Focus Pointe Global (FPG), a leading provider of marketing research data collection, announced today the appointment of Robert Stephens to the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Mr. Stephens will be responsible for the company’s technology strategy, engineering, and quality assurance operations as the company enters its second year of growth through a capital infusion from MVC Private Equity Fund.
“Having worked extensively with Robert in the past, I am thrilled to once again have a leader of Robert’s caliber on our executive team as we power FPG’s future with innovative, client-driven research solutions,” said Noel Sitzmann, CEO of Focus Pointe Global. “In his role as CTO, Robert will be an integral part of the company’s strategic direction and future growth.”
Focus Pointe Global is positioning itself to meet and exceed market-driven technology demands. According to the Marketing Research Association, mobile technology has “changed the game” for marketing researchers. With the explosion of social media and text messaging over the past few years, mobile marketing research opens the door for a plethora of opportunities in both the qualitative and quantitative arena. Combine these trends with cutting-edge research strategies such as online communities, webcam-based interviews, apps-based research, mobile ethnography, virtual environments, and biometrics and the need for strong, market-driven technology leadership becomes strikingly clear.
“The marketing research industry is in a period of rapid evolution through the availability of emerging technologies and trends. With its established record as a technology leader, Focus Pointe is positioned ideally at the center of this transformation. I am excited and energized to join the FPG team in taking its service offerings to a new level,” Robert commented.
Mr. Stephens has over 20 years of experience in technology and business information. In his most recent role as the SVP of Technology and Global CTO of talent measurement firm SHL, Robert gained an understanding of the importance of turning information into actionable insight. As a career developer, software architect, systems analyst, consultant, and executive, Robert’s breadth of experience also includes work with COIN Dealership Systems, Lithonia Lighting, The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Turner Broadcasting, Magnet Communications, and Bellsouth Cellular. As the CTO for Qwiz, Inc. which later became part of SHL, he was responsible for delivering one of the first online assessment platforms, transforming the company into the leading SaaS-based talent measurement provider.
Robert holds a Bachelors of Computer Engineering degree from Georgia Tech.
About Focus Pointe Global
Focus Pointe Global is a leading national provider of high-quality qualitative and quantitative marketing research services. Its 802,000 member FPG Qual-Panel™, built for qualitative research, provides practitioners the articulate, engaged and committed respondents required for any marketing research project, no matter the methodology. FPG owns and operates premier focus group facilities in the major metropolitan markets that are also the major DMA’s for quantitative research projects. In business for 25 years, FPG is committed to providing its clients unrivaled research solutions with professional integrity and the highest level of service. For more information please visit www.focuspointeglobal.com.
