Ruth Berghammer
Managing Director

Ruth Berghammer is a co-founder and principal of PLAID. Ruth has extensive expertise in branding and positioning, general marketing and strategy consulting, process facilitation, and organizational development. She has consulted to many Fortune 500 companies and is a Marketing Research professor for advertising majors at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

Ruth began her career as a corporate lawyer at the legal department of Metro Holding AG. The Metro group is Europe's biggest wholesaler as well as a large retailer with holdings in the insurance, travel, and financial industries.

A native of Germany, Ruth is fluent in English, French and German. She holds a German law degree and is specialized in international private and corporate law. In addition, Ruth is a certified organizational psychologist and is licensed in various employee and management assessment programs. She is also a member of German American Chamber of Commerce.

Brian Rafferty
Managing Director

Brian Rafferty is a co-founder and principal of PLAID. Brian has designed and conducted communications strategy and positioning projects for Fortune 500 as well as emerging growth companies. He has experience within a wide range of industries, including financial services, professional services, high technology, retail, healthcare and biotechnology.

Through his previous positions as a research and planning manager for Veritas, the planning arm of Ferrell Calvillo, a New York advertising agency and as a senior executive with Summus, a research and consulting firm, Brian has developed a strong skill base in positioning, branding and both quantitative and qualitative research. An experienced researcher and interviewer using bias-free psychological profiling methodologies, he has explored and analyzed the needs and demand profiles of diverse audiences, from supermarket shoppers to Fortune 500 CFOs and CEOs.

Fluent in French and English, Brian has a Math and Physics Baccalaureat from the Lycee Pasteur in France and is a graduate of Princeton University.

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