Conference Agenda

FIRST TIME ATTENDEES KICKOFF GATHERING PRESENTED BY MEDIAOCEAN

Welcome to your first ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference! Join us for an informal afternoon of conversation, networking, and fun at the First Time Attendees Kickoff Gathering. It is a great way to meet new colleagues and AFM Conference veterans who are available to answer questions to help get you off to a great start for your first conference. This gathering is open to all first-time conference attendees. We look forward to meeting you!

WELCOME REMARKS

Peter Kenigsberg

Senior Director, Brand and Media ANA

TRENDS IN AGENCY COMPENSATION, 19TH EDITION

For more than 50 years, the ANA has fielded this unique and comprehensive agency compensation survey among client-side marketer members. The survey distributed for this 19th edition was updated to include revised terminology for various compensation methods and addresses the impact of AI on compensation strategies. Co-authors of the report, Tom Browning from JLB + Partners and Greg Wright from the ANA, will review the major findings.

Tom Browning

President JLB + Partners

ADVERTISING M&A: WHAT RECENT DEALS MEAN FOR YOUR FUTURE

Get an insider’s look at the advertising industry landscape, including recent merger and acquisition activity (M&A). Discover how consolidation is reshaping agency structures and client relationships. Her presentation will explore how recent M&A activity has influenced the industry and will continue to do so in the future. Additionally, she will address the advantages and challenges associated with consolidation, examining its potential impacts on agencies, clients, and employees.

Lori Murphree

Founder & Managing Partner Evalla Advisors

GLOBAL CONTENT PRODUCTION TRENDS

The advertising industry overall and production specifically is in a period of unprecedented change. Based on insights from new industry research, this session will cover primary production models in use, global vs. local dynamics, transparency in production, automation at scale including the use of GenAI, and the future of global content production.

Claire Randall

CEO & Founder Claire Randall Consulting

BEST PRACTICES FOR PITCHING, AS TOLD BY CLIENT, AGENCY, AND CONSULTANT

So much of the pitch conversation focuses on the negatives and areas for improvement. Here, we will highlight the positives of the pitch with a multi-faceted panel perspective diving into conversations on how clients make their final decisions, how agencies determine what opportunities to prioritize, and what makes for an efficient RFP.

Tom Browning

President JLB + Partners

GETTING TO STEP 1: PRACTICAL TACTICS FOR STRENGTHENING CREATIVE & PROCUREMENT COLLABORATION

Creative leaders and their procurement partners have different perspectives on creative resourcing, often with distinct priorities and objectives. Still, many successful collaborative relationships can be found in companies where these internal partners find ways to align on strategies and decisions that achieve business objectives, create incremental value, and make everyone’s efforts successful. This panel discussion will offer insights into creative services planning, usage, and contracting, and how to align procurement strategies with Marketing, Creative, and Vendor team objectives. Come ready to hear tips for becoming a strategic partner in the “triangle relationship” between procurement, Marketing & Creative teams, and Creative Services vendor stakeholders. You’ll walk away with proven techniques and actionable tactics that you can implement to improve communication, ask the right questions, and navigate creative project discussions with confidence from day one.

Scott Armstrong

Partner & CEO Brainrider

CLOSING REMARKS

Peter Kenigsberg

Senior Director, Brand and Media ANA

BREAKFAST ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Conference attendees will have the option to join a themed table and have breakfast with peers knowledgeable about and interested in a similar topic starting at 7:30am. These will be informal discussions that allow attendees to network with each other to start the day. To join a table, simply look towards the front of the breakfast room for the tabletop sign with the breakfast theme you would like to attend. You do not need to register or reserve a seat at your desired table in advance of breakfast. 

1. Agency Compensation Models and Trends
   Moderated by:
   Erik Anderson, Director of Procurement, Marketing – Kellanova
2. AI in Marketing Procurement
   Moderated by:
   Robin Seasock, Chief Executive Officer – Decideware
   Steven Wales, Chief Revenue Officer – Decideware
3. Improving Your Client-Agency Relationship
   Moderated by:
   Denis Budniewski, Former Verizon and Agency Executive
4. How to be a Great Client to Your Agency
   Moderated by:
   Kimberly Reavill, Agency Operations Leader, Marketing North America – Molson Coors
5. Navigating Agency Roster Models
   Moderated by:
   Christian Hauptman, Senior Category Manager – Kellanova

WELCOME REMARKS by DECIDEWARE

Steven Wales

Chief Revenue Officer Decideware

OPENING REMARKS

Bill Duggan

Group Executive Vice President ANA

HOST REMARKS AND HOUSEKEEPING

Kathryn Budzien

Director, Marketing and Sales Procurement Post Holdings, Inc.

CHIEF BRAND OFFICER KEYNOTE

Chris Brandt is the Chief Brand Officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill. Since joining the company in 2018, he has focused on transforming Chipotle into a purpose driven lifestyle brand, making it more visible, more culturally relevant, and more loved by consumers. Innovation and driving business from new customers have been key focus areas. Along the way, Chipotle has built a first-class marketing analytics team and has been ruthless on ROI measurement as a tool to make every dollar more efficient and effective. The results have been impressive. Revenue has more than doubled and Chipotle’s market cap has increased from approximately $12 billion to $70+ billion. Mr. Brandt has received widespread industry recognition including Ad Age A-List Awards’ Best Brand CMO (2023), an AdWeek Marketing Vanguard Awards (2024) winner, and featured on Variety 10: Entertainment Advertising Leaders (2024), Campaign US’s CMO 50 (2024), Business Insider’s Most Innovative CMOs (2024) and Forbes’s World’s Most Influential CMOs (2024) lists.

Chris Brandt

Chief Brand Officer Chipotle Mexican Grill

CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER KEYNOTE

Sopan Shah is “one of our own.” Previously, he led marketing procurement at Nestlé and was a speaker at the ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference; he even chaired the event in 2012. Sopan is now SVP, CPO at IHG Hotels & Resorts, which has a portfolio of 19 brands in 100+ countries. The focus of his role is on supporting its franchisees in areas including branding and operations and the transformation of the delivery of the guest promise (examples of the latter include IHG’s dynamically enabled website and development of an AI-based mobile app). He leads a team of 160+ individuals. Welcome back, Sopan!

Sopan Shah

SVP, Chief Procurement Officer IHG Hotels & Resorts

FIRESTARTER SESSION BY EDENRED PAY: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT FROM CYBERCRIMINALS AND PAYMENT FRAUD

Cybercriminals are more sophisticated than ever – and finance is one of their top targets. If your finance team isn’t proactively defending against these threats, you could be the next victim. This session will help you safeguard your payments, your data, and your organization’s financial future. You’ll discover how outdated payment processes leave your organization vulnerable – and, more importantly, how to fight back. You’ll also learn the essential fraud mitigation strategies, from advanced security systems to airtight internal controls and staff training that transforms finance into your first line of defense.

Rich Arminio

Director, Invoice Automation Edenred Pay

BECOMING A ZERO-WASTE MARKETER: SUSTAINABILITY FROM PERSONAL TO PROFESSIONAL TO THE PLANET

Sustainability is more than just keeping plastics out of the ocean or preserving wildlife habitats (although those are certainly important). In fact, sustainability requires an equal focus on environmental, economic and social factors. Marketers can play a critical role in driving change but need to start by looking inward. Consider that the greenhouse gas emissions from digital advertising are comparable to those of the aviation industry. Careless marketing not only pollutes the consumer landscape but actually harms the planet. In this session, we will explore how marketers can impact the world we share by taking a zero-waste approach to their professional activity, and how sustainability starts with a personal commitment to creativity, learning and growth.

Dan Dipiazzo

Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Georgia Aquarium

THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES ON THE MINDS OF AGENCIES

Abbey Klaassen is Global Brand President and U.S. CEO of Dentsu Creative and current Chair of the 4A’s Board of Directors. At Dentsu she is responsible for driving growth and transformation for clients and pursuing innovation that continuously elevates Dentsu Creative’s reputation. In her role as 4A’s Chair, she advocates for the advertising industry and helps influence and guide the industry agenda. From this unique perspective, Abbey will discuss the most pressing issues on the minds of agencies (as well as their clients). Those issues include Gen AI, how agencies are using technology and more.

Abbey Klaassen

CEO, Dentsu Creative U.S. Chair, 4A’s Board of Directors

SYMBIOTIC TEAMWORK: FROM THE SEAS TO THE C-SUITE, HOW COLLABORATION DRIVES GROWTH

Most CFOs and CMOs see themselves as growth leaders, yet most of their C-suite colleagues—such as CEOs, CIOs, and CHROs—disagree with this self-assessment. Collaboration shrinks this perception gap. Let's take inspiration from the California coastline full of odd pairings that thrive precisely because of their strong partnerships. We will help you diagnose your current state of partnership and offer concrete steps for improvement.

Jason McNellis

Vice President, Commercial Analytics Ambassador Analytic Partners

PRAGMATIC AI IN MARKETING PROCUREMENT

Steven Wales, Chief Revenue Officer of Decideware, will present use cases for employing AI agents in marketing procurement processes, from contracting to budget management, and everything in between. Joined by Diane Gibbons, Category Strategy Global Lead at Zoetis and Kari Theisen, Global Agency Finance Manager at Ford Motor Company, they will explore some real-word scenarios of how AI is helping optimize procurement within their organizations.

*Please note: This session is available for live viewing only and will not be accessible on-demand.

Diane Gibbons

Category Strategy Global Lead Zoetis

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR MARTECH STACK: TRANSFORMATION TIPS FOR PROCUREMENT

As the need for marketing technology (“martech”) grows, so too does the financial investment required to maintain an effective tech stack. It’s more important than ever for procurement leaders to take stock of their company’s martech and make informed rent, build, or buy decisions. Carmen True will lend her perspective on the myriads of considerations procurement leaders must make when auditing their martech.

*Please note: This session is available for live viewing only and will not be accessible on-demand.

Carmen True

Vice President Marketing, Channel Sales Enablement and Digital Ecosystems Qualcomm

HOW TO GET YOUR AGENCY TO RUN THROUGH BRICK WALLS – WITHOUT PAYING MORE

This session will share best practices for motivating agencies – without overpaying. Examples of good client behavior underscore how great marketers can encourage their agencies to, figuratively, run through brick walls, jump through hoops, and walk on hot coals for their clients without asking for more fees. Based on Joanne Davis’s successful book of the same name and her 18 years supporting Jim Akers as he led or oversaw marketing procurement at companies including Pfizer, BMS, and Avis Budget (and Jim hosted this conference in 2010), they will present ideas for procurement, marketing, and agencies on effective behaviors and actions for client agency management.

Jim Akers

Seasoned Procurement Executive 

WHAT SETS APART A TOP PERFORMING AGENCY?

All agencies are not created equal and those who are “top performing” can have a significant impact on client business. Denis Budniewski, a seasoned industry veteran, has seen both sides of the agency-client relationship. After decades at agencies leading iconic brands like McDonald's, Cadillac, and P&G, he brought his expertise to Verizon. There, he spearheaded agency ecosystem strategy, investment, and talent management. In this session, Denis will share data-driven insights into the key factors that define a top-performing agency.

Denis Budniewski

Former Verizon and Agency Executive

THE INNOFICIENCY PROBLEM

How do you procure creativity without killing it? That's the billion dollar question at the heart of what Blair Enns calls "The Innoficiency Problem." Enns maintains that innovation and efficiency are mutually opposable objectives and that you cannot realize gains in one without suffering losses in the other. The tension created by this poorly understood tradeoff can be seen within client-side organizations, agencies, and their relationships—most prominently in the marketing procurement function. "Once you understand this principle," says Enns, "you will see it everywhere." But what do you do about it?

Blair Enns

Founder Win Without Pitching

CLOSING REMARKS

Kathryn Budzien

Director, Marketing and Sales Procurement Post Holdings, Inc.

BREAKFAST ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Conference attendees will have the option to join a themed table and have breakfast with peers knowledgeable about and interested in a similar topic starting at 7:30am. These will be informal discussions that allow attendees to network with each other to start the day. To join a table, simply look towards the front of the breakfast room for the tabletop sign with the breakfast theme you would like to attend. You do not need to register or reserve a seat at your desired table in advance of breakfast. 

1. Agency Compensation Models and Trends
   Moderated by:
   Tom Browning, President – JLB + Partners
2. Improving Your Client-Agency Relationship
   Moderated by:
   Denis Budniewski, Former Verizon and Agency Executive
3. Principal Media Buying Watchouts
   Moderated by:
   Jared Belsky, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder – Acadia
4. Sustainable Solutions that Drive Growth
   Moderated by:
   Dan Dipiazzo, Chief Marketing + Experience Officer – Georgia Aquarium
5. Navigating the Pitch Process
   Moderated by:
   Chinwe Obinani, Global Strategic Sourcing Director, Marketing & Media – Bloomberg
   Morgan Smith, Director, Global Marketing Sourcing – McDonald’s

BEYOND THE PITCH: BUILDING STRONG, LASTING CLIENT-AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS

Insights to foster trust, conduct meaningful performance evaluations, and create a thriving client-agency relationship that drives long-term success.

Bonnie Chu

Principal Consultant Flock Associates

WELCOME REMARKS AND HOUSEKEEPING

Kathryn Budzien

Director, Marketing and Sales Procurement Post Holdings, Inc.

DEFINING PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

The career of Ciare James reflects passion for defining pathways to sustainable growth of brands across a variety of categories and market positions. She was recently promoted to CMO at Bob Evans Farms, a Post Holdings subsidiary. With demonstrated excellence in P&L management, strategic planning, insights mining, integrated marketing and team leadership, Ciare aims to cultivate strong, growth-oriented brands while also making lasting impact on broader organizational design, talent and culture.

*Please note: This session is available for live viewing only and will not be accessible on-demand.

Ciare James

Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President Bob Evans Farms, Inc.

REVOLUTIONIZING AGENCY MANAGEMENT: AT&T'S INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO MARKETING TRANSFORMATION

AT&T's three-year journey to revamp its marketing operations went through a comprehensive transformation of agency management. Their new approach was designed to enhance efficiency, optimize fees, and improve overall performance by leveraging a mix of in-house capabilities and improved external partnerships. By building an in-house studio, centralizing scope development, implementing transparent processes, introducing performance-based compensation, and conducting regular evaluations, AT&T set a new standard for marketing efficiency and effectiveness. This transformation ultimately empowered AT&T to better control costs, enhance performance, and achieve its strategic marketing goals.

*Please note: This session is available for live viewing only and will not be accessible on-demand.

Kerry Kielb

Director, Vendor and Agency Management AT&T

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR: WHAT AGENCIES WON’T TELL YOU WHEN NEGOTIATING

A behind-the-scenes look at how even the best intentions can break down during agency negotiations, and what’s really at stake when budgets, talent, and expectations don’t align. This session offers an honest perspective on how to create healthier, more effective partnerships from the very beginning.

Tasha Dean

Chief Revenue Officer The Martin Agency

AFLAC: ONBOARDING A US FILM TAX CREDIT STRATEGY

At the intersection of creative, production, marketing, procurement, and tax, resides an opportunity—film tax credit programs are used as a budgeting resource on almost every movie and TV show, often causing entire productions to shift to a different state or country. Some advertisers, like AFLAC, are successfully leveraging these programs for their commercial productions. What does it take to get a commercial tax credit for your production? Learn about the opportunities, obstacles, and key observations to effectively integrate such programs into your financial strategy.

*Please note: This session is available for live viewing only and will not be accessible on-demand.

Terri Burns

Lead Marketing Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Aflac

ECONOMIC KEYNOTE

The Conference Board is a nonpartisan global think tank committed to providing Trusted Insights for What's Ahead™. Since its founding in 1916, the organization has been instrumental in helping leading organizations enhance performance and societal impact. They are renowned for their objective insights and ability to convene influential business leaders worldwide. Stephanie Guichard, senior economist at The Conference Board, heads the Global Business Cycle Indicators team. She oversees a suite of key economic indicators, including the Consumer Confidence Index®, The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence™, and The Conference Board Leading Economic Index.® Stephanie will offer a comprehensive macroeconomic perspective and delve into the potential economic implications of the new administration in Washington.

Stephanie Guichard, PhD

Senior Economist, Global Indicators The Conference Board

LUNCH SESSION: WHY COLLABORATION IS THE SECRET TO CREATIVE SUCCESS

Marketing teams are being asked to do more than ever – manage campaigns, data, and stakeholders – often without the resources to match. The secret to thriving under this pressure? Collaboration. This session explores how the right workflows, seamless teamwork, and smarter ways of working can unlock creative success, giving you back the time to deliver.

Luis Clark

Go-To Market Manager monday.com

THE MEDIA PROCUREMENT PERSPECTIVE ON MEASURING MEDIA ROI

Bristol Myers Squibb’s global reach demands a clear media strategy, set in motion by the efforts of procurement who accurately track spend and ROI. Ricardo Armbrust, global media procurement director, will discuss his department’s impact on BMS’ media strategy, as well as his relationships with data and analytics colleagues to create a detailed picture of BMS’ media ROI.

*Please note: This session is available for live viewing only and will not be accessible on-demand.

Ricardo Armbrust

Senior Director, Procurement, Media Planning & Buying Services Bristol-Myers Squibb

THE DEBATE ABOUT PRINCIPAL MEDIA BUYING

According to Jared Belsky, the practice of principal media buying has repeatedly prioritized agency profits and causes systemic problems. Too often, brands are in the dark about whether the media they’re buying is best for their business or simply the agency's bottom line. Marketers need to ask more of their teams and partners. Agencies need to stop sneaking in the back door with margin fixes and take the compensation issue head-on with clients. Jared has even launched a website focused on the issue – http://www.saynotoprincipalmediabuying.com/.  The session will also feature perspective from a client.

Jared Belsky

CEO and Co-Founder Acadia

ELIMINATING WASTE VIA CROSS MEDIA MEASUREMENT

The media landscape is fragmented and complex. Consumer habits are changing, and traditional TV viewership is declining as streaming and digital platforms grow. Current measurement systems, often funded by media sellers, can’t keep up with these changes. As a result, advertisers waste money, annoy consumers with excess frequency, and make poor decisions due to inaccurate data. Aquila, built by marketers for marketers and owned by the ANA, measures deduplicated reach and frequency. By reducing excessive ad frequency, companies using Aquila can create more cost-effective media plans by purchasing fewer GRPs, thereby reducing waste by as much as 20 percent.  Aquila is the gamechanger marketers have been waiting for.

Tina Daniels

President and Chief Operating Officer Aquila

TOWN HALL – KEY ISSUES & TOPICS

We'll close the afternoon with a town hall discussion. While our agenda remains fluid, we plan on discussing:

How AI will Revolutionize Sourcing and Procurement Tracy Avelar (Meta)
Will AI Kill the Billable Hour and Rekindle Incentive Compensation? Francisco Escobar (JFE International Consultants, Inc.)
Balancing Cost Efficiency with Creativity & Innovation Brett Colbert (Service Now)
Evolving Procurement – Gaining a Seat at the Table Sherry Ulsh (The Hershey Company)

Tracy Avelar

Global Head of Marketing Sourcing Meta

CLOSING REMARKS

Kathryn Budzien

Director, Marketing and Sales Procurement Post Holdings, Inc.

WELCOME REMARKS AND HOUSEKEEPING

Kathryn Budzien

Director, Marketing and Sales Procurement Post Holdings, Inc.

PROCUREMENT’S OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE IN CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND TRANSFORMATION

When new agency reviews begin, change management is sure to follow. As category managers, it is an opportunity to move the marketing organization forward with more efficient workflows, stronger relationships with suppliers, and maximized value creation. Communication with internal and external stakeholders is paramount to successful transformations, keeping both parties engaged with ongoing updates on process reengineering and risk management plans. Lauren Shukla, global category lead of agency production and channel delivery, will leverage recent changes at Astellas Pharma to illustrate the difference procurement can make in periods of transformation.

*Please note: This session is available for live viewing only and will not be accessible on-demand.

Lauren Shukla

Global Category Lead of Agency Production and Channel Delivery Astellas Pharma

LOOK INSIDE 4As/ANA CLIENT-AGENCY RELATIONSHIP TENURE REPORT

Greg Wright

Senior Vice President, Brand and Media ANA

BEST PRACTICES OF AI GOVERNANCE

We are no longer on the precipice of AI in marketing. It is a full-fledged reality for marketing organizations across industries and of all sizes. Now comes a difficult challenge for marketing leaders: how do you govern AI’s use across the organization? How do you keep your marketers and your company’s IP safe as AI proliferates? Krista Sande-Kerback has advised enterprises on this critical topic during her time as a marketing leader at IBM. Now as director of product marketing at Computer General Solutions, she will offer platform-agnostic solutions to tame the AI beast.

Krista Sande-Kerback

Director of Product Marketing Computer Generated Solutions

THE COMMERCE DISRUPTION: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT ON CONSUMER BRANDS

The accelerated growth of digital commerce has shifted responsibilities, increased retail media costs, and introduced new competitive dynamics that are creating financial pressures for consumer branded manufacturers. This session will provide procurement and finance leaders a fresh lens on how these disruptors pose risks to business performance, the challenges limiting success, and the key factors to consider in making more informed decisions.

Jeriad Zoghby

Chief Commerce Strategy Officer IPG

INSIGHTS FROM THE CONVERSATION BOARD

The Advertising Financial Management Conference will conclude by reviewing posts made to the Conversation Boards stationed around the conference floor. If you post a marketing procurement, sourcing, or financial management challenge and/or question to the board, our panel of experts will take this time to offer their advice.

Warren Byrum

Senior Vice President, Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Truist

CLOSING REMARKS

Kathryn Budzien

Director, Marketing and Sales Procurement Post Holdings, Inc.