SAMANTHA FOSTER BERGERON

PRINCIPAL

Samantha has spent the last 15 years developing innovative methods to uncover consumer insights and inform brand strategy and product development. She has strong insight into leading consumer motivations across segments and lifestages. She is skilled at applying this insight to help clients maintain relevance in fast-changing industries including cosmetics and alcoholic beverages however the bulk of her experience lies in the retail apparel category.

Samantha has honed her expertise over the past several years working with clients including Levi Strauss & Co., Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Diageo, Sephora and Design Within Reach.

Before starting Uncover, Samantha was employed as a Strategic Director at Cheskin where she worked closely with clients in the retail apparel industry. Prior to joining Cheskin, Samantha was the Senior Strategist at Outlaw Consulting, Inc. where she developed and managed several proprietary panels of fashion-forward consumers.

Samantha graduated with a marketing degree from the University of San Francisco and spent a year teaching English in South Korea. Previously, Samantha worked as a marketing specialist for software startups.

MAUD BRILLET

SENIOR RESEARCHER AND STRATEGIST

Maud is an accomplished brand strategist with experience across a wide breadth of industries and clients. A passionate observer of consumer behavior, near and far, she has an uncanny ability to get inside people’s heads, and genuinely wants to know what they think and how they feel.

She wholeheartedly takes on her clients’ challenges and is able to guide them in the right strategic direction with insights gleaned from consumer observations and conversations. Maud has considerable experience moderating (in English or French) using traditional and non-traditional interviewing methodologies.

Before joining Uncover, Maud was a Senior Strategist for Greenberg Brand Strategy, where she successfully managed multi-market projects, in addition to domestic ones. Her clients’ strategic challenges included brand audit, target audience illumination, persona development, concept/positioning/new product/packaging development, and advertising and communications strategy. She worked with brands such as: Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Visa, eBay, Yahoo!, Del Monte, Seattle’s Best Coffee, GAP, and PG&E.

Prior to that, Maud worked at Tattoo Strategy, where she managed a team of consumerists and developed strategies for clients such as AT&T, Gillette, Chanel, ClifBar, GAP, GQ, Domino, Bon Appétit, Cirque du Soleil and numerous Discovery Networks brands.

Rachel Dietzler de Padrón

PROJECT MANAGER

Rachel Dietzler de Padrón has just shy of twenty years of qualitative and quantitative field and research management experience; including extensive experience managing online qualitative, ethnographic research, IHUTs, and small market in-person research. She assists with methodology and demographic selection, and handles screener development, recruitment, and vendor management. She has kindled relationships with vendors around the world, and is an excellent troubleshooter and tough project solution finder. Over the years, Rachel has worked with many major CPG, hospital, healthcare, government, insurance, financial services, restaurant, technology, and personal care clients.

Holding a BA in Anthropology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and an MA in Corporate and Multicultural Communications from DePaul University, Rachel has a special interest in research focusing on diverse cultures within the US. She has solid international experience, as well management and recruitment of multicultural research among the Hispanic, African American and Asian populations within the US.

Rachel resides outside of Chicago with her husband, two sons, and her goldendoodle Phoebe. When Rachel isn’t managing projects, she can be found swimming, cooking, reading, or traveling.