Dr. Robert E. Balon, President and CEO

Dr. Rob Balon actively works with Benchmark clients because helping them win is his passion. He is an expert strategist and marketer as well as holding a PhD in survey design from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. A much sought after public speaker, he is the author of four books and dozens of articles in scholarly journals on the field of research and marketing. He also frequently serves an expert witness in Intellectual Property litigation with specific experience in trademark infringements. Prior to joining The Benchmark Company, Dr. Balon worked as VP Marketing for Texas Trends. He also taught for five years at the University of Texas at Austin and at Cal. St. Long Beach.

Bob McDonald, VP Research and Marketing

Bob McDonald is a seasoned research professional with expertise in survey design and analysis. He holds both B.A. and M.A. degrees from The University of Texas at Austin. Bob also worked professionally in the radio industry as a VP of sales for Clear Channel Communications before joining Benchmark. Bob is another integral part of the client-interaction team.

Joe Russell, VP of Research Services

Joe is an 11-year veteran of the Benchmark Company. He has an M.A. from The University of Iowa in communications research. Joe is responsible for overseeing client projects and supervising account executives. He works as the third member of the client-interaction team and is an expert in multivariate data analysis.