The Web Analytics Association recently released a list of finalists in the WAA Awards, which honors the top minds in web analytics. DIGIDAY: DATA caught up with some of the finalists to ask about their vision for the future of web analytics.
“I’m incredibly humbled to be one of the finalists in the WAA Awards. To be listed in such illustrious company is a huge honor for me. Web Analytics has a key role in business today and more and more companies and individuals are waking up to this fact. The industry is expanding and maturing and more and more people are seeking to be educated and employed in this field.”
—Emer Kirrane, Yahoo! Web Analytics, Manager [Most Influential Industry Contributor Category Finalist
“The WAA has provided great value across the Web Analytics Industry. In such a fast changing and emerging industry, the WAA has helped bring the industry together and collectively with its members set the direction on key issues and standards concerning Web Analytics. And as the industry continues to progress and mature, a voice representing the industry will be very important. There are many important topics that are in front of us as an industry, such as privacy, and having a strong industry voice will be critical in the years to come.”
—Larry Freed, President/CEO, ForeSee Results [Most Influential Agency/Vendor Category Finalist
“I’m very honored by the WAA nomination, and to be included in this group of professionals I so admire! Web Analytics is important because it will help the company to determine trends and adjust our online marketing accordingly. The most important thing is to explain and understand the data we have measured in order to start a process of improvement and optimization. Our first goal is to drive a change in the company to a data-based strategy. Our main goal is to focus on the strategic uses of Web Analytics, not really what tools we use but how we use them.”
— Gemma Muñoz Vera, Consultora Estratégica Analítica Web at Freelance [Web Analytics Rising Star Category Finalist
“ The WAA and the digital measurement community as a whole is fortunate to contain so many passionate and dedicated people, and this passion and dedication is what it takes to be effective in this industry. That is, to keep pushing the limits of what can be measured, to assist in educating others both in and outside of our community, to keep helping the companies and clients out there that depend on us to improve their businesses.”
—Rudi Shumpert, Senior Director, Keystone Solutions [Most Influential Industry Contributor Category Finalist
Finalists in the WAA Awards for Excellence were named in the following five categories: Web Analytics Rising Star, Most Influential Industry Contributor, Most Influential Agency or Vendor, Practitioner of the Year, and Innovator/Technology of the Year. A panel of industry influencers, including WAA directors, will lead the second round of judging to determine a recipient in each category.
The WAA Awards for Excellence finalists include:
Client/Practitioner of the Year
Shari Cleary, Vice President, Digital Media Research for Entertainment and Games, MTV Networks
Dell, Testing & Targeting Team
Joe Megibow, Global Analytics and Optimization, Expedia.com
Monster
Bob Page, VP Analytics, eBay
Most Influential Agency/Vendor
Analysis Exchange
ForeSee Results
IBM
IQ Workforce
VKI Studios
Most Influential Industry Contributor
Avinash Kaushik, Analytics Evangelist, Google
Emer Kirrane, Manager of Web Analytics, Yahoo!
Evan LaPointe, Vice President, Director of Client Performance & Analytics, Search Discovery
Judah Phillips, Senior Director, Monster
Rudi Shumpert, Senior Director, The Keystone Solution
Web Analytics Rising Star
Michele Hinojosa, Director, Digital Analytics, Red Door Interactive
Nick Mihailovski, Developer Relations, Google Analytics
Gemma Muñoz, Consultora Estratégica Analítica Web at Freelance
Ann Poritzky, Web Analytics Lead, U.S. National Institutes of Health
Chris Rorie, Association Director of Analytics, MRM Worldwide
Innovator/Technology of the Year
Beyond Web Analytics Podcast
Justin Cutroni, Director Web Intelligence, Webshare
Ensighten
TagMan
Audience Data Best Practices Team, Turner Broadcasting System Inc
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