Glenn R. Kessler, Co-Founder and Managing Partner

At HCD Research, Glenn Kessler ushered in the Internet as a medical marketing research tool, and was instrumental in implementing web-based advertising research applications to measure the effectiveness of print and broadcast advertisements. In addition, he has assisted large and mid-sized companies in developing strategies for merging product lines and sales organizations.

He was interviewed by national and regional broadcast programs, and quoted in leading national newspapers as an expert on political advertising testing during the 2004 Presidential election. He has also co-authored several articles on Internet marketing applications, and has presented at national medical meetings and conferences.

Prior to founding HCD Research, Kessler held sales and marketing positions with Roche Diagnostic Systems and Ortho Diagnostics Systems, a Johnson & Johnson company. He served as director of national accounts and was a member of the Roche Diagnostic Operating Committee. Kessler was also a business unit manager for Immunoassay Products and marketing manager for computer data management systems.

In addition to his experience in the diagnostics industry, he was a market research analyst for Time Life Incorporated. Kessler also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore, where he instructed undergraduates in consumer behavior as part of the college’s marketing program.

Kessler earned a BS degree from American University and an MBA from the University of Maryland.


James P. Rowell, Co-Founder and Managing Partner

James Rowell serves as managing partner and co-founder of HCD Research. Prior to founding HCD Research, Rowell was president of Somerset Consulting Group, which specialized in sales and marketing consulting, specifically in the area of market research and new business development. These services were integrated into Health Care Direct in 1993. He has also co-authored various articles on Internet marketing applications.

Previously, Rowell was with Ortho Diagnostic Systems, a Johnson & Johnson company, for more than 16 years, where he held sales and marketing positions of escalating scope and responsibility. As group product director, he was responsible for general management of all sales and marketing functions.

Rowell earned a BA from Olivet College, and served in the U.S. Army, earning the rank of First Lieutenant.

Chan Choi, Ph.D., Consulting Director, Marketing Research Services

Chan Choi, Ph.D., is responsible for directing HCD’s traditional and Internet-based market research services, including project planning and implementation, survey data analysis and reporting, and designing on-line research applications.

Dr. Choi is chairman of marketing at the Rutgers Business School, where he has received numerous awards and grants, including the General Electric Teaching Fellowship Award for his work in developing web-based communication and instruction.

He earned MA and Ph.D. degrees in decision sciences and marketing from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he studied under Dr. Wayne S. DeSarbo, a pioneer in conjoint modeling and analysis. He earned an MBA in management science from Michigan State University, and BA and BS degrees in management and pharmaceutics from Seoul National University in Korea.

Dr. Choi has authored and co-authored numerous articles and research papers for leading domestic and international management publications. He has also co-authored several books, and has presented at national and international management conferences.

Arthur J. Kover, Ph.D., Consulting Director, Advertising Research Services

Arthur Kover, Ph.D., is responsible for guiding HCD’s advertising research services, and is focusing on designing optimal methods to adapt advertising research to the Internet.

Dr. Kover is the former editor of The Journal of Advertising Research, and is a Management Fellow at the Yale University School of Management.

During the 90’s, he was the Chairman of the Marketing Department at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Kover spent 20 years working on research and strategic initiatives at some of the world’s largest advertising agencies, including Kenyon & Eckhardt (now Bozell), Cunningham & Walsh and J. Walter Thompson.

He earned a BA in sociology from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in sociology from Yale University. He is past president of the Market Research Council and the Advertising Agency Research Directors Council. He has written numerous articles and has presented research at many major conferences.

Craig Alter, M.D., Consulting Medical Director

Craig Alter, M.D., serves as consulting medical director for HCD Research.
Dr. Alter is responsible for assessing strategic requirements and interpreting medical issues for marketing research projects and medical conferences. He also acts as a moderator for on-line consensus groups and assists in the design of medical research questionnaires.

Dr. Alter is a specialist in Pediatric Endocrinology Division of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Previously, he served as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

During his tenure, Dr. Alter has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including Fellow Teacher of the Year Award, Faculty Teaching Award and National Faculty Development Scholars Program.

Dr. Alter earned a BA, Summa Cum Laude, in mathematics and chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.D. with honors from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health and Science Program. He served his residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, which is ranked among the nation’s leading children’s hospitals.

Dr. Alter is a renowned lecturer, having presented at national and international medical conferences on pediatric endocrinology and diabetes. He has also authored and co-authored numerous articles and research papers for prominent U.S. and international peer-reviewed medical journals.


Robert Feldman, VP of Marketing Research Services

As director of account services, Robert Feldman is responsible for expanding business opportunities within existing accounts, developing new business and forming strategic alliances with other business partners. During his 30-year career, Feldman has specialized in domestic and global marketing and marketing research, including more than 10 years in the international pharmaceutical industry in new product development, Rx to OTC conversions and strategic planning.

Prior to joining HCD Research, Feldman was vice president of business development and client services for Macro International, a wholly-owned division of Opinion Research Corporation. He also served as director, business development, for the international division of BASES.

Previously, Feldman held positions at Schering-Plough, serving on the global launch team for the Claritin RX to OTC conversion. He also developed the international market research function at Allergan Pharmaceuticals, managing the ethical ophthalmic and contact lens care products marketing research programs. Feldman earned a BBA in statistics and an MBA from Bernard Baruch College.

Richard Johnston, Vice President, Marketing Research Services

Richard Johnston is a sales and marketing professional with more than two decades of experience in sales, operations, marketing, marketing research and new business development within the health care industry.

Prior to joining HCD Research, Mr. Johnston served as a vice president of sales and marketing with AC Nielsen HCI. Previously he served as a vice president account supervisor with Integrated Healthcare Communications.

Mr. Johnston began his career in the medical device industry with Johnson & Johnson, where he held positions of increasing scope and responsibility in the areas of engineering, operations and sales and marketing. During his career with Johnson & Johnson, he served as director of international sales and director of international marketing.

Mr. Johnston earned a BS in industrial engineering from Rutgers University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is a member of the IIE and the Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Group (PMRG).

Richard Berke, VP of Operations and Legal Affairs Advisor

Richard Berke directs operations, including IT services and marketing research programs. He is also responsible for providing guidance on legal matters that include contract, privacy, intellectual property, security and other technology related issues.

Prior to joining the company, Berke held various legal and academic positions, including serving as an attorney in a private law practice and as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Philadelphia.

Berke earned a BA from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a JD from Boston College. He is licensed to practice law before the courts of the Commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. He has also earned various technology related certifications including CNA 3 and CNA 4.

Young Ju Yoon, Director of Analytics

As a research manager for HCD Research, Young Ju Yoon’s responsibilities include reviewing and analyzing research data, and preparing comprehensive client reports.

Prior to joining HCD Research, she served as a marketing research consultant for Dongseo Research, where she served as an analyst on projects ranging from concept and product testing, advertising research, branding studies to customer and employee satisfaction studies. Previously, Yoon worked as a freelance translator, during which time she translated research studies from Korean to English for various firms, including AC Nielsen, Hankook Research and Dongseo Research, Inc.

Yoon was a member of the editorial staff of Women and Society, a nationwide journal published by the Korean Women’s Study Institute. In addition, she served as a teaching assistant in the sociology program at Seoul National University and previously, as a research assistant at Korea Cultural Policy Institute.

Yoon earned a BA in journalism and broadcasting from Ewha Woman’s University, an MA in Sociology from Seoul National University and an MBA in marketing and applied statistics from Rutgers University.

Moira Olszak, Vice President of Staff and Administration

Moira Olszak serves as vice president of staff and administration for HCD Research. She is responsible for managing all areas of human resources programs and policies, including hiring, benefits, employee relations and training.

In addition to managing human resources, Ms. Olszak is responsible for directing the strategic planning and implementation of information technology-related initiatives. She also maintains the role of account executive for the company’s database products.

Ms.Olszak joined HCD Research in 1993, as an account executive and was one of its first employees. Initially, Ms. Olszak was the primary customer contact for all inquiries relating to data sales and project management.

She earned BA degrees in psychology and business management from Georgian Court State College.

George (Tripp) Carey, Marketing Research Consultant

Tripp Carey has nearly two decades of experience as a counseling psychologist and focus group moderator. During that time, Mr. Carey has conducted in-depth interviews and moderated focus groups for clients in the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industry. Mr. Carey has also designed and developed discussion guides and written numerous reports.

In addition to his association with HCD Research, Mr. Carey is the founder of White Oak Counseling Center. In private practice since 1990, he continues to provide individual, couples, and family counseling in the eastern Pennsylvania area. He has served as a staff psychologist for Lenape Valley Foundation, where he was the Director of Biofeedback and Stress Management and also managed a satellite office.

Mr. Carey earned an MS in community counseling from Villanova University and is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania. He also earned a BS in engineering from the University of Oklahoma. Carey has completed RIVA training for qualitative researchers and is an active member of QRCA.

Mr. Carey has also served as an adjunct faculty member of psychology at Delaware Valley College, and continues to conduct workshops for companies, schools, churches and community organizations.

Paul Brala, Ph.D., Consulting Director, Qualitative Research

Paul Brala, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist, with more than 15 years of experience in survey design, measurement and analysis. As a consulting director for HCD Research, Dr. Brala is focusing on issues related to the optimal therapeutic management of patients on psychotropic medication.

In addition to his association with HCD Research, Dr. Brala heads a private practice and consults on business related issues. Previously, he was a staff psychologist for the Children’s Psychiatric Center in Morganville, NJ, and Clinical Director of Behavioral Health Services at the Colorado River Indian Reservation. Dr. Brala also served as a field supervisor in the Graduate School for Applied Professional Psychology at Rutgers University.

After serving four years as a U.S. Navy Medical Corpsman, Dr. Brala received a BS with a double major in biology and psychology from Florida State University. He also earned an MS and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Florida State University, during which he completed an extensive minor in neuropharmacology at the Florida A&M School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Brala has authored and co-authored scientific articles, abstracts and posters, and has presented at international clinical conferences.

Maureen Wesolowski, Marketing Research Consultant

Maureen Wesolowski provides marketing research services primarily for clients in the health care industry. She has been involved in a wide variety of both qualitative and quantitative research studies for HCD Research, including numerous focus groups.

Prior to her association with HCD Research, she served as the marketing research and planning department manager at Roche Diagnostic Systems, Inc. for eight years. There she conducted both qualitative and quantitative studies including focus groups for new product development projects, concept testing, testing of instrument prototypes and completed instruments, customer satisfaction and corporate image studies. She received formal training in conducting focus groups at the Burke Institute.

Prior to her tenure at Roche, Wesolowski was associate product manager at Electro-Nucleonics, Inc. and a registered medical technologist (ASCP) at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

She earned a BS in medical technology from Rutgers University and an MBA in marketing/management from Rutgers Graduate School of Management.

Marcella Inserra, Director, Consumer Communications Research

As director of consumer communications research, Marcella Inserra assists in identifying new business opportunities within the pharmaceutical industry and other industries. Her main responsibilities include business development, developing new products within the consumer research arena and managing qualitative and quantitative research projects.

Prior to assuming her current responsibilities at HCD Research, Ms. Inserra was responsible for recruiting participants, fielding surveys, coordinating projects and developing budgets and project timelines. Ms. Inserra also plays an integral role in developing and enhancing the processes within the company’s project management department.

She has participated in various marketing research conferences and training programs including CASRO’s (Council of American Survey Research) Advanced Project Directors Training Workshop and Sales Workshop.

Ms. Inserra earned a BA in mathematics from The College of New Jersey.

Peter Smith, Vice President, Communications Research

As vice president of communications research, Peter Smith focuses on new technology, and business intelligence and prepares comprehensive reports and presentations.

Mr. Smith has more than 15 years of experience in consumer research and survey design. He has conducted qualitative and quantitative research across many industries, including pharmaceuticals, managed care, financial services, travel, public utilities and consumer electronics.

He has an in-depth knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research techniques, and the statistical analysis of complex data. Mr. Smith has served as an instructor, teaching basic and advanced statistics courses, and is also an experienced focus group moderator.

Prior to joining HCD Research, Mr. Smith held senior research positions at PharmaStrat, Psyma International and Market Measures/Cozint.

He earned a BS in psychology and philosophy from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and an MS in industrial-organizational psychology from San Diego State University. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from Alliant University in San Diego, California.

Eric Yurowski, Director of Business Development

Eric Yurowski is responsible for developing new business for HCD Research within the pharmaceutical industry, as well as other industries. His main responsibilities include presenting the company’s capabilities to potential clients, maintaining and expanding a customer database and implementing targeted direct mail campaigns.

Prior to joining HCD Research, Yurowski served as an independent sales contractor for IHR Research Group, where he was responsible for marketing and selling the firm’s consumer and physician research studies to biotech, diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies. Previously, he served in a similar capacity with Bioplan Associates, Inc. Yurowski also worked as an account executive with Centrac, Inc. As an account executive, he conducted primary and secondary, qualitative and quantitative research for many large pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotech clients.

As a production supervisor with Ford Motor Company, Yurowski directed and managed various assembly lines, including monitoring production, safety and financial figures, and enforcing I.S.O. 9001 compliance guidelines. Yurowski also served a four-year tour of duty in the U.S. Army attaining the rank of Airborne Information Specialist.

Yurowski earned a BS in business administration from Bloomsburg University and an MBA from Seton Hall University.