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Jason Steeg re-joined ECI as President in 2016, having worked at the company from 1991-1994.
Jason’s experience covers the full range of the brand lifecycle, from bringing new products to market (concept testing and product & sensory guidance), to developing a brand’s place in the market (positioning testing, claims development & testing, pricing strategies), to measuring brand health (brand tracking, A & U, and segmentation) to understanding how shoppers make decisions when deciding what brands to ultimate buy (path to purchase and other retail focused research). Additionally, he has a strong background in many different types of modelling and advanced analytics.
Sensory research & product testing is a particular specialty & passion for him, having run the product testing team at Moskowitz Jacobs. Jason holds a Master’s Marketing Research from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor's in Sociology from the University of Vermont.
Patty Bien joined ECI in September 2016, supporting clients in understanding their brands, advising on how to connect with customers, identifying strategies for bringing products to market and developing an understanding of the competitive landscape brands and companies live in. In addition to her client facing responsibility, Patty shares in the day to day management of ECI’s business.
Prior to ECI, she had a mix of both supplier and client side roles – Millward Brown, NFO/TNS, Heineken (Dos Equis – “Stay Thirsty, My Friends!”), FYI Direct and most recently Ipsos. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Vassar College.
Patty’s mixed experience provides her with the perspective that is always challenging her to ask “What ultimately is my client going to do with the project I’m working on?” She believes that having a solid answer to that question dictates the success of a project. And for Patty, success can be summed up by one of her favorite quotes – “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Dr. Seuss
Len is an experienced brand and marketing strategist who has partnered with clients to optimize brand positioning and activate against the strategy. He works with client Innovation teams as well as Brand and Marketing personnel to understand the category landscape and determine short and long strategy for brand growth.
Len is a leader in Brand Equity and Advertising Performance areas including modeling the integration of marketing and social media data on brand perception. He is also experienced in the area of Customer Experience and Shopper Strategy in the CPG, Retail and Restaurant categories.
Alisha Brown joined ECI in September 2017. With over 14 years of custom market research experience on the supplier side, she has expertise in the consumer packaged goods, pet-care, beauty and luxury goods categories.
Alisha has extensive experience managing branding, market understanding, innovation, and ideation related projects from study design through analysis. She most enjoys the analytic and story telling aspects of the process, and bringing data to life by unearthing the story and discovering the “what’s next?”
Prior to ECI, she held research management roles at Ipsos and TNS. She holds a Master of Arts in Survey Research from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and Statistics from James Madison University.
Jenny Irvine re-joined ECI as a Vice President in 2017, having worked at the company previously (2010-2011).
Jenny merges the best of emerging and traditional research techniques to help clients gain deeper insight into their markets, innovate successfully, and develop products consumers will love. Her experience spans a range of categories including food, beverage, OTC, personal care, cosmetics, pet care, and B2B.
Her way of partnering with clients is highly creative – whether she’s brainstorming new approaches to pilot, or inspiring with modern deliverables that are intuitive and direct. Passionate about visual story-telling, Jenny loves pushing the boundaries of traditional reporting as far as her clients will allow, once delivering a quant report that included only 4 numbers!
Jenny has held client service positions with Harris Interactive, TNS, and most recently Ipsos. She graduated from Washington and Lee University with a BA in Economics and Political Science.
Jeff is a Senior VP of Research Analytics at ECI and has over 20 years of experience in advanced analytics, and 10 years as a university professor/instructor where he has taught statistics and market research. Jeff continues to lead market research analytics for dozens of Fortune 500 clients such as L’Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, Disney, ESPN, VISA, Google, Microsoft, Bank of America, and Nestlé.
Jeff’s hands-on experience includes predictive analytics, statistical modeling, and all forms of multivariate analyses (e.g., regression, ANOVA, factor analysis, cluster analysis, Bayesian Networks, CHAID/CART, Hierarchical Bayes, Multinomial Logit). He has extensive experience with Conjoint/ Discrete Choice, MaxDiff, Key Drivers Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, PLS, Correspondence Analysis, Network Mapping, Segmentation, Typing Tools, TURF, Penalty Analysis, Preference tests, Claims testing, Sensory Preference Mapping and various Pricing Techniques.
Jeff has worked both on the supplier side (ECI, TNS/Kantar, Frank Magid Associates) and the client side (Mattel Inc., Honeywell Intl.), and has taught at Western Governor’s University, CUNY Brooklyn College, and University of North Texas. Jeff has an MBA from the University of Arizona and a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA.
Alyssa Conley joined ECI in April 2018 and brings over a decade of custom market research experience on the supplier side. Her work spans the full brand lifecycle, from supporting innovation and new product development to refining positioning, pricing, and messaging, and ultimately tracking brand health and performance over time. She has worked extensively across food and beverage, as well as personal care, cosmetics, skincare, and broader CPG categories. Alyssa is known for her organized, detail-oriented approach and her ability to uncover meaningful patterns in data, bringing clarity to complex findings and helping teams understand not just what is happening, but why.
She is especially passionate about research that helps brands create products people truly love and use, and enjoys bringing insights to life through clear, visually-engaging storytelling. Prior to joining ECI, Alyssa held client service roles at Ipsos.
Alyssa graduated from St. John’s University with a BS in Marketing. Outside of work, she enjoys focusing on health and wellness, traveling, spending time with her husband, family, and friends, and relaxing at her local beach.
Allison joined ECI in July 2023, bringing over 15 years of experience in supplier-side custom research. Her experience spans a range of categories, including food, beverage, personal care, cosmetics and healthcare. Allison enjoys merging her analytical nature and data-driven problem-solving skills with her creative side, enabling her to turn complex data into clear, visually engaging insights that deliver real value to her clients.
Before ECI, Allison spent most of her career in client service roles at Ipsos, in both the New York City and London offices. She graduated from Villanova University with a BA in Psychology and Sociology.
Outside of work, you can find her exploring far-flung destinations, immersed in a good book (or bad reality tv), soaking up nature on a run or cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles. She currently lives in London with her husband.
Teresa Fryer joined ECI in January 2019. She has over 20 years of supplier side experience, with a focus in the Health, Beauty and Personal Care industries. Her experience spans the innovation lifecycle from Product and Concept Testing to Segmentation & Positioning and through Brand Equity/Tracking. She is particularly passionate about analyzing A&U and segmentation data to reveal nuanced consumer personas and the different ways they engage with a category.
Teresa started her career at TNS and prior to joining ECI, held a VP Client Director role at MetrixLab (now Toluna, formerly Acturus/The Pert Group) where she spent 9 years. While there, she won the 2018 Recognition Club annual team award, reflective of her excellence in providing Top of Class guidance for her clients.
Teresa graduated from Hofstra University in 2005 with a BA in Marketing. Outside of work, Teresa co-owns a gelato shop with her husband, which started as a hobby during the pandemic in 2020. She is further kept busy by her 2 daughters, 3 rescue dogs and her flower gardens in the warmer months.
Lauren Geissler joined ECI in June 2021. She has over 18 years of supplier side experience, with a focus in CPG, Pet Care, Health, and Beauty industries. Her experience spans the innovation lifecycle from Product and Concept Testing to Positioning and Brand Equity/Tracking research.
Lauren started her career at Millward Brown before moving on to TNS. She spent the majority of her career at MetrixLab (formerly Acturus/The Pert Group), dedicating 13 years to building strong client relationships there. At MetrixLab she won a company recognition award and was nominated numerous times for her excellent client service.
Lauren graduated from Fairfield University in 2003 with a BS in Marketing/International Business. Outside of work, Lauren is busy spending time with her husband, two daughters, and new puppy. She also coaches her daughter’s youth soccer team in the fall and spring.
Emily Turell is an experienced marketing professional who has worked in both product management and market research for over 20 years. In her current role, she designs and executes research projects across a wide variety of categories including food, beverages, household and personal care products. She brings her experience in product management to every project with the goal of providing insightful, actionable results.
Emily’s experience spans a range of research methodologies including concept/product tests, claims/flavor screens, tracking studies, A&U’s and segmentation studies.
Out of the office, Emily is an avid tennis player and a somewhat frustrated golfer. She loves cooking for family and friends and is never bored if a good book is available. Emily earned a BA from Cornell University and a MBA from Columbia University, with a major in Marketing.
Scott Timmons joined ECI in June 1992. He has over 30 years of custom market research experience on the supplier side with expertise in personal care, food, beverage and household care products.
Scott started his career at Ad Factors/Millward Brown before moving on to ECI. His experience spans a range of research methodologies from tracking, concept and product testing, claims positioning, A & U and Segmentation studies.
Outside of the office, Scott is an avid martial artist and health/fitness advocate, enjoys cooking for friends and family and being active outdoors.
Irish Rubio-Malick joined ECI in July 2021. She has over 15 years of supplier side experience with focus on CPG, pharmaceutical, and financial services categories. Her experience spans a range of research methodologies, including brand equity, advertising tracking, and custom research.
Irish began her Market Research career at Ipsos, where she spent 8 years in diverse roles managing end-to-end research. Before joining ECI, she came from MetrixLab, where she focused on client service and strategic partnership, building strong client relationships.
She most enjoys translating data into actionable insights that help clients make informed business decisions. Irish holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Debbie Gahagan joined ECI in July 2006. She has over 20 years of market research experience, both on the client and supplier sides.
Debbie started her career at TBC, Inc Advertising in Baltimore, MD. After moving to Ormond Beach, Florida, she quickly moved on and spent the majority of her career at ECI, dedicating almost 20 years to field and product management.
Debbie’s extensive expertise includes various market research methodologies. She enjoys managing the daily Field life, especially when challenging. Having worked on both sides of research, it allows her to think outside the box and make sure all sides are content.
Debbie attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County, with a concentration in Marketing. Outside of the office, Debbie is traveling with her husband from country to country. She is fluent in Greek and is always ready for a trip back to Greece!
Lucy Eisgruber joined ECI in May 2024. She has built her market research career on the supplier side with product and concept innovation studies for mainly consumer package goods industries - ranging from idea evaluations to concept/product testing types of studies. At ECI, Lucy helps lead various types of studies to expand her market research knowledge and works with ECI team members that help lead and mentor her.
Lucy started her market research at Ipsos on the Innovation team where she knew she wanted to pursue a career in market research with the fun brands she was able to work on in the consumer-packaged goods space. Since working at ECI, Lucy has been able to work on projects in the consumer-packaged goods space as well as other sectors to enhance her category knowledge of other sectors such as in beauty and customer experience.
Lucy graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a BA in Political Science and minored in Marketing and Management. When she is not working, she loves to explore the Pacific Northwest region where she lives - hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities/being active; as well as being involved in the Seattle community through the Junior League of Seattle and through other organizations. Also, she loves reading and is always down for a good book recommendation. She is a people person and loves her group of friends in Seattle and beyond.
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