FREEMAN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Agency & Professional Services
Adam prides himself on having established and maintained long-serving relationships with clients, staff, and partners.
He builds creative, supportive, and collaborative environments that empower employees to challenge themselves to put the client at the center and constantly strive for continuous improvement.
Adam has 30 years of global experience in the marketing sector including extensive experience in live events. He has led a diverse array of projects including corporate and public events, as well as broadcast, music, sports, and theatrical productions. Adam was the producer of the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. From 2007 to 2018 Adam was based in China, working on global brand experience projects in one of the biggest and most dynamic markets in the world. Adam oversaw Freeman's business in Asia Pacific before relocating to the USA in mid 2018 to manage brand experience in North America , EMEA, and APAC.
Alan is a hands-on operational leader with strong financial planning and analysis experience. With a background in logistics and professional services, he has a track record of driving organizational transformation and developing finance talent. Alan leads our finance organization focused on accounting, financial planning, tax, treasury, and business analysis.
Prior to joining Freeman, Alan was Chief Financial Officer of National DCP, a $2 billion full-service food supply chain provider. At NDCP he lead a team of nearly 100 focused on finance, inventory control and IT, and oversaw logistics for 9,500 stores, a network of 9 distribution centers, and a fleet of 500 trucks. In his tenure, he not only guided the company through the COVID-19 pandemic with financial risk mitigation but also built a high-performing team, drove operational discipline and accountability, and developed financial efficiency metrics for the organization.
Alan's career includes senior finance roles at Americold Logistics, Abbott Laboratories, Stanley Black & Decker (formerly Stanley Works) and Newell Brands (formerly Newell-Rubbermaid). He started his career with O-I Glass, a Fortune 500 company specializing in container glass products.
Alan earned his Master of Business Administration at Ohio Dominican University, and completed his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Bowling Green State University. He has participated in the Executive Education Program from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
Amy leads all aspects of people strategy for Freeman in support of the overall business and strategic direction of the company, including talent management, recruitment and retention, leadership development, organizational design and process improvement.
Prior to joining Freeman, she was SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer for Dallas-based Kosmos Energy where she was responsible for the strategy and execution of all aspects of Human Resources. Amy joined Kosmos after more than 12 years at Baker Hughes where she served in a variety of HR roles supporting the global business and leading an international team of more than 200 HR professionals.
Amy attended Houston Baptist University, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing degree as well as a Master of Science in Human Resource Management.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, President BaAM
Annemarie is admired for her unique way of cutting through the complicated and often chaotic nature of live events to ensure the highest standards for the world-class projects that the team produces.
As President of BaAM since its creation, Annemarie leads creative and production professionals in the design and execution of premier events for some of the most prominent brands in sports, culture, and entertainment. BaAM joined Freeman in 2017 having established itself as a leader in the sports and entertainment category. Now as SVP, North American Agency, Annemarie guides the alignment of processes and teams within Freeman Agency business to ensure operational excellence and uncompromising customer service.
As a decisive and process-driven leader, Annemarie relies on proven best practices to deliver incredible experiences. She applies the rigor of her project management discipline to ensure each client's vision is masterfully executed. She's passionate about excellence and demands no less from herself and everyone around her. Under her leadership, Annemarie's teams have created experiences within unique settings, which have often been the first of their kind. These projects include mega-events such as NHL Outdoor Games, MLB at Field of Dreams, MLB Fort Bragg Game, Super Bowl LV, TwitchCon, MLB PLAY BALL PARK, NFL Kick-off Experience, NHL World Cup of Hockey Fan Village, and the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Closing Ceremony.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Board
Bob is known as a visionary leader of people and events. His extensive experience across industries, technologies, and geographies brings a forward-thinking view to people development, business strategy, and the industry at large.
Under his leadership, Forbes recognized Freeman as #4 in the Best Employers for Women and also as a Best Large Employer, AdAge listed Freeman as the world's largest global event marketing company in their World's 50 Largest Agency Companies list, and Chief Marketer named Freeman to its Top Marketing Agencies of 2022.
An advocate of design thinking, Bob inspires by demonstrating innovation, made possible in a diverse and risk-tolerant environment. He encourages and motivates employees to integrate and optimize new technologies, championing Freeman's vision to transform the world of live engagements.
Bob has always worked at the forefront of innovation in the events industry. In the emergence of digital technology, he managed and created specialized trade events for early internet developers. He was a contributor when the first user-friendly web browser, Mosaic, was relaunched as Netscape Navigator. He moved to Japan to unveil the first major tech event produced outside of the U.S., NetWorld+Interop, and built a market for disruptive technology events. He helped host the first JavaOne conference for developers while working with Sun Microsystems, acted as an executive coach to Google leadership, consulted UBM (now Informa) on key acquisitions, and helped Dwell magazine expand its media platform into the new world of brand experiences.
Bob continues in the spirit of transformation and is respected for his progressive efforts in technology, advocacy, sustainability, and safety. He is optimistic about the future of the events industry and its evolution as the world's markets change. At the forefront of the pandemic, Bob brought together over 80 industry leaders to form Go LIVE Together, facilitating legislative action to support the industry. This effort lives on as the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), for which Bob serves as a board member. He also collaborated with John Cordier, CEO of Epistemix, on the creation of EnVision, a conference that brings together top health officials, scientific experts, and industry executives.
Most recently, Bob was part of the CEO advisory group that launched the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26. Additionally, he has been honored among BizBash's 2021 Most Influential Event Management & Consulting Professionals, received the 2021 Catalyst Award from Smart Meetings as an agent of change in the meetings industry, and was named by Meetings Today as one of the top twenty 2020 Meetings Trendsetters, recognizing those who stepped up when the industry needed them most.
Through Bob's leadership, Freeman continues to transform live events, working as a team to reshape experiences - virtual, in-person, or integrated - that unite people for the moments that matter, no matter the format or timeframe.
Job Titles:
- Member of Meetings Professional International
- Senior Vice President, Customer Experience
Before joining Freeman in 2009, Bobbie was already active in the hospitality industry, working for Wyndham International, Harrah's and Caesars, and Destination Hotels and Resorts.
This experience-coupled with her varied roles within Freeman-gives her a multi-dimensional view of the business and allows her to draw from multiple resources to provide customized, targeted solutions for internal and external clients alike.
Bobbie translates her extensive experience and Freeman's service culture into elevating relationships with some of the company's most valued enterprise customers. Serving as the passionate voice of the customer, Bobbie strives for Freeman to truly become a customer-driven organization, where all products, services, initiatives, and business planning begin and end with the impact to the customer. She executes this vision via her complete understanding of clients' goals, aspirations, and measures of success.
Bobbie is a member of Meetings Professional International and the Professional Convention Management Association, and she is also the Mentoring Committee chair for Freeman FWD. A second-generation employee of Freeman, Bobbie finds that she has a unique point of view and a true appreciation for the value Freeman places on its clients. By being able to see problems (and solutions) from their perspective, she flawlessly creates the ultimate Freeman experience.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Client Relationships
Joining Freeman in 2011, Brian has over three decades of event industry experience driving sales and revenue growth for clients. He oversees Freeman's client relationships team focused on building external client relationships and ensuring all projects and events are executed flawlessly and on budget. Because delivering superior service requires knowing the right questions to ask, he works to make sure every client and facility is able to collaborate with a team that is knowledgeable, well-trained, and committed to delivering exceptional experiences.
Prior to his work in client relations, Brian led Freeman's Client Solutions Sales Western Territory with a perfect blend of commitment, loyalty, empathy, and enthusiasm.
When not riding his motorcycle or exploring the outdoors, he can often be found at industry events scouting for new talent.
Brian graduated from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo with a degree in Business.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Business Operations & Digital Transformation
- Trustee for John Brown University
Cameron leads Freeman teams and operations focused on supply chain, sales enablement and digital transformation.
Prior to joining Freeman, Cameron was Chief Operations Officer for Soli Organic where he led the production, packaging, logistics, transportation and all sourcing and procurement for the largest supplier of organic herbs to major retailers across the U.S.
His career includes more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning operations, supply chain, and information technology roles in global organizations.
In his nearly 20 years at Walmart, Cameron held leadership roles in sourcing, inventory management, operations, and IT before being named SVP of Supply Chain Services responsible for the vision, implementation and change management for supply chain technology transformation. He was then named Chief Supply Chain Officer for TriMark USA, the largest commercial kitchen equipment distributor in the U.S., where he architected a single, center-led supply chain by consolidating 11 operating divisions.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a captain and helicopter pilot.
Cameron currently serves as Trustee for John Brown University and is an advisor to SVT Robotics, Cartesian Kinetics, and Zuum Transportation. He has previously served as Board member and Vice Chairman of GS1, Trustee of The American Indian College Fund and on the University of Arkansas Supply Chain Resource Council.
As Freeman continues to lead the brand experience category, Carrie approaches the future with a focus on refining the company's culture and business approach.
Carrie grew up in the business, and as the third generation of Freeman leaders (her grandfather is founder Buck Freeman; her father is Chair Emeritus Don Freeman), Carrie employs forward-thinking strategies that maintain the company's reputation as an industry innovator while staying true to its core values.
Carrie has been frequently recognized by her peers and the industry at large for her outstanding contributions and achievements. She is involved with numerous organizations and nonprofits - one passion is her involvement with Girls Inc. - and begins and ends each day fulfilling Freeman's obligation to positively affect employees, stakeholders, and the community. She's unwilling to claim success based solely on the bottom line; instead, Carrie is dedicated to leading a socially responsible organization. Just as she pushes the boundaries on what it means to create an amazing brand experiences, she simultaneously provides future generations with the skills needed to make the world a better place.
"Everyone matters. Therefore, we - as leaders and as individuals - have an obligation to contribute to our community's well-being. When we at Freeman act in a way that serves that community … we elevate humanity and harness our power to transform the world."
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Event & Exhibit Services
Chris has been part of the Freeman team for nearly 25 years, and has held various positions starting in the branch network. In his current role as Executive Vice President, Chris oversees Freeman's exposition operations that provide products and services across North America via a regional footprint, comprised of fulfillment centers and satellite locations that provide service to cities within the geographic region. His teams are responsible for the overall execution of producing events, partnering with each location to provide unparalleled execution within all the markets where we operate and support.
His diverse background in both operations and administration has helped Chris acquire the knowledge and experience needed to successfully implement Freeman's operating processes, systems, and standards, which are utilized to continuously improve operational efficiencies and customer service. Chris' ability to successfully collaborate internally and externally creates opportunities for innovation, which ultimately helps clients create meaningful connections.
Chris has served on various industry and non-profit boards throughout his tenure and is immediate Past President of ESCA.
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Member of the Board
- Vice President
- HR Leader and Business Partner
Dale Kunneman is a senior HR leader and business partner with 20+ years of international HR and operational experience in the oil & gas, and manufacturing industries.
He has a demonstrable record of successfully and proactively leading change across geographic and cultural boundaries to positively impact business results, driving organizational change and efficiency and, partnering with executive teams and boards, integrating Human Capital with business strategy. His expertise in HR functional leadership; business integration; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; talent management, shared services and executive compensation informs all his work. He has worked and lived in North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, China, India, Russia and the Middle East.
Dale Kunneman is currently the Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at HollyFrontier Corporation.
Prior to joining HollyFrontier, Dale was the Executive VP of HR, and Chief People & Culture Officer at Accudyne Industries. Dale positioned the company for sale and maximized return on sponsor investment, enhanced the leadership pipeline and increased the company's visibility, drove and motivated revenue growth through human capital, and enabled geographical expansion.
From 2004 to 2016, Dale served in progressive HR leadership positions with Baker Hughes, culminating with that of VP, HR, NA Operations (2013 - 2015), and subsequently as the HR Lead for Integration & Divestitures for the Haliburton acquisition. In the latter role, he significantly contributed to the successful collection of the contractual breakup fee of $3.5B. A key player in streamlining the company into 4 super-regions and 26 Geo-markets (eliminating 9 operating regions and 2 hemispheres), Dale assumed responsibility for the largest super-region ($13.5B business), directing a staff of 100 providing HR services to NA Operations' 18,000 employees. He contributed to a 15% reduction in total compensation cost and a 10% increase in profitability YOY by leading the implementation of large-scale organization changes, including the establishment of a new Geomarket structure across NA operations to drive empowered/ local decision-making and functionalization of the P&L. He also improved accountability and cost management by establishing a robust HR operating philosophy, driving rigor in critical HR metrics such as headcount, attrition, staffing, diversity and rewards/recognition.
Earlier, as VP of HR, Western Hemisphere Operations (2011 -2013), Dale led the HR strategy for the $17B business and was a key member of the executive leadership team responsible Human Capital Strategies and HR activities/services for 22,000 employees in 15 countries. He drove 15% reduction of HR services costs by optimizing the $20M HR budget, and reduced annualized fixed compensation cost of 15% ( $25M) by converting 3,500+ field employees from salaried to an hourly pay structure, introducing a performance based compensation programs in support of compliance, and fixed vs. viable cost management.
Job Titles:
- Chief Legal & Administrative Officer
Dawnn currently oversees all legal, compliance, and risk issues for Freeman, with a secondary focus on maintaining the company's reputation as the brand experience leader.
Her dedication is invaluable to helping Freeman achieve its objectives while protecting stakeholders' interests.
Before joining Freeman in 2001 as the company's first in-house attorney, Dawnn was the director of litigation management services for a large private insurance brokerage. She has also managed her own private practice. Having worked with Freeman as both a provider and an employee, Dawnn's unique perspective lets her easily navigate opportunities and challenges. She is a current member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, the General Counsel Forum, the California State Bar, and the Texas State Bar.
A former recipient of the prestigious Buck Freeman award, Dawnn thrives on change. She is a member of the executive committee, where she drives Freeman's strategic growth and challenges others to define the company's business objectives. She is a founding member of (and a current Advisory Council member for) Freeman FWD-a grassroots leadership development and mentorship program aimed at promoting diversity, respect, and inclusion. She is committed to Freeman's culture, values, and employees, and she dedicates herself to treating clients and colleagues with the utmost respect.
Donald S. (Don) Freeman, Jr. is chairman emeritus of The Freeman Company. He joined the family business in 1964, after his father Buck Freeman founded the company in 1927.
Under Don's leadership, Freeman has grown to become the world's largest provider of brand experiences. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Don was commissioned and served in the Supply Corps for four years.During his 30+ years leading Freeman, Don successfully built and maintained Freeman's reputation for innovation, leadership, creativity, and integrity. He accomplished this through his vast industry expertise, which today allows him to serve as a trusted advisor to both the company's current senior leadership and next generation of talent. In July of 2019, Don transitioned to the chairman emeritus role, and the leadership of the company to the third generation of the Freeman family, naming daughter Carrie Freeman Parsons as chair.
Gary brings 30+ years of experience as a Board Member, CEO, President, and Senior Executive in market-leading companies including Abbott Laboratories, Procter & Gamble, Sherwin Williams, TrandsDigm Group and Wrigley Company. He is well versed in operations and organizational integration, supply chain, brand innovation, and leadership development.
Gary serves as a Board Member of two publicly traded companies, TransDigm Group and Commercial Metals Company. He also serves on the board of The Fresh Market, which is privately owned. Gary is an investor in and advisor to several other private entities.
Previously, he served as CEO and Board Member of ARI Packaging; Board Member of Sherwin-Williams; President, CEO, and Board Member of Career Education Corporation; and President of Abbott Laboratories Ross Products Division. While at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, Gary was Senior Vice President - Americas, and was GM, North America Homecare Products at Procter & Gamble.
His business rigor, mentorship style, and continuous improvement mindset were fostered in the US Army where Gary served as an Infantry Officer where he rose to the rank of Captain.
In addition to his corporate experiences, Gary has a long history of civic and philanthropic board involvement. He currently sits on the Board of Trustees for Chicago's Rush University Medical Center and is a past member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Commercial Club of Chicago, and The Chicago Club. He has served on the Boards of the Executives Club of Chicago, the Association of National Advertisers, and Keep America Beautiful. Gary was the Chairman of the Board of the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL).
Gary was named twice by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the "100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America."
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Wright State University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- President
- in 2018 As EVP
As President and Chief Operating Officer, Janet leads all Freeman business operations across the globe. With expertise in global sales, digital transformation, process improvement, and worldwide client management, Janet has the background and the vision to guide Freeman into a new future. No matter which hat she's wearing, Janet focuses on developing opportunities for Freeman, its clients, and its people.
Janet is a dynamic and empathetic leader who has succeeded by putting people first in the process of transformational leadership. She encourages her teams to embrace change through constant communication, continuous learning, pragmatic thinking, tenacity, and by cultivating and inspiring her teams to redefine live events.
Janet joined Freeman in 2018 as EVP and first-ever Chief Growth Officer. Her dual-role leadership made a tremendous impact on strategy and performance. Her efforts to refine business processes, streamline systems, and adapt go-to-market strategies for a digital-first world positioned the company for growth.
Before Freeman, Janet served as CEO of Marsh ClearSight, a global leader in risk, safety, and claims management software. Prior to leading Marsh Clearsight, Janet served as Marsh's COO of Global Sales, where she was responsible for driving organic growth. During her tenure as Marsh Global Sales COO, the company's annual new sales topped more than $1.2 billion and global new business doubled.
Janet has been recognized as a Woman to Watch by Business Insurance magazine and has received several awards for product technology innovation. She is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned a business degree in finance, investment, and banking.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Freeman EMEA
Jason is a trusted industry expert with over 20 years' experience at some of the best independent and global agencies, most recently as Managing Director (UK & Nordics) at George P Johnson where he doubled the size of the business in five years.
As the Managing Director for Freeman EMEA he is responsible for fueling growth in the region by helping great teams and clients thrive together.
As a passionate sustainability advocate, Jason was instrumental in the establishment and launch of event industry body "isla" (https://weareisla.co.uk/) being proof of his commitment to the cause.
Away from work he spends most of his time up to his eyes in Legos or mud with his two young boys, but when possible won't turn-down the chance to get to a live music gig or spend an hour or three in the country hiking or fly fishing.
A graduate of The University of Edinburgh with a Masters in Politics, Jason is also an alumni of Prof Mark Ritson's Marketing mMBA.
Job Titles:
- Business Strategist, Creative Executive
- Executive Vice President, Strategy Design
- Member of the Fast Company Executive Board and past Member of the Advisory Board to the Massachusetts College of Art
Jeff Rutchik is a global business strategist, creative executive leader, and passionate artist with more than 30 years of experience in creating engaging design solutions.
Currently at Freeman, he leads a community of strategists and designers who create event marketing and design all driven by data and insights and that move audiences to action.
Additionally, Jeff is a member of the Fast Company Executive Board and past member of the Advisory Board to the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He is an active artist with work currently shown in galleries on Cape Cod, Hilton Head, and Bluffton, South Carolina, and his work is also held in several private collections in California and New York City. He is involved as an advisor mentoring entrepreneurs in start-up enterprises and an active investor in the arts on Broadway.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Client Relationships
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Audio Visual & Event Technology
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Strategic Business Development
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Custom Exhibits and Corporate Events
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Audio Visual & Event Technology Operations
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Business Development
Job Titles:
- Corporate Strategy, Senior Vice President