Shapiro+Raj Boosts Team Driving New AI Agent Stella

Insight agency Shapiro+Raj has announced two new appointments to the team driving a recently-launched AI agent, Stella. Adam Weil, VP Client Services and Innovation, and Alyssa MacDonald, Product Operations Manager, are both existing members of the Shapiro+Raj team.

Shapiro+Raj was formed in 2014 when business transformation specialist Zain Raj acquired a majority interest in independent MR firm Shapiro. The firm integrates behavioral science principles with behavioral economic capabilities and says it has 'battle-tested' brand marketing experience to connect the dots between what consumers think, feel, say and do. Stella, an agent purpose-built for life sciences marketing and insights teams, was made available as a direct offering a month ago, with Scott Swigart named as its Chief Product Officer and Amir Kapadia as President, leading its growth. The further moves signal the firm's intent to rapidly scale Stella's offering.

Weil brings nearly two decades of MR experience, including deep pharma research expertise and firsthand knowledge of what insights teams need from Stella. Previously a Senior Director at Shapiro+Raj, he has been a vocal advocate for Stella, leading adoption efforts across teams and helping translate Stella's capabilities into practical research workflows. He will now focus on client strategy, solution development, and maximising client benefit from the agent. Kapadia says Weil 'didn't wait to be told Stella mattered,' but 'recognized her potential early and put in the work to drive adoption from the inside.'

MacDonald's appointment is intended to bring operational discipline and consistency as the team grows. Previously a Senior Project Manager at Shapiro+Raj, she will now support project execution, workflow development, and cross-functional coordination to keep Stella's delivery running smoothly as it scales.

Chairman and CEO Zain Raj comments: 'What we announced last month was the beginning. We launched Stella as a direct offering, put the right leadership behind it, and did it because the market need is undeniable. Stella exists because the moment demands it - a way to get better answers faster without the lag of traditional research cycles. Today's appointments are what building on that foundation looks like. This is how we make sure that when life sciences teams are ready to move, Stella is ready to move with them and accelerate their molecules to market.'

The company is on the web at www.shapiroraj.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.