Advertising Research Foundation Announces Recipients of the Great Mind Awards at Re!Think 2016

NEW YORK, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Advertising Research Foundation (The ARF) has announced the winners of the 2016 Great Mind Awards. The ARF Great Mind Awards honors those have truly made a difference in the advertising research industry.

As the ARF celebrates its 80th year, the industry landscape has become more dynamic with increased complexity and even more competitive challenges. These awards allow us to take time out to recognize those who stand out in their contributions.

"This year's Great Mind Award winners are each and every one outstanding industry leaders driving change, and translating science into sales growth. The winners have not only brought our industry forward; but we eagerly anticipate their marks in the future. It is leaders like these that continue to galvanize growth through meaningful consumer insight and inspiration.  It is our honor to celebrate them with this recognition," said Gayle Fuguitt, President and CEO of The Advertising Research Foundation.

This year's winners exemplify the superior research standards in our industry that has enabled advanced critical thinking in the category:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
MAGID ABRAHAM: Chairman and Co-Founder comScore

BOARD OF DIRECTORS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Colleen Fahey – Rush, CRO, Viacom Media Networks

PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Bruce Goerlich, CRO, comScore

JAR BEST PAPER - ACADEMIC
Patrick Barwise, Emeritus Professor, London Business School

JAR BEST PAPER – ACADEMIC
Steven Bellman, Senior Research Associate, Ehrenberg – Bass Institute University of South Australia

ANALYTICS LEADERSHIP AWARD
Wes Chaar, Vice President of Analytics, Data & Decision Sciences, Turner Broadcasting System

JAR BEST REVIEWER – PRACTITIONER
Frank Cotignola, Director, Digital Analytics and Insights, Information Resources, Inc.

JAR REVIEWER – ACADEMIC
Samuel Craig, Catherine and Peter Kellner Professor, New York University

MEMBERSHIP GAME CHANGER LEADERSHIP AWARD
Christina Jenkins, Director, Global Research, GSO Insights, LinkedIn

JAR BEST PAPER – ACADEMIC
Annie Lang, Professor, Indiana University

MEMBERSHIP GAME CHANGER LEADERSHIP AWARD
Chad Maxwell, SVP, Group Director Audience and Measurement Solutions, Starcom MediaVest Group

YOUNG PROS MAKE YOUR MARK AWARD
Kelsey Price, Account Executive, Multi-Cultural Markets, Google

JAR BEST PAPER – PRACTITIONER
David F. Poltrack, CRO, CBS Corporation President, CBS VISION

FUTURE FORWARD AWARD
Ori Stitelman, VP, Data Science Dstillery

JAR BEST PAPER – ACADEMIC
Duane Varan, CEO & Founder, MediaScience Labs

JAR BEST PAPER – ACADEMIC
Rene Weber, Principal Researcher, University of California

JAR BEST PAPER – PRACTITIONER
Leslie A. Wood, CRO, Nielsen Catalina Solutions

Re!Think 2016 is the premier gathering of leaders from every avenue of advertising -- including leading brand marketers, media/tech companies, research organizations, academics, agencies and more. We honor these amazing stories of insight to build the world's greatest brands. The ARF raises a glass to the short-list of finalists.

About The Advertising Research Foundation:

The ARF (@The_ARF) is an organization dedicated to creating, curating, and sharing objective, industry-level advertising research. We enable members with unique, research-based insights to make true impact on their advertising and build marketing leadership within their organizations. Founded nearly 80 years ago, The ARF's members today include more than 400 leading brand advertisers, agencies, research firms, and media-tech companies. Together, we challenge conventions and discover new, actionable insights through objective research at scale. The ARF is located at 432 Park Avenue South, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016 and on the web at www.thearf.org.

CONTACT: Jill Golden, 347-524-2791, [email protected]

SOURCE The Advertising Research Foundation