Speaker Bios

Experts in multicultural retail marketing will come from retailers, manufacturers, researchers and consultants to share innovations, market insights, new data and best practices. Join us for a program that will help you solve your most vexing challenges and position your company for success.

Bercu,-Lan

Lan Bercu, Founder and President, Lead Across Cultures International

As an international speaker and expert in her field, Bercu has nearly two decades of experience working with international corporations in Asia and North America. She is also a partner of Timber Development Corporation. The company has developed more than 30 shopping centers across the United States with a portfolio of over five hundred retail chain stores.

Lead Across Cultures International, an Atlanta, Georgia-based company, focuses on cultural competence and global leadership. Bercu, the author of The 36 Ancient Chinese Strategies for Modern Business, has frequently been featured on Finance Business News Channel, in Entrepreneur magazine and Vietnam Investment Review, and other media channels.

beniflah

Jake Beniflah, Chairperson, Center for Multicultural Science

Dr. Jake Beniflah is the Executive Director of the Center for Multicultural Science, the first research think tank in the U.S. dedicated to bridge the gap between corporations and academic researchers in cultural marketing. For the last 25 years, Beniflah has held a number of senior-level positions in the advertising and marketing industry, working with leading corporations to drive ROI for Hispanic and mainstream consumers. Jake is the also the founding editor for the first biannual multicultural and cross-cultural marketing journal, Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy, to provide leading corporations with cutting-edge cultural marketing research that drives ROI.

 

 

John Burn, Head of X-Cultural Practice, Geometry Global (a WPP Co.)

 

 

Byron,-Michael

Michael Byron, Senior Director of Supplier Diversity, Walmart Stores, Inc.

Michael Byron leads Walmart’s critical initiative to source $20 billion with women-owned U.S. businesses by 2016. Byron’s team managed Walmart’s 2014 spending of nearly $13.5 billion with approximately 3,000 diverse-owned businesses. Under his leadership, Walmart has been recognized for providing the best opportunities to woman-owned and multicultural businesses.

Byron served from 2008-2012 as vice president of supplier diversity at SUPERVALU, Inc., a U.S. wholesale and retail grocer with annual sales of $44 billion. While at SUPERVALU, Michael increased the number of diverse suppliers by 5 to 10% annually and added $425 million in supply chain spending with diverse-owned businesses.

 

 

Chin,-Michelle

Michelle Chin, Head of North America Marketing & Product Development, GODIVA Chocolatier

Michelle Chin oversees all aspects of consumer marketing, including strategy, insights, advertising, public relations, experiential marketing, loyalty, creative services, product development and merchandising for GODIVA Chocolatier.

As a member of the Global Marketing & Innovation team, Chin develops the brand’s long term innovation pipeline for future growth and new markets. Most recently, Chin spearheaded the brand’s first marketing campaign catered towards Asian Americans, which won the ANA’s Multicultural Grand Prize for Asian Category in 2014. She has 17 years of experience in marketing and communications, having held senior marketing positions at Campari, Diageo, Schieffelin & Somerset and Unilever prior to joining GODIVA in 2008 as director of product innovation.

Don Coleman, CEO, GlobalHue

Juan Cruz, Multicultural Category Manager, Brookshire’s

Carla Curiel, Co-founder and CEO, Mundo Lanugo

Delgado,-Javier

Javier Delgado-Granados, Director of Marketing, Walmart Stores Inc.

Javier Delgado-Granados has 18 years of experience in marketing retail and packaged goods targeted at multicultural audiences. He has a track record of successfully developing marketing, advertising and promotional strategies that not only connect with the consumer in a culturally relevant manner, but also deliver quantifiable business results.

Prior to joining Walmart in 2010, Delgado-Granados held the role of Multicultural Marketing Manager at Dr Pepper Snapple Group, driving consumer programs focused on Hispanic consumers for brands such as Dr Pepper, 7UP, Clamato and Squirt, among others. He is a veteran of the Hispanic advertising and communications industry having held various key roles at agencies including DRAFTFCB, The Vidal Partnership, Casanova Pendrill and Dieste, Harmel, & Partners.

Ely, Ross -  Pic

Ross Ely, CEO, Prologic Retail Services

Ross Ely has served as President and CEO of ProLogic Retail Services since 2012, leading a turnaround that has resulted in the company’s return to growth and profitability.  He has held executive roles in the retail grocery industry since 2008.  Ross also served as President and CEO of ProLogic Redemption Solutions, a coupon clearinghouse company which was purchased by NCH Marketing Services in January 2014. Prior to his engagement with ProLogic, Ross held management positions with Micron Computers and Apple.

Jose Espinoza, US Hispanic Market and Mexico Lead, McIllhenny Company 

Fernandez, Marissa

Marissa Fernandez Director, Fan Strategy & Marketing National Football League 

Fourte,-Rona

Rona Fourté, Director, Supplier Diversity, Walgreens

As director of supplier diversity, Fourté leads a team to impact the diverse-owned business inclusion rate. She and her team serve as the primary liaison and subject matter experts for identifying, developing and introducing diverse suppliers for opportunities at Walgreens.

Prior to joining Walgreens, Fourté led supplier diversity initiatives in the private and public sectors and held senior management roles in finance and accounting. Fourté directed the Chicago Minority Business Opportunity Center, a $1.2M US Department of Commerce, MBDA funded project, and successfully executed financial transactions for minority owned businesses in excess of $105M. Fourté is an active member of affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, US Business Leaders Network, Conference Board and the Food Marketing Institute.

Garcia,-Guy

Guy García, President of New Mainstream Initiatives, EthniFacts LLC

Guy Garcia is an award-winning author and multimedia entrepreneur. His book, The New Mainstream: How the Multicultural Consumer Is Transforming American Business, has been hailed as a wake-up call and road map to the multicultural markets of 21st century America.

As an officer and partner at EthniFacts, Garcia has helped Fortune 500 clients measure and activate the expanding multicultural consumer market opportunity through propriety paradigms such as Ambiculturalism and the CulturEdge. A noted consultant and lecturer on social and demographic trends, Garcia has worked with the U.S. Census Bureau, Time Warner, Disney, Pepsi, Kraft Foods, Astra Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and many others. Garcia is a contributor to the Huffington Post, NPR’s Latino USA, PBS’s America by the Numbers.

Guest,-Derrick

Derrick M. Guest, CEO, Griot’s Roll Film Production & Services Inc.

Derrick Guest, author of Marketing Mogul Manual: Improve Your Marketing Brand (February 2012) and I Built It But They Ain’t Coming: The Marketing Mogul’s Manual on How to Pursue, Date, and Engage Your Customer (April 2014), is an experienced presenter, writer and speaker on marketing, entrepreneurship and multiculturalism. He created the Marketing Mogul seminars, a four part series presented in New York City hosted by Seedco Financials.

Deborah Ginsberg Co-Founder, CEO Engage Every Age

Rubi Hurtado Training & Development Specialist Brookshire’s 

Anne Loehr, Co-Founder, Engage Every Age

Lopez-Negrete,-Alex

Alex López Negrete, President/CEO, Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc.

Since co-founding Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc., in 1985, Alex López Negrete’s passion and vision have led the company to become one of the country’s most influential Hispanic marketing agencies. Lopez Negrete started the Houston-based agency with his wife and partner, Cathy, and the conviction that thoughtful, relevant, fully integrated, in-language and in-culture communications is the best way to reach the exceedingly important Hispanic market.

In his role as company president and CEO, Lopez Negrete is intricately involved in providing invaluable strategic counsel and creative direction to agency clients. The agency continues to grow, with 2013 more than 200 employees and offices in Houston, Burbank, New York City and Mexico City. The Lopez Negrete client roster includes Wal-Mart Stores, Verizon Communications, Inc., Bank of America, NBC Universal Motion Pictures Group, Samsung Telecommunications, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and is one of Chrysler’s (FCA’s) US agencies, having done work for Dart, Ram and Chrysler 200 among others.

Martin,-Armando

Armando Martin, CEO, XL Edge

meshekow,-adam

Adam Meshekow, Executive Vice President, Product Strategy & National Sales, SITO Mobile

Adam Meshekow is responsible for driving direct and channel sales for the company’s mobile advertising and messaging technology to consumer-facing businesses, advertisers and brands along with new product innovation. Meshekow has deep experience in developing and implementing mobile messaging, marketing and advertising initiatives.

Prior to SITO Mobile, Meshekow was responsible for mobile marketing and brand management at Toys “R” Us, the largest toy and juvenile products-focused retailer in the World. He was responsible for driving more than $100 million in sales through mobile coupons, rewards and other promotions.

Bessie Ramirez, Managing Partner, About Marketing Solutions 

Stephen Romero, Vice President, US Sales, McIllhenny Company 

Marissa Romero-Martin, President/Chief Insights Officer, Culturati Research

Shaffer,-Reuben

Reuben Shaffer, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, The Kroger Co.

Reuben Shaffer oversees comprehensive diversity initiatives for The Kroger Co.’s 375,000 associates who work at more than 3,700 supermarkets, convenience and jewelry stores in 34 states as well as 37 food-processing plants and 33 distribution centers. He is responsible for Kroger’s Supplier Diversity initiatives and ongoing commitment to create an inclusive business culture.

Schaffer joined Kroger in 1988. He held a variety of leadership positions with the company through the years, including store and district management. He also served as vice president of human resources. Most recently, he served as vice president of operations for Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton division, which operates 109 Kroger supermarkets in Ohio, Indiana and Northern Kentucky. He was named to his current position in 2011.

Nita Song, President/CEO, IW Group

Isabel Valdes, Chairperson, Center for Multicultural Science 

Mike Valdes-Fauli, PintaUSA.com

Jose Villa, President, Sensis

Yoon,-Eddie

Eddie Yoon, Principal, The Cambridge Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nielsen

Eddie Yoon is an expert on super consumers and helping market leaders drive category growth and create new categories. He has helped clients create winning growth strategies and business models in consumer packaged goods and durable goods. To date, he has driven nearly $1B in incremental, margin accretive sales for his clients, including: leading a food company to #1 share leadership and +40% growth for the company and +10% category growth; helping a leading beverage player create $250MM+ in incremental margin via an overall growth, portfolio, mega-branding and innovation; growing a 60% share office products manufacturer +20% growth via a portfolio, marketing and merchandising strategy.

Ivette Zavarce, Multicultural Market Coordinator, Brookshire’s