Chris Boudreaux

Chris Boudreaux helps large brands transform their business operations for ROI through social and digital media. He also led development of social media offerings and served as a solution architect for social media solutions at a global management and technology consultancy. In past years, he led online product and market strategy efforts at multiple global technology brands. Chris began blogging for business in 2005. In 2008, he developed his first Facebook app and created SocialMediaGovernance.com to help organizations get the most from their social media efforts. In 2011, he coauthored The Social Media Management Handbook (Wiley & Sons), and his studies of social media have been referenced by corporations, governments, industry analysts, and nonprofit organizations around the world. He also led business development and marketing at two online start-ups, including a digital advertising start-up acquired by Glam Media. Prior to his career in digital and social media, Chris was an officer in the U.S. Navy, where he flew helicopters and led the anti-submarine warfare division aboard USS Yorktown. Chris holds an M.B.A. and an M.S. in computer science from the University of Chicago, a master of aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a B.S. in management from Tulane University.

Susan F. Emerick leads global enterprise social business programs for IBM, a company with more than 430,000 employees. A passionate marketer, adjunct professor, and speaker, Susan enjoys navigating the redefinition of marketing “as we know it” driven by emerging technology and big data. She consults with marketers globally about applying social and digital media to foster long-term, high-value relationships with clients, prospects, partners, colleagues, and communities. Beginning in 2008, Susan helped to establish the social insights practice at IBM to continuously apply social listening insights to marketing planning and social engagement strategies. As a result, IBM was awarded the 2010 SAMMY award for Best Socialized Business. In 2011, Susan was named to the elite iMedia Top 25 Internet Marketing Leaders and Innovators, an annual list of cutting-edge creative professionals, strategists, and technology innovators. As an active member of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association Research and Measurement Council, Susan uses her expertise and creative curiosity to influence the standards and principles of word-of-mouth research and measurement.