Mike Sherman is an independent marketing, customer insight and Big Data/CRM consultant and co-author of 52 Things We Wish Someone Had Told Us About Customer Analytics. He helps clients solve their business and marketing problems through better use of customer information. His clients include senior management, research end users, research managers and providers and intermediaries such as consulting firms.
Mike brings to his work almost 30 years of experience gained as a research user (Head of Living Analytics at SingTel Group Digital Life, Brand Manager at P&G), research intermediary (marketing consultant at McKinsey & Company) and research provider (Global Director of Insights and Knowledge Management at Synovate [now Ipsos], a top 10 global market research agency). This experience allows him to expertly assess the needs and abilities of all involved parties, as he crafts uniquely effective solutions and unearths superior insights.
Mike’s MBA was awarded to him with high distinction (Baker Scholar) from the Harvard Business School. He has a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business and a B.A. in Conflict Management from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, both at the University of Pennsylvania.
He lives in Hong Kong, works globally and has spent time in over 120 countries on 6 continents.
While commonly seen as separate areas, I believe Big Data and Customer Insight should be considered as interdependent subjects. Big Data informs us about who and what, but misses out on the why; Customer insight adds the why (while unreliably telling us about who and what); together both are instrumental in helping marketers and others understand customer behavior.
More About Mike:
Overview
Effectively bringing the voice of the customer into business issues; Solving business and marketing issues via insightful, actionable insight with big consumer data (who, what) and custom research (why)
2013-present
and 2010-2011
New Creation Services
Independent Consultant
Hong Kong
Support marketing, insight and CRM/big data work in consumer products, financial services, telecoms, media across Asia (and occasionally globally)
–
HKT (Hong Kong Telecom)
Project Leader, Project Emerald
Hong Kong
Created the Big Data team at HKT, including getting the initial platform launched with true big data input, and building the team, including several true data scientists. Worked with both internal and external parties to develop the idea of the consumer data mall.
2011-2013
SingTel
Head, Living Analytics, Group Digital Life
Singapore
Created team of over 30 that integrates Big Data R&D, applied customer data and customer insight.
Drove business use of insight and data by focusing work on end users’ key decisions and pointed actionable findings; many examples of changed decisions due to clear, concise, insightful findings.
Recruited diverse team, including 7 Ph.D’s, data scientists, seconded agency talent, supplier partnerships.
Built community panels that delivered low cost, high quality, rapid results.
Guided thinking on use of personalized recommendation engines, location pattern analysis, video usage data, CDRs, etc. that is core to many emerging opportunities.
Previously, Head, Center of Excellence, Customer Knowledge and BI, September 2011-March, 2012
2004-2009
Synovate
Global Director, Knowledge Management and Customer Insights
Hong Kong/London
Created tools, techniques, training and mentoring to raise the value clients received from research.
Developed proposal and reporting templates adopted globally.
Consulted on most challenging and largest client projects.
Lead “Hot Spots”, award winning marketing program that delivered compelling customer insight across over 35 markets.
1986-2003 (Hong Kong 1997-2003; New York 1986-1996)
McKinsey & Company
Senior Marketing Expert Asia
Hong Kong/New York
Created and lead Asia-Pacific marketing practice.
Built team based in 10 offices that provided practice support of client marketing work across region.
Lead CRM, Pricing, Market Research, NPD work across region.
Developed global PFS survey that delivered distinctive insight into developing market financial services.
Senior CRM/Big Consumer Data Expert
Co-founded McKinsey’s Global CRM practice.
Senior Engagement Manager
Lead marketing projects across multiple industries, domestically and globally.
1980-1984
Procter & Gamble
Brand Manager
Cincinnati
Managed established and new brands in Packaged Soap and Bar Soap Divisions.
1978-1980
Sunshine Books
Owner/Founder
Philadelphia
Started profitable college textbook retailer while a student at the University of Pennsylvania.
Education
1984-1986
Harvard Business School
Boston
MBA with High Distinction (Baker Scholar)
1975-1979
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
B.S. in Economics, Wharton School of Business, Magna Cum Laude
B.A. in Conflict Management, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Magna Cum Laude
Committee Member and Membership Chair, Royal Geographical Society of Hong Kong
Board of Directors, AFS Hong Kong
Twice Chair of AFS-USA Board, the leading international high school foreign exchange organization; AFS high school exchange student to Turkey; ran NYC Marathon; traveled to over 125 countries.