Analytics Unite Tackling Automation and Predictive Data With GoGo SqueeZ, Melissa & Doug, Yesway Execs
Automation and predictive analytics are topics of growing interest across the consumer goods and retail industries. This year at Analytics Unite, co-produced with RIS and celebrating its 10-year anniversary, we’re diving deep into the topic within a dedicated session, tapping into the expertise of executives from key brands like GoGo SqueeZ, Melissa & Doug, and Yesway, to uncover the true potential of this technology and provide actionable insights.
Automating Experiences for Predictive Results
Thursday, May 4, 2023, 4:25 PM - 4:55 PM
Adding a chatbot to your website doesn't make you a consumer experience pioneer (and don’t get us started on what some companies naively think passes for personalization). From truly predictive recommendations to tailored incentives, automation unlocks the customer experience opportunities that are now table stakes. This session will detail trailblazing use cases of companies leveraging data to predict and deliver the end-to-end needs of consumers.
Mark Edmonson
CMO, GoGo SqueeZ, Materne North America
Edmonson’s marketing experience spans across multiple categories and a little under two decades. He joined Materne North America in October 2022. As CMO at GoGo SqueeZ, Edmonson maintains market share and brand positioning, focusing specifically on sustainability and profitability.
Edmonson began his career at Procter & Gamble where he was classically trained managing digital and traditional brands, and also spent time at The Campbell Soup Company working with the Goldfish Crackers brand on e-commerce strategies. Most recently, he worked with Henkel Corporation where he led the digital, shopper, and e-commerce marketing organization.
Roxanne O'Hara
VP of Portfolio Strategy & Innovation, Melissa & Doug
O’Hara optimizes a wide portfolio of children's toys sold internationally at multiple retailers. Using data and predictive analytics, O’Hara sets the strategy for product life-cycle and growth cross-functionally while ensuring innovation and licensing are additive and incremental to the brand's vision (and revenue).
O’Hara has been with Melissa & Doug for the past five years, having joined as chief merchant and held other roles managing direct-to-consumer, trade show, business-to-business sales, and commercial insights and analytics efforts.
O’Hara began her retail career at Abercrombie & Fitch, and spent nearly 15 years at J.Crew, most recently as SVP of merchandising.
Darrin Samaha
VP of Marketing, Yesway
At Yesway, Samaha is responsible for the creation and growth of the convenience store brand across all marketing channels. He oversees a team responsible for the launch and management of the Yesway Rewards customer loyalty program, the creation and execution of its targeted advertising campaigns, development of the brand’s digital and social media strategy, and all media and community outreach efforts.
Samaha was also part of the strategic acquisition and integration team for the Allsup’s brand into the Yesway umbrella.
Prior to Yesway, Samaha was chief creative officer and founder of Blue Coda, a boutique brand and advertising agency where he led the firm’s creative teams on behalf of Home Depot, Virgin, Partners Healthcare, and Harvard University.
Elizabeth Lafontaine
Chief Retail Analyst, Retail Leader Pro, EnsembleIQ
Lafontaine will be moderating the "Automating Experiences for Predictive Results" panel.
Backed by nearly a decade of retail experience, Lafontaine uncovers emerging trends in consumer behavior to help retailers and brands tap into new insights and create winning strategies in the ever-evolving world of commerce.
Lafontaine’s previous experience in the broader retail industry included roles at The NPD Group, Stein Mart, and Macy’s. She helped to develop and grow NPD’s thought leadership offering, and most recently served as an industry analyst for its Juvenile Products, Toys, and Entertainment division.
Event Details
What: Analytics Unite is the premier event for the consumer goods and retail industries focused on the topics of data and analytics. CG and retail executives can expect to learn how to bring data to life; hear the most talented, forward-looking speakers; engage with solution providers that will help them achieve their objectives; collaborate with trading partners; partner across internal functional silos; and seek out next-generation talent.
When: May 3 - 5
Where: The Drake Hotel, Chicago
Why: This is a special year for Analytics Unite as we are celebrating 10 years of interactive education and invaluable networking. Join us for three, action-packed days of actionable takeaways from the industry’s leading analytics experts.