Client Testimonials

Patrick J. Kenny
Vice President, Corporate Marketing
PPG Industries

Dave has worked ... on a variety of complex marketing projects involving product positioning, market research, and communications. He has proven to be a valuable team asset with his strong analytical skills, broad marketing expertise, and extraordinary project management skills. Additionally, he provides his services in a problem-focused, team oriented manner that facilitates progress and learning. I strongly recommend Dave for those marketing projects that require substantive marketing expertise and an extreme focus. Please feel free to call me as a reference if you are considering Project Marketing Associates for a project.

Scott Hart
Marketing Director
Heinz North America

I contracted with Dave Oshlag to temporarily assume complete responsibilities of the T.G.I. Friday’s Senior Brand Manager until a full-time replacement could be hired. The more high profile responsibilities included:

• Leading a complex new product initiative
• Leading the development of new advertising creative
• Coordinating the activities of both a multi-discipline new product development team and our advertising agency
• Thoroughly analyzing media tactics and making recommendations on media strategy
• Providing sound judgment and counsel on a variety of business decisions
• Providing support for various presentation decks
• Training and development of a new Brand Assistant

Dave’s leadership on these projects was motivational and thorough, delivering promised results within time and financial budgets. His follow-through was particularly strong, keeping his teams, peers and myself well informed of progress. I have recommended Dave’s services to other Heinz North America departments and would not hesitate to hire him again.

Tim Tassone

formerly President//Consultant Campos Inc

currently Princicpal T.L. Tassone Strategic and Targeted Marketing/Communications

Dave presented a top-line review of the January, 2009 AMA M.planet™ conference information to our collective professional staff at our request. His summary and presentation of the information was crisp, well-delivered and effectively supported with PowerPoint.  His presentation was so effective it allowed each of us to glean key bits and bites of information and useable data to meet our specific needs for knowledge, planning and selling purposes.  Dave also provided us with ample time to make comments and ask questions so that we could be sure to get the most out of the information presented. Overall, we were very pleased with Dave's presentation as his preparation and delivery were excellent.

Larry Lupori
formally Director Integrated Business Management, Heinz Consumer Products

currently Director of Finance, GlaxoSmithKline

Dave has been a great business partner for Heinz.  He has a tremendous amount of consumer goods experience and has easily changed gears as we deploy him on assignments ranging from leading individual New Product Development projects to helping us think more strategically. His work is first class and he is very results oriented.

Christopher Marshall
formally Director New Business Development, Giant Eagle

We utilized Dave Oshlag and PMA for the newly created Business Development group at Giant Eagle.  He provided experienced, strategic thinking, general manager mindset resources to temporarily staff our organization and get things moving quickly.  Each New Business Development project included: Competitive Analysis and Industry Reviews, Financial estimations and profitability, Business model option definitions, Concept and consumer value proposition, Strategic fit evaluation, Risk and regulatory considerations. Objectives and deliverables were clearly discussed, defined and delivered.  I would not hesitate in utilizing him and his team again.

Mary Ann McCollough
formally Director of Strategic Marketing Insurance and Services, PPG Industries

currently President, Experium Marketing

Project Marketing Associates has delivered value on time every time. The beauty of this resource is the ability to add assets to meet short term requirements with highly capable, top-quality marketing professionals. Most importantly, they have been able to penetrate the cultural environment successfully and think they way we do.

Jeff Jokl
formally Director Flat Glass, PPG Industries

currently Director Corporate Development, PPG Industries

Dave Oshlag has become a valuable resource to PPG Flat Glass/market research efforts. He brings a wealth of directly applicable experience and he has been involved at all levels of each project – from designing the methodology, to writing the concepts, through completing the research and summarizing the findings. I particularly note, in working with Dave, that he completes assignments very quickly, pays attention to the details, and is extremely insightful in suggesting adjustments to the research based on interim feedback. I am very glad to recommend David for marketing project work.

Lisa Detwiler
formally Director Business Development, PPG Industries

currently Chief Marketing Officer, SSD Technology Partners

Dave has been a valuable resource for our residential glass marketing efforts. His market research experience coupled with his vast marketing knowledge, strategy development and facilitation skills have assisted us in multiple projects. He is a great non-biased resource for brainstorming new ideas and then figuring out how to implement them. If your business requires these skills, I would highly recommend Dave as a resource for your marketing team.

Want to let you know how well the (Ideamap.net) segmentation work was received by the sales force ... it was absolutely right on target. The guys in the field believe they can really use the information to develop new value packages and programs for their customers. Got so many positive comments, it really validated the entire project.

Michael Smith
formally Marketing Director, Heinz North America

currently Global Trade Marketing, The Nielsen Company

I have counted on Project Marketing Associates to assist my business in many areas like trade promotion and market research. I have been able to outline the objective of a particular project and then hand it off knowing that it will be completed on time and on budget.

Robert Ziehl
formally General Manager - Ore Ida, Heinz North America

currently Head of Marketing, Golden Temple of Oregon LLC

Dave Oshlag was able to hit the ground running. He picked my business’s most important project and we didn’t miss a beat. Cross-functional teams immediately accepted his leadership, loved his style and delivered for him. Dave’s attention to detail is outstanding and his communication ensured that I was informed despite not being directly involved in most aspects of the project. Finally, I appreciated Dave’s ability to provide well reasoned insights and suggestions about this particular project and other business issues not directly related to his assignment. Dave will definitely be back at Heinz North America as future needs develop.

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Ryan Aspy
Market Development Manager
PPG Industries

We worked with Dave on a new product we were bringing to market. This product represented a huge leap in technology over what was currently being used in the industry. So much so that OEM customers were having a hard time clearly understanding the value this product would bring to their end users, simply because there was nothing of its type currently being used. We had strong data to show our customers how the technology would perform, and we had great demo units that allowed them to visualize what the technology would do. However, that did little to give them insight into how their customers would react to it. Therefore, Dave directed a survey effort of end users focused around getting their input on how favorably they would respond to this technology and how they believed it would improve their customer experience. Dave’s expertise in this area was very evident. His leadership enabled us to devise a professional survey aimed at achieving our strategic goals. The result: we now have hard data representing end user preferences that not only allow our customers to make more informed decisions but also demonstrate to them our depth of knowledge of this overall market. I would highly encourage working with Dave on a project of this type.

Patrick Seiffert
Senior Brand Manager
GlaxoSmithKline

I have worked with Dave on a number of projects over the last 5 years.  Most recently, he prepared a conference recap from the AMA's 2009 Annual Meeting which he shared with my team in a Q&A session.  It provided the team with a good understanding of the range of topics discussed.  Our goal was to stimulate thinking about what's news in integrated marketing, and Dave's preparation started a timely discussion that has real application to our business.

On each project Dave has led, he was always thoroughly prepared, kept me and others appropriately informed of his progress, and delivered on time and within budget.  We will continue to leverage Dave's expertise as the need arises.

Frank Schiffman
Market Manager
PPG Industries

Dave is a grand slam hitter when it comes to market research. His approach to obtaining sound, up-front information from his clients sets the tone and pace from day one, and the results and analysis that follow hit the mark time and time again. Recently, we used Dave to help us better understand what consumers of swimming pool products value most from retailers. The project was to be used to help a key PPG customer better target promotional offerings and operational needs for the following year. Before getting started, we did a mock presentation to show how the research would work, and because of thoroughness with which the pre-work was done, we had to convince the customer that we hadn’t already conducted the project! When we did the real thing, the customer was delighted, and now wants to expand the program. It’s a home run for them because they now have a better defined path forward…one for PPG because we drafted Dave to be on our team and put him in front of our client…one for him because he now has more work…and one for consumers of swimming pool products because their needs will be better met.

Michelle Fuscaldo
formally Brand Manager, Heinz North America

currently Associate Director, Heinz North America

Dave Oshlag has worked with me on various projects for the Heinz frozen meals brands as we searched for an associate brand manager. Dave integrates very effortlessly into our cross functional project teams and knows what needs to get done here at Heinz to get a project from point A to point B. Dave was an immense help to me in this facet as he ensured that we didn't skip a beat on any key initiative due to limited people resources.

Jan Rogan
Architectural Services Manager
PPG Industries

Dave Oshlag was first contacted to do Market Research on outsourcing options for a project that I was working on. He very quickly provided me with a notebook of articles on the various options that were available. These articles provided a broad range of opinions for me to consider.

Dave was subsequently asked to provide additional support for the project. His analytical skills were very valuable to me. Dave presented the information in a very organized way and worked extensively with me to provide a presentation that supported my proposal. I appreciate the insight he brought to this project. His experience in project management was critical to meeting the deadlines laid out. Dave brought a diverse perspective to the project and the result reflected his expertise. He was a very valuable asset to me in completing this assignment on time.

Steven McGowan
formally Senior Brand Manager, Heinz North America

currently Director Category Development & Planning, Cadburry Schweppes

Dave Oshlag worked extensively with the brand team on the launch of Boston Market frozen homestyle meals. The launch was the fastest brand in the history of Heinz North America to reach $100MM in net sales. Dave was instrumental in developing an extensive forecast and pro-forma P& L that was integral in the negotiations with Boston Chicken, Inc. for licensing arrangements. He was also the key contact with ACNielsen BASES and filled out all the inputs for the BASES home use test. Dave also helped in the analysis and ultimate recommendations for the final marketing mix (pricing, products, distribution, spending, etc) based on what was gleamed from the BASES data. After launching the product, Dave was the key contact with SPECTRA for setting up control and test stores to place in-store display units in based on the account, store and location demographics. I would highly recommend Project Marketing Associates for any brand management, research, project management or analysis work.

Donna McDermott
formally Senior Brand Manager, Heinz North America

currently Senior Corporate Marketing Analyst, FedEx Services

Dave has assisted me on several varied projects. One in particular demonstrated his planning, business knowledge, patience and willingness to help out where ever needed. His mission was to get a physical confirmation that expensive in-store display units were actually being used as was agreed to. He selected key markets to audit and planned out an efficient driving route to the stores using MapQuest. He prepared photographic evidence of each store visit showing how the display units were being used (some of the tracked down units were being used in the back office as a mop holder) and recorded the findings in a succinct manner. Unlike temps or College kids we could have hired for this assignment, Dave understood the business reasons why we needed this audit done, and he was aggressive in his fact finding. Dave’s recommendation report is still referred to today. Dave is good analytically, and I would recommend him for any marketing project.

Jennifer Howell
formally Senior Brand Manager, Heinz North America

Dave helped us with a market research project over the Summer. He immediately took ownership of the project and was extremely through. The project was implemented on time and within budget.

Mike L. Rupert
Flat Glass New Product Manager
PPG Industries

I worked closely with Dave in the design of a market research study for a new architectural glass coating. Dave developed the marketing research plan and the tactical elements necessary for conducting a nation-wide preference test with building design professionals. He was also responsible for the data analysis and final report generation. Dave presented the findings accurately and in an easy to understand manner. Our time frame was very tight and Dave did an excellent job in keeping the project on schedule. I would highly recommend Dave to anyone needing professional assistance in creating and conducting marketing research studies and data analysis.

Tom Baxter
formally Brand Manager, GlaxoSmithKline

Dave supported the brand team for several months in the development of an extremely complex discrete-choice model (market simulator) with BASES. Dave was a key contact with BASES in the study design and development of the stimuli. His mastery of the process, diligence, and attention to detail were greatly appreciated, and his contributions were critical to completing the project on time and with excellence.

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Bud Rosevear
Manager, Research & Development
Heinz North America

I worked with Dave for over a year on our Club and Alternate Channels business. Dave was fulfilling the role of marketing Brand Manager on the Ore-Ida, Smart Ones, and Boston Market brands. The breadth of these product lines, the number of overall projects, the complexity and the fast pace of these projects could be overwhelming. Dave’s project management skills combined with his team communication skills and tireless follow-up was highly beneficial to my product development team. Dave is well versed in technical, marketing, business and market research principles. I enjoyed working with Dave and highly recommend him to any client looking for a very astute high-powered marketer.

Joe DeStephano
Director of Research & Development
Heinz North America

Dave Oshlag joined our project teams to take full responsibility for our Senior Marketing Manager who was on temporary leave. He took on the full responsibility of two projects that were at different stages of development. Both projects were high exposure with short timelines. Dave came in and immediately integrated himself into the project team.

The team accepted Dave and complimented him on his style. I credit Dave with spending time with each functional area identifying the project scope, risks, functional needs and personal work styles. His team approach was appreciated by all team members.

Dave made many contributions during his tenure at Heinz North America. A few of those were:

• Flawlessly leading two cross functional groups through the development process.
• Leading the development of innovative and functional packaging instructions.
• Motivating individuals through his actions and style.
• Identifying external resources that provide needed project competencies.
• Complete and through communication and follow-through.

Personally I enjoyed my time working with Dave. His open style was refreshing and re energizing. I hope to have the opportunity to work with Dave in the future.

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Beth Ramsey
Global Innovation Manager
PPG Industries

Jo Thompson
European Marketing Manager
PPG Industries

Dave and his team at PMA have provided the PPG Refinish business with the highest level of marketing support - including exceptional project management, clarity on market research technique and correct fit of research firm to our business needs.  Our project is global in scope and Dave not only provided attention to detail, focus on results and planning / organizational skills that exceeded our expectations, but his adoption to our global business and reach into market contacts has been outstanding.   Dave is one of the Refinish team - worldwide and we will continue to call upon his market strengths now and into the future.

Steven Oakes
Vice President, Retail Marketing
Heinz Canada

Dave Oshlag has become a very valuable adjunct member of the Heinz Canada marketing team - working on behalf of Heinz Canada out of our company home office in Pittsburgh.  He has done a terrific job for us helping to coordinate major new product initiatives across the two geographies - most notably the full scale launch of the Weight Watcher's Smart Ones brand in Canada. Dave is a very buttoned-down well organized project manager who also has the ability to "improvise" to solve problems when they came up.  The Canadian Smart Ones launch was a great success - and Dave played a critical role in making it so.

Daniel Pilas
formally Senior Brand Manager, Heinz Canada

currently Group Brand Manager, Bacardi Canada, Inc.

One of our key initiatives at Heinz Canada has been the expansion of the Frozen Portfolio through the launch of Smart Ones Frozen Entrées. I contacted Dave Oshlag to play a major role in the project as a result of his strong expertise in both Frozen Foods and the US Smart Ones business. During the launch, due to our limited resources, Dave was asked to take on numerous tasks. His key role was to be our Canadian liaison in the US office and ensure that the appropriate airtime and push for our initiatives were being met. In response, not only did Dave ensure that the Canadian needs were met but he exceeded expectations by delivering upon extremely tight project timelines and providing sound, strategic council & leadership when needed.

Through his exceptional project management, strong communication skills and results oriented approach, Dave has been an extremely valuable resource to myself and the entire Canadian team. I would highly recommend Dave and Project Marketing Associates to any marketing organization.

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Wendy DelVecchio
Manager, Consumer & Customer Insights
Heinz North America

Dave Oshlag and I have worked together on several challenging project teams.  Dave always integrated very quickly into our cross functional teams and knew not only what needed to get done when, but he also knew how to go about collecting the right resources.  He owned each aggressive timeline and always kept people moving in the right direction. 

While I especially appreciate Dave’s talent for consistent and clear follow-up after team meetings, it is his ability to help the team transform rather complex and often ambiguous projects into detailed action items for all that really differentiates him from other managerial consultants.

Andrea Mar Harkins
Senior Research Manager
GlaxoSmithKline

I have worked with Dave Oshlag for over 10 years. His analytical and organizational skills have contributed to the success of many joint research projects we have worked on. He is "buttoned up" and attends to the detail of complex assignments while bringing to the table the marketing knowledge that enables that research to be actionable. His independence and proactivity make my job easier. I highly recommend Dave as a consultant for both marketers and researchers alike.

Bob Bolding
Senior Manager Consumer Research
GlaxoSmithKline

Dave was brought in to help expedite reporting results from a series of past market research project reports. All pertinent files were given to Dave who then independently reviewed the past market research and summarized the findings in a format suitable for brand managers. As part of the project work, Dave analyzed long term trends from several years of data across many projects. He successfully worked with vendors to prepare a proposal for an interactive market research database reporting system.

The work was completed in a timely fashion with a strong emphasis on value added insights. I would highly recommend Dave as an adjunct member of your marketing research team.

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Dr. John Tiano
Private Entrepreneur

I worked with Dave on developing a nutritious beverage. Dave had the experience and knowledge necessary to provide guidance and the focus necessary to “stay the course”. I found him responsive to my concerns and questions. With his help I was able to make informed as well as prudent decisions. I would highly recommend Dave for your business venture.

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