Renee Smith

Executive Vice President, Innovation

Toluna

Renee leads the global innovation team for the Toluna Group. She has 30+ years of experience conducting research into why people do what they do. Previously, Renee worked on inventing and reinventing research solutions to meet client needs as chief research officer at GutCheck and at Kantar. She has an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Michigan State University and a B.A. in journalism from Central Michigan University. In her spare time, Renee enjoys investigating her family genealogy and has recently created synthetic personas for two of her ancestors to better understand their historical context.

Sessions

Apr 29

4:20 PM - 4:40 PM EDT

Blue Stage

Peju Milne

Quantitative Research

Synthetic Data

Panel

Synthetic Personas at Scale: Supercharging Innovation

Synthetic personas are disrupting the insights industry and accelerating decision making.  Toluna, Haleon, and Takasago will reveal how AI-generated quant respondents rapidly screen claims, pressure-test innovation, and fuel faster decisions. Hear candid stories, surprising wins, and the new rules for high confidence research powered by a robust combination of artificial and human intelligence. Key Takeaways: 1. How synthetic personas supercharge rapid claims screening at scale. 2. Why strong validation builds confidence across insights teams. 3. Where AI speed meets human judgment for smarter decisions.

Also speaking

Jelena Le Breton

Global Vice President, Consumer Insights, Takasago

Panelist

Litthya Báez

US Portfolio Insights Lead – Innovation Strategy, Haleon

Panelist

Michele McDonald

EVP, Commercial Group Lead North America, Toluna

Moderator