Seasoned Leaderhip Creates Value For Our Clients
Expertise in CPG, Technology, Retail and More
The IRI executive management team is comprised of seasoned leaders with backgrounds in technology, consumer packaged goods, retail, marketing analytics and services. They focus on driving the IRI innovation agenda to create value for clients, partners and employees.
Mike Duffey
Mike Kaskie
Mahinder Mathrani
Thom Blischok
President, Consulting and Innovation
 |
Dr. Romesh Wadhwani
Chairman
Dr. Romesh Wadhwani is the chairman and owner of Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).
Dr. Wadhwani is also founder and managing partner of Symphony Technology Group, a strategic holding company that helps a portfolio of companies, including IRI, maximize operational efficiencies in the enterprise software and services market. Dr. Wadhwani was the founder and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aspect Development, Inc., until the company was purchased by i2 Technologies in 1999, when he became the vice chairman of i2 Technologies and a member of the i2 board of directors. During the past nine years, Dr. Wadhwani spearheaded the emergence of Aspect as a leader in the fast-growing B2B e-commerce arena. This dominance led to Aspect's merger with i2--the largest merger in software history.
In addition, Dr. Wadhwani was chairman and CEO of Cimflex Teknowledge Corporation, a company specializing in products and systems for computer-integrated manufacturing. Prior to that, he was chairman and CEO of a company specializing in information systems for energy management.
Dr. Wadhwani received his bachelor’s degree from IIT Bombay and his master’s and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University. He has also served as director on the boards of several companies and organizations.
|
 |
John Freeland
President and Chief Executive Officer
John Freeland is president and chief executive officer of Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). Freeland joined IRI in October 2007. He is responsible for executing IRI’s strategy to be the indispensable strategic partner in driving dramatic revenue and productivity improvements for the Company’s CPG, retail and healthcare clients through integrated market, consumer and shopper intelligence, predictive insights, disruptive technology and breakthrough business decision solutions.
Freeland possesses more than 28 years of experience in achieving superior financial results based on client value creation. Before joining IRI, he served as president-worldwide operations for Salesforce.com, a pioneering leader in the software-as-a-service arena. At Salesforce.com, Freeland was responsible for the company's Successforce portfolio of services and business alliances.
Prior to joining Salesforce.com, Freeland served as a member of Accenture’s executive committee during his successful 26 year career there. As the head of Accenture's customer relationship management (CRM) practice, Freeland built the business from $1.2 billion to $3.7 billion over five years, creating the largest business consulting service line at the company. Prior to his work in CRM, Freeland spent 20 years in the financial services arena and served as managing partner for the global insurance practice, achieving $ 800 million in annual sales.
Freeland holds a bachelor of arts degree and a master of business administration from Columbia University.
|
 |
Mike Duffey
Chief Financial Officer
As the chief financial officer (CFO) for Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Mike Duffey is responsible for fiscal balance and operational growth during the company’s transformation period and beyond.
Duffey is a seasoned financial leader and has several years of industry experience in professional services, manufacturing, distribution, communications and banking. He is a creative, performance-driven leader, who focuses on applying leading-edge financial techniques to meet operational needs and enhance competitive positioning in domestic and international markets.
Before joining IRI, Duffey was the executive vice president and CFO of COVANSYS, a $400 million global information technology services provider. During his time with COVANSYS, he upgraded internal infrastructure through the implementation of SAP in India, crafted the implementation of Hyperion planning, forecasting and consolidation modules for global planning and reporting. He also was responsible for the execution of a four corner redundant data center and communications configuration.
In addition, he served as senior vice president and CFO for APW, Ltd. and M.A. HANNA COMPANY. He began his accounting career at Price Waterhouse.
Duffey holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola University of Chicago. He also earned his master’s degree in economics, finance, and international business from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
|
 |
Jane Altobelli
Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer, Human Resources
Jane Altobelli is the executive vice president and chief people officer of human resources for Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). Continuing the company’s efforts in building a high-performance culture, Altobelli is responsible for global human resources efforts, talent and performance management, organizational change efforts, staffing, benefits and compensation.
Prior to joining IRI, Altobelli was senior vice president at Culligan International, a consumer products company that provides water treatment services and solutions. Prior to Culligan, she held a number of human resources executive positions with the premier provider of print and related services, RR Donnelley, where she led organizational development, talent and performance management in her various roles.
In addition to her human resources background, Altobelli has led transformational change efforts, aligning a company’s strategy, structure and culture. She has also implemented human resources strategies across Europe, Asia and South America. Her global and transformational change work has been featured in such publications as Newsweek, Chicago Tribune and Crain’s Chicago Business.
Altobelli earned a master’s degree in industrial relations and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota.
|
 |
Nigel Howlett
President of IRI International
Nigel Howlett is President of IRI International. In this role, Nigel is focused on continuing to aggressively grow the market content, solutions and technology businesses throughout IRI’s international operations as well as expand the company’s international innovation practice.
Prior to IRI, Howlett was previously Executive Vice President (global) at OgilvyOne Worldwide and a member of the company’s board of directors. At OgilvyOne, he was responsible for the company’s Global Consulting Practice, which included building global alliances and partnerships, acquisitions, attracting significant new consulting engagements, and tailoring the firm’s services to its international clients. In this role, Howlett more than tripled the size of the firm’s consulting operation during the last four years. Major contracts signings under his leadership included international assignments with Nestle and Unilever. He was also responsible for creating a global consulting alliance with IBM and launching a global E-mail Marketing and Digital Dialogue Practice across three continents.
Howlett started with OgilvyOne Worldwide in 1991 as managing director of Ogilvy & Mather DataConsult. He became chairman and CEO of OgilvyOne U.K. in 1996 and was named to his latest position in 2003. Before OgilvyOne, he served as client services director at The Computing Group from 1988 to 1991.
Howlett began his career at GKN plc, earning a university scholarship in 1976 prior to graduating in 1980 with roles in sales as a special projects team member. He later served as a product manager and group product manager (1982 to 1984), marketing manager (1984 to1985), and finally, group head of marketing, GKN Vending Services (1985 to1987).
Howlett earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in business and marketing from UWE Bristol.
|
 |
Mike Kaskie
Executive Vice President, Strategic Solutions Group North America
As executive vice president of the Strategic Solutions Group for Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Mike Kaskie leads the team that provides clients’ access to unique IRI products and services to grow their businesses and improve their return on investment.
Since assuming leadership of the Strategic Solutions Group, Kaskie and his team have successfully acquired more than $300 million of strategic new business for IRI. Central to the new business success is aligning client business issues with IRI’s portfolio of solutions and business experts that drive insights and increase client value. This group also enables smooth and seamless transitions to new data sources by utilizing an innovative patent-pending methodology, developed by Kaskie, to implement new business transitions.
Kaskie has more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing working with many of the world’s premier consumer products companies. Offering a broad spectrum of marketing and sales domain expertise spanning direct sales, broker, and direct store delivery (DSD) organizations, Kaskie brings to IRI innovative sales management and revenue development approaches, proven trade promotion planning and implementation strategies, and creative merchandising concepts that drive maximum return.
Before joining IRI in 1999, Kaskie led sales of the Tampico Juice Drink brand in the United States for Marbo, Inc. In addition, he held senior-level brand, market development and sales positions at the G. Heilman Brewing Company and sales leadership positions at ConAgra Frozen Foods, where he managed $325 million in frozen and grocery food products. During his career, Kaskie has also held senior-level sales positions with such leading companies as Nestle Foods, Coca-Cola Foods and the Procter & Gamble Company.
He is a graduate of the Advanced Executive Program at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and also holds a bachelor of science degree in business from the University of Tulsa.
|
 |
Mahinder Mathrani
President, IRI Global Operating Center
Mahinder Mathrani is a 15-year veteran of Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), where he has held a variety of strategic roles ranging from client services, sales and delivery operations to technology marketing and consulting. In his current position as president of the IRI Global Operating Center in Bangalore, India, Mathrani is responsible for supporting IRI content, analytics and technology businesses and oversees more than1,000 employees.
As a global business executive having lived and worked in the United States, Europe and India, Mathrani has demonstrated expertise in the areas of information technology and analytics in the CPG/FMCG industry. He is a customer-focused, results-oriented executive who is adept at identifying user needs, formulating out-of-the-box solutions and delivering quantifiable business results.
Prior to joining IRI, Mathrani had more than 10 years of diverse international business experience. He was vice president and senior product manager of database marketing services at Citicorp POS Information Services, where he held product management, systems development and implementation responsibilities for targeted consumer promotion testing and evaluation services. In addition, he has held senior level executive positions for SAMI/Burke and the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in the United States and was with Sabroe/Atlas and Veringten Glaswerke in Europe.
Mathrani earned a bachelor of technology degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, India. He received his master’s of business administration degree in general management with an emphasis in finance and operations research from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan
|
 |
Mark Parise
President, IRI Market Information Group
Mark Parise, president of the newly formed IRI Market Information Group, is responsible for the global market information business in the United States and Europe as well as coordinating IRI’s international partnerships.
Parise, who has previously served as president of IRI International, residing in the U.K., and president of IRI Global Content Operations, returned to IRI in 2006 after serving as president of Experian Marketing Services. He has more than 25 years of experience with world-class companies, including General Electric and Chase Manhattan.
During his career at IRI, Parise successfully led the company’s operations transformation and launched the Global Operating Center. He was also responsible for the IRI Panel and Consumer Insights business, the Technology Marketing and Consulting business, the In-store Solutions business, the global operations and technology groups and global product management groups.
At GE Capital, Parise served as the auto financial services operations executive of the company’s $12 billion global business. In addition, he held general management positions in GE Capital Auto Leasing and its AAFC business. As senior marketing executive of Chase Manhattan, he designed the business strategy and implemented the marketing and product strategy that drove its auto financial services business from start up to more than $16 billion in annual sales.
|
 |
Thom Blischok
President, Consulting and Innovation
As president of innovation and consulting for Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Thom Blischok leads the company’s strategic consulting, thought leadership, innovation and marketing practices. A seasoned executive bringing more than 25 years of industry expertise to this role, Blischok is focused on generating even further growth for the CPG and retail consulting practices at IRI.
Blischok is the former chairman and chief executive officer of MindMeld, Inc., an Arizona-based "transformation through technology" consulting group. MindMeld is recognized for its thought leadership in successfully applying large-scale relational database technology to a number of leading retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, 7-Eleven and others.
Prior to founding MindMeld, he was executive vice president and group executive of Equifax Knowledge Engineering, the global customer relationship management division of Equifax. He has also held senior-level positions at several of the world’s most successful companies, including global chairman of the retail and distribution practice at Coopers and Lybrand Consulting; vice president and chief business scientist of AT&T Global Information Solutions; vice president, industry consulting for Teradata; and vice president, global consulting with ATT/GIS.
A recognized futurist and retail thought leader, Blischok is known around the globe for his innovative thinking and strategies to help retailers fundamentally transform their go-to-market economic models using innovative approaches to understanding the consumer with new forms of marketplace information.
Blischok holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. He has been frequently published and speaks around the world on the future of retailing.
|
 |
Tom Peterseon
President, Global Retail
Thomas E. Peterson is President of Global Retail for Information Resources, Inc. Continuing IRI’s strong growth and Retail Practice momentum, Tom is focused on defining and shaping advanced retail industry solutions and services and go-to-market strategies for IRI. Prior to IRI, Peterson was General Manager of IBM’s Consumer Products Industry business. He brings more than 25 years of experience coordinating and marketing IBM’s valued services and technology solutions to consumer products companies. In his most recent position, he held P&L responsibility for a rapidly expanding $2 billion business within IBM. Among IBM’s CPG customers include The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft/Phillip Morris, Pepsi, Procter and Gamble, and Unilever.
Prior to becoming General Manager of the Consumer Products Industry business, Peterson served from 2000 to 2005 as Worldwide General Manager of IBM’s Retail Store Solutions Division, responsible for manufacturing, development, sales, marketing and operations for IBM’s portfolio of total store solutions. During his tenure, the business grew from $800 million to $1.2 billion in revenues.
From 1978 to 2000, Peterson held multiple sales, marketing, general management and business operations positions within IBM. These included Worldwide General Manager, IBM Computer Services Industry (1999 to 2000); Vice President of Sales and marketing, IBM Americas Group, Retail Sector (1997 to 1999); IBM Director and Retail Industry Segment Manager, North America (1995 to 1997); IBM business Unit Executive and Brand Manager, Retail (1990 to 1995) in addition to several other positions.
Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota and an advanced management degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 We are your indispensable partner in helping you supercharge your growth and profitability by delivering high-value integrated intelligence and insights about markets, consumers, shoppers, in-store and media, with the ease of Google. Learn More  Learn more about Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, Chairman
|
|
 |
|
 |
|