Leading industry minds have come together to shape the future of marketing.

Carlos Santiago is a leading researcher and strategist who has focused on growth roadmaps, innovative research, and econometric models to optimize opportunities and solve challenges in implementing multicultural and millennial efforts. As Chief Strategist of SSG over the last 18 years, he has guided Fortune 100 clients such as AARP, AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CVS Health, Gatorade, Health Net, Home Depot, Humana, J&J, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Sparkling Ice, Target, Ulta Beauty, Verizon, and Walmart. Prior to SSG, he founded and built  Bell Atlantic-Verizon’s Multicultural and Premium Markets unit to $3 billion in annual revenues from Hispanic, African-American, Asian, LGBTQ, and People with Disabilities segments. He also directed Pacific Bell’s-Southwestern Bell’s Ethnic Business Unit, and earlier, he held corporate relations positions for Michelob and Anheuser-Busch focused on Hispanic and Asian segments.  Mr. Santiago served as chair of AHAA’s Research Committee, leading industry breakthrough studies like Resource Allocation Impact on Revenue Growth, Cultural Duality, Upscale Hispanics, Defining Effective Total Market Approach, and Measuring Return on Multicultural Investment. He has served on the boards of Hispanic Federation, United Way of New York, DIFFA, Latino Children’s Institute, and Commercial Closet.

Lisette Arsuaga is the co-president of and chief operating officer  at Dávila Multicultural Insights (DMI) and Co-Founder of AIMM.  She has provided strategic guidance for companies including Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg, Proactiv, Gatorade, Dunkin’ Brands, Marriott, New York Life, Aetna, Warner Pictures, A&E, Ulta Beauty, and SeaWorld.  Throughout her career, she has created strategic alliances and programs with media/communication companies (Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures), government entities (FBI, ICE, Los Angeles, New York City ), and celebrities to effectively reach multicultural groups in a culturally relevant way.   She has created campaigns in both Spanish and English and executed programs that effectively target both acculturated and non-acculturated Latinos.  

As a strong advocate for venture philanthropy, Ms. Arsuaga has forged partnerships that have provided corporations a greater affinity with their targeted markets while generating new revenue for non-profit groups and multicultural communities throughout the country.

Gilbert Dávila is co-president of  CEO at Dávila Multicultural Insights (DMI) and Co-Founder of AIMM.  He is one of the most sought-after experts on diversity and multicultural marketing in the United States today.  He spent 25 years working as a senior corporate marketing executive and multicultural market expert at Procter & Gamble; Coca-Cola USA; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and The Walt Disney Company, where he served as the head of multicultural marketing and global diversity.  

Mr. Dávila’s comprehensive experience in marketing, brand management, strategic planning, sales promotions, sponsorships, diversity, inclusion, and customer relationship management helped companies for which he worked to increase their revenue by targeting new and growing demographics. As the Co-President of and CEO at DMI, he has provided strategic guidance and mentorship for executives looking to enter and/or expand their role in corporate America’s multiculturalmarket, and recommendations on organizational structure and go-to-market programs to reach diverse consumers.

Karla Lucia is a senior consultant and Executive Director at AIMM.  She has nearly three decades of experience in the study, growth, and evolution of multicultural marketing communications in America. She is an innovative, strategic thought leader who has worked with world-class talent in leading global agencies such as Ogilvy, Y&R, MD&A, and Wunderman.  She has developed winning multicultural programs for some of America’s largest and most iconic brands, including The Walt Disney Company, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, General Mills, Crayola, Sirius XM, Sears, Verizon, ESPN, Harley Davidson, U.S. Cellular, and Macerich Malls.

In 2001, Ms. Lucia  co-founded LatinSphere Advertising, a successful boutique Hispanic agency she presided over for 14  years.  A true entrepreneur at heart, she  has embarked on  various endeavors focused on Multicultural marketing opportunities.

Bill Duggan is group EVP at the ANA. His responsibilities focus on management of the organization’s portfolio of brand/media committees and associated conferences as well as thought leadership. He has played a lead role in the development of ANA initiatives on media transparency, production transparency, the programmatic supply chain, creative briefing, and digital advertising fraud. He also manages the ANA’s growing sponsorship program and is a frequent contributor to the ANA’s Marketing Maestros blog.

Mr. Duggan joined the ANA in 2000, bringing extensive marketing and advertising experience gained on the agency side. He worked in account management at Grey Advertising, supervising major clients including Canon U.S.A. (winning two Effie Awards for effective advertising), Kraft Foods, SmithKline Beecham, and Sara Lee. He has been an adjunct faculty member at New York University’s Stern School of Business and has a bachelor’s from Boston College and an M.B.A. from New York University.

Gena Pemberton is a senior consultant and Senior Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at AIMM.  She has over two decades of experience in talent development, diversity recruiting, and corporate finance. She specializes in ideating, developing, and improving diversity initiatives and inclusion strategies within rapidly changing environments and complex organizations. She has developed, executed, and managed key diversity initiatives over the years she was at Johnson and Johnson.  She has held various business driving corporate finance roles at Johnson and Johnson and Motorola.   Gena was able to build strong relationships based on her leadership roles in the African American Employee resource groups. Those experiences helped to shape her passion around diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

Gena was born and raised in Edmonton,Alberta, Canada and currently resides in New York City.  She is passionate about giving back to her community.  She has served as a volunteer and board member with the Court Appointed Special Advocates in Somerset, Hunterdon, and Mercer Counties in NJ and currently serves as the President of the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc.

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