Agenda & Speakers

Barbara Ann Hagen, Vice President - Sales and Marketing, Thriftbooks

Barbara Hagen is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing of ThriftBooks, the world’s largest online independent seller of used and new books. Hagen has more than 20 years of experience as a senior marketing executive with an exceptional track record of success at Fortune 100 companies spanning Retail, CPG, and Tech and proven expertise in many areas including global strategy; loyalty and retention; eCommerce, inclusive of digital and performance marketing; omnichannel marketing; media, social, and multi-channel communications. Her previous roles include executive marketing leadership positions at Target, Microsoft, Best Buy and Johnson & Johnson.

As a data-driven marketer she leverages her experience to drive profitable sales growth, establish deep customer loyalty, and bring to market innovative strategies for ThriftBooks. Her extensive background has enabled her to successfully deliver continued top-line and bottom-line growth for ThriftBooks while strengthening the brand’s overall market position within the industry.

Hagen received her undergraduate degree in Marketing and Advertising from Syracuse University, an MBA in International Marketing from NYU’s Stern School of Business, and a Master of Science in Business Analytics also from NYU’s Stern School of Business.  She lives in the Seattle area with her husband, three kids, and two much-loved cats.

Emily Mikus, Sr. Director of Loyalty Strategy, Ahold Delhaize USA

Emily Mikus serves as Senior Director, Loyalty Strategy at Ahold Delhaize USA (ADUSA) where she is focused on enabling the execution of digital, personalized loyalty experiences across five omnichannel grocery brands – Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Emily is passionate about data-driven, customer-centric innovation to evolve the retail loyalty experience. Over her nearly 20-year retail career, she has managed a diverse portfolio of functions including research and analytics, omnichannel marketing and loyalty strategy.

In her current position, Emily leads a team dedicated to advancing both brand-specific loyalty strategies and fostering cross-brand innovation that leverages ADUSA’s size and scale in the marketplace. Her team serves as a collaborative partner enabling and progressing digital personalized loyalty, always learning and leveraging insight to refine local loyalty strategies and digital personalization.

Previously, Emily held several key leadership roles with The GIANT Company, including positions in brand marketing, consumer research and insights, strategic planning and business development, and shopper and loyalty marketing. Her strategic leadership and comprehensive data-driven focus across multiple business disciplines results in a deep understanding of consumer behavior, brand dynamics and competitive landscapes. Her analytical drive to continually uncover new opportunities and love for data and customer innovation fuels her passion for loyalty marketing.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Millersville University. Outside of work, she is a proud mom of two active boys and spends much of her free time at various soccer fields around Central Pennsylvania. 

Joe Mays, Director – Loyalty & CX Technology, Frontier Communications

Joe has spent the last 30 years dedicated to transforming the customer experience. He focuses on delivering this experience through exploration, fact-finding and the use of  technology to improve relationships and keep promises…with the ultimate goal of  happier, more loyal & engaged customers.

With Frontier, he leads multiple work streams responsible for growing the customer base and revenue, driving profitability higher, implementing cutting edge tools and technology and building Frontier and its culture into a competitive advantage that serves millions of streamers, gamers and communicators across the U.S.

Joe was formerly with Verizon’s Strategic Evolution team, responsible for helping implement $500M in process improvement ideas across the organization by converting those ideas into realistic and executable plans. Of the many tools, he primarily focuses on the customer journey to lead the viability of any program implementation. Remember Prepaid Phone Cards? Back in the day, Joe managed a $300M Retail, Wholesale & Promotional Card program, helping people connect worldwide.

He is certified in Customer Relationship Management Software through PegaSystems, Program & Project Management, as well as Agile Leadership & Six Sigma. Joe enjoys a wide variety of athletic pursuits, AFTER management of his ongoing ‘honey-do’ list.

Walter Rodriguez, Vice President – Marketing and Operations, Frontier Communications

In his current role at Frontier Communications, Walter is charged with developing the strategic intent and business strategy for Frontier’s Consumer Organization. In addition to leading the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) and the Voice of the Customer team, he also leads the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) team, charged with driving customer loyalty and expanding Customer Lifetime Value.

Prior to joining Frontier Communications, Walter led the Integrated Marketing and PMO  for Audible, an Amazon company, where he also served as Chief of Staff for the Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to joining Amazon, he played a significant role as the Chief Operating Officer for Verizon’s in-house CX and Design Team which he helped build via acquisition and organic growth. Walter was integral in growing the team to over 250 designers located in NYC, New Jersey, Arkansas and India. Walter also played a key role in the formation of Verizon Enterprise Solutions where he was the Director of Business Operations and was responsible for organizational alignment, marketing effectiveness, resource planning, knowledge and preparedness of the Marketing organization.

Walter received his MBA from Centenary University in Parsippany New Jersey and has a minor in economics from Rutgers University in Newark New Jersey.  He is a member of Prospanica (FKA, National Society of Hispanic MBA), where he served on the board as the Executive Vice President and currently serves on the Board of Directors for HISPA (Hispanics Inspiring Student Performance and Achievement) where he chairs the strategy committee.