Trender Research Principals

Brian Mahony, CEO & Principal Analyst

IPTV, Over-the-top Video, Robotics, HDTVs, Communications, Accessories

Contact: bmahony@trenderresearch.com, 508-479-7254

Brian Mahony is CEO of Trender Research and Principal Analyst covering Internet television, communications, and consumer robotics. Brian has over 17 years experience in the technology industry leading marketing, product management, and/or business development teams. Over the years, he has defined and launched over 20 technology-based products or services, many of which have received “product of the year” awards by various media. Brian's experience spans consumer electronics, Internet television, Internet telephony, network equipment, mobile services, PC components, Internet security, and software applications. His most recent industry role was Vice President of Marketing with Internet and HD video distribution pioneer ZeeVee. Brian has contributed to the successful exit of three companies in his career: the IPO of IPTV middleware provider Espial (on the Toronto Stock Exchange) where he was Vice President of Marketing, and the acquisitions of both Netcentrex (by Comverse Technology) and Unisphere Networks (by Siemens and Juniper Networks) where he was Vice President of Marketing and Director of Strategy and Business Development, respectively. Brian’s other senior management and consulting experience includes Nortel, Nextel, Loral, GTE, Innovex, Tundo and Personica. Brian was named “Top 100 Voices of IP Communications” by Internet Telephony magazine and a finalist for "Best Marketing by a Private Company" by Light Reading. He has been quoted in numerous media including The New York Times, Gizmodo, Light Reading, Telephony, and Telecommunications, and is currently a member of the expert panel for Digital Trends’ “Beyond the News” podcasts. Brian has also presented at major industry events including IPTV World Forum, IBC, Internet Telephony, TelcoTV, Digital Hollywood, CONNECTIONS, FTTH Expo, VON, and SUPERCOMM. Brian holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and is Certified in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM) by APICS.

Lisa Allocca, Directing Consultant

Lisa brings 25 years of marketing and communications experience in working with both start-ups and Fortune 1000 technology companies. She is also co-founder of Red Javelin Communications, Inc., where she provides strategic consulting, content marketing, social media and public relations services. Lisa’s experience spans IT, consumer technology, business intelligence and analytics, geospatial technology, telephony, networking, wireless, security, imaging, and software applications. She has been published and quoted in a number of industry publications including Network World, InfoWorld, Internet Week, Telephony, and Fortune Magazine. Before Red Javelin Communications, Lisa was with Charles River Ventures where she helped start-ups develop their value propositions, messaging, market entry strategies and launch plans. She has also served as Vice President of Market Strategy and Solutions for Unisphere Networks, Director of Network Convergence Consulting at Renaissance Worldwide, Director of Communications at Bay Networks, and has held senior marketing positions at Xylogics, Cayman Systems, Racal Interlan, and Nynex. Lisa is a regular guest lecturer on communications and media strategies at MIT Sloan School of Business. She received a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts.

Patti A. Reali, Directing Analyst

Online Content, Audio/Music, Communications

As a Directing Analyst for Trender Research, Patti’s coverage includes online content strategies, audio/music devices and services, and consumer communications technologies. Patti takes a global view of the communications & media industries through her 20+ years experience in market research, strategic analysis and competitive intelligence. A recognized expert and thought leader, Patti has delivered market research, analysis, and advisory and consulting services for clients in global Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, technology suppliers, service providers, and for the venture capital and investment communities. Patti was Research Director and Analyst with the global Communications unit of Gartner’s Technology & Service Provider Research group. She analyzed and advised her clients on cable TV, satellite, Telco and broadband infrastructure, video technologies, and service provider strategies. She was also a Senior Analyst with Northern Business Information/McGraw-Hill covering Convergence Strategies and Technologies. Her industry experience includes marketing, communications and consulting positions with General Instrument (now Motorola Home & Networks), Bellcore, PA Consulting Group, and the United Nations in Rome, Italy. Patti graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in American Government and Economics.

Alex Bruce, Senior Analyst

TV Middleware and Devices

Alex Bruce is a Senior Analyst covering IPTV and OTT Middleware and Devices. Alex specializes in interactive TV solutions for Telcos & MSOs. He has over 12 years of experience in large scale software integration in the telecommunications sector with a focus on IPTV systems. Alex has worked for Newbridge Networks on early ATM technologies, and later with Alcatel on their core IP routing platforms. He helped Tier 1 & Tier 2 MSOs and Telcos bring interactive TV services to consumers while working with the Espial Group, a leader in TV middleware and applications. Today he provides independent consulting services for complete end-to-end IPTV solutions. Alex holds a Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Electrical Engineering from Queen's University, Kingston, Canada and is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Joyce Pellino Crane, Senior Analyst

Green Tech, Health Tech

Joyce Pellino Crane is a Senior Analyst covering Green Technology and Health Technology products and services. Joyce is an experienced business writer and essayist. She has written for the Boston Globe as a regular contributor since 2000, covering a local beat of several towns since 2002, and has contributed to the Metro, Business, Real Estate, Food, Living Arts, Travel and regional sections, as well as the Sunday Globe Magazine throughout the years. Her stories have also appeared in Newsday, the Boston Business Journal, Thomson-Reuters publications, Workforce Management, and CMO magazine. From 2000-01 she wrote the FastForward column for the Globe’s Business, Innovation and Technology section, and prior to that she wrote the WebWatch column for a business publication of the Eagle Tribune. Joyce holds a master’s of business administration from Suffolk University in Boston, where she was the recipient of a merit-based Marketing Fellowship, and a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and film from Boston University.

Neal Schaffer, Senior Analyst

Social Media

Neal Schaffer is a Senior Analyst covering Social Media. Neal has a background as a sales and business development executive helping companies launch sales organizations and maximize sales execution in Asia. His expertise includes consumer electronics, Internet software, telecommunications, embedded software solutions and semiconductors. His past roles include Director of Sales, Asia Pacific East, for Datapath and Regional Vice President of Asia Pacific Sales for Espial. Coming back to his native United States after spending most of his career in Asia, Neal has shifted his focus from Japanese consumer electronics devices to understanding the continuing explosion of social media in the US. His unique outsider perspective combined with a learn-by-experience work ethic has helped Neal create thorough and insightful analysis that has won a wide following to his blogging and tweets on the subject. He is currently writing his first book on social media focusing on LinkedIn. A graduate of Amherst College, Neal has a BA in Asian Studies and is trilingual in English, Chinese and Japanese.

Ellen Veden, Senior Analyst

Home Automation, Digital Photography

Ellen Veden is a Senior Analyst covering Home Automation and Digital Photography products and services. Ellen is an award‐winning global telecommunications sales and marketing leader. She has 25 years experience in business development, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and solutions sales in software and services. Ellen has held leadership positions for Fortune 500 voice, data and video corporations including AT&T, France Telecom, Motorola, Bell Communications Research, and LG Electronics. Ellen holds an M.S. degree in International Studies from New School University, New York, NY.

Michael Whalen, Senior Analyst

Home Networking, Digital Security

Michael Whalen is a Senior Analyst covering Home Networking and Digital Security products and services. He has been a senior product management professional in the network security, wireless, and telecommunications industries. He has also held management positions in quality assurance, engineering, and program management. Mike has worked with both start-ups and industry leaders, including Bradford Networks, Summa Four, Siemens, Aspect, and Cisco Systems. Combining his interest in technology and business Mike received a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science from Wentworth Institute and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.

Robert Clark, Contributing Analyst

Next-Generation Advertising & Marketing

Robert has over 23 years in telecommunications, Internet and digital media infrastructure, end-user services and applications, and vendor solutions. Half of Robert’s career has been spent in product and project management, and the other half in market research and business development. Robert has worked for network operators GTE Telephone Operations and Allegiance Telecom, network equipment manufacturers Nortel Networks and Fujitsu Network Communications, and multiple start-ups including early stage network operators and OSS/network/information security software vendors. Robert has worked for three market research houses including ABI Research as Principal Analyst for video products and services, Stratecast (a division of Frost & Sullivan) as Professional and Managed Services Program Manager, and Dataquest (now Gartner Group) as Public Networks Industry Analyst. His related product roles and research span digital network services, telecommunications, Internet infrastructure, and customer premise devices and services. Currently Robert is focusing on public and private pay-TV platforms, Internet-delivered video, online and advanced advertising, and gaming consoles and services. Robert has an M.S. in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado-Boulder, a B.S. in Business from the University of Northern Colorado-Greeley, and has completed MBA coursework in E-Commerce and Information Assurance.

Dan Kusnetzky, Contributing Analyst

Mobile Devices and Services

In addition to his work for Trender Research, Dan is the Principal Analyst and Founder of Kusnetzky Group LLC. His research and opinions are widely published on the Internet. Dan has been involved with information technology since the late 1970s. Most recently he was Executive Vice President of Corporate and Marketing Strategy for Open-Xchange, Inc. Prior to that he was Vice President of IDC's System Software research and was responsible for research and analysis on the worldwide market for operating environments and virtualization software. During his 12 years with IDC, he was one of the most quoted analysts in the world. Prior to his time with IDC, Dan spent 15 years with Digital Equipment Corporation where he was responsible for program and product management, and marketing in the areas of client software, server software, and clustered and networked systems.

Kirsten Mahony, Director of Client Services and Trender Management

Kirsten Mahony is an experienced people manager with a background in health care and education. She has a demonstrated ability to effectively manage internal and external stakeholders and human resources. Kirsten has been a human resources manager or business manager with leading healthcare organizations including University of North Carolina Hospitals, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, and Genzyme Corporation. She has also served administrative and counseling roles at Boston-area institutions McKinley Public Schools and Wediko Children’s Services. Kirsten has a BA in Psychology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Anita Lajoie, Director of Finance

Anita is experienced in the different aspects of the business process, including financial reporting, budgeting, modeling, and analysis. Anita's work includes roles with Bank of America as Project Analyst, Massachusetts Financial Services supporting the Corporate Finance department, and Jewish Family and Children's Services where she managed a range of financial activities. She has an MBA from Simmons College and an M.S. in Finance from Boston College where she was honored with the Beta Gamma Sigma Award for high academic achievement. Anita earned a B.A. in Economics from Odessa State Economic University (Ukraine).