Prof. David Vequist – San Antonio, U.S.A.
David G. Vequist IV, Ph.D. is the founding Director of the Center for Medical Tourism Research (CMTR), the premier academic center studying patients traveling for choices in healthcare. A Tenured Full Professor of Management in the H-E-B School of Business & Administration at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. He is an accomplished speaker, author, and researcher on the topic of medical & retirement tourism, and health trends. He has presented on five continents, consulted with corporations, NGOs, countries, produced numerous articles, papers, book chapters, and been interviewed in media channels across the world. David is considered an influencer in the world of medical travel, and combines the accomplishments of both academic researcher and a practitioner in the category.
Jorg Borgwardt - Dusseldorf, Germany
40 years in international marketing communications make him one of the few experts to understand the needs of advertisers and agencies. His expertise covers a wide range of consumer goods, food, cosmetics, healthcare, durables as well as general advertising, health care, media, direct marketing and integrated services.
Jorg became a specialist in client acquisition, agency networking and best practices through his extensive involvement in agency selection and services for global clients. His thesis on “International coordination of advertising agencies in Europe” was the first academic paper of its kind and put him in touch with leading agencies and networks; it also was a precursor to joining Grey Advertising.
At Grey Jorg covered positions such as Managing Director, European New Business Director and later EVP of Grey International. He provided in-depth consultancy and advice on global communication and branding to Procter & Gamble, BAT, Block Drug, Timex, 3M, Revlon and Mars.
Apart from his native Germany, Jorg has worked on all continents and also lived in the US, the UK, France, Switzerland and Spain. As a result, he is multi-lingual and multi-cultural. He thrives on challenges and has one of the best success records in the industry.
Laszlo Puczko – Budapest, Hungary
He has been working in the field of travel, leisure and health for 25+ years. László is an experience engineer, strategist, mentor and trainer, and wellbeing intelligence expert. He has gained experiences in private as well as in public sector environments both in medical and wellness tourism. His expertise qualifies him as a unique expert in all matters of hospitality and travel sectors. He is an economist and art & design manager, and holds master degrees, a PhD, and is a Certified Management Consultant. László has been lecturing and running tailor-made trainings and masterclasses in over 40 countries all around the world. László is a hot spring and wellness enthusiast and holds a Diploma in Forest Bathing!
Laurence Minsky – Chicago, U.S.A.
Laurence is renowned for his strategic and creative leadership and expertise in brand development; brand activation; channel communications; content marketing, digital, direct response, and social media marketing, local store marketing, new product development. He is also known for developing the effective award-winning cross-channel solutions that boost marketing ROI.
Together with Ilan Geva, he co-authored Global Brand Management: A Guide to Developing, Building & Managing an International Brand (Kogan Page 2019); Audio Branding: Using Sound to Build Your Brand (Kogan Page 2017); and The Activation Imperative: How to Build Brands and Business by Inspiring Action (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017); executive editor of The Get A Job Workshop: How to Find Your Way to a Creative Career in Advertising, Branding, Collateral, Digital, Experiential & More (Copy Workshop, 2013); the author of How to Succeed in Advertising When All You Have Is Talent Second Edition (Copy Workshop 2007) and Advertising Under One Hour (Under One Hour LLC 2-18), and a contributor to Advertising and the Business of Brands Media Revolution Edition (Copy Workshop 2009).
Among his blue-chip clients, were AARP, Amazon, AON, Bay Valley Foods (various brands), Beltone, Black & Decker Spacemaker, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coca-Cola Products, DTE Energy, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Frito-Lay, George Foreman Products, GE, Google, Kraft Foods, The Lakeside Collection, Mayo Medical Laboratories (Mayo Clinic), McDonald’s, MetLife, Motorola, PetSmart, Sleep Number, Spacelabs Healthcare, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), True Value, Unilever, United Airlines, United States Postal Service, Vita Foods, Westinghouse, and others.
Pauline Critch-Gilfillan – Chicago, U.S.A.
Pauline Critch-Gilfillan is a creative director dedicated to creating thoughtful work that drives societal and environmental impact. Whether creating virtual campaigns for It’s On Us founded by the Obama-Biden administration, increasing youth voter turnout through the nonpartisan initiative #VoteTogether, or leading the brand launch of Anheuser-Busch’s sustainability accelerator, Pauline uses her marketing expertise to drive greater good in the world.
Pauline knows the young generations of today’s consumers, and their unique behavior patterns.
During her time at Mosaic advertising agency, her work creating non-traditional wellness experiences for Michelob ULTRA was recognized with multiple Shorties, a Gold Ex Award and a Gold Chief Marketer Pro.
She holds a BFA in Acting from the Theatre School at DePaul University with a minor in Advertising and an Integrated Marketing Certificate from the University of Chicago.
Rick Ray – Lucca, Italy
A Chicago native, he is currently in the process of transferring back, once again, to his preferred “home away from home” – Italy… to Lucca in Tuscany! He has alternatively called Paris, Brussels and Milano as home… but has spent his professional career in airports and fast trains. From Zagreb to Shanghai. Calgary to Hannover. London to San Francisco. To wherever one of his clients may have had a need. Procter & Gamble , Nestle, Fiat, Microsoft, Budweiser, Haworth and more. There are few business categories where Rick has not made a pro-active strategic contribution in the field.
Former CEO of a multinational marketing communications group in Milano, former Managing Director of an Italian multinational subsidiary in Chicago, former President of a leading Media Buying organization in Rome and currently co-founder and Managing Partner of brandstory, a leading-edge brand strategy consultancy, Rick also considers university Adjunct lecturing as his “love job.” From the European School of Economics (ESE) and the European Design Institute (IED) in Milano, to more recently at Butler University and IUPUI in Indianapolis. At both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Specializing in international and cross-cultural Management, Marketing and Marketing Communications issues, Rick also has hands-on experience in the diagnosis and management of Organizational Culture Change. For large multinational organizations, as well as for small family-owned businesses.
Sherene Azli – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A visionary, transformational and relentless business development leader with a career spanning 26 years across multi-sectors, with focus on driving business goals towards exceptional outcomes. Sherene held top management and board roles in the telecommunication industry and government agencies before becoming the CEO of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC). Her core strengths are in strategy, planning and effective communication; with proven track records in the areas of global strategic business development, branding, marketing, partnerships, alliances and nation-building. At MHTC, Sherene led the achievement of Malaysia rising to be the preferred medical travel destination globally with an amplified Malaysia brand and value proposition. Malaysia became the Number 1 Global Healthcare Destination by Volume in 2019, and MHTC grew into a globally benchmarked agency in healthcare travel. Sherene is also passionate about education, leadership development and volunteerism, where she aspires to continue making a difference in nation-building work as a lecturer and an advisor.