Optable is shuffling its leadership deck as it doubles down on AI-driven identity management and data collaboration. The Montreal-based company announced that co-founder Vlad Stesin will step into the CEO role, while founding CEO Yves Poiré transitions to Executive Chairman, a newly created position focused on partnerships and industry strategy. The company also tapped Patrick Viau as Chief Revenue Officer to drive global growth.

Leadership Reset for a Growth Push

The timing isn’t accidental. Optable, launched in 2020, has carved out a niche in helping publishers and media companies make sense of identity resolution and data collaboration—critical functions in a world where third-party cookies are disappearing and interoperability is king.

By promoting Stesin, previously Chief Strategy Officer, the company is elevating one of the architects of its platform vision. Poiré will stay close to the action as Executive Chairman, focusing on alliances and industry alignment, while Viau adds enterprise SaaS firepower to the revenue side.

“Vlad’s acute sense of product strategy and understanding of customer challenges make him the right CEO for this moment,” Poiré said.

Enter “Agentic Collaboration”

Optable’s pitch has always been about simplifying how organizations connect, enrich, and activate data across fragmented ecosystems. Now, Stesin says the company is heading into what he calls the era of “Agentic Collaboration”—AI-powered workflows that replace manual, inefficient processes with intelligent, automated insights.

The vision: advertisers, publishers, and agencies can collaborate at scale on audience insights, campaign planning, and measurement with greater speed and accuracy. Think identity graphs and clean-room-style interoperability, but with AI agents doing much of the heavy lifting.

“We’re moving towards a new chapter of identity infrastructure and data collaboration,” Stesin said, arguing that AI has made it possible to drastically expand the efficiency of data-driven media buys across a growing network of media partners and data sources.

Strengthening the Commercial Engine

That’s where new CRO Patrick Viau comes in. With a résumé spanning Oracle, SAP, Rasa, and multiple high-growth SaaS firms, Viau brings a mix of big-enterprise discipline and startup scaling experience. His mandate: expand adoption of Optable’s platform across both the sell-side and buy-side of the advertising ecosystem.

Stesin calls his addition “critical” as the company rides growing demand for AI-enabled collaboration tools that deliver measurable results.

Bigger Picture

The leadership changes signal Optable’s intent to play offense at a pivotal moment in ad tech. As publishers fight to protect and monetize first-party data, and advertisers hunt for privacy-safe collaboration channels, platforms like Optable are positioning themselves as the connective tissue.

If “data collaboration” was once a buzzword, the rise of AI-driven automation—and the complexity of the media landscape—may finally make it a necessity.

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Hightouch has landed on Forrester’s radar—and it’s making a strong first impression. The data activation platform was named a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Customer Data Platforms for B2B, Q3 2025, its debut appearance in the analyst firm’s closely watched ranking.

A Composable Take on the CDP

Unlike traditional customer data platforms, which often require companies to shoehorn data into rigid models, Hightouch pitches itself as a Composable CDP. In plain terms: instead of ripping and replacing infrastructure, B2B companies can use their existing cloud data warehouse and keep data in its native format while still powering personalization, AI-driven campaigns, and account-level insights.

That architectural flexibility was one of the differentiators called out by Forrester, alongside ease of journey building and customer support.

Forrester noted Hightouch’s journey orchestration tool, which allows teams to design multistep engagement flows and even simulate outcomes before launch—a feature many legacy CDPs lack. Customers also highlighted the company’s open data schema and responsive support team.

Real-World Impact

The recognition comes on the back of some big customer wins:

• Ramp boosted new business by 25% through automated prospecting powered by warehouse data.

• Grammarly personalized billions of emails and optimized a nine-figure ad budget across eight ad networks.

• Calendly used Hightouch to personalize experiences for 20 million users, lifting activation by 16%.

• DocuSign built a unified Customer 360 to align its entire sales organization.

These examples underscore a larger point: the platform is not just serving SaaS or B2B firms, but scaling across industries where customer journeys are increasingly complex.

Why It Matters

Forrester’s Wave reports are table stakes for serious CDP vendors; a strong placement signals both credibility and competitive weight. For Hightouch, the recognition validates its composable-first strategy at a time when enterprises are growing wary of “black box” platforms that lock data away.

The broader trend: B2B marketers need the same personalization power that B2C has long enjoyed, but with added complexity—multiple buyers per account, long sales cycles, and intricate product portfolios. A composable approach, if it delivers, could be the bridge.

“Hoping something works isn’t a strategy,” Forrester seemed to echo in spirit. And with AI rapidly reshaping marketing playbooks, companies like Hightouch are betting that agility, not all-in-one rigidity, will win.

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MatrixPoint Consulting has named Steve King as its new Principal of Marketing & Management Consulting, bringing more than 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship, agency leadership, and strategy consulting.

In his new role, King will focus on helping businesses accelerate digital transformation and execute marketing strategies that translate vision into measurable outcomes. Known for blending strategic insight with hands-on execution, he has built a career designing and launching award-winning campaigns across multiple industries.

Before joining MatrixPoint, King led DataPlaces, a consultancy advising startups on marketing architecture, growth engines, and AI-driven solutions. Earlier in his career, he co-founded Caboodle! Toys LLC, where he created the toy industry’s first rewards program and pioneered the “collect to win®” loyalty concept—an innovation that drove customer engagement and industry adoption.

“Steve’s experience and innovative approach to marketing strategy make him a great addition to our team,” said Eran Goren, Managing Partner at MatrixPoint Consulting. “His track record positions MatrixPoint to deliver measurable growth and unlock new opportunities for our clients.”

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ThinkNow, the multicultural market research firm known for decoding diverse consumer behavior, has once again landed on Quirk’s radar. The agency was named a finalist for Marketing Research Supplier of the Year in the Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards, a recognition that cements its reputation as one of the few research shops blending authenticity with advanced analytics.

The award category covers firms with 2024 revenue north of $5 million, putting ThinkNow in the company of some heavyweight suppliers. Winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony on November 19, 2025.

Why This Matters

The marketing research space has been in flux—AI and automation are rewriting how data is gathered, analyzed, and applied. Yet, ThinkNow stands out for keeping multicultural audiences at the center of its mission.

“We’re integrating more advanced tech into research, but the mission remains the same: staying authentic, earning trust, and helping brands connect with people in meaningful ways,” said Roy Eduardo Kokoyachuk, Co-Founder and Principal at ThinkNow.

That balance of innovation and authenticity is a rarity in an industry where speed often trumps nuance.

A Pattern of Recognition

This isn’t ThinkNow’s first brush with Quirk’s accolades. Back in 2022, the agency was a finalist for work with Myovant Sciences. The company also boasts three Ogilvy Awards for campaigns with Clorox, Covered California, and The Ad Council, as well as spots on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list and the Inc. 5000 Regionals for California.

In a market increasingly saturated with generic data tools, ThinkNow’s repeat recognition highlights the growing demand for multicultural insight at scale. It’s a signal to brands that diversity isn’t a checkbox—it’s a competitive advantage.

The Bigger Picture

As marketers scramble to personalize campaigns for fragmented audiences, research firms like ThinkNow are shaping how inclusive data strategies become standard practice. With major players pushing into multicultural insights—Nielsen, Ipsos, and Kantar among them—ThinkNow’s finalist nod positions it as both a challenger and a specialist.

The question now is whether the firm can parlay this recognition into broader adoption of its tech-driven, culture-first methodology. Either way, November’s award ceremony will be one to watch.

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West Cary Group, a Richmond-based advertising agency focused on marketing, data, and technology, has completed the sale of its proprietary Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) to a major global digital transformation company. The deal marks one of the first public sales of a custom GPT developed by an agency, signaling a new chapter in applied AI adoption.

The Marketing Research GPT is designed to accelerate strategic marketing tasks such as competitor mapping, trend analysis, audience profiling, and go-to-market planning—functions critical for data-driven marketing teams.

The tool has seen strong adoption, ranking as the second most-used research GPT on OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform for eight consecutive months. It was also spotlighted in OpenAI’s curated GPT recommendations, a rare nod that underscores its effectiveness.

“Large language models have unlocked a significant new market for our firm,” said Moses Foster, president and CEO of West Cary Group. “This sale validates our strategy of becoming a dedicated GPT provider for industries we know best, including financial services, energy, healthcare, and the public sector.”

Mike Benjamin, the tool’s lead creator, added: “Our goal was to architect a solution that addresses specific challenges for marketers. The acquisition by a market leader confirms we’ve developed a truly effective and valuable tool.”

The transaction positions West Cary Group as an early mover in the commercialization of industry-specific AI, with plans to expand into additional enterprise-grade solutions.

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Monks, the digital-first unitary operating brand of S4 Capital, is spotlighting a major contribution from Brianna Mersey, Vice President of Data for North America. Mersey’s peer-reviewed article, published in the latest issue of Applied Marketing Analytics (Vol. 11.1), introduces Instant BigQuery Machine Learning (iBQML), a new approach to audience building and personalization.

The framework integrates Google BigQuery with Google Analytics 4, enabling marketers to create predictive propensity models without advanced data science expertise. By tapping into first-party data, iBQML helps brands identify high-value user segments—such as likely buyers or churn risks—and activate them directly in GA4 for targeted campaigns and optimized bidding strategies.

“This was a brilliant experience from start to finish,” said Mersey. “The feedback pushed the piece further, and I’m excited to keep exploring ideas in this space.”

The solution, already deployed with clients like Hootsuite, allows marketers to focus budgets on users with the highest predicted value, driving conversion lift, loyalty, and efficiency in ad spend. Benefits include speed, automation, and seamless integration with existing data sources. While Mersey acknowledges limits such as a narrow range of model types and lack of real-time updates, Monks addresses these with custom ML solutions tailored to client goals.

The article stems from Mersey’s 2024 presentation at the MADS Conference, which led to the publisher’s invitation. Beyond its journal placement, the piece is included in The Business and Management Collection, a widely used professional learning resource.

“Brianna’s leadership in this space highlights Monks’ strength in delivering data-driven solutions for our clients,” said Chris Welhelmi, EVP and Head of Global Data at Monks.

Monks will expand on the topic in an upcoming webinar featuring Mersey and Hootsuite’s Zak Ramdani, Director of Search & Paid Media. Updates will be shared on Monks’ LinkedIn.

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Philadelphia-based Furia Rubel Communications has been recognized as a leader in legal marketing and public relations, securing No. 1 spots in The Legal Intelligencer’s “Best of 2025” reader survey. The agency topped categories including Public Relations Firm, Law Firm Marketer Providing the Best Customer Service, Online/Social Media Marketing Provider for the Legal Community, and Lawyer/Law Firm Business Development Coaching.

Founded in 2002 by CEO and former trial lawyer Gina Rubel, Furia Rubel serves law firms and legal service providers in the U.S. and abroad. The agency offers crisis communications, litigation communications, business development coaching, and marketing strategy, combining industry insight with hands-on execution.

“We are proud to be recognized again by the Philadelphia legal community for our expertise in providing public relations and marketing services,” said Rubel. “As the legal profession faces new challenges, we adapt our approach to craft communications that serve our clients’ business needs.”

The recognition builds on a history of accolades, including Furia Rubel’s Hall of Fame induction in 2021. Beyond client services, the agency hosts the award-winning podcast On Record PR, delivering insights on law firm marketing, media relations, and professional development. Now in its third season, the podcast is listened to in over 20 countries and was named one of the Top 10 Legal Podcasts by Attorney at Work.

As a certified woman-owned agency, Furia Rubel also provides strategic consulting to global professional service clients, including legaltech organizations, financial institutions, governments, and municipalities, with tailored expertise from its international faculty.

This latest recognition reinforces Furia Rubel’s status as a go-to agency for law firms seeking marketing, PR, and business development solutions in an increasingly competitive legal landscape.

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UserTesting, the enterprise human insights platform, is accelerating its footprint in Australia, driven by adoption among top banks, insurers, and high-growth tech startups. To strengthen its local presence, the company has named Paul North as General Manager for Asia-Pacific. North brings over 20 years of leadership in SaaS and digital experience, including stints at PeopleSoft, SAP, Optimizely, and Emburse.

In Australia, UserTesting now supports three of the top four banks, three of the top four general insurers, the two largest health insurers, and two of the top three high-growth tech startups. Each month, the platform runs over 200,000 tests globally, many filled within hours, providing real-time insights from everyday consumers. Participants in Australia can earn up to A$120 for live customer interviews.

“As organisations across Australia and New Zealand increasingly prioritize experience-led growth, I’m excited to join UserTesting at such a pivotal time,” said North. “Our mission is to help local organisations accelerate innovation through fast, actionable insights, improving customer experiences while reducing rework.”

Trusted by Leading Australian Brands

UserTesting’s roster in Australia spans banking, retail, insurance, utilities, superannuation, and tech, including:

• Canva

• National Australia Bank

• Allianz

• QBE

• Rest Super

• Nearmap

• Energy Australia

• Bunnings

• Woolworths

• Medibank

Driving Innovation Globally and Locally

UserTesting’s regional expansion coincides with key global initiatives:

• AWS ISV Accelerate Program: Recognized as part of AWS’s cloud innovation ecosystem.

• Figma Prototype Testing (Beta): Allows designers to gather prototype feedback in hours with AI-powered analysis.

• Insights for Impact Program: Provides free and discounted licenses and training to non-profits, ensuring mission-driven initiatives are guided by real-world consumer insights.

With these moves, UserTesting is cementing its role as a leader in human insights, combining speed, scale, and AI-powered analysis to help enterprises make data-driven decisions in Australia and beyond.

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