Decisions 2026 | Boston, MA
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Mastering the Human + Tech Equation
Venue
Arnold Worldwide / Havas
5 Necco Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02210
FREE for 4As Members
Non-Members: $100 for the first attendee; $50 for each additional attendee from the same agency
Boston is where innovation is both a mindset and an infrastructure. Here, higher ed, healthcare, startups and advanced tech create an ecosystem built for solving complex problems with precision and creativity. Agencies serving this market don’t just adopt emerging tools; they build systems that translate deep innovation into meaningful marketing outcomes. Research grounds decisions, data is interpreted through a human lens and startup speed combined with academic rigor shapes agility. From AI-driven healthcare marketing to tech-enabled retail media and emotionally intelligent storytelling, Boston’s leaders are redefining clarity and impact in a noisy, high-stakes environment.
At the upcoming edition of Decisions 2026, we’re exploring the theme “Next Agency. Now.” with a focus on how Boston’s unique blend of disciplined experimentation and creative intelligence positions agencies to master the human + tech equation.
Join us on March 25 in Boston to examine how the city’s innovation mindset shapes the next era of the modern agency.
Time
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Registration and Check-In
9:45 AM
Opening Remarks
Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO, 4As
George Sargent, CEO, Arnold
10:00 AM
Opening Keynote: The Next Agency Playbook: Architecting for a Composable, AI-Native Future
The martech landscape has surged past 15,000 solutions, fueled by an AI-driven "Cambrian explosion." For agencies and advertisers, the challenge has shifted from simply adopting tools to architecting ecosystems that can handle the sheer velocity of change. Drawing on the latest 2025 State of Martech research, this session explores how to move beyond rigid, monolithic stacks toward composable architectures. We’ll break down the rise of "homegrown" AI solutions, the shift from structured data to unstructured intelligence and how agencies are transitioning from software integrators to builders of Service-as-a-Software.
Speaker:
- Scott Brinker, Analyst & Advisor, chiefmartec
10:25 AM
Building the Innovation Engine
How can agencies design cultures and systems that drive continuous innovation? In a world where technology, creativity and client expectations evolve faster than ever, the most successful agencies are those that treat innovation not as a discipline — but as a habit.
This session unpacks practical frameworks for building experimentation into your DNA: from rapid prototyping and test-and-learn models to creating the conditions where bold ideas can scale. Discover how leading agencies are blending agile methods, data-driven insights and collaborative cultures to unlock new value for clients and teams alike.You’ll leave with a clear roadmap for embedding innovation into every brief, process and partnership — and the tools to turn curiosity into a sustainable competitive advantage.
Speakers:
- Dan Gandor, EVP, Chief Omnichannel and Digital Transformation Officer, EVERSANA INTOUCH
- Joel Lunenfeld, Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Media Exchange
- Ashwini Karandikar, EVP, Media, Tech & Data, 4As (Moderator)
10:50 AM
How to Build a Scalable Automation Engine for Modern Agencies
High execution costs and fragmented workflows limit growth potential and expose agencies to risk. To overcome these challenges, a leading agency exchanged its manual staffing models for an end-to-end automated system that executes media operations according to human-led specs.
By connecting every part of their process (across all major digital channels), the agency can deliver better results with half the staff. Join us to see how they made the shift from manual execution to automated orchestration, improving their profit margins without increasing headcount.
Speakers:
- Heather Chevalley, VP, Growth, Fluency
- Molly Simons, VP, Precision Activation, MERGE
11:10 AM
When Acquisitions or Divestitures Make Sense: A Pragmatic Framework
Strategic growth is as much about knowing when to "let go" as it is about knowing when to "lean in." For many leaders, the challenge isn’t finding opportunities—it’s distinguishing between a transformative acquisition and a costly distraction.
In this session, the expert panelists go beyond the balance sheet to provide a rigorous, pragmatic framework for evaluating M&A and divestiture strategies. They will explore how to identify the specific capability gaps that justify a deal and establish a milestone-based due diligence process designed to catch "pause-worthy" risks before they become sunk costs.
Speaker:
- Adam Cotumaccio, COO, 4As
11:35 AM
Sponsored presentation by Zefr
Speakers:
- Sebastian Velez, VP, Research & Insights, Zefr
- Kara Manatt, EVP Intelligence Solutions, Omnicom Media
11:55 AM
The Right to Win: Redefining Innovation on Your Terms
In a crowded marketplace, trying to be everything to everyone is a losing game. Join this session to learn how smart agencies are finding growth by honing in on where they’re strongest—then using that foundation to innovate with purpose, not panic.
Speakers:
- Eric Bertrand, CEO, Mod Op
- Dean Broadhead, CEO, broadhead.
- Beth Johnson, Founder & CEO, RP3 Agency
- Mollie Rosen, President, Member Experience, 4As (Moderator)
12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
Lunch
1:25 PM
Built to Evolve: How D&G and Kia America Keep Moving Forward in an Innovation Era
Innovation is rewriting the rules of how brands are built, but the most powerful stories still begin and end with human truth. This session will explore how a 26-year partnership between D&G and Kia America continues to evolve by fusing timeless storytelling with modern technology.
The speakers will share how human intuition supported by intelligent systems has enabled smarter decision-making, faster iteration and more nimble production models that maximize creative impact and production potential by utilizing AI. Through examples of groundbreaking campaign work, attendees will learn how innovation is not replacing storytelling but amplifying it, helping brands move with speed and relevance while staying deeply human.
This session offers a blueprint for agencies and marketers navigating rapid technological change.
As AI reshapes the creative landscape, one truth remains constant: emotion drives connection.
Speakers:
- David Angelo, Founder & Creative Chairman, David & Goliath
- Brendan Robertson, Chief Strategy Officer, David & Goliath
- Megan Gillam, Director of Marketing Operations and Strategy, KIA America
1:50 PM
Amplify, Don't Replace: The Role of GenAI in Foundational Measurement
Cross-screen measurement is no longer an emerging capability—it is a foundational requirement. As audiences move fluidly across linear, CTV and mobile, single-channel metrics are no longer sufficient for accountability. This session explores how Generative AI is transforming measurement by solving the challenges of granularity and scale that often lead to human error.
The panel examines how GenAI amplifies the measurement lifecycle—from data integrity to insight delivery—while emphasizing the critical need for governance. Attendees will learn how to bridge the "insight-to-action" gap and establish the necessary guardrails to ensure AI accelerates accurate, unbiased results in a cross-platform world.
Speaker:
- Rajeev Ranjan , SVP, Product Management, Nielsen
2:10 PM
Reinventing the Agency Martech Stack
Agencies are racing to modernize their martech stacks and harness the power of AI—but which tools are truly worth it? In this forward-looking session, explore how leading agencies are rethinking their tech strategies: what to build, what to buy, and what to cut loose.
Speakers:
- Costa Budavas, Creative Technology Group Creative Director, Partners and Napier
- Paul Deraval, CEO & Co-founder, NinjaCat
- Erin Lanuti, Principal, Vecrin
- Kevin Freemore, Innovative Technology, Program Management & Innovation, 4As (Moderator)
2:35 PM
Context Is King: How To Win in the Age of AI
AI has evolved beyond experimental. Large language models (LLMs) are already performing meaningful work across many agency tasks and the technology is advancing rapidly. However, AI alone will not give you a competitive edge. The real differentiator is the “context” you feed it.
In this session, we’ll unpack how LLMs actually work (in plain English) and how to gain a sustainable competitive advantage using the same tools as everyone else. You’ll learn why AI strategy is really data and workflow strategy, how to turn your spreadsheets and data into usable context and how to embed AI into your daily workflows.
Speakers:
- Joseph Pych, Founder & CEO, Bionic Advertising Systems
- Ashwini Karandikar, EVP, Media, Tech, Data, 4As (Moderator)
2:55 PM
Break
3:15 PM
Talent 3.0: Building the Modern Agency Workforce
The agency workforce is at an inflection point. The traditional agency model is evolving into a more adaptive, technology-enabled and human-centered enterprise with talent as the competitive edge. Culture fit is no longer enough. Leaders must now design cultures where human judgment and machine intelligence operate in concert.
This session examines how leading agencies are recalibrating roles around AI as a collaborator, recognizing neurodiversity as a driver of creative and strategic range and moving beyond rigid return-to-office policies toward a model of purposeful presence.
Explore the practical architecture of a modern workforce: building sustained upskilling systems rather than episodic training, equipping managers to lead through the ambiguity of hybrid environments and aligning talent strategy with long-term business resilience.
You will leave with a clear framework for shaping a workforce that is intentionally diverse, technologically fluent and structurally prepared to deliver enduring creative advantage.
Speakers:
- Sean Cochran, President, MissionOne Media
- Andrew Gaff, CEO, Allen & Gerritsen
- George Sargent, CEO, Arnold
- Sylvia Banderas Coffinet, EVP, People, Talent & Upskilling, 4As (Moderator)
3:40 PM
Closing Keynote: The Growth Frontier: Scaling United Airlines’ Brand Advertising with Purpose
The world’s biggest airline is designed around its customers. That means flight times that work around their schedules, destinations near and far, and airline employees who go above and beyond. Since emerging from the pandemic, United has positioned the brand as a force for good through its Good Leads The Way creative platform. Learn how United works with its agency partners to innovate in advertising, connecting the airline’s operations with data-driven creativity and purpose-led storytelling. This inspiring closing keynote looks at how agencies lead not just in growth, but in impact.
Speaker:
- Julia Fedor, Head of Operations, Brand Marketing, United Airlines
4:05 PM
Closing Remarks
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Networking Reception
