When she was a young child, AJ was instructed to never again ask her father the question, “Why?” for fear that he may lose his mind from her incessant questioning. Good thing she’s a rebel: She’s been driven by her curiosity and problem-solving skills ever since. Holding a Marketing degree from the University of San Diego, AJ gained early media and advertising experience through working at the Chicago Tribune and Forbes Magazine. At Brandtrust she uses her client-focused background combined with a penchant for detail and results-oriented mindset to bolster her reputation as a holistic research mind.

As an Associate Director of Client Services she finds great joy in “uncovering those deeply held motivations — particularly those really tough nuts to crack — and then working to figure out what they mean as they relate to strategies and actions.” At Brandtrust, she is “constantly amazed at the amount of compassion and care that team members express to each other and their work. There is a genuine feeling of ‘lending a hand’ whenever one needs it.”

During her off time, AJ enjoys practicing hot yoga, walking along Lake Michigan, and catching a live show whenever she can. She’s a Chicago girl through and through and loves a good Italian Beef, but also prides herself as being an avid doughnut connoisseur.

Lindsey’s curiosity and positive energy are infectious within the walls of Brandtrust, and great assets to the clients she works within her role as Senior Analyst. Her background allows her to excel in her demanding role: she has a bachelor’s degree in Decision Science and Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon which she puts to good use when working on a project.

Lindsey’s energy is focused on Brandtrust’s Narrative Inquiry methodology and managing all things research—including research design, implementation, translation, and presentation. In addition to being one of Brandtrust’s trained researchers, she also manages the research team she works alongside with to ensure successful outcomes and execution of the process. Lindsey says of working on the research side of the business, “I get the opportunity to fully immerse myself in people’s stories and really dig into what’s driving them. And being able to work with a team of amazing people who challenge you to look at things in a different light is so rewarding.” She carries this enthusiasm with her every day. “There’s never a day when I come to work thinking I’ll be bored. I’m excited to wake up every morning and know that I’m going to learn something new in an environment full of people who are eager to do the same.”

With seemingly endless energy, Lindsey is also a runner, completing one marathon, four half marathons, five Tough Mudders, and numerous other races. When she’s not traveling for work or for fun, you can find her in hometown of Pittsburgh, cheering on the Steelers with her pup, Wallace.

Dr. Sandra Bauman brings her 20 years of experience in marketing research and consulting to her role as founder and principal of Bauman Research & Consulting, LLC, a woman-owned enterprise. During her career in research, Sandra has designed and managed over 250 studies for corporate and nonprofit clients in the areas of corporate image and brand positioning; employee communications and commitment; strategic marketing; publicity and public affairs; and customer satisfaction and loyalty. She is an expert in quantitative methodologies, including telephone, Internet, and mail surveys, and her analysis skills include multivariate techniques such as segmentation and regression. She is also adept at qualitative research; she is a trained and experienced focus group moderator and facilitator for brainstorming, ideation and strategic planning sessions with executives. Prior to starting her firm, Sandra was Vice President at Wirthlin Worldwide, where she founded and led Wirthlin’s e-Solutions division, focusing on Internet, technology and ebusiness research and consulting.

Having worked with many clients on branding, positioning and customer loyalty issues, Sandra’s client list includes Stryker Orthopaedics, OrthoBiotech, Samsung, Bayer Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Thomson Healthcare, Honeywell, Nielsen, Roche and WebMD.

Sandra has testified before Congress about public opinion toward privacy issues. In addition, she is the author of numerous book chapters and white papers and is a frequent conference speaker. Sandra began her career as a reporter and editor for several major metropolitan daily newspapers. She completed her B.A. in journalism at Drake University, and her M.S.J. at Northwestern University. She holds a Ph.D. in communication research from Northwestern University.

Sandra is active in the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners and is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research.

As Accounting Assistant, Vicky keeps the wheels turning by supporting all things accounting related. She brings with her a unique background in accounting and marketing, having previously held roles at American Airlines, VF Corporation, Weiss CPA, and SSPR.

Of working at Brandtrust she says, “The entire team inspires me to be a better person and live a better life.” She volunteers nearby at the Ronald McDonald House and enjoys the exercise she gets commuting to and from work.

Originally from Michigan, Vicky always knew she would land in Chicago and hasn’t looked back. Her greatest passions are traveling, reading, bike riding and cheering on the Chicago Cubs (she got engaged at Wrigley Field). Proud parents of two daughters who currently attend the University of Missouri, she and her husband are also proud members of the quarter century club having been blissfully married for over 25 years.

With a background in journalism and psychology, and an insatiable curiosity, Kristen was a natural fit for Brandtrust. She began her career at a local Chicago P.R. firm, where she gained experience in identifying clients’ challenges and solving their difficult brand issues. At that position, she earned a Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Award, and now at Brandtrust, Kristen has continued to build upon her impressive resume by managing research for and advising some of our largest clients, both domestically and abroad. Her impressive tenure includes Eli Lilly, Amgen, 3M, Masco, and Brown-Forman, to name a few.

“Working with diverse industries, brands and audiences is really a reward because it constantly keeps me on my toes and challenges me,” she says. “I love seeing brand teams experience those ‘lightbulb moments’ when they gain a deep insight into their consumers and start to think about them in a new light. It’s a fun challenge to help lead them there and facilitate that experience with them.”

Outside Brandtrust, Kristen enjoys yoga and skiing – both on water and on snow. She also flies with the greatest of ease during flying trapeze classes she takes on the lake in Chicago each summer. Kristen lives in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, and with a natural passion for traveling, is always planning her next trip.

Dan has been a long time partner of Brandtrust. He has a diverse background, having studied Industrial Engineering, Communication, and Social Entrepreneurship. His undergraduate work and early career experience in engineering has prepared him to bring order to chaos with a proficiency for translating ideas into reality. In conjunction with our team, Dan has led many clients through a process of uncovering the psychological and emotional insights about their consumers and other stakeholders, and assisted them in translating those insights to actionable marketplace strategies.

Dan also has a deep personal passion for the power of a great business to create value in multiple dimensions. This is why his graduate work also focused on blended value business models, and his master’s thesis convinced his university to develop a program in the field. Dan is committed to delivering not only excellent strategic brand consultation, but also the benefits of a partner with true passion for businesses that make their stakeholders’ lives better. Dan loves all things related to cuisine and travel, and looks forward to every chance he has to gather for a meal with friends and strangers alike.

Meghan is a proven performer with a stellar track record of success in all of her endeavors, a truly fearless and outgoing personality with a natural penchant for forging personal connections. In her role as a Senior Manager of Client Development, Meghan leverages those skills and attributes as she sets out to understand client needs and then helps Brandtrust craft thoughtful solutions that will best allow those clients to achieve their objectives.

Of her work with us, Meghan says, “I feel so privileged to interact with some of the most iconic brands in the world and help them recognize and then leverage the emotional undercurrents to everything they do and say. It’s a great process to watch a brand begin to understand its own story and then learn how to tell it in a meaningful way.”

At home, Meghan revels in raising her daughter Blake with her husband, Dan, in Chicago’s historic Gold Coast neighborhood. She is also deeply interested in all aspects of food. Since childhood in a historic small town in upstate New York, she would go to the library to check out cookbooks about different world cuisines, and then drag her mother off in search of exotic ingredients. And while little has changed since those days, living in Chicago affords her many more outlets for her food passions.

Gillian wants to tell you something. Actually, many things. She is bursting at the seams to let you know all that Brandtrust does, and can do. It’s good she has an outlet to do this. As Marketing Director, Gillian is responsible for sharing Brandtrust’s knowledge and insights with the world. She takes it upon herself to build awareness of the unique services Brandtrust offers and the impact our work has made globally. She manages speaking engagements, media relations, the company website, social media communications, and educational opportunities in the marketplace. If this wasn’t enough, she also is one of the designated facilitators for Brandtrust’s Workshops.

Simply put, Gillian loves what she does. As she sees it, she is “very lucky to have the unique opportunity of getting the word of Brandtrust out into the marketplace. Brandtrust promises to change the way you think about your customers and your business, and that’s a promise we stand by confidently! It’s a privilege to be in a role where I get to share all the amazing things the Brandtrust team has helped our clients achieve.”

Outside of work, she doesn’t slow down. She is a lover of the outdoors, and carries her adventurous spirit with her as she attempts to explore every National Park with her husband and daughter. She sees her biggest reward in life as “spending time with those I love and playing outside. I live by the words of John Muir, “The mountains are calling and I must go.”” With such a positive spirit, it is no wonder that Gillian dreams of being a contestant on The Amazing Race. Gillian plays both the trumpet and piano, and loves to dance. Fair warning: she is always prepared, at any moment, to have a dance off. Challenge her, she double dog dares you.

A true native to Chicago, Hui Ling Chen serves as an Associate Consultant at Brandtrust. She assists clients and her fellow teammates by making sure every aspect of a project is going smoothly and on track. Her role entails handling scheduling, logistics, recruitment, and making sure everything stays on budget.

Hui Ling earned her dual undergraduate degree in Economics and Psychology from Northwestern University. She loves learning about and applying behavioral science to life and in her work. She practices empathy, active listening and being kind to herself and others, since if there’s one thing she’s learned from the behavioral sciences and Brandtrust, it’s that humans are complicated.

She has a passion for travel and dabbles in multilingualism by learning new languages. She studied abroad in Korea, France, and Germany, and continues to enjoy entertainment from all of these countries, most especially Korean dramas. A foodie and a nature-lover, you’ll find Hui Ling getting lost in the mountains or trying new cuisines!

Jonathan has spent most of the last ten years striving to better understand the emotional motivations that cause consumers to behave the way they do. An expert in consumer psychology, he has put his distinctive style of Emotional Inquiry® to work for Brandtrust clients such as Eli Lilly, Nestlé, Discover, General Mills, Procter & Gamble, Intel and Ace Hardware.

“When a person purchases one brand over another,” Jonathan suggests, “the decision is made more based on an idea of the product than the actual reality of the product. They’re buying the specific promise of what the brand is going to do for them, as much as the practical benefit of the product itself.”

At Brandtrust, Jonathan helps clients understand this distinction so they can make—and keep—meaningful brand promises to their customers.

In addition to his work with Brandtrust, Jonathan has applied his interest in qualitative research methodologies toward helping political candidates get the upper hand in elections. He’s worked in this capacity with congressional candidates, grassroots nonprofits, and government organizations.

Jonathan lives in a picturesque and often snowy small town with his wife and three young children.

Keri brings a positive energy and academic expertise to her role as a Senior Consultant at Brandtrust. Whether she is helping clients discover inspiring insights through research or guiding her team through meaningful strategy, Keri draws on her wealth of experience to deliver the best possible outcome for everyone involved.

As a graduate of UCLA’s bachelor program in Pyschobiology and University College London’s master program in Neuroscience, Keri has an academic grounding that allows her to see clearly the insights that matter most to clients and consumers. Her professional background as a researcher on psychological and physiological projects gives her a unique understanding of how to translate deeply human insights toward organizational goals.

Her enthusiasm and drive don’t stop with her professional life. Like many of her fellow consultants, Keri also has a serious case of wanderlust: she has lived in San Diego, Los Angeles, Barcelona, London, and Phoenix—to name a few. When she isn’t working or traveling, you can usually catch her reading a book or sipping a latte in a local coffee house.

With a unique background in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, Michael possesses a strong ambition to bring social impact across both types organizations. As an Associate Director, Michael helps his clients unlock hidden potential by listening, learning, and remixing existing truths into fresh ideas.

Starting his career at global media agencies, Michael cut his teeth in the industry by activating brand strategies through innovative marketing and first-to-market media plans, learning to achieve business success with the highest degree of excellence. From there, his passion around the intersection of business and social impact led to a pivot from the corporate world into the international humanitarian space. Applying his unique skillset at World Vision, Michael designed transformational experiences that tackled the root causes of poverty and empowered communities to thrive. His work contributed to World Vision becoming a leading provider of clean water, food aid, and other sustainable development practices.

Outside of work, Michael is constantly on the move which makes his home base in Los Angeles a perfect location to explore and play on its magnificent varied landscape with his wife, Jill. All in the spirit of fundraising for clean water projects and child wellbeing, he enjoys pushing his body to traverse unreasonable distances—from ultra-marathons through the hills of South Africa, climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, to Ironman Triathlons stateside, Michael tends to up the ante after every finish line he crosses.

At Brandtrust, we all strive for truth. And as truth seekers, we are carefully attuned to the words people say and the way they act. So, when we describe Jenny as the person at Brandtrust who “keeps it real,” then you know we are serious. Always known for her design prowess and ability to take a concept from an idea to a fully realized, beautiful visual product, Jenny’s discerning eye and whip-smart wit are valued commodities.

As a designer at Brandtrust, her role is to “make sure that every deliverable that Brandtrust produces is both a beautiful piece of design and a superior vehicle for communicating ideas. While striving to delight our clients, I also strive to delight my coworkers by being a great team player. I believe that if you have a healthy internal company environment that it will be reflected on the outside.”

Jenny has worked on countless projects at Brandtrust, and along with her experience, her varied interests make her stand out. She seems to always sprout new hobbies, and currently she is heavily invested in reading, knitting, and playing the piano. She also won the state title in track two years in a row, was a carriage driver, and studied journalism, fine art, and massage therapy in college. Ask her about any topic and you are sure to learn something.

As a Senior Consultant, Annalisa Funk radiates positive energy and an eagerness to assist clients in shining light on deep human truths that ultimately inform their strategy. With exceptional experience across a wide array of industries, she brings an unrelenting appetite for leaning among her colleagues and clients and has an unwavering commitment to the idea that collaboration and co-creation are the foundational paths to success of any project.

Prior to Brandtrust, Annalisa graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a degree in Business Administration. Following graduation, she spent over a decade with Southwest Airlines where she served as an internal consultant on culture transformation and activation projects to deliver on a brand promise which helped made Southwest Airlines the leading employer brand in the country. In 2019, Annalisa won the President’s Award at Southwest Airlines, the highest honor in the industry.

Annalisa’s passion for people and solving challenges continues outside of Brandtrust through volunteering and advocating for nonprofit organizations that work to build equity for women across the globe. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her husband, Rusty, and running to raise money for Team World Vision, a charity that works to bring clean water and richness of life to impoverished communities.

Annie is a Consultant at Brandtrust, meaning she helps clients discover new insights by learning and walking with them toward the low hanging fruit in projects and engagements. During her time in this role, Annie has had a bevy of experiences across industries that she puts to great use in her day-to-day role. 

Annie’s background has prepared her for her people-centered work. She graduated from Harvard with a degree in Psychology, and has worked with several psychology labs during her time in college. She also worked in chemical engineering at a major aerospace company for three summers during her busy undergraduate tenure.

When she isn’t at work, you can usually catch Annie taking in the sights all around the city of Chicago, from the beach to downtown to everywhere in between. And, while she (only sometimes) wishes life were more like Downton Abbey, her own life would make anyone jealous. She even beat an Olympian at Badminton. 

Ali Greco brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as a Consultant at Brandtrust. With a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri, she brings unmatched dedication and genuine care for her clients and team.

Prior to Brandtrust, Ali held strategy roles at firms Mabbly and Brädo Creative Insight, where she mastered her skillset and discovered her passion in helping clients bring their consumers’ stories to life and crafting meaningful strategies to drive their brands forward. Ali says of her role, “In this role, my biggest reward is helping my clients see the light at the end of a research tunnel. That “a-ha” moment where everything clicks and a clear path forward begins to crystallize.” Her combination of past market research and agency experience with a wide array of clients ranging from pharmaceuticals to life sciences to CPG, makes Ali an effective and trustworthy partner for all her clients.

Ali resides in Chicago but her heart belongs to her hometown of St. Louis, and to the Cardinals baseball and Blues hockey teams. The youngest of four sisters, she loves spending time with family. Outside of work, Ali enjoys cooking, seeing live music, and traveling to new places.

Studying sociology and anthropology in school, Chris began his career in the world of standardized testing and measurement. During this time, he came to realize there was more to understanding someone (and their potential) than a few questions. Searching for a way to use his love of the social sciences, Chris found Brandtrust and realized a unique opportunity to dig deeper into the psychology of consumers.

As Associate Director, Chris designs research that helps tell the consumer’s story from their point of view and uses psychological and behavioral economic principles to help understand the unconscious biases and heuristics they use to make decisions. “No matter the industry, all businesses must ultimately address and speak to base human needs in order to be successful. I love designing and conducting research that reveals these fundamental truths.”

Chris lives with his wife in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago. Together they enjoy traveling, exploring new restaurants and frequenting the great beer bars and breweries the city has to offer.

Amal brings a passion for all things research to her role as a Senior Associate Consultant, and an even bigger passion for Brandtrust and our drive for human truth. A fitting intersection of interests for someone who is driven to produce valuable insights and inspired change within her clients’ organizations.

Prior to Brandtrust, Amal graduated from The University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology and a Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Concurrently with her demanding school schedule, Amal completed an internship at DHR International where she supported the Managing Partner of the Retail/Consumer Practice Group where she conducted industry research on several Fortune 500, private-equity, venture capital, and start-up organizations within the apparel, beauty, and wellness space.

Amal grew up in Chicago but has traveled and lived around the world including her favorite destination, South Africa, and returned to her home town with her husband after living a few years in Dubai. A thirst for knowledge and a strong appreciation for fashion, Amal completed a Fashion Industry Essentials Certification at Parsons School of Design in 2019. An education that supports her love of shopping and growing shoe and purse collection.

Ed has been with Brandtrust since the company’s earliest days, in 1998. He works to make sure that everything that leaves our office reflects beautiful design and supports the clear and simple communication of meaningful ideas. Having majored in Marketing and Design, he also leverages the rich and deep experience he earned during his time as Senior Art Director at Leo Burnett for many of the world’s best-known brands like Kraft, McDonald’s, Mars, Nintendo, and Sony.

At Brandtrust, Ed’s experience and design talent remain unfettered. Ed says, “The thing I value most about working at Brandtrust is the trust itself. You’re given the room here, the trust, to be able to express yourself creatively. It fits me well.”

Ed fills his free time by listening to all types of music and playing drums, and he admits to being a huge PBS addict. He shares his life with his lovely wife Mimi, and two daughters, Sara and Eden.

Relationships are the drivers of success. They inform every area of business and personal life. Alyssa understands this, and lives the ideals of successful client relationships in her role as Director, Client Services. Her work with Environmental Defense Fund, Roche-Genentech, Orlando Health, IJM, and Hormel, among many others, has focused on building lasting partnerships between company and customer, client and consultant. Or, as she puts it, her role is to “partner with clients to help them overcome obstacles and identify opportunities. Together we examine external perceptions as well as internal cultural dynamics in order to create a strategic road map for their internal and external brands.”

Alyssa’s focus on relationships doesn’t stop with her clients. She is a highly valued team member at Brandtrust for her commitment to her peers. She describes one of her favorite parts about working at Brandtrust as “creating and maintaining relationships with colleagues and clients. There is a unique kind of trust and kinship that is built among teams when you’re on this journey together, working to understand what makes people tick and how to leverage that into a strategic solution.”

Alyssa lives with her husband Ryan and their dog, Rooster, in sunny San Diego. Alyssa grew up boating with her family on the Great Lakes and in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and values whenever there is time to be outside, on or near the water. Alyssa is also active at her local gym, and loves it for its “unique ability to create both personal space and community. Lifting helps me to navigate a challenging and socially demanding profession.” When not on the water or working out, she can be found zip lining in Costa Rica, hiking in the mountains, or exploring one of the different cities she is dropped into as part of her work.

No one could be more perfectly equipped than Erin to serve as Brandtrust’s Managing Director of Growth. She came to Brandtrust with a balanced combination of experience in consulting services, marketing and business development. Erin has spent many years advising Fortune 500 clients in marketing and consumer research, yet she also has rich and deep experience in managing and leading marketing and business development staff, nurturing client relationships and coaching highly performing teams to collaborate effectively.

Erin’s always on the leading edge of what’s new and effective in marketing. Her marketing prowess was responsible for creating buzz-worthy online campaigns before it became a standard. Her successes include such groundbreaking concepts and campaigns as the first Internet Film and Music Festival, which caught the attention of–and was acquired by–the Sundance Institute.

Erin’s responsibilities at Brandtrust include leading our firm’s business development and marketing efforts. She says of working at Brandtrust, “Many of our clients are global brands, and it’s hard to imagine there’s any resource that they don’t already have at their fingertips. So it’s incredibly rewarding to work with some of the brightest minds in marketing and introduce them to a new approach for solving their complex brand, innovation or marketing challenges. It’s very rewarding to see a client reach that ‘ah-ha’ moment and hearing them say that our work has fundamentally changed the way they think about and approach their business.”

Outside of work, Erin and her husband Pete are devoted parents to McKenzie and Nick. Erin is also an avid runner, is always looking for new physical and intellectual challenges and somehow finds the time to read a variety of books on a wide and eclectic range of topics.

Bailey’s passion to learn and eagerness to build strong relationships is what she is admired most for at Brandtrust. As a Consultant, she assists clients to better serve consumers by better understanding their stories. She has had the opportunity to work with a variety of clients, including AstraZeneca, GSK, The J.M. Smucker Company, Roche, and Sanofi.

A graduate from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia with a bachelor’s of business administration and double major in Marketing and Hispanic Studies, Bailey has the unique honor of calling Thomas Jefferson one of her fellow alumni. Prior to Brandtrust, she focused her insightful mind working for Collage Group, a subscription-based market research and consulting firm in Washington D.C.

Of working at Brandtrust she says, “What I love most is being able to serve as a translator between the needs and lives of people and the brands that serve them.”

Bailey was born and raised in the land of Skyline chili and Graeter’s ice cream – Cincinnati – but moved to Chicago to enjoy the city’s rich history, layered architecture, and fervent pride. One of her many hobbies is being an aficionado of all things stationery products and is known around the office for her impeccable handwriting. Like many of the Brandtrust team, she has a passion for exploring new corners of Chicago and traveling – she’s been to 30 states and 13 countries (and counting!).

As a Senior Associate Consultant, Mary has a passion for logistics and a keen eye for details. In her role she is dedicated to making sure that each project is on track and on budget to delight her team and her clients.

Mary finds inspiration in the various relationships she has formed with her colleagues and clients. In her words, she loves “working among a talented and dynamic group dedicated to delivering impactful results to our clients.” Mary is a crucial part of delivering those results to clients and Brandtrust team alike.

Her giving nature keeps Mary invested in what is going on around her. A native of Chicago, her greatest passion is spending time with her family and friends. She rarely has a negative word about her home city, but if you press her, she might kindly ask the sun and warmth to come out and stay around a bit longer.

With a unique background that led him to earn degrees in both marketing and architecture, Christian brings a keen sense of precision and a creative awareness to his projects with Brandtrust. His focus lies in helping clients glean powerful insights from customer research and then leverage these insights to craft tangible branding, marketing and communications strategies.

“Brandtrust really recognizes the difference between consumer demographics and actual people,” says Christian. “It’s not about understanding the ‘18-24 demographic,’ it’s about the emotions that drive an actual person’s decisions.” He cites Brandtrust’s Emotional Inquiry research approach as an important point of difference for its clients. “With traditional research, marketers ask direct questions and often get the answers that people think are expected of them. Our research methodology is supported by a solid understanding of the neuroscience behind the functioning of the human brain, and how our emotions drive every single decision we make.”

During his time with Brandtrust, Christian has helped craft brand solutions for Hewlett Packard, Nestlé, Honda, Kraft, Amgen and General Mills, among others.

A multi-dimensional thinker both at work and at home, Christian often shatters people’s preconceptions of him. He’s an avid (if not rabid) sports fan, yet can occasionally be coaxed to play classical violin at a friend’s wedding. Christian and his wife Kelly have a passion for running marathons, but are now busy caring for their children, Micah, Reid, and Gemma.

Stephan loves a good challenge, and for that, has been well loved at Brandtrust for over a decade. As Director, Customer Experience and Innovation Strategy, Stephan has brought his passion for problem-solving and process, keen observation and translation skills, and committed work ethic to delight such clients as Eli Lilly, Kraft, Jack Daniel’s, Lincoln Financial, Abbott Nutrition and Johnson & Johnson.

During his tenure at Brandtrust, Stephan has been instrumental in the development and facilitation of many of Brandtrust’s Human Truth Workshops, including A More Beautiful Question Workshop, Essentials of Empathy Workshop, The Art of the Question Workshop, and Emotional Listening Workshop.

“No matter the industry or brand, every challenge at Brandtrust provides the opportunity to understand and align with humans on a deeper level,” he says. “I love helping clients forge that connection with those they serve in order to make a lasting impact.”

Of his clients, he says, “I find my inspiration by helping clients develop inspired strategy that comes from stepping into their customers’ shoes. It’s a privilege to be a part of that journey, and helping organizations do great work for great purposes.”

In his personal life, Stephan is an amateur musician and is interested in anything having to do with sports, playing in tennis tournaments and softball and basketball leagues as the seasons and his work schedule allow. He and his lovely wife, Liz, reside in Salt Lake City and are proud parents of two young children.

Pinelopi Margeti’s deep curiosity and passion for psychology makes her an ideal teammate and Associate Consultant at Brandtrust. A positive spirit and motivated to contribute, Pinelopi directs her energy to assist clients and her team to keep projects organized, on-time, and on-track.

Pinelopi graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Visual Media Studies and dipped her toes into public relations prior to joining the Brandtrust team. Her education hasn’t stopped within the classroom, as she continues to educate herself on topics she’s passionate about, such as the intersection between cross-cultural psychology and consumer-psychology and the impact it has on brand messaging and consumer connections.

Raised in Athens, Greece, Pinelopi is a recent resident of Chicago and enjoys the opportunities and hustle-n-bustle only a city can provide, and, of course, the food. In her leisure time, Pinelopi enjoys learning new languages (currently speaks three fluently), photography, traveling, and learning all of her grandmother’s secret family recipes.

Lacey has always been fascinated by people and why they do the things they do. It’s a passion that led her to a formal education in psychology and to her initial role with Brandtrust as a consumer researcher. In her current role, as a Senior Consultant, Lacey helps clients discover new ways of seeing consumer drivers to achieve critical competitive advantage. She has worked for a wide array of clients, including Coke, Honda, Eli Lilly, Kraft Foods, FedEx, Intel and General Mills.

The combination of Lacey’s education and previous experience in medical sales and as an entrepreneur has enabled her to become particularly adept at helping clients uncover subtle emotional nuances that frame people’s beliefs, feelings and motivations. She says, “The best part of working at Brandtrust is when we sit down and put our heads together to figure out the underlying what and why of the topic we’re studying. To be in a place that is so driven by authentic curiosity and intellectual engagement makes it easy to come to work every day.”

Outside of work, Lacey and her husband drive their budding performer Mary to various classes, rehearsals and shows. When not busy at work, Lacey enjoys cooking and relaxing up to a good book.

Jaime McNeal has focused his entire career satisfying his curiosity around how people behave in the work environment. With a Master of Arts degree in Industrial/Organization Psychology and currently finishing a PhD from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, he is perfectly suited for the Researcher role at Brandtrust.

Prior to Brandtrust, Jaime was the Regional Director of Training and Organizational Development for one of the largest hospitality organizations in the world. A self-proclaimed devotee to the teachings of William Kahn, the father of employee engagement, he is most curious about how he might be able to extend Kahn’s theory with other demographics not yet investigated. Jaime’s strength is in his ability to identify beliefs and behaviors that inhibit desired outcomes.

Jaime grew up in Chicago but his passion for people and travel has led him to live in numerous places across the globe including New York, St. Louis, the capital city of Tegucigalpa in Central America, London, Rome, and now San Diego—his home for the last 10 years. Outside of work, Jaime loves to spend time with his husband and their goddaughter, playing tennis and the piano, and cooking.

Alex is one of those people whose thirst for knowledge cannot be satiated. Thriving off the engagement of both sides of his brain, his multidisciplinary background leaves him uniquely able to see all sides of a business issue and ask the types of questions that lead to the most rewarding results. After completing his studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Alex worked as a website developer, marketing director, copywriter, and even spent time in a private equity firm. But his real passion lies in brand consulting, which he has done since 2005 for some of the largest brands in the country. He has extensive experience across many elements of brand strategy, customer experience, innovation, and design. Of his own work, Alex says, “I really enjoy shepherding strategy through the design process…it still feels almost magical to me.”

His motivation doesn’t just stop at branding. In 2012, he achieved his longstanding goal of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. When he isn’t helping the best brands become even better, you can find him enjoying his other passions: baseball, books and, of course, boating.

As a Senior Associate Consultant, Ben is an indispensable asset to the team, supporting his team by scheduling client meetings and managing recruitment, and keeping every aspect of each project to which he’s assigned running smoothly, on budget, on time, and with an extraordinary level of quality. Having graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Management and then promptly achieved his MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Ben has proven himself to be an independent and voracious learner, fitting right into the ever-curious culture of Brandtrust.

Prior to Brandtrust, Ben used his specialty in emotional intelligence and worked as an independent culture development, training, and market research consultant for several clients across the Chicagoland area, including the Chicago Bulls. Since his start at Brandtrust, he says the people and culture are his favorite parts. “Everyone here is so intelligent, talented, and kind—the team truly cares about your well-bring and show it every chance they get.”

Ben has a passion for science—from how an engine works, to how we will inhabit Mars. When he’s not working, you can find him enjoying the best things in life like family, friend and watching movies with his wife.

As an Associate Consultant at Brandtrust, Missael always brings a passion for human truth and understanding to his work. He delights his team and clients by managing project flow from start to finish, with a keen eye toward keeping his team on track and on budget.

Missael’s background in graphic design has honed his aptitude to find creative solutions and keep project details on course. Missa’s (his preferred nickname) attraction to Brandtrust comes from his longtime interest in research and strategy, having specialized in those topics graduating with a Bachelors in Advertising from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Missa loves to be part of “Brandtrust’s unique research and strategy process where meaningful questions and curiosities are both born and answered.” With that perspective, it’s no wonder that Missa delivers and delights with every project he touches.

Outside of work, Missa is usually researching the best restaurants and eating his way through the many global locations he travels for his clients and for fun. Beyond being Brandtrust’s designated restaurant connoisseur, Missa is also Brandtrust’s unofficial office technology guru and Spanish translator—his native tongue!

As Proposal Manager, Valerie is most excited when collaborating with the Growth and Client Services teams to develop solutions to complex business challenges. Detail-oriented by nature, she enjoys identifying the countless moving parts of a project and condensing them into a comprehensive proposal.

Before Valerie joined the Brandtrust team, she gained experience in sales and marketing through her work with several prominent real estate developers. With a passion for wellness, she earned a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Bodywork from Pacific College of Health and Science, in addition to her advanced yoga teacher certifications.

In her free-time, Valerie enjoys biking Chicago’s lake-front, practicing yoga, and exploring the culinary delights of the city with her husband. She loves spending time with her friends, family and fostering the inquisitive minds and exuberant energy of her two nephews.

As a Senior Consultant, Rachel Plein finds joy in interrogating situations from every angle and creating frameworks to unravel complexity—a well-suited trait for the role. With exceptional experience across a wide array of industries and enduring curiosity, she loves helping brands solve their toughest challenges by infusing empathy into research to help them understand the human side of their consumers.

Rachel joined Brandtrust with over a decade of consumer insights and brand strategy experience, most recently serving as a Brand Strategy Director at Dentsu McgarryBowen. A love for continued education, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Advertising and a Bachelor of the Arts in Art History from the University of Colorado Boulder, but attributes her Master’s Degree from the VCU Brandcenter to where she discovered the art and science of communications strategy.

Rachel grew up in Colorado where she spent much of her time exploring the outdoors. She currently lives in Deerfield, IL, with her wife, Colleen, and their two children, Levi and Avery. Before Covid times, they enjoyed seeing Broadway shows, visiting new restaurants, and taking the kids to museums, but lately have been going on “adventures” with the kids in their very own backyard.

Nicole Potoshnick knows how people work, inside and out. Before coming to Brandtrust, her experiences as a Reunions and Special Events Specialist at Duke University, an Account Manager at a staffing firm and a mental health counselor have given her a wealth of knowledge about the needs and desires of others from very diverse backgrounds.

She says, “I’ve always loved learning random bits of information. Working with Brandtrust has taken this curiosity to the next level, as I get to dive deeply into various pockets of the market and understand what motivates consumer decisions… Almost like a detective hunting for clues, each interview shapes a bit more of the terrain of the subject that we are studying.”

While Brandtrust’s research is designed to provide clients with insights, Nicole acknowledges that she also loves watching respondents discover things they didn’t know about themselves, and hear them say, “Aha! That’s why I do that!” Her international experience—living, working and traveling throughout Europe, in particular—has allowed her a depth of global understanding that has proven invaluable in her time with Brandtrust.

While not trying to prompt those “aha!” moments, Nicole lives just outside of Chicago with her husband, their twin toddlers and a cuddly toy poodle named Moses. She never thought she’d enjoy having a white picket fence in suburbia but has found that her little corner of the world is quite charming.

As a Senior Proposal LAB Manager, Jill’s role is to corral Brandtrust’s best and brightest thinking, wrangle it onto the page, and delight clients with proposals that can inspire a new way of thinking about how to solve their business challenges. Her work spans across numerous industries and clients, and she loves that diversity, having spent most of her career in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

Jill has a background rich in communications, proposal and content development, and project management experience in the healthcare and pharma industries at Kaiser Permanente and Eli Lilly and Company, and in the agency world at Weber Shandwick and Ogilvy Public Relations, where she was a consultant for world-class companies including Genentech, Pfizer, Bayer, and GSK, to name a few.

Outside of Brandtrust, Jill enjoys cooking, exploring the robust dining scene, and traveling the world. Originally from Indiana, this domestic nomad has also lived coast to coast with stints in the Big Apple, San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles. Thrilled to be back in the Midwest and closer to family, Jill has found the perfect balance between working in the big city and residing in the enchanting natural beauty and small-community feel of Chicago’s North Shore.

Diane is an Industrial Psychologist with over 10 years of experience in helping organizations achieve their strategic objectives in the areas of employee assessment and selection, leadership development, organization design and change management.

Diane holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin and both a Master’s and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from DePaul University. Diane has applied her expertise to both internal and consulting roles in a variety of industries. Her projects have included management coaching, and organizational change efforts including team development, culture change, communications, and mission and team building.

Diane states, “My client work requires an ability to communicate with members of all levels within an organization and the ability to determine the necessary course of action by asking the right questions, observing and listening to people. I am delighted to partner with Brandtrust® as they use the same approaches to helping their client organizations succeed.” She has partnered with Brandtrust® on projects for Alberto Culver, Frito-Lay, General Mills, Kraft and BUNN.

Outside of work, Diane is a world traveler with a particular interest in ancient cultures. She’s also an avid cyclist and spent an entire week on her bicycle a few summers ago, though she admits that she still finds it challenging to change a flat tire. Diane studies and attempts to practice meditation and Buddhism, and visits the library once a week with her daughter.

Carmie Stornello is the glue that holds Brandtrust together. It is no exaggeration to say that she oversees the smooth and efficient operation of, well, every last little thing. In her role as the Director of People Operations in charge of operations and resource management, Carmie ensures that each project is manned with the most appropriate personnel, that everyone is in the right place at the right time, armed with the right information and tools to do an excellent job. Carmie’s challenges transcend the sphere of mere logistics, incorporating significant doses of finance, business strategy, negotiation, psychology, persuasion and tough love.

Throughout her career, Carmie has managed million dollar projects in a wide range of industries. She brings over 20 years of agency management experience to her role. Carmie began her career in a pharmaceutical advertising agency, managing the process of developing breakthrough creative for clients including Procter & Gamble, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Abbott Laboratories. She went on to a management position in Abbott Laboratories’ internal advertising agency, and during the pioneering days of the Internet, helped build a small interactive advertising boutique agency that was later acquired. This led to a stint as an Account Director with the new parent company on consumer products such as Tombstone Pizza, Abreva and Postopia, the kids’ website for Post Cereals.

Carmie’s focus lies in seeing Brandtrust projects run seamlessly from first contact through final implementation. Carmie observes, however, that “a well-managed process only works when it also enables the ideas to flow. Brandtrust has a uniquely collaborative process to ensure just that. We work together with the client to apply key customer insights, so that in the end, the customers and the brand both end up on top.”

Carmie spends her free time enjoying life in Chicago with her husband and their two precious children, fending off requests for a dog or a pony, and checking email. She also maintains her mental health in balance by running and practicing yoga.

Sophia is no stranger to challenge. She has dual bachelor’s degrees in Russian Language & Literature and International Trade & Economy, and a Master’s in Marketing Analytics and Communication, she is constantly striving to test her limits and grow her already impressive resume professionally and academically. She speaks three languages, and moved halfway around the world to pursue her dream job in Chicago.

Sophia has a passion for all Brandtrust does. As the insights & Analytics Manager for the Business Development team at Brandtrust, Sophia helps introduce Brandtrust’s unique, human-centered approach to professionals across all industries, as well as analyzing business intelligence data in order for her team to gain actionable insights to maintain sustainable competitiveness. She welcomes the challenges and successes of her role, and is the ultimate team player. Working at Brandtrust, she feels “helpful, trusted, and valued. I love helping my team get things done. My team values my hard-working, persistent, and analytical spirit.”

Outside of her work, Sophia is currently pursuing her second Master’s Degree in Applied Data Science at University of Michigan.

Throughout his extensive career, Daryl has advised many of the largest and best brands in the world. His latest groundbreaking book, Little Things Big Returns, explores what really motivates people and how to deliver experiences that matter most to your customers.

A colorful and engaging storyteller, Daryl speaks frequently on the power of insights and the critical need for marketers to change the way they think about how people think. He explains how research can lead us astray or help us to gain a competitive edge. “Most research discloses what happens,” he says. “However, it often fails to reveal why it happens or the underlying emotional drivers that are critical in creating an effective strategy.” Daryl’s guiding mantra is The NINA Principle®:—No Insight—No Advantage®.

Passionate about learning and understanding more about how people think, Daryl is always reading a new book—more than one hundred each year. His voracious reading helps leverage recent breakthroughs in the social sciences to improve the consumer research process, tapping into the deeper underlying emotions and nonconscious motivations critical to revealing insights.

He could be described as a professor, detective, journalist, anthropologist and writer all rolled into one. “We’re all avid thinkers here,” he’s said of his team. “There’s a genuine curiosity, a persistent desire to discover deeper insights that we all share in common.”

Daryl and his wife Donnita extend his continuous learning passion as active members of Chicago’s philanthropic community, volunteering time and resources to support education and literacy programs for underprivileged children throughout the city.

David’s passion to forge strong relationships, coupled with his continued eagerness to learn, is what he is most appreciated for at Brandtrust. As a Senior Associate Consultant, he assists clients and our team with all the logistics of a project; anticipating the needs of others and keeping every project moving like a well-oiled machine. David’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge have shined since day one–traits that truly prove he has Brandtrust in his DNA.

David graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing. Prior to Brandtrust, David has experience working with a small non-profit, helping build their brand and marketing initiatives on an international platform.

Of working at Brandtrust, David says, “Being part of the Brandtrust family is something that excites and inspires me to come to work every day. We all share a common passion for continued learning and producing meaning insight for our clients.”

David grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago but has always considered himself a prideful Chicagoan. His favorite thing about Chicago is the beautiful summer months, which motivates him to bear the treacherous winters every year. Having been bitten by the travel bug after a semester in Madrid, Spain studying business and learning to love the Spanish lifestyle, David shares the same passion for travel and exploration as the rest of the Brandtrust team.

Beth knows what it means to be accountable. As Brandtrust’s Director of Finance, she is responsible for making sure all finance and HR related tasks run as smoothly as possible. This is no easy task in our dynamic environment. With everything from preparing proposals to sending clients the final invoice for a project, Beth is involved in every step along the way for Brandtrust operations.

Her background prepared her for her current role, earning her CPA certificate in February of 2000. She has been a financial analyst for McDonald’s Corporation and has worked for small start-up companies. But it is at Brandtrust that Beth has found a home. She says her “favorite part of Brandtrust is being part of a family which means ensuring the decisions I make are the right ones for both my coworkers and clients. If I can make their jobs easier, I’m happy.”

An avid traveler, Beth has been to five continents and over thirty states and intends on finishing the list in her lifetime, her most exotic destination to date being Ethiopia. She also owns fourteen chickens on her farm in Wisconsin with her husband, two kids and beloved dog, Pops. Around the Brandtrust office, anyone can come to her for financial advice or chicken eggs.

As a Senior Associate Consultant at Brandtrust, Valerie brings her passion for the human story, her positive outlook on life, and creativity to her role to ensure every project runs smoothly and on track in order to delight her clients and support her team.

Valerie’s natural curiosity and background have uniquely prepared her for such a pivotal human-centric role. After graduating from University College Dublin with a Masters of Arts in Cultural Policy and Arts Management, she worked as an arts administrator for a non-profit and as an independent consultant for startups and creative professionals. Through this work she gained a unique perspective into the human story, and the roots of culture that connect our societies and communities.

Valerie is currently living in Chicago, and spends ample time running, biking and sitting by Lake Michigan. With a deep-seeded passion for travel and history, you’ll most likely find Valerie planning her next great adventure when not at Brandtrust. Be it solo-hiking to the next vista, singing a new song with her choir, or diving into a project area, Valerie’s commitment to continual exploration drives her work and passion.