ThinkVine Hires Former SPSS Exec as CEO

ThinkVine, which helps clients align marketing and advertising with consumer behaviour, has appointed former SPSS exec Mark Battaglia as Chief Executive Officer, replacing founder Damon Ragusa who will stay on as Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer.

Launched in 1999, Cincinnati, Ohio-based ThinkVine offers marketing science techniques, including choice modeling, econometrics and demand forecasting.

Battaglia joins from MK Capital where he served as a Venture Partner, before which he worked for management consultancy Breakout Advisors as Managing Partner. Earlier, he held senior sales and marketing positions at online video platform provider Multicast Media, healthcare information firm Enclarity and software firm Initiate Systems.

Prior to these roles, Battaglia spent 14 years in corporate marketing posts at SPSS, where he latterly served as Division President and played a key role in the company's IPO before its acquisition by IBM.

Ragusa comments: 'Bringing Mark in as CEO is perfect timing for ThinkVine as we focus on growth. He has proven he can build significant software businesses during growth periods. He understands the challenges our customers face navigating a complex marketing landscape and sees how to exploit our advanced consumer-centric analytics software to give customers a competitive edge.'

Web site: www.thinkvine.com .