Chief Research Officer, Informa Tech

Clint Wheelock is chief research officer at Informa Tech, responsible for management of the Tractica business as well as its sister research groups Ovum and Heavy Reading. He leads all research operations at Informa Tech, including management of the analyst teams as well as client interactions and consulting engagements. Wheelock founded Tractica in 2014 and led the business as a standalone unit prior to its acquisition by Informa in 2018.

Wheelock has an extensive background in market intelligence focused on emerging technologies. Previously, he was founder and president of Pike Research, a leading market intelligence firm focused on the global clean technology industry, which was acquired by Navigant Consulting, after which Wheelock led the rebranded Navigant Research business as its managing director. In this role, he managed all aspects of company operations, including research, sales, marketing, finance, and operations. Prior to forming Pike Research, Wheelock was chief research officer at ABI Research, vice president at the NPD Group, and research director at In-Stat. Previous positions also include senior product management and strategic marketing roles at Qwest Communications and Verizon Communications, as well as prior experience in management consulting and private investment banking. Wheelock holds an MBA from the University of Dallas and a BA from Washington & Lee University.

Director, Primary Research

Kevin Burden is director of primary research at Tractica, with a focus on designing and executing quantitative and qualitative primary research studies that provide actionable insights on the dynamics of end-user demand across the firm’s key areas of market coverage. Key project types include custom research engagements, multi-client studies, tracker products, online information resources, and survey panels.

Burden has more than 15 years’ experience in market intelligence focused on technology sectors including mobile telecommunications, consumer electronics, workforce productivity, security, and the Internet of Things. Prior to joining Tractica, Burden was a research vice president at 451 Research, where he was responsible for the firm’s coverage of mobility and customer insight & data strategy. His previous experience includes roles as a research director at Strategy Analytics, vice president and group director at ABI Research, senior account manager at Nielsen, and program manager at IDC. Burden began his career as a senior features writer at Computerworld. He holds a BA in economics and English from Framingham University and an MS in economics from Northeastern University.

Research Director

Aditya Kaul is a research director at Tractica, with a primary focus on artificial intelligence and robotics. He also covers blockchain and wearables as part of his research. Kaul has more than 12 years of experience in technology market research and consulting. He is based in London.

Prior to Tractica, Kaul was a practice director at ABI Research, where he led the firm’s Mobile Networks research group. Kaul has also worked as an analyst and team leader at firms including Pioneer Consulting and Evalueserve, and has provided independent consulting services in the areas of Internet of Things, wearables, and smart cities. Kaul started his career as an electrical engineer designing chipsets and wireless networks with stints at Qualcomm and Siemens. Kaul has been a prolific speaker, moderator, and panelist at industry conferences and events, and has appeared frequently in the media including The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Forbes, CNBC, The Motley Fool, VentureBeat, Unstrung, ZDNet, Wireless Week, EE Times, and CommsDesign, among others.

Kaul holds two master’s degrees in engineering, from Colorado State University and Pennsylvania State University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from National Institute of Technology, Surat in India.

Principal Analyst

Mark Beccue is a principal analyst contributing to Tractica’s Artificial Intelligence and User Interface Technologies practices, with a focus on intelligent interfaces and collaboration tools, as well as key application markets for AI. Beccue, who is based in Tampa, is a veteran market research analyst with more than 20 years of experience in market and business strategy.

Prior to joining Tractica, Beccue was an independent consultant and industry analyst who provided clients with custom and syndicated qualitative market analysis and insights, with a primary emphasis on mobile consumer trends.  Previously, he was a senior market intelligence analyst at Syniverse with responsibility for identifying key market trends, market barriers, and market opportunities for the company within the evolving mobile ecosystem.  Beccue also served as a senior analyst at ABI Research, where he concentrated on mobile consumer trends, mobile applications, and mobile payments.  Beccue was previously vice president at Tucker/Hall, a public relations and marketing consulting firm.

Beccue has been cited hundreds of times by international media outlets including CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and CNET.  He holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism from the University of Florida.

Principal Analyst

Anand Joshi is a principal analyst contributing to Tractica’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Service, with a focus on computer vision and semiconductor technologies that enable AI applications.  Joshi is a technology industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience, including specialization in the embedded devices market.  During the course of his career, he has successfully built startup businesses as well as business units within larger companies.

Prior to his work with Tractica, Joshi was vice president and general manager of a business unit at Calsoft Labs, which was Adobe’s scaling partner and specialized in Adobe Flash Player.  During his tenure at Calsoft, Joshi started the business unit and grew it to over 100 people worldwide, releasing more than 50 high-profile products.  Earlier, Joshi founded Poseidon Design Systems, a startup focused on hardware acceleration of video via coprocessor.  His team successfully raised two rounds of capital and grew the company to 45 people.  Joshi’s early career spanned various engineering and marketing positions at Synopsys and LSI Logic.  He currently serves as entrepreneur in residence at F50 Ventures, where his areas of expertise include Internet of Things, smart devices, and wearable devices.  In this role, he advises numerous startups on various technology and business issues.

Joshi is an experienced market analyst, having authored reports for BCC Research on the topics of embedded systems technology, mobile and web applications, multimedia technology, flash memory for enterprise applications, and the Internet of Things.  He holds an MBA from the University of California-Irvine, an MS in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a BE from Amravati University.

Principal Analyst

Keith Kirkpatrick is a principal analyst contributing to Tractica’s User Interface Technologies practice, with a focus on emerging interface technologies for automotive, consumer, enterprise, and industrial markets.  Kirkpatrick, who is based in New York, has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of research, marketing, and consulting-based fields.

Kirkpatrick began his career as a financial and technology journalist, and has written for a wide variety of national and trade publications, including Investment Dealers’ Digest, The Red Herring, BusinessWeek, The Communications of the ACM, and Mobile Computing & Communications, among others.  Kirkpatrick has also developed expertise in primary and secondary research, and has authored a wide range of primary market forecast studies covering a range of technology and communications topics.  He has authored reports for ABI Research, Navigant Research, and his own firm, 4K Research & Consulting, LLC.

Kirkpatrick is a member of the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) and the Alliance of Alternative Asset Professionals (TAAAPs).  He holds a BA in magazine journalism and sociology from Syracuse University.

Principal Analyst

Alan Varghese is a principal analyst contributing to Tractica’s Artificial Intelligence practice, with a focus on AI infrastructure in the cloud and data center. Varghese, who is based in Atlanta, has 25 years of experience in the technology industry, having served as an engineer, industry analyst, and technology consultant.

For the past 12 years, Varghese has been an industry analyst and consultant focused on wireless, Internet of Things, automotive, semiconductors, optical & cable networks, and AI & machine learning. During this period, he has consulted on strategy, product, and technology roadmaps for Qorvo; served as director of business development for Coherent Logix; served as VP of marketing for MIMO-ON; and has been an industry analyst focused on smart buildings and cities for Berg Insight. Previously, he spent 4 years at ABI Research, where he was a research director for the firm’s semiconductors practice. Earlier in his career, Varghese held engineering roles at Cisco, Panasonic, and Ericsson.

Varghese holds a masters in electrical engineering, with a concentration in digital communications and digital signal processing, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has also completed coursework at Georgia Institute of Technology in management training, leadership, organization structure, strategy, innovation, economics, accounting, patents, and licensing.

Senior Analyst

Glenn Sanders is a senior analyst contributing to Tractica’s Robotics and User Interface Technologies practices including a focus on drones, virtual and augmented reality, human machine interaction, robotics, and autonomous vehicles. Sanders, who is based in the Sacramento area, has more than 25 years of experience as a senior technologist and technology writer.

Prior to his work with Tractica, Sanders was a senior analyst at Greenlight Insights, where he led the writing of industry reports about virtual reality and augmented reality software, hardware, and platforms. Previously, as a senior analyst for Intellectual Ventures, and for Ocean Tomo, Sanders led the writing of market analysis and valuation reports for $20M+ investment funds on a wide range of topics, including semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries and power systems, inventory management systems, near field communications, radio frequency ID, and web-based OS software and devices. Sanders led the development of 3D games for Avatar Reality in Honolulu and for Humanity Online in Seattle, VR work in Hollywood for Mac Sennett Studios, VR experiences for Joon Life in San Francisco, technical writing for Fujitsu in Tokyo, 3D printing work for ARPA, artificially intelligent 3D avatars for Humanity Online, as well as 3D and VR games and mobile apps through his company, MiaMedia Studios.

Sanders holds a bachelor of business administration from the University of Oklahoma and a master of education degree from Oklahoma City University.

Research Analyst

Sherril Hanson is a research analyst at Tractica, contributing to the firm’s coverage of artificial intelligence, robotics, and user interface technologies, with a primary focus on analyzing the industry ecosystem and profiling the strategies of key industry players.  Hanson has over 20 years of experience in market research, analysis, and competitive intelligence.  She is based at Tractica’s headquarters office in Boulder, Colorado.

Prior to joining Tractica, Hanson was a market research manager and consultant at West Safety Services and its predecessor company Intrado.  In this role, she focused on competitor tracking and profiling, assessing the impact of industry news and developments, and managing primary research projects.  Previously, Hanson was a product manager at US West (now CenturyLink), manager of research and information services at the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, and research analyst at World Information Technologies.

Hanson holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Rutgers University and an MBA in marketing from the University of Colorado.

Contributing Analyst

Simon Sherrington has over 15 years’ experience in consultancy, market and company analysis, forecasting, data collection, benchmarking, event moderation, and primary research, including interviewing and survey design and interpretation. He has a deep knowledge of fast-moving areas of commerce and industry, in particular the information and communications technology sector and has undertaken over 50 customised research and consultancy projects for clients including blue-chip companies from the telecoms service provision and manufacturing markets, government departments and regulators. Simon, a law graduate, is also an experienced presenter, event moderator and workshop facilitator. He set up the custom research business of Analysys Research, an internationally respected strategy consultancy and analyst house specialising in telecoms and new media, and has also written over 30 reports analysing various aspects of the telecoms, IT and media industry.