Speaking/Bio

An early pioneer in interactive media, Dean Whitney is a executive and Web 2.0 technology evangelist and president of Garfield Group Interactive. Dean works extensively with emerging technology vendors and solutions, creating brand partnerships and educating both agencies and clients about Web technology. Previously Dean lead internet solutions at Publicis Groupe’s Digitas. He has worked some of the world’s most recognized brands including American Express, Fidelity, General Motors, Microsoft, P&G and collaborated with top agencies such as Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi and Starcom.

At Digitas developed the Web 2.0 Framework; a construct for understanding social media initiatives and has presented extensively to agencies, clients, at industry events and conferences. He is involved in the Web semantics group at MIT and on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX); the world’s largest professional organization for digital media, marketing and technology professionals and adviser for several start-ups, non-profits and conferences.

Dean holds a bachelors in communications from Boston College and an MBA from Suffolk University, Sawyer School of Management and lives near Boston, Massachusetts with his wife and son.

Dean is available for speaking and presentations, here are some examples:

Web 2.0 Brand Partnerships
Web 2.0 & Social Media - Bentley Graduate Marketing Promotion and Communications
Numerous agency presentations to clients and internal teams
Client presentations of Web 2.0 and emerging media
Social Media Platforms for Marketing Solutions
Web 2.0 Frameworks: Network World
Humor in Marketing: American Marketing Association
MITX and Boston.com present “Internet Video: What’s Next”
Rich Media Applications in Healthcare: Mass Health Data Forum
…and much more

Recommendations…

“Dean Whitney neatly lays out the complex concepts that frame Web 2.0 thinking — the technologies, social developments and mashups — and walks us through the evolution, new developments and future possibilities. It’s exciting stuff.” John Dix, Editor in Chief NetworkWorld.com

“Dean is one of the few people who gets the web and where social media is going… ” Larry Weber, Owner, W2Group and author of Marketing to the Social Web

“Dean Whitney is Digitas’ leading light on Web 2.0. His deft direction and wielding of these and other technologies in a marketing context on key Digitas technology accounts” Pradeep Aradhya, VP / Architect, Technology, Digitas

“Dean is a rare breed, a Renaissance man who is as comfortable with the creative aspects of the agency business as he is with social media and the sometimes deep Web 2.0 tech behind it.” Simeon Simeonov, Technology Partner, Polaris Ventures