How did an Economics Prof make his way to the video world?

Lucky, I guess.

As an academic I specialized in technological change -- trying to sort out the economic and business processes that drive innovation. Of course, I taught, too, and have never really lost the bug, spending time as a Professor at UConn, London Business School and Columbia.

Then consumer goods multinational Unilever offered me a chance to put my ideas into practice. So I somehow managed to convince my wife that a move to London, with our three kids, was too good an opportunity to pass up. It was a great 11 years there -- exciting jobs (e.g., Head of Corporate Strategy), stimulating people, diverse cultures, and a chance to see the world. Plus, I now have three children who can properly speak the Queen's English.

And along came the Internet. We weren’t 100% sure how, but we knew it would change marketing forever, and we wanted to get Unilever out front in capturing the potential. I helped found and then chaired Unilever’s Interactive Brand Center, the first dedicated effort by a major CPG player to bring brand marketing into the digital space. Going through the bubble and bust wasn’t always easy, but it was nice to be recognized in 2000 in Ad Age’s ‘i20’ list of the country’s most important digital marketing executives.

Well, technology continues to drive news ways of doing business. The video revolution is one particularly important example. Smart businesses are beginning to get it, and we know the Poptent community can help. >