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

Bruce Burgetz

Bruce Burgetz

Senior Vice-President and Chief Information Officer, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Bruce is responsible for all IT systems and infrastructure, including one of Canada’s largest and most sophisticated customer data warehouses. His experience and vision are significant contributors to the success of LoyaltyOne. 


Bruce has more than three decades of senior IT and CIO experience, with special expertise in customer care, billing distribution and loyalty program IT. Before joining us in 2006, he was partner and co-owner of an IT consulting firm subsequently sold to CGI Group Inc.; Senior Vice President IT and CIO of Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada’s leading retail drugstore chain; and CIO of Rogers Wireless, a major Canadian wireless telecommunications company. Bruce was inducted into the Canadian Information Productivity Awards Hall of Fame in 1997.

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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 customer care, human resources and facilities management organizations. His leadership experience in these key areas spans strategic planning, sales, market segmentation, customer relationship management, customer satisfaction measurement, employee engagement and recruitment. 


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 CIBC and Ford; and at Bell Canada, where he managed business-to-business customer care and support centers.

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Stephanie Coyles

Stephanie Coyles

Senior Vice-President and Chief Strategic Officer, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of LoyaltyOne, Stephanie is responsible for leading the organization’s international business development strategies, leveraging LoyaltyOne’s core competencies in loyalty strategy and programs, relationship marketing, and customer analytics to facilitate new market entries across the globe. She recently led the International team in supporting the successful launch of Brazil’s largest coalition loyalty program, Dotz.

Stephanie has over two decades of experience in helping boost bottom line results for a wide array of North American retail (grocery and soft goods), financial services, telecom and consumer packaged goods companies. Stephanie is a board member of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network.

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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, LoyaltyOne

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 Client Officer, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

Todd is responsible for managing vital corporate relationships with more than 120 Sponsors of the AIR MILES Reward Program in his role as Senior Vice-President and Chief Client Officer. He oversees all client services and business development groups, spearheading the pursuit of innovative partnership marketing strategies. He also plays a key business development role with LoyaltyOne’s parent company, Alliance Data. 


Todd began his career in consumer packaged goods, progressing through a series of planning and finance roles with Unilever, Pepsico and Kraft. Joining the AIR MILES Reward Program in 1999 as Vice President, Finance, he soon added strategic planning and rewards management to his scope of responsibilities. His role ultimately expanded to include strategy, product development and acquisitions.

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Catherine McIntyre

Catherine McIntyre

Senior Vice-President, Corporate and Product Development, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice-President, Corporate Strategy and Development, Catherine leads a dynamic team that drives the innovative creation and implementation of LoyaltyOne’s corporate strategic growth plans, investigates potential “make, partner or buy” alternatives to bring those plans to fruition, and designs LoyaltyOne’s business-to-business brands and marketing strategy. Her teams perpetuate business and product development through consistent monitoring of key consumer and technology trends, integrating actions against those trends into planning and leading early market pilots. Additionally, Catherine’s responsibilities include Colloquy research and publications, the results of which are used to both create and influence emerging trends in the global loyalty industry. An acclaimed expert in direct marketing, database analytics and privacy issues, Catherine is frequently invited to speak at marketing conferences and her opinions are often sought and quoted in the business media. 

In addition to her diverse management experience, Catherine’s expertise span the spectrum, covering areas such as direct and consumer marketing, product management and sales, and packaged goods marketing and research. 

Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, Catherine was President and CEO of ICOM Information & Communications LP, an influential leader in database direct marketing, which was acquired by Alliance Data in 2006. Having worked over a decade with ICOM, Catherine was initially part of a senior team driving the company’s US expansion and subsequently progressed through executive-level roles in human resources, sales, and client services. Prior to her work with ICOM, she held positions in brand management and human resources with Procter & Gamble.

Catherine is a past board and executive member of the US Direct Marketing Association and chair of the DMA’s Ethics, Privacy and Social Responsibility sub-committee, and holds a BBA degree in Marketing and Organizational Behavior from York University in Toronto.

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Elizabeth Morgan

Elizabeth Morgan

Senior Vice-President, Finance, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Senior Vice-President, Finance, Elizabeth leads all the financial functions of LoyaltyOne’s North American businesses, as well as emerging businesses across different geographies, ensuring full financial compliance. Her main areas of accountability include reporting, budgeting & forecasting, enterprise risk management (ERM) and reserve management. To this effect, Elizabeth and her team lay out the financial roadmap for the organization, direct adherence to financial accounting standards, ensure effective and efficient finance systems functioning, manage fraud issues on an ongoing basis and identify and proactively mitigate enterprise risks in partnership with the business.

In her 15 years with LoyaltyOne, Elizabeth assumed various roles of increasing responsibility within Finance. Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, she worked at Accenture and various other organizations in accounting and finance roles. Elizabeth is a Certified Management Accountant and holds a Bachelor Degree in Commerce from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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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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Business Leads

Dennis Armbruster

Dennis Armbruster

Vice President, LoyaltyOne Consulting

Full Biography

As Vice President, Dennis leads the development of innovative, analytics-driven loyalty strategies for LoyaltyOne Consulting 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

Chief Sustainability Officer, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

In her role as Chief Sustainability Officer, 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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Kelly Hlavinka

Kelly Hlavinka

Partner, Colloquy

Full Biography

Kelly directs all publishing, education and research projects at COLLOQUY, where she draws on her broad experience as a loyalty strategy practitioner in developing articles, white papers and educational initiatives. An acknowledged expert in the theory and practice of loyalty marketing, she also regularly contributes to DM News, The DMA Insider, DIRECT and BrandWeek, and is often cited by publications such as Newsweek, Advertising Age and Smart Money. 


Kelly is a featured presenter at many industry conferences and has taught loyalty workshops and webinars around the world. She previously launched and managed COLLOQUY’s strategic consultancy, working with clients such as Lennar Homes, MGM MIRAGE, Eddie Bauer, Best Buy, HP Software and Visa International. Prior to joining COLLOQUY in 1996, she held marketing positions with Buyers Choice (now The Polk Company), database marketer ACS and Equifax Consumer Direct.

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Rathin Lahiri

Chief Marketing Officer, India, LoyaltyOne

Full Biography

As Chief Marketing Officer - India, Rathin is responsible for all aspects of consumer marketing including the consumer value proposition, brand, promotions, digital and direct marketing.

Rathin brings with him nearly 20 years of marketing experience across various industries such as Consumer Packaged Goods, Financial Services and Online Services. Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, Rathin was Head of Online Business for the Microsoft Corporation in India. He also spent several years as the Chief Marketing Officer of eBay India where he successfully built the eBay brand in the Indian market. Throughout his career, Rathin has won various Marketing awards, including the Chairman’s Award (Unilever India), two Abby awards (UB and Kotak Mahindra), and a Web 18 Genius of the Web award (eBay).

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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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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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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 customer loyalty marketing and advanced analytics, 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 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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Andreas Souvaliotis

Andreas Souvaliotis

President, AIR MILES for Social Change

Full Biography

Andreas leads 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. He was the original founder of Green Rewards, the world’s first environmental consumer loyalty program which was ultimately acquired by LoyaltyOne in 2008 and fully integrated into the AIR MILES reward program. Prior to Green Rewards he was the President & CEO of one of the oldest retail marketing agencies in Canada.

As a leading cause marketer in Canada, Andreas writes and speaks across the country about social change, environmental responsibility and the new green economy. He has been trained by former US Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore and his innovative work has been recognized by prominent global social responsibility leaders including The Prince of Wales. He currently chairs the advisory board of the Centre for Responsible Leadership at Queen's University and he also chairs a WWF Canada advisory committee on climate change, energy and transportation. He was the most recent national membership chair of the Young Presidents' Organization and also sits on a number of academic and non-profit boards.

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Leena Basrur

Leena Basrur

President, India, LoyaltyOne & Non-Executive Chairman, Direxions, LoyaltyOne India

Full Biography

As President, India, LoyaltyOne, Leena is responsible for LoyaltyOne’s business development, client services and day-to-day-operations in India. As one of the earliest and most experienced loyalty practitioners in India, Leena utilizes her expertise in customer management, analytics and loyalty marketing to create successful customer strategies for many of India’s leading brands.

Previously, Leena was Executive Chairman and is currently non-Executive Chairman of Direxions Marketing Solutions Pvt Ltd., a loyalty marketing and direct marketing agency with offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore. She has a post graduate degree in Statistics from the University of Bombay, is a founding member of the Indian Confederation of Direct Marketers, has been a judge at Cannes Lions in the Direct Category and is also Vice-Chairman of the Interdirect Network of Independent Direct Marketing agencies with members in over 30 countries. Leena is an avid collector of Indian art, practices yoga regularly, and loves a game of squash.

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Upcoming Events

Feb 14 2012
Executive Networks Webinar Winning Shopper Loyalty Bryan A. Pearson → LoyaltyOne
Feb 14 2012
CMA Loyalty Conference 2012 Loyalty Without Borders: Consumer Attitudes in Canada and Abroad Kelly Hlavinka → Colloquy

Articles

Cast A Wider Net Kelly Hlavinka • Feb 3, 2012
Amazing Race Phaedra Hise • Jan 18, 2012

Case Studies

Seeing the Future Apr 18, 2011