Michelle Baumann is currently the Chief Strategy Officer at VMLY&R COMMERCE. In her role, Michelle has supported the transformation of the business with the creation of a next gen Strategy team, uniting the agency's Brand Experience and Marketing Sciences teams under a single capability to create a collaborative, holistic “insights” team.  Her distinct hybrid role brings research and data-driven rigor across category, brand, shopper and retail insights, to optimize our strategic process and media activation delivery across touch points for clients.  Prior to her 5 years at VMLY&R COMMERCE, Michelle worked at IRI focusing on Principal, Strategic Analytics for Conagra Brands. She also served as Kantar Retail’s Vice President of Consulting supporting diverse businesses including KCC, Whitewave, Conagra, McCormick, Smithfield Foods, Kraft, and more. In her free time, Michelle serves on the Partner’s Board for Urban Initiatives in Chicago, and partners with her husband’s board for Sharp Literacy in Milwaukee. Michelle holds a BA in English and Economics from Middlebury College.