Strategists, artists, technologists, writers, researchers – we are business people first. Finch Brands is a close-knit group whose strengths and experiences fit neatly together on a perch far away from agency mediocracy.
From the beginning, we have built Finch Brands around people with a tenacious professional personality and low tolerance for drama.
With the profile and stakes that come with focusing at the brand level, we bring it every single day. That's how we live up to our aspiration to be the most consequential partner our clients will ever engage.
CEO
Daniel works to ensure we deliver on his founding vision for Finch Brands, while supporting our clients as an adviser and connector. A retailer, business builder, investor, and philanthropist, Daniel Erlbaum co-founded Finch Brands® after serving as an original investor and Vice President at David’s Bridal. Daniel touched every functional area of the company, and his contributions were pivotal to the company’s IPO and ultimate acquisition; much of the vision for Finch Brands’ holistic approach was borne through this success story. Throughout his career, he has invested in and advised operating companies at varying stages of the growth cycle and is a limited partner in numerous private equity groups. Active in the community, Daniel chairs the board of the Jewish Relief Agency and is deeply involved in other philanthropic organizations.
I am often found alone in my office playing with dolls.
President
Bill manages day-to-day operations at Finch Brands, charts the company’s growth path, and is deeply involved in client work across our disciplines. Bill is Finch Brands’ lead strategist and one of the premier brand developers in the marketplace. He has been the prime mover in the development of breakthrough strategies for our clients since he joined the company in 2001. A world-class speaker, writer, and facilitator, Bill’s point of view is highly sought after in the media and academic realms. Across his career, Bill’s work has influenced the business and brand direction of hundreds of organizations including American Express, AT&T, Burlington Coat Factory, Everlast, Fathead, General Mills, Herman Miller, IBM, Joseph Abboud, Kraft, Microsoft, Nutrisystem, the Philadelphia 76ers, Volkswagen, and World Wrestling Entertainment.
Bill is the second most famous product of Davidson College, just barely behind Steph Curry.
SVP, Brand & Marketing Strategy
Lauren manages our overall work stream — from insights to strategy to activation, helping clients connect with their audiences and break through the clutter. A brand developer with particular experience leading entrepreneurial projects within larger companies, Lauren goes all the way from idea to shelf and back again. After earning her MBA from Drexel University, Lauren spent 10 years at Kimberly-Clark working on innovation for iconic brands like KLEENEX® and SCOTT®. Notably, she leveraged customer and consumer insights to develop a robust global innovation pipeline for KLEENEX. Most recently, Lauren led North American marketing for the drinks division of MARS Inc. where she worked to make brands matter in the B2B space. Lauren’s CPG experience, passion for brand innovation, and ability to connect dots in how consumers shop across categories provides a unique perspective to help our clients activate their full potential.
I once spent the weekend as a Judge for a Kansas City Barbecue Society competition eating barbecue for 48 hours.
SVP, Insights & Innovation
John leads our insights practice, with a focus on creating new and innovative strategic frameworks and services that drive value for clients. Recent innovations include launching FinchSightTM Next Generation Insights Communities and Finch’s new Voice of the Company® process for customer experience excellence. John also oversees Finch Brands' brand and marketing activities. Before joining Finch Brands in 2013, John, spent 11 years at Campbell Soup Company in roles spanning Brand Management, Consumer & Customer Insights, and New Product Commercialization. While there, John led brands such as Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Prego Italian Sauce, and Swanson Broth to new heights of consumer engagement and financial performance. He is a graduate of the Wharton Executive MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his Bachelors of Science degree at the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University.
I owned more than 50 NY Mets shirts as a kid and named my dog Shea
VP, Brand Strategy
Liz leads our brand strategy team, leveraging her real-world experience to help sharpen and grow our clients’ brands. A classically trained violinist who performed professionally, Liz has built a dynamic business career and finds fulfillment in translating human needs into winning business and brand strategies. After earning an MBA from Penn State, she spent 5 years in the paper industry, starting at Kimberly-Clark and then joining Georgia-Pacific, where she managed the Brawny® brand end-to-end. Most recently, she held the position of Marketing Director at Lavazza, using strategic insights to build a robust innovation pipeline and product portfolio strategy to drive business results and consumer affinity. Liz’s ability to marry simple basic human truths with understanding what drives consumer behavior is at the core of her thinking and becomes the building blocks to actionable brand strategies and impactful business plans.
I played the violin on Harry Connick Jr’s album “Every Man Should Know”
VP, Insights Communities
Tim leads the FinchSightTM Research Communities offering and helps drive excellence across our qualitative and quantitative insights capabilities. He is an intrepid researcher who delights in pioneering methodologies to get at the heart of decision-making. Prior to joining Finch Brands, Tim spent five years leading insights communities at C-Space for prominent brands including Twitter, Sanofi Aventis, U.S. Bank, Hasbro, Heineken, and Dos Equis. Tim started his career at Forrester Research, where he managed custom and syndicated research programs aimed at helping executives make better decisions.
I am a novice drone racer.
AVP, Consumer Insights
Christina focuses on managing quantitative and qualitative research studies in FinchSight™ Research Communities. She is committed to promoting teamwork, collaboration, and continuing education. Prior to joining Finch Brands, Christina spent five years managing custom research projects and the client service team at Turnkey Intelligence, working with leagues, teams, and sponsors in the sports business world. Christina started her career at the Keller Fay Group analyzing word of mouth marketing research for advertisers, agencies, and networks.
I’ve attended three NFL games, two of which were Super Bowls.
Creative Director
Jessica is a driving force behind Finch Brands’ brand design work – as a leader, hands-on designer, writer, concept developer, and client advisor. Jessica is the quintessential Finch — with both formative real-world experience along with the curiosity and energy of the best agency creative leaders. She has spent time on the brand team at Target in Minneapolis and, in her agency life, has driven creative brand development and management for brands such as FiveBelow, Build-A-Bear, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and well beyond. Her extensive experience spans consumer products, retail, technology, B2B, and non-profit worlds. With a passion for providing multi-dimensional brand perspective, Jess is constantly searching for effective yet unexpected ways for a brand to find its voice and express it compellingly to the right audience. Her creative charge leads to solutions that consistently communicate, deliver, and inspire.
I attract celebrities to weddings.
Consumer Insights Strategist
Allison is a Consumer Insights Strategist supporting FinchSight communities. Her passion for understanding the ‘why’ behind consumer actions and storytelling with data ultimately led her to a career in market research after roles in PR and general marketing. Prior to joining Finch Brands, she worked in the Seattle office of GfK, focusing on brand tracking for large, household name tech companies. She is a proud alumna of Pepperdine University (gorgeous campus!), where she earned a degree in International Business.
I’ve been on stage with the band Train twice.
Associate Director, Brand Strategy
Annette is the quintessential brand strategist, connecting dots through research and cultural literacy to enable client brands to build strong connections with consumers. Like the most effective strategists, Annette’s experience is diverse yet relevant and includes ‘client side’ exposure, passion projects, and a zest for learning. In the real world, Annette served in marketing roles with Urban Outfitters and The Khaya Cookie Company. She has also taken on pro bono assignments with The Pennsylvania Innocence Project and the Penn Treaty Museum. In the agency realm, she has a distinguished track record in brand planning and strategy for high profile clients including Coca-Cola, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and Saladworks. Along the way, Annette earned her MBA in Marketing & Entrepreneurship from Drexel University and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.
I’m related to the inventor of the cheesesteak.
Designer
As an integral, versatile member of our design team, Anthony blends irrepressible creativity with the practical know-how to develop creative that works. Anthony is well-versed in print and digital formats with deep experience in brand identity. His career has included a diverse roster of agencies and projects. A musician, he has taken an active role in an ongoing musical project, Hedera, for which he serves as a primary songwriter and art director. A New Jersey native, Anthony received a B.A. in graphic and interactive design and music at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA.
I once took a road trip to Nashville to cut a record.
Senior Community Manger
As the Senior Community Manger, Breanna manages the operations and member experience across all FinchSight Research Communities. In many ways, she tries to be the glue that keeps all communities connected. She is constantly sharing best practices and new tools to promote synergy throughout the communities. Her love of traveling and meeting new people fuels her curiosity towards research.
I once crossed paths with a unicyclist in a narrow construction walkway in Dublin.
Brand Strategist
Brett is a brand strategist who focuses on delivering the ultimate experience for our clients through all aspects of work from strategy through creative and everything else in between. Brett is enthusiastic about delivering results to advance our client’s brands and businesses. Prior to his time with Finch Brands, Brett received a degree in Communications from Ursinus College and a Master’s degree in Marketing from Temple University.
Accounting Manager
An esteemed finance professional and certified public accountant, Brian has over 15 years of combined industry experience in financial services, telecommunications, and manufacturing. He has also demonstrated value-added financial leadership through his background in management accounting, planning & analysis and strategic forecasting. His diverse skill-set includes a working knowledge of major accounting systems as well as monthly reporting procedures and key performance indicators. Brian is especially proficient at helping individuals without a finance or accounting background to better understand the financials. He is a graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business, with a BBA in Finance.
I named my dog “Penny” after my favorite childhood athlete (NBA basketball player – Penny Hardaway)
Graphic Designer
Known for her overall versatility and strength in typographic layouts, Brindy is adept at both high concept and more functional brand design. A winner of multiple design awards as an undergrad, Brindy earned her B.F.A in Graphic and Interactive Design from West Chester University in 2017 and joined Finch Brands® shortly thereafter. While deployed across our design practice, Brindy particularly enjoys the before/after impact of rebranding processes. Away from the office, Brindy is active in community service as both a pro bono designer and overall volunteer.
I've been to Africa twice.
Brand and Marketing Manager
Catherine is our in house marketing manager - evolving the Finch Brands marketing program and helping us widen our acquaintance. Growing up as a navy brat, Catherine learned early on how to adapt, improvise, and overcome any obstacle. She got her BS in Business Administration from Marquette University where she double majored in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. She gained some real world branding experience with one of the best Collegiate Ambassador Programs, as a Victoria’s Secret PINK Campus Rep. After graduating, Catherine managed marketing efforts for League Collegiate Outfitters by overhauling the entire campus ambassador program and doubled the nationwide team of 50 students. At Finch Brands, she manages our very own brand through the website, office design, podcast, social media, online and event marketing, and so much more.
I got lost biking to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France.
Consumer Insights Strategist
Darby is a Consumer Insights Strategist and self-described ‘shameless survey design nerd.’ Grounded in her sociology education at Bryn Mawr College, Darby is passionate about using creative research methods to reach beyond common assumptions and get to the root of people’s behavior and perceptions. Prior to joining the Finch Brands team, Darby worked as a public health program researcher on projects covering LGBTQ health and tobacco use prevention.
I once was on the set of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie (but he wasn’t there).
Senior Art Director
As an influential member of the Finch Brands creative team, Devon finds the right balance between creative inspiration and practical brand communication. While always focused on her passion for brand design, Devon’s career is proof that broad-based marketing experience makes a designer more instinctive and effective. She chose the Advertising major at Temple University, which provided learning beyond the design realm. As a result, Devon is an incredibly strong designer – across conceptual assignments as well as more functional business communications. This is why she delights in bridging strategy and design across traditional and digital realms. Temple-made as an undergrad, Devon enjoys teaching at her alma mater and nurturing young designers.
I traveled by bus to seven European countries in three weeks.
Associate Director, Consumer Insights
Erin loves connecting with clients to understand their challenges, opportunities and burning questions. As an innately curious person, Erin considers exploring data and expressing findings fun – but it’s even more gratifying when a client is excited to turn their insights into action. Before joining Finch in early 2020, Erin spent 5 years at Anthropologie, where she worked to establish and grow the brand’s Insights program. She is a proud alumna of The College of William & Mary, where she earned degrees in Marketing and Public Policy.
After my bus broke down, I once got stranded in the remote Mexican countryside while traveling from Teotihuacán to Mexico City.
Senior Designer
George is a versatile designer and leader who effortlessly balances the practical with the inspired — he is a central driver of our creative output in both digital and traditional formats. George brings to Finch Brands® 10+ years of broad-based design experience, a professional and personal journey that has included home bases in Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. His brand development and creative skills have been applied in the service of artists, non-profits, and companies across categories and sizes — such as EP Henry, DrayNow, WIT, PetCoach, International Data Group, Sigma Co, and singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart. George holds degrees from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, and an MFA from CUNY Hunter College in New York.
I once drove straight from Philadelphia to Southern Georgia in one shot. I only stopped to fuel up. I made it in 13.5 hours.
Senior Community Manager
Kayla holds Finch Brands together, managing the office and other key operational work processes. She navigates The Nest with curiosity and is always looking for opportunity to create memorable experiences. Kayla earned her BS in Communications from Pennsylvania State University. Before joining Finch Kayla worked as a Marketing Coordinator at Aramark and then as an entrepreneur expanding her mom’s brand, Nex Level Fitness in Doylestown, PA. In her experience, shifting from corporate to startup to agency, she has confirmed her belief that the most important aspect of any business is people.
I learned how to drive shift on a winding road in Ireland.
Director, Consumer Insights
Lauren conducts both quantitative and qualitative research studies within FinchSight research communities. She is passionate about bringing insights to the fore using advanced data visualization and storytelling techniques. Before joining Finch Brands, Lauren managed complex custom research engagements at AMC Global, working across CPG, retail, and tech. Lauren started her career at industry legend GfK with the Brand and Consumer Experience team managing brand trackers and copy tests. She is a proud St. Joe’s Hawk, a species scientists confirm will never die.
On my first snorkeling trip, I swam with a manta ray.
Junior Designer
As a versatile designer, Luke brings skill in graphic design and illustration to our team—where he balances both creative and production work. He has worked professionally in Chicago and Philadelphia on brands such as Ziploc, Scrubbing Bubbles, Glade, Windex, Mr Muscle and Lavazza. Luke received his B.F.A. in Graphic and Interactive Design from Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, and received multiple honors in the Graphics New Talent Annual.
I learned how to paint from watching Bob Ross.
Senior Consumer Insights Strategist
With a degree in Economics (and a Sports Business minor) from UCF, Reuben began his career as a quantitative researcher studying fan experience and sponsorships for major sports and entertainment brands. At Finch Brands, he puts his passion for data analysis in play every day on behalf of our insights community clients. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Reuben is a diehard Jaguars fan and worked on gamedays for the team while he was in college. The rest of us consider that a waste of time.
I once got on stage for the show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”
Consumer Insights Strategist
Marie is a broad-based Consumer Insights Strategist, who draws on diverse analytical frameworks to elevate Finch Brands’ insights work. Prior to joining our team, Marie led complex pharmaceutical and medical device research projects for a leading global consulting firm. She has always been comfortable grappling with big questions, while also relying a technical skills and cultural literacy – as epitomized by her academic background in French Language and Philosophy at Bryn Mawr College.
Growing up in San Diego, I had an ocean view from my high school algebra classroom!
Associate Director, Consumer Insights
Marisa loves rolling around in data to identify the insights that progress brands and businesses. With a Master’s Degree in Consumer Insights from Pitt, Marisa makes sure we derive every bit of learning from the data we collect. A quant specialist (who can do so much more), ‘Spags’ delights in finding those hidden nuggets that make all the difference. After graduating from Hamilton College, she spent 3 years in media planning in NYC while cultivating a love of data and the stories it tells. This passion led her to grad school and then back to her hometown for this role at Finch Brands.
I ran both the New York City half and full marathon.
Sr. Consumer Insights Strategist
Santa is a Senior Consumer Insights Strategist supporting the FinchSight research communities. Born in the Dominican Republic, she is a fully bilingual native Spanish speaker. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics and a minor in Political Science from Colgate University. Her love of math, led her to a career in data analytics and consumer insights. Prior to her role as an insights strategist at Finch Brands, she worked for 2.5 years as a market research analyst in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
I once acted as an interpreter for surgeons during an operation.