Meet the Team

Jo Thorogood

Specializing in innovation, insights and ideation, Jo uses the science behind creativity to help teams generate ideas for new products, brand positioning, brand equity extension, naming … or anything else they’re looking for inspiration on. She has a suitcase of techniques proven over the years to draw the most intriguing and insightful ideas from groups. She firmly believes anyone can be creative, sometimes we just need the right stimulus.

Harnessing the power of human-centered-design to find inspiration through consumer insight and empathy, Jo also uses online and in-person techniques such as ethnographies, shop-alongs, 1-on-1 interviews, focus groups and discussion boards to help companies uncover opportunities.

Prior to founding The Sage Network, Jo worked at The Cambridge Group, Gemini Consulting, Accenture, Booz. Allen & Hamilton, and Philips. Global in her outlook, she has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, Finland and the USA.

Jo enjoys inspiring the next generation, running highly-rated workshops on Ideation for colleges and their alumni (e.g. Kellogg/Northwestern, NYU Stern, Pomona/Claremont Colleges).

Jo has an M.B.A from The Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Masters of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) from Bath University in the United Kingdom. She also has a certificate in Design Thinking for Innovation and is a Synectics-trained facilitator.

CARRIE Friend

Carrie has over 25 years of both client-side and consulting experience. She founded Friendsight, LLC in 2005 after spending the previous six years at Fusion 5, an Innovation Marketing firm, where she built and led the insight practice, pioneering innovative and non-traditional tools and methodologies. Her belief in getting inside the heads, hearts and souls of both consumers and clients has allowed her to discover and develop proprietary and actionable insights that strongly influence marketing and business decisions.

Prior to Fusion 5, Carrie spent 10 years on the client side in consumer and product research management at Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut and M&M/Mars. She was responsible for managing research on many high profile brands including Minute Maid Orange Juice, Minute Maid Lemonades and Punches, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Starburst, Skittles and M&M Chocolate Candies.

Carrie is primarily a “quali”, though she does do quantitative research every now and then. With strong moderating and facilitation skills and a casual, engaging style, she has managed well over 1000 focus groups plus IDIs, shopping shadows/intercepts, in home interviews/observations, etc. Her abilities translate to online research as well.

Carrie holds an MBA in Marketing/Marketing Research from Wichita State University and a BS in Food Science from Cornell University.

When she isn’t chasing after her 3 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog, and various other critters, Carrie enjoys reading, photography, and participating in running races and triathlons, recently completing the New York City Marathon.

chris Holliday

Chris brings extensive experience in project management and creative processes to all her projects. She has over 20 years of experience in marketing consulting, and marketing management in consumer-oriented organizations across a variety of product categories.

As a consultant, Chris has worked with a wide array of consumer- and customer-oriented organizations, including established consumer packaged goods companies, educational institutions, professional services, pharmaceutical and start up companies. As a corporate trainer, Chris facilitates programs in brand positioning and leadership.

Prior to consulting and training/facilitation, Chris spent much of her career at Frito-Lay where she was Brand Manager for a variety of brands, including SunChips and MultiPacks. Over her tenure she worked in Core Brands, New Products and Channel Management, where she helped design and launch products and packaging designed for the then emerging Club Store channel. As a consultant she has developed brand positioning and strategy, as well as conducted qualitative research and facilitated ideation sessions.  Chris has also been involved in the entertainment field, as an Off Broadway producer and actor in NYC.

Chris earned an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a Masters in Education from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and a BA from DePauw University, Greencastle, IN. She received training in ideation from Synectics® Inc., experts in creativity

diane dubovy benke

Diane combines high energy, experience and formal facilitation training in Synectics®, to provide clients with disciplined methodology and techniques to achieve their desired objectives. With over 15 years of consulting experience, Diane can quickly grasp the issues at play. She draws out creative ideas while setting boundaries and managing diverse participants.

Diane has worked in a broad range of industries from biotech to fragrances on a variety of marketing and strategic planning issues including:

• Running new product development ideations sessions
• Facilitating a group of brand managers to develop the strongest set of packaging claims
• Designing and conducting primary consumer research
• Providing analysis and recommendations

Prior to joining The Sage Network, Diane worked at The Cambridge Group, MasterCard and Greenwich Associates.

Diane has an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.S. from Cornell University where she was a teaching assistant for courses in international marketing and organizational behavior. Diane is a trained facilitator in Synectics® and a focus group moderator by RIVA.

Diane stays active by chasing after her two sons and training for her next endurance athletic event.