Lori H. Schwartz
Director / Practice Lead, Video

As Senior Vice President and Director of the Interpublic Emerging Media Lab, a center for marketing innovation located in Los Angeles, Lori provides consultation and solution recommendations for the latest in broadband, wireless and emerging media solutions for the Interpublic group’s global client roster, as well as facilitating emerging media upfronts and exclusive deals for the company and its clients. She has worked with a number of clients including Microsoft, Avery Dennison, Intel, Nestle and Sony.

Prior to serving as Director of the Lab, Lori served as an interactive/new media producer at McCann Worldgroup, providing interactive expertise for the agency’s Los Angeles client base. She worked with clients to create original content solutions across multiple channels. Lori also facilitated partnerships with entertainment, sports and other content providers, and served as the agency representative on all issues pertaining to emerging media.

An active member of both the marketing and entertainment industries, Lori has led a project for the American Film Institute's Digital Content Lab and also serves on the Board of Governors for the Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council and the executive committee of the Interactive Peer Group for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She participates in a number of advanced advertising standardizations groups and is an active industry speaker. When she is not working with clients, Lori can be found on stage in Hollywood performing with a number of improvisational comedy theaters.

Michael Ball
Account Lead / Practice Lead, Mobile

As Account Lead for the Interpublic Emerging Media Lab—focusing specifically on the mobile marketing space—Michael works with partner agencies to help clients build their brands and strategic position in new media. He's also a member of the McCann Worldgroup Digital Taskforce, working to identify key strategic partners and construct an overall mobile approach for the firm.

Michael joins the team from the interactive agency side, where he most recently managed online brand strategy and market research for Acura / Honda, including the 2006 acura.com redesign, and the benchmark 2005 Acura Brand Impact Study. Michael also developed the 2002 Web launch strategy for Girl Scouts, and has worked with the interactive brand teams of clients including Lexus, PNC Bank, Amgen, Anheuser-Busch, Benjamin Moore, FedEx, Dell, P&G, Unilever, Accenture, and Nestle.

Prior to entering the online space, Michael spent time as a Big Four business consultant with Arthur Andersen and Deloitte & Touche—overseeing change management on a large software implementation for General Motors, as well as helping to develop executive incentive compensation plans for a number of midsize organizations.

An active writer and speaker, Michael has published two career books for recent college graduates, and serves as a media expert on entry level jobs for sources including the Washington Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune, CareerJournal.com (a Wall Street Journal imprint), and the Globe and Mail in Canada. He holds a degree in psychology and business from UCLA, and remains active in the alumni community.

When not in the Lab, Michael can usually be found in the gym, speaking on campus, or watching bad movies.

Raquel Krouse
Healthcare Director / Practice Lead, Social Media

As healthcare director at the lab, Raquel works with Interpublic agencies and healthcare clients to ensure they are at the forefront of technology adoption trends among healthcare professionals and consumers. Prior to joining the Lab, Raquel was a digital marketing consultant, providing strategic direction and planning support to traditional agencies looking to leverage the digital landscape for their healthcare clients such as Pfizer and Novartis.

In addition to her healthcare responsibilities, Raquel serves as the Lab’s social media expert, providing thought leadership on social media opportunities for Interpublic’s agencies and clients. She works with a variety of major brands and serves as a resource for agency executives in their efforts to integrate social media into clients' emerging media plans.
When not in the Lab, Raquel can usually be found walking her dog Jake, doing yoga, or curling up to a good book.

Maria Bryant
Event Coordinator

Maria joined the staff at MRM Worldwide three years ago as executive assistant/new business development coordinator to the world-wide director and the marketing department. After the lab’s creation, her extensive experience in coordinating and event planning quickly made her an integral part of the team. She finally came on board full time to the Emerging Media Lab in March 2007.

Maria graduated from American Conservatory Theatre and studied at Laney College before deep diving into the theater, before starting her profession in show business where she acted, directed and produced plays and film in New York City for seven years. Returning to California, she joined the marketing team at Panavision Hollywood where in addition to assisting the president and team, she also did all of their production and event planning for over five successful and fun years. It also afforded the chance to work more technically with all the emerging camera equipment and lenses that were evolving with the demand for special effects and pushing the appetite in film viewers and filmmakers.

Maria started her own production company in Los Angeles, The Tribunal, which concentrated mostly on music videos and independent film development for over four years. They produced many music videos, spec-commercials, co-produced with Tom Fontana “REAL STORY” for television and “CITY TEACHER” the independent film.

Scott Susskind
Strategic Technologist

In his role of Strategic Technologist, Scott brings his 20 years of s enior IT, engineering and AV experience to bear on the creation of unique emerging media solutions. Combining this role with his position within McCann Worldgroup's Business Information Solutions group gives him a balanced perspective on the real-world emerging technology issues facing our clients' businesses.

A self-proclaimed AV geek, Scott, along with Michael Malfesi, co-designed the hybrid media infrastructure that powers the Lab. Creating the flexible environment generated some unique insights on how digital content can be generated, delivered and consumed. The knowledge gained is regularly put into practice as the physical foundation for incubating pilot tests for our clients.

Scott is an avid outdoorsman and amateur chef. He can often be found, spatula in-hand, exploring the fantastic national forests of North America with his two children.

Sonya Rosas
Graphic Designer / Practice Lead, Digital Out of Home

Sonya Rosas is the lead graphic designer for the Interpublic Emerging Media Lab, guiding the visual direction and branding of the Lab's presentations, collateral, and Web presence. As a brand specialist with over 12 years of design experience, Sonya has created and/or managed the execution of retail marketing campaigns across Europe, Asia, and South America for companies including Shell / Pennzoil, ASDA, Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Scholastic, Toys R Us, Teletubbies, The BBC, and Hearst Magazines. She’s also recently assumed the role of digital out-of-home lead, leveraging her international perspective and CPG category expertise to help craft an overall strategy and Lab position on the rapidly evolving world of digital OOH marketing. Outside of the Lab, Sonya can be found spending time creating small paper maché sculptures, shooting portraits of loved ones, and most recently, obsessively playing online casual games.

Jorge Chediak
Director of Planning and Development

As Director of Planning & Development of the Interpublic Emerging Media Lab, Los Angeles’ leading center for Marketing Innovations, Jorge focuses on creating new business models, managing the daily business, as well as negotiating deals with agencies and clients.

Jorge has spent many years working with technology focused companies such as Disney Online and was instrumental in establishing Warner Bros Online and Entertaindom. He holds a B.S. in Finance from California State University, with additional course work in Economics.

Jorge is a long running member of the SCCA and a huge road racing fan. He is currently finishing up work on his American Sedan Camaro and hopes to spend many hours racing in 2008. Sponsorships welcome 8-). Jorge also enjoys the outdoors and tries to spend as much time in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Scott Wensman
Director of Media Strategy and Content / Practice Lead, New Media

As Director of Media Strategy and Content, Scott is responsible for evaluating and leveraging partnerships with publishers and solutions providers, providing strategic consultation to Interpublic agencies and clients and maximizing the Lab’s position as thought leader for emerging marketing practices. His role bridges the gap between Interpublic's media planning and buying agencies, serving as a resource for agency executives in their efforts to integrate emerging media into clients' media plans.

Scott brings the Lab years of digital marketing experience leading media strategy, planning, search marketing and analytics for a wide variety of clients. Wensman most recently served as media director for Tribal DDB, overseeing the media and search marketing efforts for such clients as Abbott Labs, Ameriquest, eHarmony, Epson and Wells Fargo.

Before joining Tribal DDB, Wensman spent several years working for Interpublic agencies in media planning, buying and analytics roles with MRM Worldwide, Deutsch and Campbell Mithun. From 2002 to 2004, for instance, he was a Web analyst with MRM Worldwide, where he led a team in media data collection, analysis, reporting and optimization for Microsoft Enterprise online marketing campaigns.

When not busy in the Lab, Scott is usually working on building his music collection, on the basketball or tennis court and playing Xbox with his wife and newborn daughter.