7Nine Partners

John Galvin, Founder + Principal + Chief Creative and Experience Officer John started his career at Retail Planning Associates where he partnered with leading brands including Ford, Citi, Kmart, Goodyear, Kidder Peabody, Norwest Banks and Pro Hardware before co-founding one of the first integrated branding and experience design agencies in the US, Integrate, in 1989 At Integrate, John helped to grow the company into one of the Midwest’s most respected and decorated firms through partnerships with numerous leading brands including Lowe’s, Toys “R” Us, Goldtoe Brands, L Brands, Victoria’s Secret, Pink, Express, Champion Sportswear, Goodyear, Mid America Motorworks, Frontgate, GBQ, Gildan, The Body Shop, The Limited, Lane Bryant, Dean & DeLuca, JPMorgan, Pathways Financial Credit Union, Stage Stores, Campus Living Villages, Welcome Break (UK), Office Depot, Rocky Brands, White Castle, WOSU Public Media, The City of Dublin, Cerdant, Certified Oil, Verizon, Intimissimi and The Ohio State University

In 2011, following a very successful 22 year run, Integrate was acquired by Big Red Rooster where John helped lead the integrated branding and customer experience team securing partnerships with Dick's Sporting Goods, USG, Crossville Tile, SAS Shoes and Steele's stores

John attended the The Ohio State University where he studied film, design and engineering and earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design

Ron Schuller, Strategic Consultant / Principal and Founder, Red Barn Consulting Ron Schuller is a leading expert in brand development, brand strategy and implementing performance management structure to drive continuous improvement He has held key Executive Leadership positions within the Specialty Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Financial Services verticals and has advanced consumer-centric principles as a corporate practitioner, an entrepreneur and as a strategic consultant to many of the world’s best brands

As an entrepreneur and prior to creating Red Barn Consulting, Ron was a founding partner of Real World Data, Inc a Tech start-up business focused on consumer behavior and insight through the deployment of an in-store video analytics platform Ron has leveraged his career of 30+ years to identify and refine strategic priorities, align & motivate teams to action, and to achieve superior results through insight-driven strategy

Ron is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance and focused his graduate studies in Marketing in the MBA program at the Max M Fisher College of Business Ron currently serves on the Board of the Fashion and Retail Studies Program at The Ohio State University and is a frequent guest lecturer in the program on various topics including marketing, brand strategy, and leadership

Jim Parker, Senior Consultant / Retail Marketing and Customer Experience Jim is a hands-on, customer-centric marketing executive with over 38 years experience in retail executive management, operations, marketing, customer experience development and automotive technology start-ups He’s passionate about helping clients identify opportunities to optimize customer education, engagement and sell through and developing solutions that improve the customer experience whether they are shopping in-store, online, on their phone or through a catalog

Jim has helped start and develop several other companies including Swapman com, Home Auto, SportBike Xpress and Moto25 He has spent the last 10 years consulting with Honda and helping various dealers with training, customer experience, operations, sales and service initiatives including the opening and management of Honda Powerhouse stores

Curtis Zimmerman, Strategic Consultant / Founder, Curtis Zimmerman Group As a keynote speaker, best-selling author, brand evangelist and change management leader, Curtis Zimmerman has impacted over one million people around the globe with his life-changing message People connect with Curtis through his high energy as he incorporates the skills he gained from over twenty-five years in the entertainment industry as a nationally-recognized mime, juggler, and fire-eater into his powerful programs

But don’t be fooled by the fun: With the perfect interactive keynote to open or close a conference or through hands-on immersion and facilitation of innovation sessions, Curtis mobilizes audiences to manage rapid change, invigorate their company culture, lead with integrity, and engage customers

Curtis is a highly sought after speaker among Fortune 100 companies including Kroger, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson & Johson, Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Duke Energy and Walt Disney Resorts, along with Universal Orlando Resorts and the United States Air Force

He is also the author of three books, including his #1 nationally best-selling book Life at Performance Level Curtis is a member of the Global Speakers Federation (GFS) and the National Speakers Association (NSA), from which he has achieved the highest-earned recognition reserved for the top ten percent of professional speakers across the nation, the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation

Deb Miller, Business Strategy and Insights / Principal and Founder, Boulevard Strategies Robert Abbott, Digital Experience Strategy and Design / Principal and Founder, Context Digital Robert is a communication designer, digital experience strategist and entrepreneur For more than 30 years he has been innovating digital brand and communication solutions for a range of leading U S and global clients, including GAF, John Deere, Jamaica Tourist Board, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bacardi Global Brands, Panasonic, Deutsche Bank, and the Smithsonian His work has received numerous national and international awards Starting with the C-Suite, Robert contributes throughout the process, from initial business strategy, to architecture and communication frameworks, to interface design and all of the details around experience realization Robert founded his current digital agency, Context Digital, in 2014 and has launched DRVN, a startup focused on teen driving safety Robert is also the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Denison University, helping them plan and implement a Design Thinking program and develop Entrepreneurship on campus Previously, Robert founded and built several successful digital agencies, including Shift Global and Motivo Shift was acquired in 2012 by Publicis, Motivo was acquired in 1998 by Ten United In addition, Robert’s background includes experience as a Human Interface Designer with Apple Computer’s Advanced Technology Group in Cupertino, California

Robert holds an MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and BS in Individual Studies from the University of Northern Iowa

Bob Welty, Environmental Strategy and Design / Principal and Co-Founder, ROWE Creative Union Bob’s 25+ years of consulting has included key partnerships with CVS, Eddie Bauer, Gatorade, Macy’s, Express, The North Face, Safeway, Samsung, Shake Shack, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Victoria’s Secret

Bob attended the Columbus College of Art and Design where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design

Paul Hemingway, Strategic Advisor / Client Partnerships Paul is a classically trained marketer with over 20 years experience leading growth initiatives for top consumer and retail brands He has led strategic planning, consumer insights, new product commercialization, and marketing activation at numerous leading brands including Coca-Cola, JM Smucker, Kimberly-Clark, Abbott Nutrition and Wendy's In these roles he's partnered with key retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, and major restaurant franchisees to align on category strategy and marketing plans that exceeded sales expectations Paul is adept at activating brands and leveraging both traditional and non-traditional marketing channels including social, digital and SEO He prides himself on being consumer-led, data-driven, and nimble to provide efficient, winning solutions that deliver bottom-line results for his partners

Paul attended The Ohio State University where he earned his MBA, and the University of Utah where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing

Danielle Williams / Client Partnerships Danielle is a passionate and creative stylist, designer, merchant and client advocate with over 15 years’ experience in consumer goods, retail fashion / beauty as well as luxury home goods brands Her experience includes roles with Nespresso, Nordstrom, Williams-Sonoma, diPietro Todd Salon and Frédéric Fekkai of Beverly Hills In these roles Danielle consistently exceeded sales and customer satisfaction goals and helped to grow overall sales and customer loyalty

Danielle’s keen eye for detail and design and insatiable desire for continuous learning fuels 7Nine Partners client engagement and partnership activities Her attention to detail and organizational acumen helps to clearly articulate and drive clients’ needs forward and deliver projects on time and on budget