Synovate MMA Announces Two New Hires, Including the Former Director of Business Analytics at Novartis

Marketing Management Analytics (www.mma.com), the analytic consulting unit of global market research firm Synovate, announced today the hiring of Mitch Weintraub as Vice President, Account Management and Matthew Abrena as Associate Director, Client Services Analytics.

Weintraub has over 20 years’ experience on both the supplier and manufacturer side. Previously, he was Director of Business Analytics for Novartis in both the OTC and Gerber business units, where he was responsible for providing analytical support and business insights to the marketing and sales groups. Before Novartis, Weintraub worked in various account management roles at ACNielsen, where his clients included Colgate, Triarc Beverages, Fuji Films, Fort James, Playtex, Beiersdorf and Pfizer.

Abrena worked for five years as Director of Marketing Analytics and Insights at New York-based Dratfield Analytics. He was the analytical and account management lead for clients that included P&G/Gillette, Citi Cards, Barclays, WaMu/JPMorgan Chase and MasterCard (Germany). He is currently doing advanced studies at New York University’s Stern School of Business in Decision Models/Statistics, Strategy and Marketing. Abrena also holds an MA in Economics from the New School for Social Research, and a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

“Mitch’s experience both in managing business analytics and major client accounts will prove invaluable in his new role overseeing several important client relationships,” said Randy Stone, President and CEO of MMA. “Matt’s expertise in advanced analytics and business intelligence will likewise benefit us and our clients as he tackles complex business issues and brings new opportunities to our clients. We are thrilled to bring these two professionals on board and welcome both to the Synovate MMA team.”

About Marketing Management Analytics (Synovate MMA)

MMA is the premier marketing analytics consultancy which originated the commercial acceptance and use of marketing mix modeling to help companies plan, measure, validate, and optimize their marketing performance. Since that time, MMA has conducted more than 1,000 studies on hundreds of brands and businesses globally. MMA’s clients include the most recognized marketers in the world. MMA became a unit of Synovate (www.synovate.com) in December 2008. For more information about MMA’s industry-leading decision support tool Avista DSS and other MMA services, visit www.mma.com.

About Synovate

Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over 6,000 staff across 62 countries. More information on Synovate can be found at www.synovate.com.