Imagine 09

Bill Buxton

Principal Researcher
Microsoft

Bill Buxton is a relentless advocate for innovation, design, and - especially - the appropriate consideration of human values, capacity, and culture in the conception, implementation, and use of new products and technologies. This is reflected in his research, teaching, talks, and writing - including his column on design and innovation for BusinessWeek.com, and his 2007 book, Sketching User Experiences.

In December 2005, he was appointed Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research. Prior to that, he was Principal of his own Toronto-based boutique design and consulting firm, Buxton Design.

Buxton began his career as a composer and performer, having done a Bachelor of Music degree at Queen's University. He then studied and taught for two years at the Institute of Sonology, Utrecht, Holland.

In 1975 Bill started designing his own digital musical instruments. This is what led him to the University of Toronto, where he completed an MSc in Computer Science, and subsequently joined the faculty. It is also the path that brought him into the field of human-computer interaction, which is his technical area of specialty.

From 1987-89, Buxton was in Cambridge England, helping establish a new satellite of Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (EuroPARC). From 1989-94 he split his time between Toronto, where he was Scientific Director of the Ontario Telepresence Project, and Palo Alto, California, where he was a consulting researcher at Xerox PARC.

From 1994 until December 2002, he was Chief Scientist of Alias|Wavefront, (now part of Autodesk) and from 1995, its parent company SGI Inc. In the fall of 2004, he became a part-time instructor in the Department of Industrial Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design. In 2004/05 he was also Visiting Professor at the Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI) at the University of Toronto. He currently splits his time between Redmond and Toronto.

In 1995, Buxton became the third recipient of the Canadian Human-Computer Communications Society Award for contributions to research in computer graphics and human-computer interaction. In 2000 he was given the New Media Visionary of the Year Award at the Canadian New Media Awards. In 2001, The Hollywood Reporter named him one of the 10 most influential innovators in Hollywood. In 2002, Time Magazine named him one of the top 5 designers in Canada. Also in 2002, he was elected to the CHI Academy. In October, 2005, he and Gord Kurtenbach received the "Lasting Impact Award", from ACM UIST 2005, which was awarded for their 1991 paper, Issues in Combining Marking and Direct Manipulation Techniques. In June, 2007, he was named Doctor of Design, Honoris Causa by the Ontario College of Art and Design, in 2008 he became the 10th recipient of the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Achievement Award, "for fundamental contributions to the field of Computer Human Interaction," and in January 2009 he was elected Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), for his contributions to the field of human-computer interaction.

From 1998-2004, Buxton was on the board of the Canadian Film Centre, and in 1998-99 chaired a panel to advise the premier of Ontario on developing long term policy to foster innovation, through the Ontario Jobs and Investment Board. He is on a number of academic advisory boards, the Department of Industrial Design of the Technical University in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Buxton is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery and the Industrial Designers Society of America.

Outside of work, Buxton loves the outdoors. He is especially passionate about mountains, including skiing, climbing, and touring, both in summer and winter. This interest extends to the written word. He has contributed to the literature on mountain history and exploration, is an avid bibliophile, and was one of the three jury members of the 2005 Banff Mountain Book Festival. In addition, he is an avid cyclist, and active in kayaking, SCUBA diving and windsurfing. He is an accomplished equestrian, and in 1996 was awarded the Veteran Rider of the Year award from the Ontario Horse Trials Association, and in 2000 was named to the Talent Squad of the National Eventing Team. Finally, he has a life-long fascination with both art and his wife, Elizabeth - who owns and operates a contemporary art gallery, Gallery 888, in Toronto, Canada.

Stephen Kim

Senior Director for Microsoft Branded Entertainment and Experiences Team

Stephen Kim is Senior Director for Microsoft Branded Entertainment and Experiences Team. In this role, Stephen is responsible for leading the company's efforts to expand understanding of the effects of digital advertising for global brands. Most recently, Stephen's group, which includes expertise spanning design, branding, development, and editorial content has broken new ground in digital innovation areas ranging from social media advertising, streaming video marketing, and advertising within user generated content. Stephen currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Advertising Research Foundation and is also a board member of the Media Ratings Council, the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California Annenberg School, and a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Advertising. Stephen also served as a Co-Chair of the US Interactive Advertising Bureau's Research Council from 2004-2008.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Stephen was Chief Research Officer at Media Metrix, a global provider of online audience panel measurement. During his six years with Media Metrix, Stephen was responsible for working with a wide range of clients in the publisher and advertising agency community to help those companies understand how to use online research to increase the effectiveness of their internet activities. More recently at Media Metrix, Stephen was also responsible for overall product development and strategy, focusing on the role of audience measurement in the rapidly changing online media marketplace. Before joining the online world, Stephen was an attorney with the law firm of Morrison & Foerster specializing in the regulation of new technologies and the use of statistics in complex litigation.

Stephen holds an M.A. in Communications Research from the Annenberg School at the University of Pennsylvania. At the Annenberg School, Stephen's graduate work focused on media effects research. Stephen also holds an A.B. in Political Science from Brown University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. At the Law School, Stephen was an Editor for the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, where he published an article examining the communications and regulatory issues surrounding television violence.

John Mangelaars

Regional Vice President, Consumer & Online,
Microsoft EMEA

John Mangelaars is Regional Vice President of Microsoft's new Consumer & Online International (COI) division for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). COI is responsible for Microsoft's consumer business (PC, phone, web) in all markets outside the United States. COI drives all sales, marketing, content & programming, business development, and operations across Windows, Windows Mobile, Windows Live, MSN, advertising sales, and other services.

In this role, John is focused on delivering great end-to-end experiences to consumers across EMEA, in close cooperation with a broad network of retail and online partners, advertisers, and publishers.

A seasoned Microsoft leader with seventeen years experience at the company and a track record of building successful businesses, John was previously Regional Vice President for the Online Services Group, EMEA, responsible for the Windows Live and MSN online business.

Prior to this John was General Manager, Field and Partner Team, for the Information Worker (IW) Division at Microsoft's Seattle based headquarters. In this role he was responsible for IW field strategy which included planning, field sales and partners. He was also responsible for the 2007 Office system field and partner preparations leading up to the launch.

John began his career at Microsoft in the Netherlands in 1990 when he led the Apple Macintosh applications business. Since then he has held a number of key positions including General Manager of Microsoft Netherlands where, in three years, he boosted the Netherlands to the number one market in EMEA. Following this, John worked in the company's EMEA headquarters running marketing for the region.

Now based in London where he lives with his family, John enjoys travelling and playing golf.

Martin Raymond

Strategy and Insight Director,
The Future Laboratory

Martin Raymond co-founder of The Future Laboratory, is editor-in-chief of Viewpoint magazine and LS:N Global, the online lifestyle news and consumer insight portal. Martin has written several books, including crEATe (Gestalten) and The Tomorrow People: Future consumers and how to read them today (Financial Times Prentice Hall), and is currently working on The Trend Forecaster's Handbook, forthcoming from Laurence King in 2009, which will be the definitive work on trends and the trend forecasting arena. He is a regular contributor on trends and business for the BBC, the BBC World Service programe Culture Shock, Channel 4 and ITV. Born in Ireland, he moved to the UK in 1984 to work as a journalist in the design, fashion, film and video sectors. He founded VideoGraphic, and later became an associate editor at Screen International.

Martin went on to edit and re-launch Fashion Weekly, the UK's fashion business bible. A return to his native Dublin to present RTE television's fashion magazine programme Head To Toe was followed by a four-year tenure at the London College of Fashion, as senior lecturer in fashion journalism. He maintains a busy schedule of lecturing at over 12 colleges and universities throughout Great Britain and Ireland. He is also a contributing editor for Wired UK, and a fellow of the Royal Society for the encourgaement of Arts, Manufactures and Science (RSA).

Stef Selfslagh

Creative Director,
Boondoggle

Stef Selfslagh (40) starts his career as a copwyriter at LDV & Partners in 1994. In 2000, he becomes creative director at Duval Guillaume Antwerp and board member of the Duval Guillaume Group. Six years later, and much to his own surprise, he becomes co-founder and creative partner of Openhere. Mid 2007 he joins Boondoggle as creative director. In only two years time Boondoggle becomes one of Belgium's most awarded and respected agencies of the future.

Selfslagh has been elected Creative of The Year in 2004 by Media Marketing and is one of Belgium's most richly awarded creatives. He has won 7 Cannes Lions (5 Golds, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze), 1 Gold Award at the One Show, 4 Eurobest Awards, 2 New York Festival Medals, 6 Shark Awards, 4 CCB Grand Prix (Belgium's most important creative award), 13 CCB Gold Awards, 20 CCB Silver Awards and 5 CCB Bronze Awards.

In 2004, he had a worldwide creative hit with 'Little Boy', the Zazoo Condoms commercial which recently has been voted You Tube's top rated commercial of all time and has already accumulated more than 16 million views. In 2007, he makes the 'Bring The Love Back' - campaign for Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions, which opens the debate on the future of advertising in many meeting rooms all over the world. And in 2009, he gains a lot of recognition for the Axion Banner Concerts campaign, a creative and technological showcase that proves that a bank can still connect with youngsters.

Stef Selfslagh lives in the Brussels area and has a lovely wife and a highly adorable 20 months old son.

Pieter Goiris

Pieter Goiris (37) is co-founder & Chief Executive Officer of Boondoggle and member of the Board of Directors of Boondoggle. He holds a Master Degree in Organizational Psychology from the KU Leuven and a Bachelor Degree in Agriculture Engineering from the University Gent.

In his current position, Pieter is responsible for the General Management, Business & Strategy in Belgium and for the Development of Internationalization Strategy of Boondoggle.

While holding this position, he grew Boondoggle towards a leading advertising & communication agency with offices in 3 countries, Belgium, Ireland & Holland.
He currently manages a team of about 65 people, with a revenue exceeding 8 Mio Euro.

From 2000 until 2005, Pieter holds the position of managing partner and Client Service Director.
Together with his team he was responsible for the Account Management for big clients as Volvo, Rabobank International Direct Banking, Beiersdorf Nivea,
He also was responsible for New Business Development.

Prior to joining Boondoggle (i-merge), in 1998, he was Founder & Managing Partner of Sign, a web developing company, based in Leuven.

From 1997 to 1998, Pieter was Recruitment and Training Coordinator for Group 4 Securitas.

Further more, Pieter is very active and board member in several organizations that support the development of the marketing communications industry, such as Medianet Vlaanderen, Association of Communication Companies (ACC) & Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

Next to the professional communication industry, Pieter is also president of the board of two leading organizations in the Belgian Music Industry, being Poppunt in Brussels (advice, content, projects & services) & the concert venue Het Depot in Leuven.

Together with some friends, Pieter is also developing a creative real estate project in the oldest brewery of Stella Artois. This 'creative minds' project must become the hart of creativity in Leuven within 3 years.

Last but not least, he lives happily together and is father of two daughters and a son.

Anna Kirah

Anna Kirah's passion is people-centric design and concept making. Anna Kirah facilitates change from the perspective of co-creation within companies and organizations wanting to approach the rapidly paced global world we live in. Working within most areas of concept development and service design, Anna guides people through new ways of acting in order to create meaningful, relevant, desirable products and services. A byproduct of this process is a change in mindset of both individuals and organizations.

Prior to joining CPH Design as a partner and vice president, Anna was the dean and faculty member of 180° Academy, an international school for radical innovation. Anna was responsible for designing, implementing and overseeing the 180° curriculum. The curriculum highlighted Anna's capacity to combine research, design, concept development and commercialization of products, services and organizational change in a co-creative process in order to meet the demands of a rapidly growing world.

Anna has also served as the Senior Design Anthropologist for the Microsoft Corporation, responsible for global field research and co-creation within Windows and MSN. Anna's primary focus was on people-centered research, global trends in social software, future product innovation, and global strategy. In 2004, she won the award for MSN Contributor of the Year. In 2006 she was recognized for her contributions to Microsoft's geopolitical strategy. Anna also worked at Boeing as a research associate doing pre-concept research onboard commercial aircraft for the design of the 787 Dreamliner.

Anna has lived and worked extensively in Europe and Asia and is fluent in English and Norwegian. She also has a working knowledge of French. Anna has written award-winning newspaper articles in Japan, edited and written books about contemporary Norwegian society and won several research grants, fellowships and scholarships.

Anna sits on several boards (both in the public and private sector) including the Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority's (EBST) Programme for User Centered Innovation. She also sits on the jury for the Braun Design Award 2009.

Rob Define

E-commerce Manager,
Europcar International

Rob Define is E-commerce Manager at Europcar International. His role is to deliver innovative and functional solutions to improve the online experience for customers of Europe's leading car rental company whilst producing tangible business results. In addition to overseeing Europcar's search engine marketing, CRM and affiliate programmes, Rob manages B2C developments for the company's international web platform.

Rob joined Europcar in 2006 from Expedia Europe, where he was Car Product Manager. In this role, Rob was responsible for managing technical, functional and design improvements to Expedia's European car offering. Prior to Expedia, Rob spent three years with "Britain's favourite retailer" John Lewis, where he was notably part of the team that launched johnlewis.com in 2001. He also played an integral role in the redesign of the site in 2004 and started up an internal usability department.

Originally from the United States, Rob has lived in Europe for more than 12 years, including seven in the UK. For the past five years, he has been based in Paris allowing him to discover a true taste for French gastronomy.

Justin Cooke

Managing Director,
Fortune Cookie

Justin Cooke founded digital agency Fortune Cookie, following creative roles with BBC Films, Universal Music (Rondor) and United News and Media (Miller Freeman, Travel Division). A graduate of Manchester University (Computers in Theatre), Justin has successfully steered Fortune Cookie through two industry recessions and the agency continues to thrive today, reporting compound growth of 53.8% in the year ending April 2009. Fortune Cookie's 50-strong team of some of the greatest talent in the digital industry produces award-winning work of a consistently world-class standard for brands and organisations including Legal & General, Amnesty International, Europcar, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, British Gas, UEFA, Miss Selfridge, Kuoni and Lawn Tennis Association.

Justin became a BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) Executive Committee member in 2008 because he wanted to play a key role in developing BIMA's position as the most influential independent digital industry association in the world. His appointment to the role of Chair of BIMA in May 2009 has established Justin as one of the most senior and influential figures in the global digital industry.

Justin founded digital agency Fortune Cookie in 1997, with the aim of making it one of the most respected digital agencies in the world. In 2007, the agency's 10th anniversary year, Fortune Cookie became fully independent when its management team bought back internet incubator Brainspark's 29.4% holding in the agency. Since that time, Fortune Cookie's turnover has doubled and staff numbers have increased by 50%. Plans have been announced to grow the business by a further 30% by August 2010 to support Fortune Cookie's expansion into mainland Europe. In 2009, Best Companies Ltd awarded Fortune Cookie its coveted 'One to Watch' status following an independent survey of Fortune Cookie staff, and the agency became the subject of a short documentary film produced by the Daily Telegraph Business Club.

Fortune Cookie has tripled its investment in new technologies in the past 12 months, becoming the first digital agency in the world to purchase the new Tobii T60 XL eye-tracker and has been ranked in Media Momentum's list of the top 50 fastest growing digital agencies in Europe for a third consecutive year.

Websites designed and built by Fortune Cookie has been shortlisted for major design awards 38 times in the past two years, including an Honour for Lawn Tennis Association at the 2009 Webby Awards and a shortlisted nomination for Small Luxury Hotels of the World at the 2009 New Media Age Effectiveness Awards.

Claudia Lagunas

New Media Director,
Pepsico International

As Digital and New Media Director for Pepsico International, Claudia is responsible for strategy development and execution across all Pepsico markets and key beverage portfolios. With over 15 years of experience covering all facets of the traditional marketing mix from Mexico, the second most important market for Pepsi International, Claudia has brought a strong consumer and product focused perspective to the technical world of digital. Her core focus has been on building the most effective digital infrastructure and implementing best practice within each market. In tandem, she has been working with global agency and media partners to nurture innovation within incredibly diverse cultural regions with hugely different levels of digital sophistication.

Over the last seventeen years, Claudia has pioneered the evolution of emerging communication platforms for Pepsi. For a brand that has long been synonymous with music, she was co-producer of the Pepsi Chart Show on national TV. This became a global success story for the brand, no more so in Mexico where rating points grew from 3 to 10 over a seven year period at a regular weekly slot.

Understanding this link between brand, content and the most effective channel to reach consumers has been pivotal in allowing her to put the building blocks in place for the growth of digital as part of the global Pepsi marketing mix.

As consumer behaviour evolves in the digital space, it is increasingly important for a company like Pepsico to understand how to reach those consumers. Claudia has spent the last two years working with a variety of global thought leaders to provide all markets with the right tools to achieve just this. These relationships reduce pressure on the individual markets by providing consistency and guarantee greater brand cohesion. The platform is now in place to deliver some even more exciting work.

Chris Maples

Sales Director,
Microsoft Advertising

Chris Maples started his career staring out over the hanger lane gyratory system - working for the first ever ITV sales house T.S.M.S.

After such an illustrious start, Chris then joined Channel 4 as part of the launch team when the channel became commercially independent in 1993.

After 5 years Chris then made the move into non terrestrial TV, joining Flextech Television, where he worked with Mark Howe of Google.

His next move was into Radio, as part of the Emap Advertising sales team, and followed those 4 years by heading up the Rail division of Maiden outdoor (now Titan)

Chris joined Microsoft in May 2007 as Managing director of its network business DRIVEpm, before taking on the role of Sales Director Microsoft Advertising in July 08, in which capacity he is responsible for all display, network, search ad serving and analytics business in the UK.

Chris is 38, Married to Jane and has two children Max and Jessica.

He is also the tallest man in media (unofficial) and the worst paid weekend delivery man (official) to his wife's flower business.