When Worlds Collide

Brian Whipple is committed to cultivating big ideas and delivering real business results – passions he applies every day driving Accenture Interactive’s rapid global growth. As the head of Accenture Interactive, Brian is laser-focused on creating the best customer experiences on the planet for Fortune 500 brands. His achievements have been recognized by Digiday, which included Brian as a 2018 Changemaker, by Adweek, which included Brian on its 2017 and 2018 Power List, and by Business Insider which recognized Brian as a Top 100 People Transforming Business in 2019. Brian has led Accenture Interactive’s disruption of the traditional agency landscape by creating a new Experience Agency service model that combines the capabilities of a business consultancy, creative agency, and technology powerhouse. He continues to build Accenture Interactive’s business every day, working with clients and expanding its global footprint through agency acquisitions while delivering 30% annual growth in the process. Accenture Interactive was named by Ad Age as the world’s largest digital agency network four years in a row, while Fast Company named it a 2019 Most Innovative Company in Advertising.

Growing up in an Australian ski resort, David dreamed of touring the world as a ski instructor—but his imagination would take him down a different path. In 2006, dissatisfied with helping other companies flourish, he launched Droga5 in New York City. Over the course of his career, David has received an embarrassment of personal accolades, but he’s much happier discussing his family, sports or anything Australian.

Suzanne Vranica is the Advertising Editor for the Wall Street Journal, which is published by Dow Jones & Company. She has more than 15 years' experience at the Journal covering marketing and the inner workings of Madison Avenue. She is interested in how advertising is being disrupted by technology and data. Ms. Vranica helped launch CMO Today, a Web vertical launched by the Wall Street Journal in 2014. The vertical addresses the rapidly transforming marketing and advertising industries. Ms. Vranica also makes frequent appearances on a wide range of media outlets such as “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning” to discuss advertising topics. A New York native, Ms. Vranica is a graduate of Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. She and her husband live in Hartsdale, N.Y., with their daughter Ryan and son Andrew.