Debra S. Semans

Senior Vice President

Debra S. Semans, a veteran marketing researcher and nationally recognized expert on brand positioning and strategy, is Polaris’ senior vice president. She has overall responsibility for Polaris’ client relationships and project satisfaction. Semans also has responsibility for Polaris’ marketing efforts, as well as building strategic alliances for project support services.

Prior to joining Polaris, Semans worked as an independent marketing consultant for five years. Previous to that, she was vice president of The Brand Consultancy in Norcross, Ga., Vice President for Market Development/Expense Management for Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Minneapolis, MN., and the Vice President for Strategic and New Business Development and Vice President for New Market Development and Research at Holiday Inn Worldwide (now Intercontinental Hotels Group) in Atlanta. She also worked several years at BellSouth Corp. in Atlanta, ending as Director of Marketing Research and Planning at IntelliVentures with BellSouth Enterprises.

Semans is a former member of the International Board of Directors for the American Marketing Association, former member of the AMA Services Marketing Council, former Atlanta AMA Chapter Officer and Board Member and former Washington, D.C., AMA Chapter Officer. She is former President of the Board of Directors Network, a former member of the Marketing Advisory Council for the U.S. Census Bureau and former board member for the Georgia Executive Women’s Network.

Semans is an instructor in marketing management, internal branding and non-profit marketing for the American Marketing Association and has been a featured speaker at the Georgia Center for Non Profits, CityCares Leadership Conference, the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Conference, International Association of Business Communicators’ conferences in Dallas and Atlanta conferences and various conferences for the International Quality and Productivity Center. She has published articles in Financial Services Marketing, Marketing Management, Marketing News and on www.marketingpower.com. Semans holds a master’s of business administration from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree from State University of New York in Oswego, N.Y.

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