The Great Mind Awards program consists of four award categories:

• Innovation Award, for individuals that have developed innovative research ideas in terms of methodology, theory, service and solution.
• Rising Star Award, for researchers who have less than 7 years experience, and whose contributions during the last year marked the individual as a researcher with potential for future greatness.
• Member Recognition Award, for individuals who made an outstanding contribution to the ARF in the prior year.
• Lifetime Achievement Award, for those who have made lifetime contributions to the industry and to the ARF.

Now in its fifth year, the ARF Great Mind Awards continue to recognize notable individuals who have truly made a difference to the advertising research industry. Awards are presented at a lunch reception held during Re:think: The Annual ARF Convention.

Great Mind Award Finalists

Innovation
Arun Ramaswamy – The Nielsen Company
Edward Hunter – Loop Analytics, LLC
Tracey Scheppach – VivaKi
Shelley Zalis – OTX

Rising Star
Amy Fayer – Dynamic Logic
Dan Pickerel – Kraft Foods
Devra Jacobs – Innerscope Research
Jennifer Okula – Dynamic Logic
Jon Gibs – The Nielsen Company

Member Recognition
Britta Ware – Meredith Corporation
Leigh Benatar – Brand Keys, Inc.
Patti Wakeling – Unilever
Pete Blackshaw – The Nielsen Company

The Great Mind Awards are made possible through the continued sponsorship of Harris Interactive.

“I will always be driven to challenge the status quo and this award is my permission slip to keep innovating! Thank you arf for inspiring me to continue to be curious.”

Shelley Zalis – OTX
2010 Innovation Award Winner

“It was truly an honor to be recognized with the Great Mind Rising Star Award! I am in such great company with all my fellow winners and nominees who each display immense talent and knowledge in the industry. I've had the privilege to work with and for great colleagues from whom I've learned so much as well as great clients that have given me opportunities to challenge myself. I hope to continue to help and educate others in the advertising research community.”

Jennifer Okula – Dynamic Logic
2010 Rising Star Award Winner

“I’ve worked with the ARF for 40 years, and hold the organization in high regard. I appreciate the ARF’s continuing contributions to the industry, so it was a particular honor to receive this recognition from them.”

Gale Metzger
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

“Receiving the ARF’s Lifetime Achievement Award has affected me deeply. I had absolutely no idea I was being considered. As I turned to enter the ceremony room, my entire family and some close friends blocked the entrance, all with huge grins on their faces. It was a real set-up, and the ARF and Ipsos ASI both put a lot of effort into arranging it.

The surprise, the wonderful introduction by Jim Donius, the sense of audience warmth and connectedness, will stay with me a long time. The fact that the award is sourced by the ARF makes it particularly meaningful, representative as the ARF is of consistently demonstrated concern for quality and integrity of both people and profession. My appreciation is profound.”

Gerry Lukeman – Ipsos ASI
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

“I’ve worked with the ARF for 40 years, and hold the organization in high regard. I appreciate the ARF’s continuing contributions to the industry, so it was a particular honor to receive this recognition from them.”

Gale Metzger
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

“This recognition by the advertising industry’s leading research organization is a very welcome and wonderful acknowledgement… and I accept this award in that spirit and on behalf of all the clients we are privileged to work with around the world.”

Dr A.K. Pradeep - CEO, Neurofocus
2008 Grand Winner, Great Mind Innovation Award

As quoted in PR Newswire, www.neurofocus.com, finance.yahoo.com, Media News International and Marketing & Advertising Industry Today

“I am honored to receive a Great Mind Award from the ARF - it is a reflection of the growing importance of biometrics and measuring emotion in the advertising research industry to be recognized by an organization as influential as the Advertising Research Foundation.”

Dr. Carl Marci - CEO and Co-Founder, Innerscope Research
2009 Gold Winner, Great Mind Innovation Award

“I find it an honor to be recognized by my colleagues and the industry. Each and every one of them has helped me get to where I am. I have learned so much and have been given opportunities that have allowed me to show my knowledge and skills. I am grateful that they have recognized me in this industry.”

Stefanie Nolby - GfK Custom Research North America
2009 Rising Star Gold Award Winner