Instructors

Renee Adams is a Director at LTK, an innovative company that connects influencers, brands and consumers. Renee has 20+ years’ experience in marketing specializing in CRM, email marketing, loyalty marketing and customer engagement.

Renee has managed customer engagement strategies for a hospitality loyalty program and a large-scale retail organization, driving sales both in-store and online. Renee has overseen many different types of email programs; some having generated a return on investment (ROI) of over 6000% and a 36% increase in revenue.

Renee is on the Board of the DFW Retail Executives Association. She has taught Email Marketing at SMU since the Fall of 2015 and was named Rising Brand Star by Ad Week in 2018. Renee holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication-Advertising from the University of Oklahoma.

Sujoy's work experience of 15 years includes strategy and marketing roles in the consumer goods, retail, and manufacturing industries with experience in North America, Europe and Asia. He currently works in Strategic Marketing. Sujoy received his M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University where he studied Marketing and Strategy. He also holds a patent from a product development project for an automotive manufacturer.
Sujoy started his career in the consulting industry where he helped global clients in the telecom and financial services industries develop strategic capabilities. As a consultant, he trained over 100 consultants on a variety of technical topics. Sujoy received his undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Pune, India.

Jim David is CEO and Founder of Leapfrawg.com, a social media management company, and past department chair of management and marketing at Wade College. Leapfrawg manages social media marketing for multiple businesses and organizations.
Jim holds an M.B.A. from San Francisco State University and a B.BA. in Marketing from Texas Tech University. He is a Board Member of Social Media Breakfast – Dallas. He is President Emeritus of the DFW American Marketing Association and Past EVP of Special Interest Groups. He serves on the Digital Imaging Advisory Council for Eastfield College and the Advisory Committee for Creatives in DFW. After working in the financial industry for several years in Europe and Asia, he returned to the United States in 2001 and became a partner in the commercial printing industry. He has been responsible for four start-ups and continues to be an advisor for several others.

Tom is VP of Brand Strategy at ExperiPro, a marketing insights and brand strategy firm. For 30 years he has combined his passion for both marketing and sales to help companies craft their story, strengthen their culture, and engage with their target market. Active on social media, with a background in software, fine paper and printing, Tom brings a very unique skill set to every client engagement.

Tom is President Emeritus of the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the American Marketing Association and helped transform the organization into one of the top chapters in the country. He currently serves on the board as Executive Vice President and heads up the CMO Advisory Council. In 2012 he was recognized as the American Marketing Association's "National Volunteer of the Year." Tom has served on the board of directors for the West Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the Dallas Society of Visual Communications. In 2010, Tom co-founded 1st Tuesday Connections, a Texas not-for-profit dedicated to providing educational programing for North Texas entrepreneurs. In 2014, the group became a part of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce where he continues to serve on the guiding committee. Saving the world one brand at a time, Tom is a frequent speaker on the importance of branding and company culture.

Steve Hammer is the President and Co-Founder of RankHammer, the 2015 U.S. Search Awards small agency of the year. Steve is a sought-after speaker on the subjects of search marketing, PPC and analytics. In particular, he has been noted as a leader in AdWords Scripts and Google Tag Manager. Steve's experience in online media and traditional marketing allows a strategic and long-term view of search marketing. He has achieved extraordinary and sustainable results in several competitive online industries, often exceeding growth rates in excess of 50 percent per year.

Steve has held a number of exemplary positions including Director of Search Marketing for ACE Cash Express, General Manager for Stir, and a practicing Chemical Engineer for BASF. He holds an M.B.A. from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management. As a former VP of the DFWSEM, Steve is very active in the Dallas Search Marketing community. He has spoken at prestigious meetings and conferences including SMX Advanced, Pubcon, ClickZLive, State of Search, Ignite eCommerce and Interactive Insights Summit.

Sharlene Jenner, VP Engagement Strategy with the award-winning agency Abelson Taylor, has over 18 years in the strategy and digital field and is an industry speaker and coach/mentor. She is passionate about developing interactions through emerging technologies that bridge gaps, creating opportunities and helping companies leverage their strengths for success. She is a subject matter expert on marketing uses for artificial intelligence, machine learning and personalized engagement. She has leadership experience in a variety of industries including hotel/hospitality, consumer goods, small business, retail marketing, domestic manufacturing, staffing and healthcare. This diverse past gives her a unique perspective when it comes to translating marketing strategy to its digital components for all kinds of consumers. Sharlene is an empathetic servant leader that focuses on creating high performing teams and helping others succeed. She has been named a Top Woman Leader in Dallas in 2022. Sharlene is a native Texan and has a BA in Business Administration from University of Texas-Dallas and an MBA from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Steve Lee, APR, Professor of Practice for Corporate Communication and Public Affairs in the SMU Meadows School of the Arts and Chair and Chief Pathfinder of QSI Consulting Group.

Steve Lee is not exactly your normal social media expert. For one thing, he has a lot more gray hair than you would expect. But don’t think that just makes him the old guy — decades of business experience combined with techno understanding make for a vibrant combination. That’s how he helps senior executives wade through the latest interactive and marketing trends to create clearer visions of their business and communications needs.

Brad B McCormick is Principal at 10 Louder strategy consulting and founder of BrandTruthWorkshop.com. Brad has over 24 years helping companies build equity and compete in the digital space. Past digital clients include LEGO, McDonald's, FedEx Office, Indy Car, Cisco, Samsung, Novartis, and SmokeyBear. Brad teaches Digital Marketing Strategy & Performance Management at SMU and is a Past-President of the DFW chapter of the American Marketing Association. 

Emmeline Miles is a creative professional who has spent twenty years as an award-winning writer, copywriter, marketer and entertainer. A veteran of the Walt Disney Company, Emmeline has helped to hone verbal identities for entertainment brands like Camp Jam and Radio Disney, manufacturers like Smart Start, Inc., and smaller organizations like the Dallas Music Teachers Association. In each of her creative endeavors, Emmeline specializes in tailoring narrative to medium, working to help both individuals and corporate entities find their truest voice.

Emmeline earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Creative Writing from Southern Methodist University, a Master of Liberal Arts from Texas Christian University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Music from Scripps College in Claremont, California. She has been published in creative and academic circles, and her projects have proven to significantly increase web traffic for the clients whose stories she tells. In her free time, she acts as an independent musician, and is pleased to be a voting member of the Recording Academy.

Dan is a search engine optimization and social media strategy professional with over 20 years' experience in developing digital marketing strategies for agency clients.

Dan has a strong foundation in all phases of digital marketing, with the ability to deliver multichannel business-driving solutions. Dan is well-versed in strategy and ideation development, video production for SEO & social media as well as competitive analysis. Dan provides proven leadership in directing digital marketing services, creative design, and team management across market and target segments.

Dan is past president of the DFW Search Engine Marketing Association and co-founder of the Digital Career Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization designed to help heads of households with careers in digital marketing.

Rebecca has been working in the Analytics & Marketing space for over 15 years and her professional motto is "Data Inspires Strategy." With a focus on processes and operations built upon the intelligent use of data, she prides herself in steering the strategic direction of the overall business.

As VP, Marketing Intelligence at AbelsonTaylor, Rebecca provides the organization with the expertise, development and practical application of fact-based reporting, analysis and analytical models used to enhance decision making for both their internal partners and their clients. She leads a department that supports the organization with insights and attribution models to produce improved marketing results and impact.

Rebecca is passionate about mentoring others and has been teaching at the university level since 2012, where she passes along her passion for analytics and marketing. Outside of work, Rebecca is a mother, avid traveler, and sci-fi nerd.

Abhi Vyas is an online marketing expert with a proven track record of driving results and delivering innovation in the mobile marketing arena. Abhi's expertise is based on more than a decade of experience across all online marketing channels.

He is a pioneer of SoLoMo (social, local and mobile) marketing strategy that represents the convergence of collaborative, location-based and on-the-go technologies, primarily used for marketing and discovery purposes. Currently, Abhi is Vice President of Marketing at Metromedia Technologies Inc., and a member of the company's Executive Leadership Team. He is responsible for management of the MMT brand and marketing, including consumer insights and analytics, commercial and digital marketing, personnel staffing and development, agency management, product category strategy and execution. Abhi is a Co-Founder of SWIVIO — a firm specializing in a location-based marketing platform that delivers mobile offers and promotions to consumers based on their location, context and proximity.

He holds a graduate degree in economics and business from SMU and an M.B.A in international business and marketing from DAVV, India. Prior to coming to the United States, Vyas worked for the TATA group and TAJ Group of Hotels in India in various marketing and new business development positions. Abhi is EVP of Special Interest Groups (SIG) at DFW AMA (American Marketing Association) and member of AAF (American Advertising Federation).