mobile channel, including consumer activities, adoption and behavior; entertainment; and services. She advises executives in a breadth of industries including retail, hospitality, travel, CPG, banking, and insurance among others. Before joining Forrester, Ms. Ask worked as a management consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton. Her research and analysis have been widely cited in publications such as Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today and BusinessWeek. She has also appeared as an expert on multiple television networks in the United States.

Martin Lindstrom

Brand Futurist
When you want to build a stronger, more profitable brand, there is no better place to start than with branding mastermind Martin Lindstrom. His meteoric rise as a marketing guru includes five books on branding — including best sellers Buyology and Brand Sense — that have been translated into more than 40 languages and published in more than 60 countries. One of the world’s most respected branding experts, Lindstrom sits on several boards around the globe — such as Heineken, Microsoft, Yellow Pages and Nokia — and he advises some of the world’s top brands on all aspects of brand building and brand optimization. His blue-chip client list includes Mars, Pepsi, American Express, Mercedes-Benz, Reuters, Visa, McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, Ericsson and Microsoft.

James L McQuivey, Ph.D.

Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
James McQuivey analyzes television and media technology and specializes in the future of the moving image, including digital video recorders, HDTV, video on demand, Internet-based video, and the business implications of each of these disruptive technologies or movements. Beyond this, he also covers digital music and digital publishing.

Previously at Forrester, James served as a vice president and research director, running Consumer Technographics^® North America, Forrester's consumer research effort. In addition to keynoting at industry events and Forrester Forums, James is routinely sought after for comment by such publications as The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. He has been interviewed by NPR and appeared on CNBC and CNN. Prior to joining Forrester, James served as a professor at Boston University's top-rated College of Communication.

Brian K. Walker

Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
Brian is a leading worldwide expert in eCommerce platforms, multichannel commerce and marketing technology, and mobile commerce. Brian has experience with a wide range of eBusiness technologies, ranging from eCommerce platforms and software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings, mobile commerce solutions, analytics, rich imaging, search, personalization, and content management, among others. Brian has specific expertise within retail, B2B, and online travel, and his interests focus on multichannel strategies and technology solutions that support a wide range of business goals.

Brian has more than 15 years of experience in eCommerce and online marketing, serving senior roles for large, established online retailers and web marketers such as Amazon.com, Classmates Online, Eddie Bauer, Expedia.com.

Joel Ronning

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Digital River
Digital River founder and chief executive officer, Joel Ronning, has seen the Internet grow from an interesting idea to a strategic channel for growing global businesses. Joel launched Digital River in 1994 with a vision to use the Internet instead of mail to deliver software. More than 15 years later, Digital River is a profitable, leading provider of global e-commerce solutions. Joel continues to drive Digital River to create new ways to grow the online businesses of some of the world's foremost multi-national companies.