Speakers:

• Marc Crandall, Senior Manager, Global Compliance, Enterprise, Google
• David Bakula, SVP, Analytics, Nielsen/SoundScan
• Craig Benner, VP Sales, SpecificMedia
•  Tom Larkin, CEO, Share Magnet
•  Richard Neff, President, Neff Law Firm
• Jeff Zwelling, CEO, Convertro

Moderator:

• Ned Sherman, CEO, Publisher and Executive Editor, Digital Media Wire

About our speakers: 

David Bakula, SVP, Analytics, Nielsen/SoundScan

Bakula is SVP of Analytics and Client Relations for Nielsen Entertainment. In this role, he leads all analytical initiatives within music for the Nielsen entertainment group. He has 15 years of analytical experience with companies such as Musicland and Universal Music Group Distribution. His core expertise includes strategic planning, business development, business strategy and analysis. Bakula began his career with Musicland Group, Inc. as a Merchandise Planner and Inventory Management Analyst. Following his time at Musicland, he spent eight years with Universal Music Group Distribution's Sales Analysis team, including the last two years as VP of Business Analysis. He joined Nielsen in August of 2008 and has been working with Nielsen clients to deliver actionable analytics and creative business solutions.  www.nielsen.com    

Craig Benner, VP Sales, SpecificMedia

Benner serves as Regional Vice President of Sales for Specific Media.  Specific Media is a global digital media company that drives viewership for content owners, engagement for brands, and relevance for consumers.  With their recent acquisition of Myspace, Specific Media now boasts a world class advertising network, award winning online original programming, and a global internet brand and consumer destination.  Specific Media has long been recognized as a leader in data-driven ad targeting and currently maintains one of the largest consumer data repositories in the industry.

In his role, Craig leads all network and Myspace sales strategy and execution across key western markets including Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver, and Las Vegas.  A 5 year veteran of the organization, Craig has helped architect countless successful media programs on behalf of major brands and agencies within the territory.  An expert in audience targeting, consumer data, online video, branded entertainment, and advanced analytics, Craig has spoken at several local industry events including LVIMA, DFWIMA, and Denver Ad Club.  Craig holds a Business Degree from the University of Southern California and currently resides in Manhattan Beach with his wife and two children.  www.specificmedia.com

Marc Crandall, Senior Manager, Global Compliance, Enterprise, Google

Crandall serves as senior manager of Global Compliance, Enterprise, at Google, based in Santa Monica, where he addresses security and privacy compliance matters for Google’s cloud-based services.  Marc also has served as product counsel for Google, and has helped ensure compliance with US and international laws and regulations dealing with data, privacy, law enforcement, system security, intellectual property, consumer protection, advertising and child online protection. Prior to joining Google in 2006, Marc served as assistant general counsel with the science and technology law unit of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he was principal adviser to the cyber division at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC.  Before joining the FBI, he was corporations counsel and lead counsel of internet compliance and enforcement with the California department of Corporations, California’s investment and finance authority.  Marc has a BA from UCLA and a JD from Pepperdine School of Law.  He is also certified with the International Association of Privacy Professionals. 

Tom Larkin, CEO, Share Magnet 

Larkin is the Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder of Share Magnet.  Prior to starting Share Magnet, Tom was a Principal and Portfolio Manager for Transamerica Investment Management, LLC., in Los Angeles. Tom holds a bachelor's of Economics degree from Duke University, lives in Manhattan Beach and is an avid surfer.  www.sharemagnet.com

Richard Neff, President, Neff Law Firm

Neff is a well known technology, media and copyright lawyer.  He specializes in licensing and diverse transactions, intellectual property protection and copyright counseling for technology, Internet, media and e-commerce companies. His clients include/have included Microsoft, Intuit, Apple, Symantec/Veritas, Yahoo!, Informatica, Logitech, Aldon, Roland, Lynda.com, Dailymotion, pricegrabber.com, APM Music, Mandalay Entertainment, SunGard, Glu Mobile as well as many mid-market companies and startups.  He has a strong specialty in international law and practice, and often handles international transactions for US-based companies.  He formerly headed the Technology and IP Dept. at Greenberg Glusker.  He is a former Chairman of the Business Software Alliance and current Board member of the Technology Council of Southern California. He is a graduate of Yale Law School (J.D.) and Cornell University (B.A.).  www.nefflaw.com

Ned Sherman, CEO, Publisher and Executive Editor, Digital Media Wire, Inc.

As CEO, Publisher and Executive Editor of Digital Media Wire, Inc., Ned Sherman works at the center of the rapidly growing digital media industry, where he brokers relationships and keeps a tab on the most important developments shaping the industry.

Ned has established Digital Media Wire as a leading online media company that provides daily news, information and community to tens of thousands of executives and professionals at entertainment, media and technology companies throughout the world and owns and produces nine annual conferences. The advertising, sponsorship, client, partner and subscriber relationships that Ned has brokered make Digital Media Wire one of the best known media and entertainment industry brands to emerge in the digital age.

Ned is active in alumni affairs for Brown University and is currently Los Angeles Chair for Brown University's Alumni Interview Program. He has traveled extensively from Europe to Asia to South America to Northern Africa. Ned is married and lives with his wife, son and daughter in Los Angeles, California.  www.dmwmedia.com

Jeff Zwelling, CEO, Convertro

Zwelling is an experienced software entrepreneur who has started and sold multiple companies.  He led product development at Crystal Dynamics, a video game developer that was sold to Eidos Interactive, and created new advertising products at GeoCities, which was acquired by Yahoo.  Jeff founded EchoSign, a digital signature SAAS company in Palo Alto, which sold to Adobe.  He lead the LBO of Columbia House which sold to BMG.   YLighting, a lighting ecommerce company he co-founded, sold to private equity.  He also advises venture capital firms on online marketing and ecommerce.  Jeff is currently the CEO of Convertro, an online marketing optimization company.  He has a BA from UCLA and a JD from USF.   www.convertro.com