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Response Expo 2012 Speakers

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	KEYNOTE SPEAKER John Foley logged thousands of hours in the cockpit of F/18s and other jets when he was an aircraft carrier pilot, a Naval instructor pilot for the Marines and a member of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron. He’s logged thousands more hours traveling the world as a much-in-demand keynote speaker. Foley inspires audiences with his energy and his commitment to serving others, while also providing a unique framework that makes high performance possible for anyone in any organization. “When I think of all the things that tossed my journey off its track, I realize something incredibly important: Life’s setbacks only changed my path and the timing of my arrival. They never changed my destination,” Foley says. Foley is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels. He holds masters’ degrees in business management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (as a Sloan Fellow); in international policy studies from Stanford University; and in strategic studies from the Naval War College. Before launching his speaking career and training businesses, Foley worked with a venture capital team in California. In addition to delivering 60 to 100 keynote presentations each year, Foley also runs his own company and a foundation. He is the founder and president of CenterPoint Companies, which provide business performance training to Fortune 500 corporations, professional associations and educational organizations around the world. And his Glad To Be Here® Foundation funds charitable works all across the globe.

	Steven Aquavia is director of marketing for Bosley, having joined the company in 2005. He is responsible for overseeing all of the company’s online and offline advertising programs, database marketing and customer retention programs. He is also responsible for Bosley’s creative development and production. Aquavia earned his B.S. in advertising from the University of Colorado, and his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. He brings more than 20 years of direct marketing, brand management and advertising experience to Bosley.

	Pat Boos is the senior vice president of Time Life, a high-profile brand most known for its high-ticket CD music and video collections, themed music cruises, and PBS “oldies” concerts. Boos is responsible for the broadcast, telemarketing and customer service areas of the business and has been in direct response her entire career. Prior to TimeLife, she worked for such DR megabrands as The Franklin Mint and Lenox China, andheld the title of president for the International Collectors Co. She has also been on the agency side of the DR business as a partner in the Boston ad agency DBM Associates. Boos and Time Life were nominated for Marketer of the Year by the DRMA in 2011. A graduate of North Carolina State University, she now resides in Washington, D.C.

	William Bossung is the president and founder of Alliance Financial Network, which raises monies and funds start-up projects and companies in the direct response, energy, health care, technology, software, defense, entertainment, lifestyle brands, and nutrition fields, working closely with brokerage firms, accounting firms, law firms and private equity companies. Prior to Alliance, Bossung worked in the brokerage industry, developing business plans, capital structures, sector analysis, financial projections, completive marketplace review, public company accounting policies and procedures, cost analysis, debt management, P&L statements, and overall financial stability and going concern plans and structures. He holds Series 7, Series 63, and the ADV Investment Advisor credentials and has been instrumental in countless underwritings and structuring of debt and equity instruments. Bossung also serves as a financial advisor to both public and private companies.

	Rachel Braun Scherl, MBA, is president and co-founder of Semprae Laboratories Inc. Along with co-founder and CEO, Mary Wallace Jaensch, Braun Scherl has built a leading direct-to-consumer business focused on providing evidence-based solutions to female sexual health and wellness. The company’s flagship product is Zestra® Essential Arousal Oils™, a topically-applied, clinically-proven product that increases arousal, desire and satisfaction for women regardless of ages or reproductive life stage. She leads the efforts and initiatives to create the marketing programs and communication to women, men, and health-care providers that drive growth for the Semprae product portfolio. Braun Scherl has spent more than 20 years building businesses based on selling products and services to women. She received her B.A. in psychology from Duke University and her M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

	David Choi, Hearthware Inc.

	Richard Davidson is president/CEO of Ag NanoTech — American Skin Labs and is former president/CEO of Direct Export Inc. He is the developer/inventor of Grout Bully®, Truly Clear® — the “one step acne solution” — and FOXO®. Since 1985, Davidson has been involved in product development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution in North America, the European Union, United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan. He excels at putting the right players together and making business deals happen. Davidson is responsible for the brilliant success of the top ranked Grout Bully with Harvest Direct, found at 75,000 stores in North America. He is an alumnus of Northeastern University in Boston.

	Steve Heroux has spent his entire career in the consumer goods industry, founding Hampton Direct in 1995 in Connecticut and later moving the company to Vermont in 1997. As the CEO and president of Hampton Direct, Heroux oversees all aspects of the thriving business built around innovative products. Many of these products have been developed by Hampton’s own product development team, as well as inventors around the globe. Hampton Direct has produced some of the most successful products in “As Seen on TV” history and has become an industry leader in direct response. Its product line includes PajamaJeans®, Twin Draft Guard®, Wonder Hanger®, Total Pillow®, Furniture Fix® and InstaHang™. Heroux earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Columbia University in New York.

	Shelly R. Hufford is the senior media buyer for Suarez Corporation Industries, a leading direct marketer with sales of more than $100 million annually. Hufford oversees all SCI media campaigns with director of media services Sharon Suarez — from jewelry to collectible coins to health products, including the top-ranked DRTV hit EdenPURE Heater (as endorsed by Bob Vila and Richard Karn). Hufford has been with SCI for 28 years, is a member of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and holds a B.S. in finance from Kent State University.

	Anand “Andy” Khubani, founder and chairman of IdeaVillage Products Corp., is the master marketer behind today’s top-selling TV products. Bringing new products to market or catapulting existing products in the marketplace, Khubani’s prowess has been successfully demonstrated in such well-known products as Easy Feet, Fushigi Ball, Smooth Away, Strap Perfect, Criss Angel Platinum Magic Kit, Finishing Touch, Micro Touch and more. IdeaVillage’s unique business model includes selling its solution-oriented merchandise via DRTV, the Internet and mass-market retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Khubani is responsible for the company’s product development, corporate strategy and marketing. In the 11 years since IdeaVillage began, the company now drives $500 million in annual sales at retail.

	Patrick McLean is vice president, digital marketing, at Capital One. He is responsible for Capital One’s digital brand strategy and bringing the brand’s personality to life through social, mobile and Web channels. He joined Capital One from Verizon Communications where he led the interactive marketing organization for the consumer and small business segments. McLean also spent seven years with Sympatico, Canada’s largest Internet service provider, where he led their marketing organization. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was a pioneer in the digital media industry, having launched and served in senior marketing roles for a number of start-up/early-stage technology and media companies.

	John McLemore is the president/CEO and co-owner of Masterbuilt Manufacturing Inc., which designs and develops innovative cooking products, including the Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer. He is the author of “Dadgum, That's Good!” McLemore is an industry-leader, pilot and fun-loving storyteller, and his life is a true American success story.

	Professor Cassie Mogilner (Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania) studies happiness and decision making, focusing on the role of time. Her research articles have been published in such top-tier academic journals as Psychological Science, Journal of Consumer Research, and Social Psychology and Personality Science. Popular accounts of her work have appeared on National Public Radio (NPR) and in such publications as The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Mogilner earned her Ph.D. in marketing from Stanford University and her B.A. from Columbia as a psychology major. She teaches strategic brand management to Wharton undergraduates and MBAs and received an Excellence in Teaching Award.

	David Scudder is vice president of media and telemarketing at American Telecast and Total Gym Fitness LLC. He joined the company in 1994 and has served in various capacities, including operations, sales and marketing. Currently, he is responsible for managing all aspects of the company's media buying and telemarketing activities.

	Steve Silbiger is the founder and senior director of television marketing at Plymouth Direct and was part of creating the “As Seen on TV” hit products Mighty Putty, Urine Gone, Gyro Bowl, Fast Brite and Mighty Mendit. He is also the author of three books, including “The Ten-Day MBA,” published by Harper Collins, an international bestseller with sales of more than 400,000 books worldwide. He holds a B.S. in accounting from the University of Kansas and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia.

	Jed Simon is the founder and CEO of FastPay. Simon founded the Reverse Group in 2006, an international content licensing and distribution company, which he sold in 2009. He is 10-year veteran of the DreamWorks SKG organization, most recently serving as vice president of international marketing and distribution for DreamWorks Pictures, based in London. Prior to that, Simon was responsible for new media, finance, and marketing for DreamWorks Records. He began his career at Morgan Stanley & Co. as an investment banker, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University.

	Samit Varma is a partner at Anthem Venture Partners., where he began as an associate in 2003. He worked with several portfolio companies including Audyssey Labs and Advanced Cell Technology. He currently serves on the board of JanRain, Audyssey and Beach Mint and is a board observer at Cynvenio and Wavestream. Varma also works closely with Zag and TrueCar. Prior to joining Anthem, Varma started at Audyssey Labs in conjunction with the first round of funding and worked there for more than three years as vice president of operations. Varma earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the United States Naval Academy and spent seven years as a nuclear submarine officer, including five successful patrols aboard the U.S.S. Nebraska. He also holds an M.B.A. from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

	Johann Verheem is CEO of Fitness IQ, inventor and marketer of the wildly successful Shake Weight and Shake Weight for Men products. He also founded Application Technologies. The company’s Shake Weight products have capitalized on viral success to sell more than 3 million units.
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