MARFIN THE MARKETING MANAGER

Suzanne B. Irving, founder of Marfin International LLC, brings decades of international brand management experience to the age of AI. With MARFIN, she created a unique platform that stores and analyzes data in its marketing context—giving both human strategists and AI systems the structured foundation they need to develop successful marketing strategies and coherent marketing plans.

Her career spans more than thirty years with major multinationals including Royal Philips N.V. (in the Netherlands and France), Clairol, Citicorp, and Plaza Bank. At Philips she was part of the team that launched the Philips Ladyshave—the first electric shaver for women and one of the earliest internationally harmonized product introductions—which became a case study in international marketing. That experience reinforced a core insight: products succeed only when the elements of the marketing mix are developed in harmony, working together toward the same goal.

While designing an analytical and planning system for Citicorp, she recognized the need for software that guides planners step by step through the strategy development process while remaining a practical everyday management tool. The result was MARFIN The Marketing Manager, together with a comprehensive handbook.

Throughout her career she sought a way to move market research data off the bookshelf and into live, actionable use. She designed two innovations—SmartDatabase and SmartCharts—that make information available in its marketing context at a click and enable users to analyze it and build data-driven strategies. Today those same concepts supply exactly what modern AI requires: contextual, continuously updated data and a logical guiding path from analysis through strategy development to a comprehensive marketing plan.

In today's hyper-competitive markets, AI systems need structured, meaningful data—not isolated numbers—to make proper assumptions, draw the right conclusions and deliver actionable insights. SmartDatabase embeds every data point in the marketing mix (including the critical fifth P: financial performance) and works hand in glove with MARFIN's SmartCharts. The more than 250 preprogrammed analytical views give the planner a clear path from data to strategy.

Mrs. Irving has taught Business Analysis and Planning at the Budapest University of Economic Science. The first version of her book appeared in Hungary under the title A Practical Guide to Marketing Planning. She holds MBA degrees from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and New York University Stern School of Business.

Andrew Burke, the technical lead and CTO of Marfin International LLC, brings a wide experience in technology and software development from over three decades of professional work in the field.

Over the years Andrew has brought his expertise to dozens of projects with major government agencies, large enterprises, corporate consulting firms, venture-backed startups, and even performing arts groups.

Andrew is also an award-winning keynote speaker and educator, specializing in bridging technology and the humanities and liberal arts.

Andrew has a BA from Oberlin College, an MA from the University of Toronto, and currently lives in Halifax Nova Scotia.