Market Force Announces Addition of New Industry Leadership Talent

BOULDER, Colo. – July 1, 2010 – Market Force Information, the world’s leading customer intelligence solutions company, today announced the expansion of its sales and industry marketing organization. Market Force made four new sales executive appointments to bolster its industry expertise, including vice presidents Ed Kovatch and Steve Workman, and executive directors Mike Fisher and Richard Jimenez-Alicea. Each brings deep expertise, with backgrounds in consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketing and merchandising, restaurant loyalty and customer satisfaction, and retail and hospitality operations. All will report into Patrick Gaul, Market Force’s executive vice president of sales.

“These executives add almost a century of collective industry experience to our team,” said Karl Maier, CEO of Market Force. “These new executive roles – all with experience working with many of the major brands -- will further our leadership in the rapidly growing Customer Intelligence market. We’re thrilled to have this high-caliber team join us to deepen our industry expertise.”

Kovatch joins Market Force as vice president to help lead the company’s Merchandising and Audit business with long-time industry leader, Blake Herlick. Kovatch comes to Market Force with over 25 years experience in the retail service industry, including leadership roles at CROSSMARK, National in-Store and Archway Merchandising. He started his career at K&M Jewelry and also was the executive vice president at FosterGrant with roles in operations and business development. Kovatch is an active member of National Association for Retail Marketing Services (NARMS), was elected as the first chairman of the board of NARMS, and is a graduate of Indiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and business administration.

Workman joins Market Force as vice president of Merchandising to help grow business in the CPG and grocery sector, working with Kovatch.

Workman has more than 16 years of experience working in the retail service industry, including owning and operating a services company, as well as executive positions with Gage Merchandising (formerly PIMMS), National Marketing Services, and BDS marketing. Workman began his career with 10 years of consumer product sales with Lever Brothers Company and Entenmann’s Bakery, Inc. He is an active member of NARMS and graduated from Widener University with a bachelor’s degree in business/economics and an MBA in marketing.

Fisher, a 20-year marketing and sales veteran in the hospitality and restaurant industries, joins Market Force as the executive sales director leading Market Force’s restaurant practice. Fisher spent the last eight years with Maritz Research helping grow its hospitality and restaurant sector by offering research solutions to clients such as McDonald’s, Darden Restaurants, Subway and others. Fisher held key marketing and management positions at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, and Hilton Hotels. Fisher is a graduate of the world-renowned Hotel/Restaurant School at Cornell University and he completed his MBA at DePaul University while working.

Jimenez-Alicea joins Market Force as executive director of sales focused on Retail and Telecom. Jimenez-Alicea has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and advertising, most recently, working with Harte-Hanks, a global database management and direct marketing company, building marketing and advertising programs for U.S. retailers focused on the hispanic consumer.

Spectrum Search Partners has assisted Market Force in recruiting many of the top-level talent that is joining its team.

About Market Force Information
Market Force Information, Inc. is the leading global customer intelligence solutions company for business-to-consumer companies including major retailers, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, financial institutions, entertainment studios and consumer packaged goods companies. Market Force Information has pioneered the industry with a suite of customer intelligence solutions that provide clients with the business intelligence they need to delight their customers and drive bottom-line results. The company measures store-level operations and customer attitudes through mystery shopping, customer feedback, market audits and merchandising services, with the analytics to drive targeted improvements. For more information, please visit: www.marketforce.com and follow us on Twitter @MarketForce

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