Our Senior Management team is comprised of dedicated marketing and sensory research professionals who are industry experts and thought leaders in all areas of product development research.

A behavioral scientist, Bev is internationally recognized as an expert in consumer product testing. She was one of the early practitioners of industrial food technology and new product research. Her collaboration with Dr. David Peryam at the Food and Container Institute for the U.S. Army set forth the foundation for many of today’s methods and practices utilized in new product research.

A highly trained sensory scientist as well as experienced corporate manager, Jeff has played a key role in the development of many of P&K’s information technology innovations since his joining the company in 1982.

Dan has played a key role in the area of database development and the management and expansion of P&K’s extensive testing facilities. He also is a highly skilled sensory scientist trained by Dr. David Peryam, the acknowledged Father of Sensory Science.

Jim spent his entire career in science driven service businesses before joining P&K as the company’s President and CEO. He is responsible for all of P&K’s national operations and for charting the future growth strategies for the company moving forward. Jim is a graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology in addition to holding an MBA from Harvard University.

Reponsible for all of P&K’s financial systems, Eric joined P&K in 2004 as Vice President of the company’s healthcare division. Promoted to CFO in 2008, Eric holds an MBA from De Paul University.

John, as Senior Vice President of Information Technology for P&K, is responsible for all aspects of the company’s IT functions. His insight and overall concepts for the company’s IT capabilities have brought P&K into the forefront of research and information acquisition and storage technology.

As Vice President of Operations for P&K, Jay is responsible for the successful fieldwork completion of all P&K studies for our clients. This spans not only the important recruiting and Lab functions of the operations, but also maintaining the high standards of the company’s four physical locations.

A Senior Vice President, Richard has more than 30 years of experience in research design and multivariate statistics. Prior to joining P&K, he held R&D and marketing positions at Ocean Spray. Dr. Popper is a prolific author of many articles and journals on methodology and holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University.

Mary has more than 30 years of experience in sensory and marketing research. A sensory industry veteran, Mary is a true expert in the field of consumer research. Her expertise spans countless product categories and consults with many of P&K’s Fortune 100 clients on research methodology and best practices. She has developed many of P&K’s testing protocols. Mary is a graduate of Illinois Benedictine University.

Mary Beth has more than 25 years in sensory and product testing research. Prior to joining P&K, Mary Beth was employed at Synovate/Ipsos for the past 13 years. She held the position of Chief Executive Officer for the global product design and development division (MarketQuest). Mary Beth brings a client, issues oriented perspective to each project, incorporating her research expertise with knowledge of the business issues typically faced by a client. Mary Beth holds a BS in Mathematics from Elmhurst College.

Paul Holtzman has an extensive background in using statistics for product (including sensory and analytic analysis) and marketing research. Before joining P&K Research, he was employed at Synovate/Ipsos for the past 34 years, providing technical expertise and direction to the product testing division (MarketQuest), as well as developing and managing the global statistical unit (Decision Systems). He has experience in most statistical analyses encountered in product and marketing research with a specialization in optimization analyses related to product testing and bringing a financial perspective to research results. Paul has a B.S., B.A. in Marketing from Roosevelt University and ABD, Statistics from University of Chicago.

Jeff joined P&K in 2010 with more than 30 years of experience in marketing research. Having spent more than 20 years with Research International, Jeff has expertise in product testing, concept/product/ in-home research, as well as brand equity, segmentation and concept optimization studies. Jeff holds an MBA from Penn State University.

Nancy is a P&K veteran, with over 15 years of experience working across scores of product categories and research methods. In addition to overseeing P&K’s west coast office, she has particular expertise directing projects with complex study designs and food preparation protocols. Nancy is a graduate of University of Illinois with a degree in Food & Business.

P&K’s chief Statistician, Dr. Wolff joined P&K in 2004. He brings a wealth of knowledge for P&K clients in the areas of advanced statistical methods and analytics. Prior to joining P&K, he taught graduate level business statistics, as well as providing statistical consulting and training for many CPG clients across the country. Dr. Wolff holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Loyola University.