Events

Knobbe Martens will partner with the Harvard Business School Association of OC to present, Big Data and How It Affects Corporate Business Models and Valuation. Enjoy an evening of networking and an insightful panel with five Orange County business professionals, discussing the role of big data and analytics as a company strategy, and the impact it is having. Knobbe Martens partner John Holcomb will participate in the panel discussion.

EVENT SUMMARY

Data and Analytics is disrupting companies across all industries. How is it affecting your business and how do you get ahead of the game?

On Thursday, May 28, 2015, Knobbe Martens will host HBSAOC’s focus on the role of big data and analytics as a company strategy, and the impact it is having.

Co-sponsored by KPMG, five Orange County professionals will discuss their perspectives on three critical issues:

• Strategy: What is different about data and analytics as a strategy, compared to other strategies you might use in your business?
• IP: What does IP mean in the Big Data World? What can you protect?
• Value: How does Big Data drive changes in your business model and impact your valuation?

You will get a sneak preview of just completed, landmark research on how Wall Street analysts view data and analytics at the event.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

6:00 PM Registration, Light Dinner and Networking
7:00 PM Presentation
8:30 PM Coffee, Dessert, and Networking

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

This panel discussion will be moderated by Marshall Toplansky, Managing Director of KPMG’s Data & Analytics National Center of Excellence, based in Irvine

Marshall Toplansky, KPMG LLP
Marshall Toplansky has a 35 year career as a senior marketing executive and entrepreneur, having developed strategies that led to successful IPOs in three companies. He joined KPMG in 2012 as part of an acquisition of a social media listening technology firm Wise Window, which he co-founded, and is Managing Director of KPMG’s Data and Analytics National Center of Excellence. His focus is on developing helping clients gain strategic advantage through their data and analytics strategies, and show them how those strategies affect enterprise valuation.

He has been a frequent speaker at conferences in the marketing research and predictive analytics areas, and is formerly Vice President of Strategy and Insights at Gateway Computer, former VP of Marketing at U.S. Robotics and former CEO of technology marketing strategy firm Core Strategies. He was elected to the Technology Industry Hall of Fame in 2011 for his role as co-developer of the A+ Certification program for computer service technicians.

Marshall is formerly managing director of the Harvard Business School Association of Orange County, and earned his MBA from HBS in 1976.

Jeff Bocan, mophie
Jeff Bocan is a member of mophie’s executive team and currently has a primary focus on strategic partnerships, initiatives and business development; but he also works across many areas of mophie’s operations, including sales, marketing, product development, legal and human resources. Jeff served on the mophie board of directors for nearly three years (as the venture capital investor in mophie), before joining the senior management team full time in early 2013 to help manage the company’s rapid growth and corporate expansion.

Prior to joining mophie, Jeff was a venture capitalist for 13 years, last serving as a Managing Partner at Beringea where he sourced, led, or managed the investments for over 35 of Beringea’s portfolio companies and served on 25 corporate boards across several venture funds (including: MergerMarket, eSpotting, mophie, Ranir, ShoutFactory, Eagle Rock Entertainment and Sakti3). Previously, Jeff was at Saffron Hill Ventures, an early-stage technology VC firm in London. He also has worked in marketing roles for BMW of North America and then-startup beverage company, Honest Tea. During the Clinton administration, he worked on Capitol Hill as a policy advocate and political analyst for the Sierra Club, focusing on pollution issues.

Jeff graduated with a B.A. in Government and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa; and received an MBA with high honors from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining mophie, Jeff was Chairman-Elect of the Michigan Venture Capital Association and an instructor of the National Science Foundation’s i-Corps program in partnership with the University of Michigan. Jeff is a contributing blogger on the online news and commentary site, the Huffington Post — his series focuses on technology and venture investing in the Midwest.

John Holcomb, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, LLP
John W. Holcomb is a litigation partner in Knobbe Martens' Orange County office. From 1984 to 1989, Mr. Holcomb served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy, spending three years aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey (BB-62) and two years with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C.

Upon finishing his clerkship, Mr. Holcomb joined the law firm of Irell & Manella where he was a member of the Litigation Work Group and Creditor's Rights/Insolvency Work Group. Mr. Holcomb joined the firm in 1997 and became a partner in 2002.

Sid Mohasseb, KPMG LLP
Sid is the National Leader for Strategic Innovation for KPMG’s Strategy Group. Prior to the KPMG’s acquisition of Wise Window, Inc. , a data analytics company, in April 2012, Sid Mohasseb was the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board for the company. At KPMG, he served as a member of the KPMG US Data Analytics leadership team and guided the development and commercialization of industry-leading Big Data applications and business solutions impacting risk, growth and operational challenges and opportunities across the enterprise. Today, Sid serves KPMG and its clients as a Managing Director leading the national efforts around Dynamic Strategy Formulation and Execution powered by Data Analytics – he is the author of the Exertive Strategy Concept a framework for the next frontier of value centric strategy and execution. Sid provides innovative insights around business applications of Data Analytics in shaping corporate and M&A strategies and operational optimization across a diverse range of clients and industries. Additionally, he is an Adjunct professor at University of Southern California (USC) Marshall Business School.

Prior to leading Wise Window from inception through acquisition to KPMG, Sid was the Managing Director of Venture Farm LLC, a seed funding firm, where he raised the fund and helped the portfolio companies from inception to harvest. . He was also the President of the Tech Coast Angels in Orange County, the largest Angel investment organization in US. He served as the CEO of Vital Source, Inc., a global distributor of electronic components with offices in the US, Europe and Asia where he led the company on a 30-fold revenue growth over a three year period. He was also the Chairman / CEO of Competitive Knowledge, Inc. (CKI) - a, data focused, VC backed Internet Company. After his tenure as a partner at the SGS Group (a national management consulting firm), he founded Anabasis-Straub, a strategy and operations management consultancy entity, serving municipalities and Fortune 500 clients and led a number of Private Equity transactions as a member of the turnaround team, the principal investor and a member of the Board of Directors.

Eric Haller, Experian
Eric Haller is the Executive Vice President & Global Head of Experian Data Labs. Eric leads Experian’s Data Labs in the US, UK & Brazil that support research & development initiatives across the Experian enterprise. Eric was asked to lead the creation of the Data Labs after several roles within Experian Credit Services. These roles included overseeing the acquisition and integration of RentBureau, the creation and launch of Income Insight, the re-positioning of its online credit services platform to both “direct to consumer” & “small-medium enterprise” markets as well as managing vertical markets, strategic pricing, credit profiles and custom solutions.

Prior to joining Experian in September 2007, Eric managed new product development for Sequoia venture capital backed start-up Green Dot. He developed products including the first credit card sold off a j-hook rack in a retailer environment, and the first payroll cheque cashing machine that scanned cheques utilizing Check-21 technology with the immediate provisioning of funds on a pre-paid Visa card.

Previously, Eric held executive product and marketing roles in the financial services industry. Eric helped to create both the credit risk and information product practices in MasterCard Advisors and was also the Chief Marketing Officer for HNC Software (sold to FICO in 2002). He also co-founded an analytics company that aggregated credit application data and targeted patterns that indicated potential identity theft. Eric sold his company which was later renamed ID Analytics. ID Analytics is still active in the market today.

Eric has a BS degree in finance from San Diego State University.