Gian Fulgoni

Gian M. Fulgoni
Born	(1948-01-24) January 24, 1948
Alma mater	The University of Lancaster (U.K.)
Occupation(s)	Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, comScore, Inc.

Gian M. Fulgoni (born January 24, 1948) is a entrepreneur and 40-year market research expert, {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) with particular focus on the measurement of consumer behaviour and the effectiveness of advertising and promotion programs in TV, print and online. Mr. Fulgoni has held several executive leadership positions throughout his career, {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) and has been a member of the executive team that managed the successful public offering of two market research companies, Information Resources, Inc. and comScore, Inc. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) Fulgoni has also served on the boards of successful {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) public companies in the software, consumer electronics, pet products, marketing services and market research industries. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Fulgoni co-founded comScore, Inc. in 1999, an Internet market intelligence company where he remains Executive Chairman. The company provides marketing intelligence for companies in the CPG, Internet, media, retail, telecom, and other industries, spanning 6 continents and 43 countries. He is the co-holder of a U.S. patent governing comScore’s data collection technology. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) comScore was selected as a “Technology Pioneer” by the World Economic Forum before the forum’s annual conference in Davos in 2007. In 2010 comScore was accepted by the World Economic Forum as a Global Growth Company Shaper, a program that recognizes companies that are influencing global trends among growth technology companies. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Fulgoni began his career in 1970 with Management Science Associates, Inc. a market research company and by 1977 had been named Executive Vice President with responsibility for the company’s Chicago office and national consumer behavior analysis business. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

During the period from 1981 to 1998, Fulgoni held the positions of President, CEO and Chairman of Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), the global supplier of retail UPC scanner data to the CPG industry, where, under his leadership, the company’s revenues grew at an annual rate of 40% to more than $500 million annually and its market value reached $1.5 Billion. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) In 1996, IRI was recognized by Advertising Age magazine as the largest U.S. market research firm. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) IRI is widely acknowledged as the pioneer of the use of UPC scanner data for the analysis of consumer behavior in the CPG industry through its BehaviorScan and Infoscan services. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Fulgoni has long been involved in the growth of hugely {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) successful public companies. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) From 1991 until 1999, he served as a member of the board of Platinum Technology, Inc., during which time the company grew from $80 million to more than $1 Billion in annual revenues and established itself as a global leader in the software services industry. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) In 1999, Platinum Technology was acquired by Computer Associates in an all-cash transaction valued at $4 Billion—at the time the largest-ever acquisition in the software industry. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) Fulgoni also served on the board of U.S. Robotics prior to its acquisition in 1997 by 3Com in a transaction valued at $8 Billion. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) In 1999 and 2000, Fulgoni served on the board of yesMail.com, a leading supplier of permission-based e-mail services. In March 2000, yesMail.com was acquired by CMGI for approximately $700 million. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Today, Fulgoni serves on the boards of PetMeds (NASDAQ:PETS), the nation’s largest pet pharmacy; InXpo, the leading supplier of technology for hosting virtual events; the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF); Prophet, a strategic brand and marketing consultancy, and the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester (NAFUM). Fulgoni is also a charter member of TiE Midwest, the world's largest not-for-profit organization for entrepreneurs. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Fulgoni has authored articles in a variety of academic and industry journals, including the Journal of Advertising Research, Admap and ESOMAR. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) He is a frequent and popular speaker at marketing industry conferences worldwide, discussing Internet industry trends and marketing subjects of vital significance, and is regularly quoted and interviewed in the newspaper and television media. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Career Summary

• 1999 – Present : Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, comScore, Inc.
• 1980–1998   : President, CEO & Chairman, Information Resources, Inc.
• 1970–1980   : Various positions at Management Science Associates

Industry Recognition

In 1991 and again in 2004, Fulgoni was named Illinois Entrepreneur of the Year, the only person to have twice received the award. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) In 1992, Fulgoni received the Wall Street Transcript Award for outstanding contributions as CEO in enhancing the overall value of IRI to the benefit of its shareholders. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) In 2008, Fulgoni was inducted into the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, joining such luminaries as Leonard Lavin, founder of Alberto-Culver and Gordon Segal, founder of Crate and Barrel. Also in 2008, Fulgoni was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Industry Recognition Summary

• 2008 :   Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame

  Ernst and Young, Entrepreneur of the Year

  Advertising Research Foundation, Great Mind Award

• 2004 & 1991 : Illinois Entrepreneur of the Year

• 1992 :  Wall Street Transcript Award

Personal History

Fulgoni was born and raised in Pontypool, South Wales, the son of Italian parents who had emigrated from a small town in Bardi, Emilia-Romagna. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) Fulgoni’s father owned and operated a small restaurant. Fulgoni was an outstanding all around student {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) who excelled in science and attended the University of Manchester from 1966 to 1969 where he graduated with an honors degree in Physics in 1969 before graduating with an M.A. in Marketing in 1970 from Lancaster University Management School in the second year of the university’s breakthrough masters in marketing program, at the time the only such program in the U.K. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) Upon graduating, Fulgoni was offered an entry-level position by Management Science Associates as a project analyst, and moved to the U.S. to work at the company’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Educated in the U.K., Fulgoni holds a B.Sc. degree (with Honors) in Physics and an M.A. in Marketing. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)