The StarPoint Consulting Group provides marketing consulting and supporting research services for B2C, B2B and NPO marketing organizations.

Developing leads for the Vistage Chair role.

Managed the launch team for Aeropay, a groundbreaking Fintech payments facilitator, focused on providing a low-cost alternative to debit and credit card payments for small businesses. Spearheaded the development and implementation of the sales, marketing, and advertising initiatives. Managed finances, back-office operations, cross-functional team coordination, and HR matters. Amid the challenging landscape of COVID lockdowns, secured crucial PPP & SBA loans, attracted angel investors, and ensured uninterrupted payroll and operations. Redirected the company’s focus to the development and roll-out of a secure, convenient, and compliant cashless payment method for high-risk verticals, fueling the team's expansion to over 40 members across four states.

Brand strategy development and start-up planning courses for second- and third-year French graduate students visiting the Harrington College of Design. Project-based courses that focused on identification of a market need, competitive positioning, interpretation of marketing materials and the eventual development of start-up proposal presenting a market analysis, a proof-of-concept, a brand communications strategy and a defensible financial plan. Teaching materials stressed “lean startup” and “agile” development concepts.

Spearheaded the Midwest launch of this West Coast-based branding and marketing strategy agency, securing substantial new business wins from Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Sears, Audi, and VW, delivering year-one client billings of US$12M. Designed, fielded, and mined a proprietary panel of 5,000 PC-using households co-funded by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. Primary source of insights for target audience profiling, new product concept screening and MARCOM strategy development. The initial line of interoperable digital imaging products surpassed initial sales projections by 20% in the first year after launch. Developed an innovative qualitative new car clinic methodology for Audi leading to the successful introductions of the A4 and A8, producing launch strategies within six weeks and at one-fifth the cost of a traditional new car clinic. Exclusive provider of consumer insights for Sears Hardware Stores, the Craftsman, Kenmore, and DieHard brands, and for the Sears Automotive Centers. Demonstrated a commitment to community impact by leading two pro-bono projects for St. Ignatius College Prep focused on increasing freshman enrollment from Chicago’s underserved minority communities.

Led the market research and consumer insights group with the strongest new business track records at Chicago's second-largest full-service advertising agency, winning assignments from Discover Card, The Dial Corp, Frito-Lay, McDonald's, Rubbermaid, and S.C. Johnson. Client portfolio represented approximately $325 million in annual billings, a significant portion of the agency's total annual billings. Increased department revenue through client-funded category and consumer segmentation studies further exploiting the agency’s proprietary LifeStyle panel of 4,000 households. Paying clients included Discover Card, The Dial Corp, Frito-Lay, Rubbermaid, and S.C. Johnson. Managed a team of 5-12 professionals, providing advisory services to the department head, and reporting directly to the agency President and CEO on critical business development projects such as the recapture of the McDonald’s account. Took on strategic planning responsibilities for Audi and VW when both brands exited the New York office, implementing agile research techniques that reduced campaign development time by 30% and creative development costs by 25%. In collaboration with the creative, promotions and media planning groups, provided the strategic focus and messaging objectives for “Jack’s House,” Rubbermaid’s most successful integrated marketing campaign, showcasing the full breadth of Rubbermaid’s home organizing products. Sales surged 22% while was the program was running.A core member of the internal team that refined and implemented DDB's proprietary customer-centric planning methodology: "ROI" (Relevance, Originality & Impact). Strategic and creative contributions recognized with three "Effies" for the "It Pays to Discover" campaign and The Pinnacle Award for copywriting for a Dial bar soap print campaign.

Working with the Assistant Secretary General for Program Planning and Coordination, conducted four program and budget evaluation studies of international assistance programs managed by the UN Specialized Agencies, UNDP and The World Bank. Coordinated the work of teams operating in New York, Geneva, Paris and Rome.Three technical assistance missions to Dakar, Senegal, to assist in the preparation of grant requests to UNDP, USAID and The World Health Organization.

Assisted the Center Director in development of proposals for NSF and NIMH. Managed three NSF-funded research studies of questionnaire design, measurement reliability & validity and the effectiveness of social policy programs. Acquired advanced training in multivariate statistics and predictive modelling.Post Three-Mile Island, established a pilot program to assess the public’s perceptions of technological risk, commissioned by the National Science Foundation. Co-author of “More About Justifying Violence: Methodological Studies of Attitudes and Behaviors”

Managed the operations of UNESCO’s 3-year study of research effectiveness in six European countries. Trained national research team members in database management and advanced statistical analysis techniques.Coordinated funding with national team sponsors, planned and moderated quarterly meetings of national team leaders, prepared and distributed progress reports, follow-up timelines and draft publications of research results.Co-author of “Scientific Productivity. The effectiveness of research groups in six countries.”