The TRG Executives

Dr. John Ruchinskas, Ph.D - B.A. (Rutgers University), M.A., PhD.  (Communications Research-concentration on Advanced Research Design/Statistics; Annenberg School at the University of Southern California)

Dr. Ruchinskas has directed independent research and advised major corporations on system planning, acquisition, and implementation for over 25 years. He has conducted market assessment studies for computing, telecommunications, and multimedia service providers and vendors, and has supervised technical/professional staff in research/system design contracts for over 50 clients and more than 700 primary research projects. 

Unlike many other research providers, Dr. Ruchinskas has personally directed over 300 primary research projects for Microsoft.  This has included attending over 1,000 Microsoft focus groups, the vast majority of these B-B projects with IT professionals and Business Decision Makers.  This extensive first hand exposure keeps Dr. Ruchinskas in touch with IT personnel and trends, hearing their attitudes, concerns and practices. His history of more than a dozen years of Microsoft projects, as well as other Fortune 500 technology companies, gives him a unique understanding of these users’ experiences; experiences which shape their reactions to current messaging and positioning.

This extensive qualitative exposure also helps in the design and interpretation of quantitative studies. Drawing on his background and training in research design and statistics, Dr. Ruchinskas has lead more than 100 quantitative B-B studies for Microsoft.  These efforts included TRG’s work on the Security and Active Directory tracking, as well as quantitative studies on Windows which delve into the Identity/Access/Security arenas. Dr. Ruchinskas has also spearheaded TRG’s International efforts, establishing relationships with knowledgeable worldwide partners who can provide the quality and expertise that is the hallmark of TRG efforts.

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Catherine Ward - B.S., M.B.A. (University of Kansas) 

Ms. Ward has directed hundreds of market research projects for major corporations for over 20 years, with extensive expertise in the areas of computer hardware and software, multimedia, gaming, and telecommunications. Ms. Ward was a full-time member of Microsoft’s research team in Redmond from 1996 – 2002, where she conducted worldwide research for the MSN, Windows Media, eHome, and Windows product teams. Ms. Ward played a key role in the development and implementation of critical research supporting the release of MSN’s first portfolio of consumer internet services (portal, search, messenger, hotmail, and content channels), as well as Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Xbox, Zune and the Windows ME, 2000 and XP operating systems. When Microsoft centralized most of its market research in 2000, Ms. Ward continued to personally manage the research for Windows Media and eHome, as well as the Windows and Office research teams, and expanded her expertise to include research with IT professionals, BDMs, I-Workers and Developers.

In 2002 Ms. Ward transitioned from full time employment with Microsoft to vendor status with TRG, while continuing to manage research for Microsoft.  In the past five years, Ms. Ward has managed over a hundred projects for Microsoft, including both qualitative and quantitative research across all of Microsoft’s core audiences and geographies. Due to her deep understanding of Microsoft’s research organization and broad experience across Microsoft products, Ms. Ward is often tapped to fill in as a member of Microsoft research teams to help manage ongoing projects or research.

Ms. Ward resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she provides one on one computer assistance to senior citizens on a volunteer basis for the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging.  When she’s not in front of a computer, Ms. Ward is logging miles in pursuit of her next marathon. Ms. Ward has completed more than 80 marathons, including at least one in each of the 50 states, and was the coordinator for Microsoft’s corporate track and marathon teams while living in Redmond.

Michael Adams - B.S. (Accounting), M.B.A. (Marketing, Marketing Research, State University of New York Center at Buffalo)

Michael Adams has conducted worldwide market research for over 19 years in a variety of fields and settings. 

He holds a MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.  Mr. Adams has conducted research studies for several fortune 100 companies in over 20 countries around the world.

In 2000 Mr. Adams joined Microsoft as a research manager, where he spent three years conducting worldwide research for the Academic, Developer, Server and Tools divisions.  Mr. Adams was awarded the Education Solutions Champion award for his cutting edge thought leadership around Academic Research.  Mr. Adams developed, created and led the implementation of the FocusVision video retention program at Microsoft – a program that now boasts a searchable repository of 1000’s of days of focus groups.

In 2003 Mr. Adams made the difficult decision to leave Microsoft and move to the East tCoast o be closer to family.  Mr. Adams joined TRG, continuing his research work for Microsoft.  In the past three years, a steady flow of research has been delivered in both the quantitative area (worldwide messaging, pricing, segmentation, as a few examples) and the qualitative area (messaging, segmentation, and satisfaction to name a few).

Mr. Adams has utilized his technical expertise and research depth to personally moderate 100’s of triads, one-on-ones, focus groups and site visits for Microsoft for a very wide range of product groups/technologies. (Databases, Forefront, Windows, Office, MOM, Exchange, Encarta, Student, MSN to name a few.)  Audiences for focus groups have ranged from young students, teachers and consumers to developers, architects, chief security officers and IT pro’s

Karen Zevin - B.A. (City College CUNY), M.A., Ph.D. Program in Sociology (ABD); M.Phil. Sociology (Columbia University) 

Karen Zevin’s career has focused on market research and competitive intelligence project management, analysis, and consulting.  She has provided these services to over 45 different companies, concentrating on technology, education, and financial services.  Prior to consulting, she worked in advertising research and product research at various advertising agencies and at Ashton-Tate.  Ms. Zevin was head of Ashton-Tate’s Market Analysis and Research department and served on the Software Publishers Association’s (SIIA) research board.  Ms.  Zevin has extensive experience with quantitative and qualitative market and product research, and with a variety of target audiences, including IT, developers, business decision makers, and consumers.  Her expertise also encompasses consumer package goods, durables, services, and business-to-business products.  Her experience in the area of education is not only in research and as a data analyst of academic, behavior and attendance related data, but also as a School Board Member and as a director on various non-profit education related boards.

Ms.  Zevin’s specific market research and business intelligence experience includes competitive analysis, assumptive/demand forecast modeling for technology products, econometric modeling of the marketing mix, testing product communications/positioning(s), quantitative surveying using web surveys and phone studies, focus group testing, and one-on-one interviewing.  She has developed research programs for advisory panels, beta testing, and product introduction, and has provided project management and an ‘extra hand’ for overflow work for different high tech firms.

William Smolka, Moderator BA (Bucknell), MBA (Columbia University)

Mr. Smolka has moderated over 1000 Microsoft focus groups for TRG.  He is recognized as a uniquely talented moderator whose sessions are not only informative but highly interactive and engaging.

Mr. Smolka’s past experience includes Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Buitoni Foods, Director of Marketing at Pillsbury, and a Brand Manager at Proctor and Gamble.  For the past 25 years, he has provided marketing consulting and research to companies which require assistance in the development of their marketing mix.  Particularly, Mr. Smolka excels in the area of qualitative research.  Mr. Smolka’s high-tech experience includes computer hardware, software, operating systems and environments, telecommunication devices, Internet and Intranet development.

Mr. Smolka  believes his focus groups have an added value through his experience as a client at P+G, as well as in his senior marketing and sales roles. Because of this, he is able to understand what is truly needed as output from group sessions and is more sensitive to the client's needs. Mr. Smolka’s groups  focus on the  critical issues, exploring them thoroughly, seeking information that is actionable, not data that is merely nice to know. 

Tom Wong, B.S. (Geography & Business, Oregon State University), M.B.A. (University of Colorado Boulder - concentration in marketing and statistics)

Mr. Wong has been involved in the creation, design and application of marketing research for over 25 years. He has a broad range of research experiences gained through working in a variety of industries including financial services (Citicorp), automotive (Nissan), and technology (Microsoft). He has personally conducted and managed over 400 primary research projects ranging from new product development to branding and advertising.

Mr. Wong spent 11 years at Microsoft working in various product groups and as a team leader within the central market research group. At the time of his departure in 2004, his team was responsible for managing an annual product research budget of over $20MM. His breadth of experience spanned nearly all major consumer and B-to-B products and audiences.

Mr. Wong’s work across different Microsoft products, customers, and culture gives him the ability to recognize linkages and patterns between isolated data sources. Mr. Wong continued these activities working for Millward Brown.  As a consultant, many of his post-Microsoft projects have been around synthesizing disparate pieces of research to create a synergistic story that helps answer critical business questions.

Assessing new market opportunities and launching new products has been a constant theme throughout his career. Working directly with engineers, designers, and product planners, he was involved in many new product launches at Nissan including the 300Z, Altima, and the Infiniti brand of cars. At Microsoft he led new product development research initiatives around the launches of Interactive Television (ITV), MSN, and Windows Media Player. He also designed and implemented one of the first concept value testing approaches at Microsoft