Executive Management



Dennis Philbin

CEO

Dennis Philbin is the CEO of Lux Research. He has been leading Lux Research for over 3 years, after almost 13 years at IDC, a global leader in information services. At IDC he was a Senior Vice President, leading IDC's Vertical Market Business Units and New Ventures. Dennis was responsible for new ventures expanding IDC's business portfolio in specific industry and role-based research. In this capacity, he led the design and launch of the series of "Insights" business units dedicated to industry-specific technology issues facing leaders in the financial services, energy, health, manufacturing, retail, and government sectors. In addition, he was responsible for the portfolio of products and services aimed at investors and industrial customers. Dennis also served as Managing Director of IDC Asia/Pacific, with general management responsibility for the company's 14 Asian country operations. During this time, IDC developed and delivered a strong regional strategy for the efficient, high-quality production of market research and advice in Asia. He has also served as an operating board member for IDG companies Computerworld and BioIT World.

Dennis received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and his Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin for his thesis on the funding of technological innovation.



Ezra Ball

Director, Software Development

Ezra Ball is the Director of Software Development at Lux Research. He leads Lux Research's efforts to develop and improve flexible systems to deliver research to clients in valuable, personalized, and highly usable ways. Ezra came to Lux Research after 8 years at Forrester Research, where he led the web development team in developing search, content management, content delivery, systems integration, business intelligence, and marketing applications, aligning and adapting development team projects to client needs, determined by extensive ongoing usability studies. Prior to his work at Forrester, Ezra was the lead search developer at ZDNet, where he also developed content management and ad targeting software.

Ezra holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Wabash College.



Mark Bünger

Research Director

Mark Bünger is a Research Director at Lux Research. Based in the firm's San Francisco office, Mark currently leads the Alternative Fuels, Bio-based Materials and Chemicals and Targeted Delivery practices. He joined Lux Research with 14 years of business strategy experience, both as a management consultant and technology analyst. Previously, Mark was a Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, an International Engagement Manager at European consultancy Icon Medialab, and a Managing Director of Icon Medialab's U.S. office. The first six years of Mark's career were spent at Accenture in the U.S., U.K., and Sweden.

Mark's education includes International Marketing at Mälardalen Polytechnic in Sweden, and Market Research at the University of Texas in the U.S. He also studied biochemistry through the University of California at Berkeley's extension program and currently works in the Center for Quantitiatve Biology at the University of California, San Francisco. Mark speaks English, Swedish, and German, and is conversant in French, Spanish, and other European languages.



Stephen Coté 

Chief Financial Officer

Stephen is the Chief Financial Officer of Lux Research. He came to Lux Research after 12 years at TowerGroup, a global advisory research firm focused on the financial services industry, where he was the CFO. At TowerGroup, Stephen was responsible for all financial administration, including guiding the firm through its global expansion, as well as its sale to Reuters in 1999 and MasterCard in 2004. Prior to TowerGroup, Stephen was a controller for Mercer Management Consulting and the Assistant Corporate Controller for Grubb & Ellis Company.

Stephen received his Bachelor's Degree from Bentley University and his M.B.A. from the University of San Francisco. He is a CPA licensed in the State of Massachusetts and is a member of the AICPA and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.



Raymond Creemers

Managing Director Europe, Middle East and Africa

Raymond Creemers is Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Lux Research. Based in Amsterdam, he began EMEA operations in early 2007 and has significantly helped grow the business within Europe and beyond. Before joining Lux Research, Raymond was the regional sales director for Forrester Research in the Benelux region. He developed long-term strategic advisory relationships with leading multinational corporations in Northern Europe. In 1997, Raymond was part of the founding team of Media Plaza, a pioneering internet demonstration center in the Netherlands. At Media Plaza he served as a member of the organization's leadership team and educated Dutch executives on the advent of the Internet and the business implications of eBusiness.

Raymond studied Cognitive Artificial Intelligence (C.K.I.) and Philosophy at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, where his primary focus was on human/computer interaction and Philosophy of Science.



Chris Hartshorn, Ph.D.

Vice President - Research

Chris Hartshorn is the Vice President of Research. He leads Lux Research's teams of industry analysts and consultants in providing on-going emerging technology intelligence and strategic advice for the world's leading technology companies. He is a sought-after speaker, delivering keynote speeches focused on emerging technology opportunities and challenges, and counter-intuitive insights in executive panels and discussions. Chris draws on extensive experience advising clients on a range of emerging technology areas including green buildings, water efficiency, energy storage, biofuels, advanced materials and photovoltaics and waste. Having previously directed Lux Research's consulting practice, Chris has lead numerous corporate, investor and start-up projects, providing navigation and recommendations on the emerging technologies and adoption landscapes critical to future business growth. Prior to joining Lux Research, Chris worked for General Electric, managing global technology programs as well as in product development within its materials businesses. Earlier, he held positions as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina and as Senior Scientist contracted to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering.

Chris received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Canterbury and is the author of over 25 scientific articles and reviews, and co-inventor of numerous patents in the field of chemical and materials development.



Michael Holman, Ph.D.

Research Director

Michael Holman is a Research Director at Lux Research. He is responsible for Lux Research’s Intelligence practices in Advanced Materials; Printed, Flexible, and Organic Electronics; Electric Vehicles; and Energy Electronics. He and his teams help clients, primarily large global corporations, identify and capitalize on new business opportunities in these emerging technology areas by providing market and technology insight and analysis. He also leads Lux Research’s work on benchmarks and best practices in technology scouting and open innovation, managing the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) – Lux Research Technology Scouting Program, and advising clients on how they can better run and organize their tech scouting programs.

Michael is also deeply involved in public policy issues in emerging technologies. He has been a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Nanotechnology Technical Advisory Group and the U.S. and EU Perspectives on the Future of Science and Technology program, and helped the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) run its Nanomanufacturing for Energy Efficiency Workshop and research roadmap. Michael is frequently quoted in the press, and has been cited in publications like The Economist, The Guardian, and Congressional Quarterly on the commercialization of emerging technologies.

Michael earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University, where he worked at Columbia’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. He also holds a B.A. in Chemistry and Philosophy from Rice University.



Cort Isernhagen

Managing Director, Asia-Pacific

Cort Isernhagen is the Managing Director for the Asia/Pacific region at Lux Research, based in Singapore. Prior to his role at Lux Research, Cort spent 15 years with IDC, in various positions, most recently as Vice President for IDC's Insights businesses with responsibility for Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. In this role he managed international research teams providing advice and guidance to executives supporting their technology investment and implementation plans. Cort has also held posts with Chinadotcom and International Data Group (IDG).

Cort holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Business from Hawaii Pacific University, and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the American Graduate School of International Management-Thunderbird.



Carole Jacques

Director of Marketing & Client Services

Carole Jacques is the Director of Marketing & Client Services at Lux Research. In her role, Carole is responsible for managing Lux Research's marketing and client strategy, including public relations, event management, and lead generation. Before joining Lux Research, Carole's career covered a broad range of marketing positions, with emphasis on market research, product management, and customer care. Carole was Vice President of Client Research with global market analyst, AMR Research, where she led the User Client Research program and initiated AMR's Benchmark Analytix. Prior to her experience at AMR, Carole was a Product Manager for data storage products at NEC, where she managed all aspects of a product life cycle. In addition, Carole started the Storage Products Market Program at International Data Corp. (IDC) and was responsible for market analysis, strategic analysis and trend analysis.

Carole has a B.A. in Communications from the State University of New York at Albany and has completed coursework toward her M.B.A. at Boston University.



Kevin Pang, Ph.D., MBA

Director of Consulting

Kevin leads our dedicated team of expert consultants that help top executives in the Innovation 1000 make critical decisions about markets, technologies, and strategy to better position existing businesses for growth and to launch new businesses wisely. Kevin and his team help our many clients size and prioritize addressable markets, correctly interpret the competitive landscape, anticipate disruptive technologies and companies, and develop sound go-to-market and business development strategies.

Kevin has more than 20 years of industry experience in the healthcare IT, biotechnology, and market intelligence industries.  Previously he served as VP of Advisory Services at Decision Resources, a leading pharmaceutical market research and intelligence company.

Kevin holds bachelor degrees in Genetics and Molecular Biology from U.C. Berkeley, a Ph.D. from the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Harvard University and his MBA from Bentley University.  He has authored more than 20 primary publications in leading research journals and a number of patents in the areas of growth factors and stem cells.  He has presented and chaired discussion panels, including the Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Business.


Will Polese

Managing Director, Americas Sales

Will Polese is the Managing Director for Americas Sales.  He had previously helped build the Asia-Pacific region for Lux Research, and was Managing Director, APAC. Will joined Lux Research from Xelocity, Inc., a boutique consultancy firm, where he was the President of the North American business overseeing all aspects of the company. Xelocity provided supply chain, systems integration, and benefits management services to medium and large organizations in a wide variety of manufacturing fields. Earlier in his career, Will spent several years running the sales team for a commercial printer, leading the Japan sales team at Forrester Research, as well as spending eight years with Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. Will has spent more than 20 years working with clients in Asia and North America.

Will has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies and Economics from Pitzer College. Additionally, he studied abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, as well as in Japan at Obirin University in Tokyo and Hakodate University in Hakodate.