Vendor Nominees 2009

Alex Yoder
Chief Executive Officer, WebTrends

As CEO, Alex is responsible for worldwide operations and the overall strategic vision of WebTrends. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Alex spent the past seven years serving in key management positions at WebTrends, with his last role being vice president of sales, North America. During his tenure at WebTrends, Alex has successfully worked to expand the brand and deliver business value to global enterprises. His time at WebTrends tops off more than 20 years of global business experience spanning leadership roles across sales, marketing and operations. Additionally, Alex also served as vice president of sales for Touch Clarity, a behavioral targeting company. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Whitman College.

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

I will bring an authentic customer centric focus to the organization. I'm not just a pure analytics and numbers person, but have many, many years in sales with a track record of delivering customer success. Additionally, I have very strong relatoinships with many of the preiment Fortune 500 companies. It is my intention to bring my vision of providing WAA members with information and resources that will continue the postive conversations in the web analytics community.

Why should members vote for you?

The Web Analytics Association is seeking committed and motivated individuals. I have confidence that I would be a great fit to collaborate with the Board already in place. Members should vote for me as it is my intention to be a dedicated driver of the strategic direction of the Association. I will bring an abundant amount of enthusiasm to help continue to shape the future for web analytics and to the Association. I believe I would be a great asset to the group and I am ready to help make sure the WAA continues to be successful. I will bring a mix of my industry thought leadership, as well as years of experience and apply these assets to the WAA to help tackle the organizations' objectives. I believe in the opportunity to continue to grow WAA in the industry and would like to work with the rest of the Board to move this forward.

A strong voice has been created in the marketplace for the web analytics community. I am striving to work with the WAA and help the organization continue to grow through thought leaders and industry luminaries for those in the industry to see the value of web analytics. My track record includes a high-level of dedication to this industry and I will share my level of expertise and knowledge to further expand the voice of the Web Analytics Association and unify the industry. I am very excited for the opportunity to work with esteemed individuals in this space and further contribute to the strong organization already in place. I plan to work with the Board to continue to develop best practices for the community and have conversations around these topics.

Where do you think the Web Analytics Association should be in the next two years?

The WAA should continue to create a more visible presence with each industry over the next two years. In regards to thinking about which community and organization we need to talk with, the WAA needs to be at the table here. Over the next two years, WAA should continue to focus on the conversation around Web Analytics and where the industry is headed in the future and focus even more efforts in the area of best practices. Over the next two years, I see the WAA as becoming the industries' most resourceful organization to further the conversation about web analytics, education and community of professionals in the field.

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

The abundance of information causes attriphony and the movement from information to insight is the single biggest problem facing the industry today. There is an opportunity in web analytics for emerging technolgoies through Web 2.0 tools available today. The challenge for the digital marketing industry lies in figuring out how to measure the Web. With the growth in online advertising, digital marketers need the tools to fully expoloit the Web's as the most targetable and measurable medium. There are many exciting innovations making progress here and the challenge is to allow marketers to fully tap into the digtal world's power. At the same time, these challenges can be turned into opportunities. In the coming year and through the economic hard times, we need to make the digital platform a good ROI marketing platform.

Arie H. Abecassis
President, MindFireInc

My name is Arie Abecassis and I am currently the President of MindFireInc, an Irvine CA-based web analytics company. I joined MindFireInc in 2008 after working with emerging software companies, including providers of web analytics and marketing technology, at Updata Partners, a $500 million growth-stage venture capital firm (the firm is an investor in ForeSee Results and iContact).

Prior to Updata, my experience has included a variety of operating and advisory roles inside of organizations at the intersection of the web and information including Thomson-Reuters. I have also served on the advisory boards of industry organizations focused on information services including the Software Information Industry Association (SIIA).

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

To realize the potential of our industry, it takes a leadership team that can share passion and commitment, and bring forward a set of experiences and skills in order to positively affect change. My thoughts along these lines:

• I believe that my experience as an operator and advisor in the web analytics area can contribute to WAA's continued growth and vibrancy. I have had the good fortune to work with successful (and not so successful) emerging software organizations, and believe that many of the same disciplines associated with building a software company lend themselves to building a leading industry association.
• Focus of strategy and strong execution are key for any organization to accomplish its objectives. I think I can contribute to the clarity of these objectives.
• Furthermore, to build a sustainable, growth-driven organization, it is critical to make sure that sufficient human and financial resources are mobilized. I believe I can leverage my experience and industry network in support of these efforts.
• While there has been much growth and definition to this industry since the advent of the internet, I believe that we are in the early days of how analytics is evolving. To have representation as our market is still taking shape is an opportunity that doesn't come along too often.
• For any industry organization to thrive, and to serve its multiple roles, it's important that it be surrounded by a top-notch group of passionate and committed industry professionals. I maintain a strong desire to be an active part of this community, and to help drive interest and elevate the relevance of WAA.

The success of WAA will ultimately be tied to its ability to maintain relevance in an ever-changing world and provide disproportionate value to the community it serves. In fact, this “customer-centric” view is a part of our fabric at MindFireInc and one which I hope I have the opportunity to pursue as a representative on the WAA board.

Why should members vote for you?

I have been a member of WAA since late last year, and serve as a volunteer on the Membership Committee. At the moment, I'm supporting a project aimed at boosting membership value, perhaps even leveraging the MindFireInc application. This opportunity has enabled me to get to know the organization a little bit, work with some terrific people and observe the level of passion and commitment being asked of volunteers to build a premier industry association.

My interest in getting more actively involved as a board member of the WAA is driven by my desire to more meaningfully contribute to the growth and direction of a vital industry, one that has a profound impact on our daily lives -- both from a business-to-business as well as a consumer perspective. I think I can bring a unique perspective to the board, based on my background, experiences and passion.

Where do you think the Web Analytics Association should be in the next two years?

Needless to say, WAA occupies an important and special role in this industry's development. It is well positioned to be able to be the leading voice in the legislation, education and commerce that affect the areas of data-driven marketing. The power of WAA is with its membership, and in the next couple of years, I envision WAA offering increased utility to its members in the form of professional development, peer networking and useful research and data. WAA has the potential to be the “destination” for not only web marketing, but marketing and business management at large. I also think that to maintain relevance and strength, it'll be important for WAA to expand its international scope.

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

In my view, the greatest challenges affecting digital marketing are: privacy and security concerns; data overload; and unintended effects on creativity. More and more data and business intelligence is being gathered to develop highly detailed profiles of consumer attributes, habits and preferences. Because so much of our daily lives is spent online, there is a delicate balance between giving customers “what they want” and imposing it upon them. Organizations like WAA can participate in promoting guidelines and best-practices to ensure the integrity of the industry, and promote a high degree of self-regulation. In addition, the abundance of data capture may soon reach the point of “diminishing returns” whereby an overlay of noise may compromise the value and relevance of the data that matters most. Furthermore, since we operate in a dynamic environment where creativity and analytics go hand in hand, there is a risk that business decisions made on data alone, outside of other inputs, can lead to poor decisions or inadvertently devalue other approaches. Again, best practices, thought leadership and research can influence and shape how these challenges are met.

Claudia Quintella Woods
Director of Strategic Development, Predicta

I am currently a partner and Director of Intelligence at Predicta, the leading webanalytics and adserving company in Latin America. I joined Predicta in 2004, after working in the consumer goods industry as Group Product Leader of L'Oréal, in addition to helping plan, launch and grow iBest on of the top three portals in Brazil. Prior to my work experience abroad, I was part of the team of consultants at Kaiser Associates and Account Manager at Hill, Holliday. I hold a BS in Economics from Bowdoin College and a Masters in Business Administration from Institute COPPEAD/UFRJ, the top management school in Brazil.

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

My biggest contribution to the Web Analytics Association will bem y international view of the challenges advertisers, agencies and publishers face to run successful online businesses. My work experience both in USA and in Brazil hás given me 360 degree view of the industry. As a board member, I will be able to share this experience with the organization and guide the Road to expansion of the WAA worldwide. Webanalytics today hás become a must have for organizations with a web presence around the world increasing the need for a strong presence of a governing board, like the WAA, to help shape the markets.

Why should members vote for you?

The primary assets I bring to the table are leadership, experience, dedication, and a unique vision of the industry. My resume includes consulting, advertising and a few start-up companies all with one thing in common – online marketing. Additionally, I am a current tutor in the UBC WebAnalytics Certificate course helping mold future professionals all over the world. I am an active member in other organizations, such as the IAB, and have a proven track record of contributions to these types of initiatives. In the last year I have spoken at more than 10 events regarding the WA industry and its many facets. IF elected I will bring togehter my Professional and academic experiences, my dedication to industry causes and my leadership to mold the WAA into a world-class association.

Where do I think the WAA should be in two years?

In my opinion, two years is enough time for the WAA to become a truly international organization with active representation all over the world. The experience gained in the American marketplace can be priceless to help countries that are still crawling the digital marketing arena. Additionally, I believe the organization should continue down the path of marketing optimization versus webanalytics purely. After all, what is webanalytics if not inserted into the marketing optimization scenario? Webanalytics is a very specific science that unless inserted into the macro picture does not bring too many benefits to the table. Its power is clear when linked to ROI, cost reduction, and optimization. Our role as an organization is to help marketers make the link between the numbers and the macro picture: save money or generate higher returns.

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

If I had to summarize the industries biggest challenge in one word I would choose: synchronicity. What do I mean by this? In my many years experience as an online marketing professional I have observed that rarely all parties involved with a digital marketing initiative are “on the same page” and at the same level of sophistication making it difficult to implement truly innovative ideas. Usually an initiative will have at least three stakeholders: the decision maker, the organization sponsoring the initiative, the agency /producer of the initiative. Typically the decision maker is the most knowledgeable of the three, but fights with an organization that does not have a culture of measuring results and with an agency that is always pressed for time and does not invest enough in the planning stage to lay down the ground work for solid results evaluation. If these three members could align their interests and objectives, digital marketing strategies would begin with a clear objective and a clear path to evaluate results making it easy to implement intelligent ideas and produce a solid knowledge base leading to constant evolution. The best way to get there is through education of all three of the stakeholders. And the best way to educate them is to understand what goes through their heads and what challenges each one of them faces in their day-to-day. No use in trying to teach them how to work using one single approach. Each of the stakeholders has a set of needs, pressures, goals, and objectives. Any and all training programs have to be tailored made to truly speak to each group.

If the WAA means to be an international organization, it needs to understand the needs and wants of each region it is active in. This can only happen through local representation. As the leader in the Latin American webanalytics market, I feel myself together with Predicta are the best people to represent Latin America and to bring to local voice to the WAA. Predicta has the unique characteristic of being a Brazilian company that benchmarks itself only against American companies. We follow all the international guidelines and consider ourselves a world class company. That being said, we also have the pulse of the local market. We understand how to talk to them, what to teach them, and who to reach out to.

Jonathan Levitt
Vice President of Marketing, iPerceptions

Jonathan Levitt is Vice President of Marketing at iPerceptions, a leading provider of voice-of-customer web analytics. iPerceptions offer the webValidator Continuous Listening solution, free 4Q website survey solution 4Q, and proprietary iPerceptions Satisfaction Index (iPSI) to transform customer feedback into easy-to-understand strategic and tactical decision support for website marketers.

Jonathan is responsible for all marketing, branding, communications and public relations initiatives for the company. He has more than thirteen years of hands on marketing and sales experience, the last ten years spent primarily in e-business strategy and management. He has worked with some of North America's largest corporations including Bank of America, MasterCard International, Verizon Information Services and the US Navy, focusing on strategic database marketing and customer acquisition and retention projects.

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

I've worked in the web space my whole career and have watched it evolve from a technology-driven industry to a customer-centric medium. I've worked with major marketers including Bank of America, BMW, Dell Computers, General Motors, Intercontinental Hotels, LG Electronics and MasterCard International, to help them build more effective websites and campaigns based on a clearer understanding of their customers' needs and opinions.

Web analytics has taken marketers farther than was ever imagined in the days of server logs, but I believe there is still a final leap that needs to be made to arrive at true customer understanding. As an industry, web analytics is still primarily focused on using technology to paint a detailed picture of what customers do online – tracking clicks, profiling visitors, path analysis, collecting data and running reports – but it doesn't tell you why they are acting that way.

There are a hundred different explanations for an action, but you won't know until you ask. As a firm believer in Voice of Customer Analytics, I would bring a fresh perspective to the WAA. Having worked inside and around the web analytics industry for 15 years, I have seen what works, what doesn't, and where we need to go. I'm firmly committed to working together to leverage our collective strengths for one common goal: delivering a better web experience to customers.

Why should members vote for you?

I really enjoy working as part of a team, and being a member of the WAA Board would give me a chance to bounce ideas off of other people as obsessed about the web analytics market as I am. (I've been known to wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for improving a process at iPerceptions that could help us more deeply understand exactly what it is that customers want online.) I firmly believe the WAA needs a Voice of Customer analytics expert at the table. For more about what it's really like to work with me, you can read recommendations from colleagues on my LinkedIn page.

Where do you think the Web Analytics Association should be in the next two years?

Web analytics has successfully transformed online marketing into a fundamentally data-driven activity. Analytics is the glue for any marketing optimization efforts – and marketers have access to terabytes of data covering all aspects of online customer behavior. Looking forward, the Web Analytics Association must continue to remain on the forefront on developing standards and best practices that bring analytics to emerging areas like social media in a way that is transparent and palatable to consumers and policy makers.

At the same time, the Web Analytics Association shouldn't shy away from addressing the limitations in traditional web analytics and educating marketers on new developments and tools. We need to focus on using data and technology to truly understand that the customer is what's missing from web analytics right now, and provide a blueprint for addressing the pressing questions that marketers need answered: How are customer opinions and desires shaping their behavior on the web? What do customers really want from a website? Why do people browse, shop, purchase and visit sites the way they do? What real human wants and needs are behind the clickstream and conversion data? How can we gather, measure and analyze customer opinion accurately to improve the web experience?

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

As I've mentioned above, I believe the biggest challenge facing the entire web industry is that we've focused almost solely for the last decade on improving web technologies. For marketers, that has meant investing in web analytics, campaign measurement and targeting tools. But, despite all of this technology, we still haven't cracked the code on exactly what people want to do online and why. Instead of focusing on tracking people's clicks to get an idea of their “behavior”, the digital marketing industry needs to focus on collecting, analyzing and acting on their real opinions. As a whole, the digital marketing industry needs to focus on the voice of the customer; then and only then will we get close to the nirvana of targeted, relevant, personalized, effective marketing.

Kim Weller
Product Manager, SAS Institute, Inc.

Kim joined SAS Institute, Inc. as the Global Customer Intelligence Product Manager for Web Analytics and Customer Experience Analytics in December 2007 after spending 8 years as a Web Analytics practitioner. In her position at SAS, Kim's main focus is to build SAS' online analytics offerings and she is doing so with the Web Analyst at the front of her mind. Kim started her career in Web Analytics in 2000, as Web Analytics Manager for Walt Disney World. Soon Kim was immersed in the implementation of Hitbox across all of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts' websites. She was able to build a team and broaden her role to manage Online Guest Analysis. After 7 years with Disney, Kim moved to retail and built the Web Analytics team at circuitcity.com. Kim's primary goal as a Product Manager has not changed from her goal as a practitioner: to leverage the power of Web data across the enterprise. Kim holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

I have been a member of the Web Analytics Association since its inception and have used its resources to build high performing teams at Disney and Circuit City. I am anxious to give back to the organization by leveraging my experience and enthusiasm. I have been energized by the opportunities I have had to share my experiences via conference presentations and web casts. I believe the work I will do for the WAA will help me to share my passion on a much larger scale. I plan to utilize my analytical, communication and business planning skills in service to the WAA and its members.

Why should members vote for you?

I bring a broad perspective to the position and, in doing so, can represent the needs of the members. I have significant experience as a Web Analytics practitioner and have spent the last year working for a vendor. As a practitioner, I was responsible for measuring a diverse group of websites that covered travel, lead generation, customer service, retail, and entertainment. I also bring a global perspective from my work in international trade law prior to my career in Web analytics as well as my international experience with Disney and SAS Institute. As I gather input from members, I believe my background will help me empathize, understand and advocate effectively. Where do you think the Web Analytics Association should be in the next two years?

In two years, the Web Analytics Association should be viewed as the premier organization of thought leadership in all areas where Web data analysis is concerned. We should be the go-to resource for professionals both inside and outside the Web organization who want to understand how to leverage the power of Web data. To achieve this we need to broaden our focus and reach through our continued efforts in research and education. Utilizing relationships, like that with the DMA, to reach beyond the confines of the Web organization is key to expanding the influence of the WAA and preparing its membership for future challenges.

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

The greatest challenge facing the digital marketing industry is also its biggest opportunity: data integration. Digital marketing organizations have the opportunity to drive data integration initiatives. However, the data can be far flung, from e-mail to social media sites to backend commerce systems. The various owners of the data may or may not see the value and possibilities of integrating the data. And, the idea of data integration is daunting. However, attaining a complete view of a customer is incredibly powerful. Messages can be targeted, customer issues can be addressed, budgets can be used efficiently and robust intelligence can be captured to develop customer-driven products, services and websites. To help facilitate this, there needs to be effective communication and understanding that bridges organizations. That is where the Web Analytics Association can help and that is where I believe I can help the Web Analytics Association.

Mark Wachen
Managing Director, Interwoven Optimost

Mark Wachen is the Managing Director of Interwoven Optimost. Wachen co-founded Optimost, the company that pioneered multivariable testing and optimization on the internet, in 2001 and served as its CEO up until its acquisition by Interwoven in November 2007. Prior to Optimost, Wachen worked for seven years at Sony, overseeing a wide variety of Internet initiatives. Wachen was CEO of Indimi (Internet Direct Marketing Intelligence, Inc.), a company majority-owned by Sony. In this role, he spearheaded the acquisitions of InfoBeat, AdTools, and DailyRating. Prior to Indimi, Wachen was Vice President of Online Ventures for Sony Music, where he directed many online initiatives, including Sony Music's investments in Spinner (acquired by AOL for $300 million), and the launch of the Sony Music Online Website in 1994. Wachen graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

Having built Optimost from its initial concept in 2001, through its growth to over 400 customers, and ultimately its acquisition by Interwoven in late 2007, I have developed a unique perspective on both the tremendous opportunities and the significant challenges facing the web analytics industry.

At Optimost, I see all sides of the web analytics equation. I've seen the methodology challenges inherent in the imperfect world of online data collection. I've seen the technology challenges of marrying the promise of web analytics with the reality of increasingly complex websites and over-extended IT departments. And I've seen the human challenges of getting senior management buy-in for the investments necessary for being successful in web analytics initiatives, which has only become more arduous given the current economic environment. Having helped navigate hundreds of companies through these trials and tribulations, I have learned a tremendous amount about what it takes to be successful in the world of web analytics. As a WAA Board Member, I would have the opportunity to share these best practices even more broadly, and help further the growth of the web analytics industry.

In my leadership role at Optimost, I have unparalleled access to both an amazing client base that sits on the front lines of e-marketing across virtually every industry and the cutting-edge analytics and experimentation they are conducting. I can tap into the latest initiatives of leading edge marketers and share their experiences and challenges with the WAA organization at-large.

Additionally, over the years I have spoken at and led seminars at numerous industry conferences such as eMetrics, Ad:Tech, NetFinance, eTail, DM Days, and Search Engine Strategies. I also have authored numerous articles on web analytics for a variety of industry publications, as well as a monthly newsletter. These experiences make me well-suited for further upgrading and enhancing the education and advocacy initiatives of the WAA.

Why should members vote for you?

Through my 20 years in analytics, marketing, business development, and entrepreneurship, I bring a unique combination of attributes that will allow me to further the goals of the Web Analytics Association.

• Experience: My Internet roots date all the way back to the early '90s. After receiving my MBA, I became the first person hired into Sony Music's New Technology and Business Development area, and helped launch Sony Music's first website back in 1994. I rose to Vice President of Online Ventures for Sony Music, and led many key initiatives over the ensuing years. I left Sony to start Optimost, and over the next 7 years took the company from an idea on a piece of paper to a premiere analytics company.
• Conviction: During my final years at Sony, I lived through the painful process of selling internet businesses that I still truly believed in even though my parent company had lost interest in them. I demonstrated my unwavering conviction in the promise of the internet by founding Optimost even when the internet industry was floundering in 2001. Now in 2009, we are once again facing challenging economic times. Having already once succeeded in a brutal environment, I believe I am well-equipped to help our industry continue to thrive in the challenging years ahead.
• Industriousness: Finally, I bring a level of industriousness that is important in guiding a non-profit like the WAA. Unlike many internet companies, Optimost never raised large amounts of capital, but instead grew organically. We reached profitability in less than 2 years, and continued to grow until our acquisition in late 2007. I know how to accomplish a lot with not a lot of resources. Like any non-profit, the WAA has limited funds to carry out its ambitious goals. I believe I can help the WAA optimize what it has, and make the organization as powerful and influential as it can possibly be.

Where do you think the Web Analytics Association should be in the next two years?

The web analytics industry has grown significantly over the past decade, and certainly the WAA has been integral to its success. It's a tremendous tribute to the founders of the organization that it has grown to over 1,500 members in only 5 years. Yet when you consider that virtually every company on the planet has a website, and thus can benefit from web analytics, it's clear that the WAA has the potential to be orders of magnitude larger, and orders of magnitude more influential. The WAA has made steady progress in North America and some parts of Europe, but the international potential remains substantial. I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to help lead this organization through this next exciting stage of development, and help further establish analytics as the most important discipline in the internet industry.

I believe that the Web Analytics Association can greatly accelerate the industry's development through education, events, advocacy, standards-setting, and research. So in two years, I'd like to see the WAA develop into an organization that is recognized and respected like many of its longer-established and (currently) larger peers like the Direct Marketing Association or the National Retail Federation. I believe that with the right leadership, this can definitely be accomplished.

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

Certainly in general, the biggest challenge facing companies right now is the unprecedented turbulence we are experiencing in the economy worldwide. Marketing budgets are being cut, marketing jobs are being eliminated, and everyone is being constantly asked to do more with less, and become more efficient. It's definitely a rocky road right now, but with challenging times comes great opportunity. And the internet marketing industry is poised to be a key driver in our economic recovery, since the efficiencies that are gained as more and more business moves online is substantial.

Although we've made tremendous strides over the last 15 years, we still have quite a ways to go in getting companies to really transform their businesses to get the full value out of digital marketing. It is amazing (or maybe I should say appalling) how many large, well-known companies are doing so little with web optimization and analytics. They may own an analytics platform, but they barely use it. They may appreciate the value of optimization, yet they've never even done an A/B test, let alone a multivariable test. Furthermore, they continue to under-invest in hiring and developing the human resources required for being successful in digital marketing.

So the biggest challenge our industry faces is continuing to educate the senior leaders of the largest organizations of the promise of digital marketing, so that we as an industry can fully realize our tremendous potential.

Matthew Langie
Senior Director, Product Marketing (Web Analytics), Omniture

Matthew is Senior Director, Product Marketing (Web Analytics) at Omniture where he has spearheads product marketing for industry-leading web analytics solutions. He has extensive management experience for two major Web Analytics vendors (Omniture and WebTrends), and is adept at team building and process development.

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

I am excited and honored to be nominated to the Board of the Web Analytics Association. Having served in various management roles across two of the leading vendors (Omniture and WebTrends) as well as with a customer organization, I am very familiar with the key issues and challenges we all face in this industry, both on the vendor side and the practitioner side. This experience, along with your input which I welcome, will guide my contributions to the Web Analytics Association, our membership, and the overall industry in three major areas:

• Industry trends:

  In my professional role leading web analytics marketing at Omniture, I am in a unique position to understand the major trends and requirements of the web analytics industry, which will help me address the challenges our WAA membership faces

  I will work with the WAA and other industry leadership to anticipate the tectonic changes we face as we expand beyond web analytics to the broader online marketing analytics, and communicate the value that analytics can bring to businesses to better manage this change

• Broadening the WAA Charter:

  Given the rapid growth of this industry and profession, I will champion efforts to incorporate online marketing and business optimization into a broader charter, and educate our peers in the business community of our growing influence

  I will set higher membership and participation goals to further increase the credibility of the WAA with senior marketing decision makers, the industry media, and other key influencers

• Standards:

  The WAA should take on greater leadership in the industry and work with the leading vendors and complementary organizations to remove barriers to growth and adoption

  Part of these efforts must include the continued development and refinement of standards, metrics, and other measurement definitions that will eliminate uncertainty, fuel adoption of industry solutions, and improve career opportunities for analytics professionals as they move across different organizations throughout their careers

Why should members vote for you?

I am committed to helping the WAA grow and expand its influence within the broader online industry and business press. I believe there are significant opportunities to educate company executives, managers, government policy-makers, and the business press on the value and insight that online marketers and analytic professionals can deliver in impacting top line growth and bottom-line results. One area I will focus my time and efforts on is professional growth for our membership of marketing analytics professionals. Specifically, I will:

• Lead a proactive role to improve the understanding of the online marketing analytics profession and promote educational opportunities through increased communications to the broader business community, industry media, and senior decision-makers.
• Establish goals to better define the successful career paths for online marketing analytics, and increase the sharing of best practices across the membership to fuel professional growth

Where do you think the Web Analytics Association should be in the next two years?

I want to establish aggressive goals and objectives for us, with the intent of growing the WAA, its charter, and our influence within the broader business community. In 2 years, we should be 3,000 members strong with 50 corporate members, over 500 active volunteers and a stronger global presence. We should have access to more membership educational opportunities, such as WAA online seminars and certification programs to enhance our career opportunities. And lastly, we should be the definitive voice of the online marketing analytics profession with government policy makers and leading business media such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, and other industry publications serving business leaders.

Collectively, my contributions as a Board member and focusing on industry trends, a broader WAA charter, improving standards, and on professional growth will result in a larger, stronger, and more influential association. This will provide you, our WAA members, with greater authority and credibility within the broader online industry. I welcome your vote. Thanks!

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

The greatest challenge facing the digital marketing industry is the rapid pace of technological innovation and emerging channels through which consumers are engaging businesses. Be it social media, mobile, video, widgets, apps, or other technologies, marketers are facing a deluge of information which needs to be measured, understood, and ultimately turned into actionable decisions. I've worked extensively across Omniture and our customer base to better understand the needs of marketers with these emerging channels so that we can provide our customers with the insight needed to understand their consumers and create more compelling and engaging experiences. I will take this experience and knowledge and bring it to my role on the WAA Board to ensure our members have every opportunity learn about these challenges and gain insight into overcoming them with success.

Nicolas Babin
Chief Operating Officer, AT Internet (XiTi)

Nicolas started his career at the Banque Nationale de Paris in San Francisco (California) in 1989. He then moved to head up CATS Software (derivative and risk management software) North American administration based in Palo Alto (California). He then became CATS' EMEA Managing Director based in London (UK). In July 1997, Nicolas joined Etak a unit of the Sony group as European Managing Director. In 2001 Nicolas transferred to Sony and became European Managing Director for Sony Entertainment Robot Europe based in London and Brussels. In 2004 Nicolas became Director of Corporate Communications Europe for Sony Europe GmbH, based in Berlin. He was responsible for all internal and external communication for Sony's operation in Europe. Nicolas has served on many international boards - the UK/French Chamber of commerce in London; CUE Inc, a US based company specialized in RDS/TMC messages; the Entertainment Robot Company (Japan); l'école supérieure des Ingénieurs Commerciaux (Bordeaux).

What major contribution will you bring to Web Analytics Association and its membership?

I can bring an international vision to the board. I have worked and lived in the US, UK, France, Benelux, Germany and Japan. I understand what requirements are needed and can translate them not only in words but in culture as well.

I can also bring a unique vision of the web analytics market as I was a user for 4 years before becoming a vendor! I understand both sides and can help members set priorities.

Finally, I can bring my extensive experience in communications. I was in charge of all communication for Sony Europe for over 4 years, I know many journalists and understand which channels work best. For the past year at AT Internet (XiTi) I have shown my strong interest in the WAA website by publishing our press releases and promoting extensively the WAA in Europe.

Why should members vote for you?

Members should vote for me because of what I can bring to the WAA. I have a can do attitude, I am passionate, I work hard and am convinced of the importance of the WAA internationally. I can open new horizons and provide a fresh new perspective.

Where do you think the Web Analytics Association should be in the next two years?

The Web Analytics Association should become the de facto standard for the whole global Web Analytics market. It should help members and the industry to develop into a more global vision of online intelligence. The WAA should help the market grow through various communication programmes, educational courses and coaching activities.

What is the biggest challenge facing the digital marketing industry?

The biggest challenges facing the digital marketing industry are the lack of standards, the lack of common languages between tools and the multiple offers available that do not manage online professionals expectations. It is very important to have an empowered tool agnostic body that will help the market develop into a consistent vision.