Polk Recognizes Leader Successes, Strengthens Practice Areas

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Four Polk employees have been recognized for their commitment and contributions within the global automotive market intelligence company and have been appointed to new roles within the organization.

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Marc Bland, Diversity & Inclusion; Theresa Gorman, sales and client services, Eastern Region; and Anthony Pratt, forecasting, the Americas have been promoted to vice president. Additionally, Lonnie Miller has taken a new role as vice president of Polk's Loyalty Management practice.

"These promotions and appointments are well deserved; each one of these leaders brings a distinct ability and talent that is critical to our growth at Polk," said Kendra Rawls, senior vice president of global sales and marketing at Polk. "Their experience and proven knowledge of Polk's business, combined with their customer acumen and industry relationships, are indispensable as we move forward as a company." 

Bland, now vice president of Polk's Diversity Marketing Practice will continue to focus on diversity strategies.  A member of the Polk team since 1999, Bland has held several roles within the organization, including senior systems developer, solutions consultant, manager of the analytic solutions production team and head of diversity and inclusion. During his career at Polk, he has been instrumental in helping the company reach multicultural agencies, as well as managing Polk's relationships with diversity affiliations including the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the National Association of Minority Auto Dealers (NAMAD) among others.  

Gorman has been promoted to vice president, sales & client services, Eastern Region. She has established strong executive relationships with customers and continues to develop solid customer account plans and strategies to ensure continued growth for the future. During her career at Polk she held manager and director positions in sales and client services for more than six years. Gorman will also join Polk's Global Sales Leadership Team.

Pratt, formerly director of forecasting for the Americas at Polk, will continue to lead this practice for the company as vice president of Forecasting, the Americas.  He is responsible for managing and positioning Polk's forecasting business in the Americas, while providing strategic oversight and promoting, selling and delivering forecasting products, services and business intelligence to the U.S. marketplace.  Pratt, who is president of the Society of Automotive Analysts, is often called upon for commentary on industry issues and trends. 

Miller has been in a number of analytical and strategic roles with Polk and most recently transitions from his role as vice president of Marketing and Industry Analysis to serve as vice president of Polk's Loyalty Management practice.  He is now responsible for ensuring Polk clients understand and leverage the company's resources for owner loyalty measurement and improvement and conquesting and retention strategies as part of their business planning efforts.   

About Polk
Polk is the premier provider of automotive information and marketing solutions.  The organization collects and interprets global data, and provides extensive automotive business expertise to help customers understand their market position, identify trends, build brand loyalty, conquest new business and gain a competitive advantage. Polk helps automotive manufacturers and dealers, automotive aftermarket companies, finance and insurance companies, advertising agencies, media companies, consulting organizations, government agencies and market research firms make good business decisions. A privately held global firm, Polk is based in Southfield, Michigan with operations in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, please visit www.polk.com.

SOURCE Polk