About Us

Our Leadership Team

We recruit and develop talented people at every level across LoyaltyOne. Their passion and commitment are exemplified by the individuals who lead our business.

Bryan Pearson

Bryan A. Pearson

President and Chief Executive Officer

With more than two decades experience developing meaningful customer relationships for some of the world’s leading companies, Bryan Pearson is an internationally recognized authority on enterprise loyalty and coalition marketing. As President of LoyaltyOne, a pioneer in loyalty strategies and measured marketing, he heads six global enterprises, leveraging the knowledge of 120 million customer relationships to create relevant communications and enhanced shopper experiences.

A sought-after speaker and author, Bryan has presented in North and South America, Europe and New Zealand at such well-known events as Loyalty World, Card Forum and the Economic Club of Canada, and he is a frequent speaker at conferences hosted by the Direct Marketing Association and the Canadian Marketing Association. Bryan is a regular contributor to Retail Customer Experience, Customer Think, Creative Match and COLLOQUY. He has been widely quoted in the Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun, National Post and Direct Marketing News. In addition, Bryan serves as a member of the Executive Committee of Alliance Data, owner of LoyaltyOne.

Bryan joined Alliance Data (formerly The Loyalty Group) in 1992, was appointed President of the AIR MILES Reward Program (AMRP) in 1999 and of LoyaltyOne in 2006. Since then, Bryan spearheaded LoyaltyOne’s expansion into South America and the launch of AIR MILES My Planet and AIR MILES for Social Change, growing AMRP to more than 10 million accounts – two-thirds of Canadian households. In 2010, LoyaltyOne earned more than 30 awards for its role as a best employer, its green initiatives, its marketing and its human resources.

Prior to LoyaltyOne, Bryan launched his career in brand marketing at the Quaker Oats Co. of Canada, followed by a position in technology/software at Alias Research Inc.

Bryan supports a number of community and charitable groups including the Toronto French School and Kids Help Phone, and he is a Board Member of the Special Olympics Canada Foundation. He holds a BScH and an MBA from Queen's University and is an active member of its Venture Management Program.

Other Executive Committee Members

Dave Burns

Dave Burns

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As LoyaltyOne’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Dave is responsible for all strategic planning and service delivery in our IT, customer care, facilities management, and corporate responsibility organizations. His leadership experience in these key areas spans strategic planning, operations, sales, customer relationship management, and employee engagement.

Dave came to LoyaltyOne from Percepta, where he was responsible for providing CRM solutions and contact management services, primarily to the automotive industry. His experience also includes time at Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program; at TeleTech, where he worked with major clients including CIBC and Ford; and at Bell Canada, where he led a variety of operations including sales support, engineering, financial management, and business-to-business customer service.

Dave has an MBA from The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and received his Honours Bachelor of Business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

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Neil Everett

Neil Everett

Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Neil is responsible for all aspects of marketing the AIR MILES Reward Program, including branding, e-business, promotions, direct mail and consumer products. His focus as CMO is on growing and evolving consumer engagement to ensure the continued leadership of North America’s premier coalition loyalty program. Neil also leads Direct Antidote, a full-service direct marketing agency under the LoyaltyOne umbrella. 


While CMO of Shoppers Drug Mart, Neil oversaw the launch of major new sales channels and vendor strategies, including a customer education initiative and the Optimum loyalty program. Prior to joining the AIR MILES organization, he was president of Ammirati Puris Advertising and CMO of McDonald’s Canada.

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Bruce Kerr

Bruce Kerr

President, LoyaltyOne US

Full Biography

Bringing more than 20 years of executive-level experience to his role as President, LoyaltyOne US, Bruce applies his expertise in customer management, analytics and loyalty marketing to help build successful corporate and brand partnerships. He is spearheading LoyaltyOne’s expansion in the US and international markets, responding to demand from corporate clients who need more effective differentiation strategies – and who have seen the proven success of the coalition loyalty model established by the AIR MILES Reward Program.


Bruce joined the AIR MILES organization in 1995 and progressed through a series of senior roles, ultimately overseeing relationship management with all Sponsors of North America’s premier coalition loyalty program. He was also responsible for business development, both within the coalition and under the aegis of LoyaltyOne’s parent company, Alliance Data.

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Michael Kline

Michael Kline

Senior Vice-President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice-President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Michael leads the team responsible for all legal dimensions of the AIR MILES Reward Program, including contractual relations, intellectual property, compliance and other corporate matters related to the loyalty coalition’s extensive network of Sponsors and Reward Suppliers. 


Prior to joining the AIR MILES organization, Michael was a partner at Fogler, Rubinoff LLP in the corporate and securities area. His breadth of legal experience includes a secondment to the Ontario Securities Commission, where he practiced in the Corporate Finance Department and the Office of the General Counsel. Michael is called to the Bar of Ontario and is a member of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association.

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Todd March

Todd March

Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at LoyaltyOne, Todd oversees financial management, enterprise risk and strategic planning. He also plays an integral role in business development in conjunction with LoyaltyOne’s parent company, Alliance Data. The backbone of the financial department, Todd has more than two decades of industry-related experience.

Todd previously served as Chief Client Officer at LoyaltyOne where he was responsible for managing more than 120 Sponsor relationships of the AIR MILES Reward Program. As Chief Client Officer, Todd spearheaded the pursuit of innovative partnership marketing strategies. Prior to his time with LoyaltyOne, he worked with brands such as Unilever, Pepsico and Kraft in a number of planning and finance roles. 

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Caroline Papadatos

Caroline Papadatos

Senior Vice-President, International, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

Caroline is a senior loyalty leader with deep expertise in customer management, marketing, CRM and brand. A successful change agent in both B2B and B2C businesses, she has demonstrated experience in designing and executing transformational customer loyalty strategies for companies and partners.

As Senior Vice-President of International at LoyaltyOne, Caroline sits on the Executive Committee and leads global alliances and key loyalty partnerships outside North America. Her past executive roles include Senior Vice-President of Marketing for Rogers Communications Inc, Canada’s largest telecom services provider, Senior Vice-President and Chief Knowledge Officer at LoyaltyOne and Senior-Vice President of Marketing for the Air Miles Reward Program.

In her long tenure at LoyaltyOne, she has held leadership roles in Client Services, Business Development, CRM and Marketing. She has managed COLLOQUY, a U.S. based loyalty knowledge practice and is a recognized leader and frequent industry speaker on loyalty, coalition management, customer experience and international marketing.

Caroline is Board Member for The Verde Group, a customer strategy research company specializing in customer dissatisfaction measurement, and Senior Advisor to several new ventures in marketing services, social media and loyalty management. Caroline was formerly a Board Member for Ronald McDonald House and the Canadian Marketing Association, where she has held several executive positions, as well as being Senior Direct Marketing Judge for the Canadian Marketing Association Marketing Awards. She recently chaired the Women Make Your Mark Conference and was on the Board for the Rogers Women’s Network.

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Sofia Theodorou Locke

Sofia Theodorou Locke

Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, Sofia is responsible for ensuring LoyaltyOne has an integrated HR system that inspires employee engagement and productivity. She and her team work to attract, motivate, develop and retain talented people who will help the organization achieve its strategic growth objectives.

Prior to joining LoyaltyOne in 2008, Sofia was Vice President, Corporate HR Programs, with Canadian Tire Corporation, where she helped map out a comprehensive talent strategy in concert with the retailer’s overall vision. Her earlier career experience includes senior roles with Cara Operations Limited, where she oversaw human resources for the Harvey’s and Swiss Chalet restaurant chains, and Rogers Communications Inc., where her focus was on organizational development and effectiveness.

Sofia speaks regularly on leadership development and other HR issues at professional conferences. She is also a certified facilitator with a wide range of expertise, from emotional intelligence to change management. She holds a BA in Administration and Information Management from Ryerson University.

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Andy Wright

Andy Wright

President, AIR MILES Reward Program

Full Biography

Andy Wright has assumed the role of President, AIR MILES Reward Program. Andy will be responsible for managing Client Services Account Management & Analytic Solutions, Marketing & Rewards, Business Development and AIR MILES for Social Change.

Originally from the UK, Andy is a marketing services veteran with over 30 years of experience. He has a passion for data and a strong belief that loyalty programs are one of the most powerful ways to capture data that can then be used across the enterprise to improve the customer experience and drive customer intimacy.

Andy has a demonstrated track record of developing collaborative relationships with clients, leading capability innovations, building an energetic culture and driving growth. He has a proven ability to manage multifaceted businesses across the entire value chain, including strategy and consulting, analytics, creative, communications and fulfillment.

Andy has spent the last 12 years in the United States and most recently held the position of CEO of Hawkeye Channel Practice, an agency specializing in channel marketing programs for major technology firms. Previously, he was the president of Carlson Marketing's U.S. loyalty business and has also held several senior management positions with various marketing agencies and marketing analytics specialist organizations, such as Euro RSCG, Brann Worldwide and CACI respectively.

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Business Leads

Dennis Armbruster

Dennis Armbruster

Vice President, Loyalty Consulting

Full Biography

As Vice President, Dennis leads the development of innovative, analytics-driven loyalty strategies for clients throughout North America. He directs a team of internationally recognized practitioners working with companies across the business spectrum, including MGM MIRAGE, Eddie Bauer, Best Buy, HP Software and Visa International. Looking at loyalty enterprise-wide rather than in the context of a specific program, their mandate is to build on LoyaltyOne’s leadership in sophisticated analytics and financial modeling to develop breakthrough initiatives in customer strategy and experience design. The solutions they deliver are grounded in deep consumer insights and custom-tailored to create new economic opportunities.


Dennis has more than two decades of experience consulting to companies in the retail, financial services, airline, hospitality, telecommunications and pharmaceutical sectors. An expert in loyalty program strategy as well as implementation and technology platforms, he spent many years with Carlson Marketing Worldwide, rising to the position of Vice President, Customer Loyalty and CRM. High-profile clients that have benefited from his counsel include Coca-Cola, ESPN, The Home Depot, Starbucks, Budget Rent A Car, The Limited, Eastman Kodak, Northwest Airlines, ExxonMobil, BellSouth, Chase and Bank of America, among many others. Most recently he was Vice President and General Manager of Business Development for Lifetouch Inc., guiding the photography company’s rapid retail expansion across the US.

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Debbie Baxter

Debbie Baxter

Vice President Workplace Services, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

In her role as Vice President Workplace Services, Debbie is responsible for developing and maintaining a formal program of corporate sustainability at LoyaltyOne. She spearheads a range of initiatives to “green” all business operations, helping the global leader in loyalty marketing take the lead on environmental issues as well. Debbie recently led the project to build a silver and gold LEED certified call center that features the largest rooftop solar panel installation in Canada. She also drove an initiative to purchase a fleet of smart cars for the LoyaltyOne employees who take mass transit to work daily. Debbie is a respected expert in the sustainability industry, often requested to contribute her knowledge by speaking at events and writing articles. 



Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, Debbie was Chief Operating Officer with Green Rewards, an innovative, eco-conscious loyalty business that is now integrated into the AIR MILES Reward Program. Previously, she progressed through various management roles in the marketing, workforce management and information technology sectors. 

Debbie has been trained by former US Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore to help raise public awareness of the impact of climate change. She is also a volunteer advisor on sustainability and other issues with MaRS, the Toronto-based innovation centre that helps science, technology and social entrepreneurs create and grow new enterprises. Debbie is also a member of Partners in Project Green and Greening Greater Toronto taskforce.

 

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Blair Cameron

Blair Cameron

Vice President, AIR MILES Reward Program

Full Biography

Based in Calgary, Blair oversees day-to-day operations and management strategy for the AIR MILES Reward Program in Western Canada. As Vice President, Client Services, he works with loyalty coalition partners such as Safeway, Shell and the Forzani Group, helping turn customer insights into pragmatic initiatives for profitable business growth. 

Blair brings a strong retail background to his executive role. Before joining the AIR MILES organization, he was responsible for marketing, advertising and merchandising at Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Canada’s largest specialty apparel retailer. He previously held a range of positions in marketing, research and store development with leading grocery chains Sobeys and Safeway.

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Di Cullen

Di Cullen

President, Direct Antidote

Full Biography

As President of Direct Antidote, Di is responsible for all facets of the agency’s operations, from strategic planning and account management to creative and production services. The award-winning initiatives created by her team are imaginative, differentiating, memorable and designed to achieve quantifiable results while building long-term loyalty.


In a career that has taken her from South Africa to the US and Canada, Di has tackled every kind 
of marketing challenge – from both the client and the agency side – for a diverse range of brands, products and services. She was formerly Vice President, Marketing for BMO InvestorLine and Chief Marketing Officer of Harrisdirect. Prior to joining Direct Antidote, she was Regional Director, North America with Euro RSCG and subsequently Executive Vice President, Director 
of US Operations for Universal McCann.

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Trish Fonberg

Trish Fonberg

Vice President of Business Development, AIR MILES Reward Program

Full Biography

With 25 years of experience in marketing and strategic business development, Trish and her team draw from a rich skill set to generate compelling new business opportunities for the AIR MILES Reward Program. Trish is inspired by challenge and relishes the opportunity to engage her team in tackling difficult tasks. This includes establishing new strategic partnerships, which are intended to foster long-term value for all stakeholders – particularly for its members, or Collectors.

Trish joined LoyaltyOne in 1998 as Director and General Manager of the AIR MILES Reward Program, leading the teams that managed several of the program’s major sponsor partners. A talented relationship builder, she assumed several challenging roles over the years, from Vice President of Strategic Ventures, where she led the team that investigated and subsequently built new opportunities in the online space, to Vice President of Business Development for sister company Alliance Data Retail Services, in the U.S. In 2009, Trish took on the role of Vice President of Business Development (U.S.) at LoyaltyOne, Toronto, and in 2010 accepted her current position.

Before joining LoyaltyOne, Trish served as Vice President of Marketing for Black’s Photography.  She earned an Honours degree in Political Science from York University, and resides in Toronto.

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Jay Malowney

Jay Malowney

Vice President, International, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Vice President of International at LoyaltyOne, Jay Malowney is responsible for leading the company's growth initiatives in South America. Since 2007 Jay has led the effort to expand in the business to Brazil, working closely with the leadership team at Dotz to help transfer the knowledge and experience from LoyaltyOne into the Brazilian market place. Jay has had many roles within the organization in his 10 years with the company, including responsibilities leading the business development and client services teams within the AIR MILES Reward Program in Canada.

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Graeme McVie

Graeme McVie

Vice President, Business Development, LoyaltyOne US

Full Biography

As VP and GM of Business Development for LoyaltyOne, Graeme McVie helps clients drive improved sales and profits through insight-driven, customer-centric strategies and solutions.

Graeme began his career as a consultant and project leader at Bain & Company. Here, he applied a data-driven approach to helping a wide-range of clients develop and implement revenue and growth strategies across international markets. From Bain, Graeme entered into the world of software-as-a-service – most notably with DemandTec, a leading player in customer-centric optimization SaaS solutions, where he held progressively senior roles within product management, solutions consulting, and strategic alliances. During Graeme’s tenure at DemandTec he developed an expertise for helping clients drive sales and profits through insight-driven strategies and solutions.

Graeme then joined Applied Predictive Technologies, a leading player in Test & Learn SaaS solutions, where he was the industry lead for retailers and manufacturers. Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, Graeme was the Senior Vice President of Analytical SaaS Solutions at Symphony Analytics. Here, he delivered price, trade and brand analytics, strategies and SaaS solutions to many leading CPG manufacturers.

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Mitchell Merowitz

Mitchell Merowitz

Vice President Corporate Affairs, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Mitchell Merowitz is responsible for the corporate reputation, global privacy practices, regulatory and legislative affairs of LoyaltyOne. As Chief Privacy Officer, Mitchell also oversees the company’s database governance and international consumer privacy and data protection policies. He is also a standing member of the Executive Critical Event Response Team for LoyaltyOne’s parent company, Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS). 

In October 2000, Mitchell joined the company as Senior Director, Corporate Affairs, AIR MILES Reward Program, responsible for media, stakeholder and trade relations, as well as crisis management practices for Canada’s premiere coalition loyalty program. He later assumed responsibility for all business-to-consumer and business-to-business public relations for LoyaltyOne’s North American interests. In 2004, he was appointed Chief Privacy Officer for the AIR MILES Reward Program. In 2007, he assumed the CPO role for all LoyaltyOne businesses. Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, Mitchell was the Manager of Corporate Communications for one of Canada’s largest public relations agencies and worked as a consultant to many of Canada's top 100 companies, where his focus was in the areas of corporate and brand communications planning, crisis and reputation management, public policy and public affairs.

Mitchell Merowitz is a long-time Director of the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation and a Member of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Canada. He is also Chairman of the Special Olympics Canada Festival. Mitchell also serves as a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Working Group on Electronic Commerce & Telecommunications, as well as the Competition Law and Policy Task Force.

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Jill Morison

Jill Morison

Vice President Marketing, Consumer Products, AIR MILES Reward Program

Full Biography

As Vice President Marketing, Consumer Products, Jill is responsible for delivering the relevant and valued selection of rewards that AIR MILES Collectors have come to expect from North America’s premier coalition loyalty program. Her team oversees relationships with more than 350 rewards suppliers, from major airlines, hotel chains and other travel partners, to entertainment attractions, merchandise manufacturers and brand-name retailers.

Prior to joining the AIR MILES team, Jill spent many years in the airline industry – initially with Wardair, then with Canadian Airlines International – where her evolving roles spanned customer service, marketing, frequent flyer programs, international planning and brand development. She holds BSc and MBA degrees from the University of Alberta.

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Miguel Pereira

Miguel Pereira

Vice President of Consulting and Analytical Services, Precima

Full Biography

Miguel manages client relationships for Precima, a full-service provider of shopper management solutions, in his position as Director of Consulting and Analytical Services. With more than 20 years of experience in the retail industry, he brings to his role a deep knowledge of all organizational functions, from supply chain management to loyalty marketing, as he helps retailers achieve long-term gains. 

Prior to joining Precima, Miguel was general manager of shopper management and analytics at Sears Canada. His earlier retail experience includes senior positions with HBC Canada and Toys “R” Us. Miguel’s insights on analytics and shopper management have appeared in Forbes magazine and many trade publications. He is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences.

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Scott Ray

Scott Ray

Vice President, International, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

Scott is charged with driving international expansion at LoyaltyOne with a current focus on emerging markets such as India. To do so, he draws on more than 25 years experience in business development, revenue management, customer experience, team building and corporate evolution. Scott is especially talented at identifying and unlocking new revenue streams.

Prior to joining LoyaltyOne in 2010, Scott consistently held positions where he shaped new ventures in the loyalty space. He served as Executive Vice President of Business Development at Mulberry Consulting, a global specialist in making leading companies more “customer intelligent.” As Managing Director of the SCENE LP, he helped launch an entertainment oriented loyalty program targeting youth, surpassing enrollment targets by 200% and using social networking tools to drive engagement. He also led a major frequent flyer program’s expansion into a broader coalition market position while also expanding their offerings into B2B and employee incentives. As a private consultant he has developed strategies for growth initiatives in incentive, loyalty and channel programs across many sectors including retail, telecommunications, real estate and financial services.

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Brian Ross

Brian Ross

President, Precima

Full Biography

As President, Brian is responsible for Precima’s overall strategic and operational management, as well its relationships with customers and business partners. Drawing on his extensive experience in loyalty and customer strategy across marketing and merchandising, he has worked with leading North American retailers and manufacturers to implement world-class customer management strategies.

Before joining Precima, Brian held a series of management positions in LoyaltyOne businesses, notably providing client management and analytics for key Sponsors of the AIR MILES Reward Program. He has used data-driven customer insights to help shape successful business initiatives for clients in grocery, pharmacy, department store and specialty retailing, as well as financial services and consumer packaged goods. Brian shares his expertise in regular articles for marketing publications and is a frequent speaker at industry events and forums.

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Lorne Solway

Lorne Solway

Senior Director, Brand & Promotions, AIR MILES Reward Program

Full Biography

Lorne brings more than two decades of experience to his role as Senior Director, Brand & Promotions, for the AIR MILES Reward Program. He is responsible for all brand marketing via TV, radio and other mass channels, as well as national and local promotions on behalf of the loyalty coalition’s Sponsors. His mandate is to ensure cohesive brand integration and continuity in all interactions with AIR MILES Collectors.


Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, Lorne was Director, National & Regional Marketing, with McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, where he developed and executed the annual marketing plan. Previously he held senior marketing and operations positions with restaurant chains mmmarvellous mmmuffins and Michel’s Baguette, as well as with Bell Mobility and the largest licensee of the Hudson’s Bay Company, operating under the Zellers Vision Centre, Bay Optical, Bay Hearing and Bay Home Improvements banners.

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Angela Simo Brown

Angela Simo Brown

General Manager, AIR MILES for Social Change

Full Biography

Angela is the General Manager of AIR MILES for Social Change, a national social venture that offers government incentives to all Canadians for making healthier or more environmentally responsible lifestyle choices - powered by the unparalleled reach and popularity of the AIR MILES loyalty currency.

In her 15 years with LoyaltyOne, the operator of AIR MILES for Social Change, Angela has progressed through a range of leadership roles, concentrating primarily on the development of strategic partnerships and reward suppliers for the organization. Most recently she was instrumental in the establishment and growth of innovative public sector partnerships focused on sustainable and healthy lifestyle incentives.

As a committed and passionate environmentalist, Angela helped lead the formation of a series of grassroots eco-initiatives across LoyaltyOne which ultimately triggered the transformation of the organization into a prominent corporate sustainability change agent for Canada.

Angela holds a degree in Business Administration from Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

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Upcoming Events

May 30 2013
Webinar: Loyalty Program Growth: For Better or Worse? Loyalty Program Growth: For Better or Worse? Jeff Berry → LoyaltyOne
Jun 11 2013
COLLOQUY/DMA Loyalty Marketing Workshop Loyalty Marketing 101 Jeff Berry → COLLOQUY

Articles

Optimizing Store Layout Graeme McVie • May 7, 2013
Banking on the Future of the Mobile Wallet Phaedra Hise • Feb 13, 2013

Case Studies

Base/Bonus: Balancing Retention and Engagement Stephanie Cohen • Mar 15, 2013
New Strategic Direction for Iconic Loyalty Program Dennis Armbruster • Oct 9, 2012
Strong Luxury Retail Program Gets Stronger Fred Thompson • Sep 11, 2012