New Global Enterprise Division for GMI

US-based GMI has appointed Richard Scionti, founder of Timbre Consulting and former employee of SPSS and RI, as VP of its newly formed Global Enterprise Solutions Group. Other recent appointments include two Directors of Marketing - one to be based in China; a Customer Service Director for China; and a Sales Director for the New York office.

In his five years at SPSS, Scionti was VP of Solution Architecture. He established the worldwide solution architecture team, was responsible for SPSS Hosting Services, and introduced the Dimensions product line. Before this, he was Worldwide Chief Information Officer for Research International in London, and IT and Operations Director for Cambridge Reports in Massachusets.

GMI CEO Rob Monster says Scionti combines the 'leadership skills of a seasoned manager with a visionary command of how IT can support the market research work process'.

Monster says the new Global Enterprise Solutions Group, coupled with recent acquisitions (www.mrweb.com/drno/news4584.htm ), will allow the company to offer 'an enterprise intelligence platform that links research suppliers, research buyers and respondents in real time, on a global scale'.

Scionti, who will be based in New Jersey, believes 'marketing professionals are drowning in information but thirsting for actionable insight', and praises GMI's 'groundbreaking solutions for web-based research, panel management and portals'.

Other new appointments at GMI include the following:

Muriel Guilbert, Director of Marketing has worked at NetReflector, which was recently acquired by GMI, for the last two years. She previously spent five years at the Seattle-based public relations and integrated branding firm, Parker LePla. There she worked as an Account Director, supervising accounts in CRM software, telecommunications, healthcare, e-commerce and outsourcing. Before this, she held various marketing positions in the UK for Central Research Laboratories (CRL), an electronics licensing and technology transfer company, and Vitalograph, a manufacturer of lung-function testing equipment. A French national fluent in both English and German, she holds a Master's Degree in Business Studies from the Sorbonne in Paris.

Benny Huang, Director of Marketing, China has spent the last six years as National Online Market Manager for 51net Inc, where he established a client data-mining system and real-time client information tracking. Prior to that, he was Marketing Manager for shanghai-window.com, responsible for implementation of e-commerce solutions for the retail industry. He holds an MBA from Leicester University in the UK.

David Ji, Customer Service Director, China comes to GMI from Insight Information Technology in Shanghai (SPSS MR China), and has a background in product demos, installations, research fieldwork, analysis and training. He previously spent three years as MR Officer for Syngenta Investment (formerly Zeneca) in Shanghai, responsible for database marketing, product launches, and brand tracking. He holds a degree in Economics from Shanghai International Studies University.

Susan Griffin, Sales Director, New York worked most recently as Director of Sales and Business Development for Material ConnecXion. Prior to that, she was an Account Manager for the Aberdeen Group, where she sold survey-based research and analysis services to the technology and service sectors. She has also held management positions with Thomas Publishing, SoftWatch, and the American Stock Exchange.

GMI, which specialises in integrated Internet applications for market research, is online at www.gmi-mr.com.