Gian Fulgoni
Gian M. Fulgoni | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 January 1948 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Lancaster University |
| Occupation(s) | CEO and co-founder, Comscore |
Gian Mark Fulgoni (Crickhowell, 24 January 1948) is a British businessman, entrepreneur and market research consultant.[1]
He specializes in measuring consumer behavior and the effectiveness of advertising across TV, print, and online. He has held executive roles, helped lead the IPOs of Information Resources, Inc. and Comscore, Inc., and served on boards across various industries, including software, consumer electronics, pet products, marketing services, and market research.[2]
Career
Fulgoni began his career in 1970 at Management Science Associates, Inc., where he became Executive Vice-President by 1977, overseeing the Chicago office and national consumer behavior analysis.[3]
From 1981 to 1998, he served as President, CEO, and Chairman of Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), a provider of UPC scanner data to the CPG industry. Under his leadership, IRI's revenues grew at 40% annually, reaching over $500 million, with a market value of $1.5 billion. In 1996, Advertising Age recognized IRI as the largest U.S. market research firm.[4]
He was a board member of Platinum Technology, Inc. (1991–1999), during which it grew from $80 million to over $1 billion in revenue before being acquired by Computer Associates for $4 billion in 1999. He also served on the board of U.S. Robotics, acquired by 3Com for $8 billion in 1997, and yesMail.com, acquired by CMGI for $700 million in 2000.[5]
In 1999, Fulgoni co-founded Comscore, an Internet market intelligence firm. He served as Executive Chairman until 2014 and as CEO in 2016. Comscore operates in 43 countries and serves multiple industries. He co-holds a U.S. patent for Comscore’s data collection technology. The company was named a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum in 2007 and a Global Growth Company Shaper in 2010.[6]
He currently serves on the boards of PetMeds, InXpo, the Advertising Research Foundation, Prophet, Dynamic Signal, and the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester. He is a charter member of TiE Midwest, a global entrepreneur network.[2]
Fulgoni has authored articles in the Journal of Advertising Research, Admap and ESOMAR. He is a speaker at marketing industry conferences worldwide, discussing Internet industry trends and marketing.[7]
Industry recognition
In 1991 and again in 2004, Fulgoni was named Illinois Entrepreneur of the Year, the only person to have twice received the award. In 1992, he received the Wall Street Transcript Award for outstanding contributions as CEO in enhancing the overall value of IRI to the benefit of its shareholders. In 2008, Fulgoni was inducted into the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Also in 2008, Fulgoni was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He was awarded the Honorary Fellowship by the University of Glamorgan in Wales in 2012, which recognizes the efforts and achievements of individuals who have served a discipline area with particular distinction, in this case Fulgoni's career in the field of market research. In 2009 the Advertising Research Foundation awarded him its "Great Mind Award".[8] and in 2014 the Advertising Research Foundation awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2016 he was awarded a Doctor of Science by Lancaster University. In 2018 he was awarded the "Erwin Ephron De-Mystification Award" by the Advertising Research Foundation. In 2019, he was inducted into the Market Research Hall of Fame.[9]
Personal life
Fulgoni was born and raised in Pontypool, South Wales, the son of Italian parents who had emigrated from Bardi, a small town in Emilia-Romagna. Fulgoni's father owned and operated a small restaurant. Fulgoni attended the University of Manchester from 1966 to 1969 where he graduated with an honours degree in physics in 1969 before graduating with an M.A. in marketing in 1970 from Lancaster University Management School in the second year of the university's masters in marketing program, at the time the only such program in the UK upon graduating, Fulgoni was offered an entry-level position by Management Science Associates as a project analyst, and moved to the US to work at the company's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
References
- ^ Standard & Poor's register of corporations, directors and executives p393 Standard and Poor's Corporation – 2000 "FULGONI, GIAN MARK (b. 1948 Crickhowell. England – Manchester Univ. (England) 1969; Lancaster Univ. (England) 1970)— Chief Exec Officer A Dir. Information Resources, Inc.. 150 N. Clinton St., Chicago 60661— .."
- ^ a b Claridge, Brian; Cooper, Cary L. (2014), Claridge, Brian; Cooper, Cary L. (eds.), "Gian Fulgoni — Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, comScore, Inc.", Stress in the Spotlight: Managing and Coping with Stress in the Workplace, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 64–73, doi:10.1057/9781137292353_8, ISBN 978-1-137-29235-3, retrieved 9 July 2025
- ^ "Gian Fulgoni, comScore Co-founder". How They Did It. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ Goldsborough, Bob (12 April 2021). "ComScore founder Gian Fulgoni sells Gold Coast mansion for $1.85 million". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ Goldsborough, Alfred (1910). Medusae of the world, by Alfred Goldsborough Mayer. Carnegie institution of Washington. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.11389.
- ^ Writer, Staff. "ComScore co-founder has a knack for the facts". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "2019 Erwin Ephron Award Winner". The ARF. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "2009 ARF Great Mind Awards" (PDF). Thearf.org. 1 April 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ^ "comScore Founder Fulgoni Named 2018 Erwin Ephron Demystification Award Winner". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved 9 July 2025.