Haslam College of Business - 2026 Marketing and Sales Innovation Conference and Awards

Danielle Franklin DeSarzant

Global Principal Product Marketing Manager, Mailchimp

Danielle Franklin DeSarzant (HCB, ’07) is responsible for leading go-to-market strategy and Intuit Platform customer acquisition for Mailchimp and QuickBooks apps. With over 18 years of experience in marketing, sales, advertising and technology, Franklin DeSarzant has worked for WarnerMedia, Comcast NBCUniversal and Cox Communications prior to Intuit. She specializes in repositioning product portfolios, developing strategic partnerships, driving campaign strategies and launching integrations globally.

Michael Ahearne

Professor and C.T. Bauer Chair in Marketing, University of Houston

Michael Ahearne is a professor of marketing and the C.T. Bauer Chair in Marketing at the University of Houston. He also serves as the research director of the Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute. Ahearne’s research focuses on improving the performance of salespeople and sales organizations. His book “Selling Today: Partnering to Create Customer Value” is the highest grossing professional selling textbook in the world. The American Marketing Association has recognized Ahearne as one of the most research-productive scholars in the field of marketing and he has consulted with over 200 companies.

Jeff Sundheim

AI Business Strategist, Google

Jeff Sundheim is a a 17+ year veteran of Google with a deep background in sales and data-driven marketing. He frequently speaks on topics from Al for the greater good to personalization at scale. As a speaker at executive summits for Google, as well as industry events and universities worldwide, he focuses on how Al can help marketers tackle some of their biggest challenges. Prior to Google, Sundheim worked at Apple, as well as on the agency and media sides of the business, serving as publisher of VARBusiness, one of the largest trade magazines for the computer reseller channel.

Brand Journey Award

This award recognizes a company’s or organization’s ongoing excellence in brand building, showcasing adaptability through a recent rebrand or positively impacting consumer perception through meaningful connections with its target audience(s). Submission examples could include effective storytelling, consumer-centric brand initiatives or adaptability to consumer preferences.

Digital Marketing Innovation Award

This award celebrates organizations that have leveraged new, novel or adaptive technologies to increase their effectiveness in the digital marketing realm. Submissions could include user experience enhancements, social media innovations or creative content strategies, as examples.

Sales Achievement Award

This award acknowledges a company’s or organization’s outstanding performance and contributions to the field of sales. Submissions can include an overview of innovative sales strategies and their impact, market and revenue expansion goals, or leadership/mentorship programs that have aided the organization in achieving — or surpassing — recent revenue goals.

Better Marketing for a Better World Award

This award celebrates a company or organization that is consistently working to affect positive change by highlighting and leveraging marketing practices that prioritize the planet and the well-being of people. Submission examples for this category include advocacy and awareness, community engagement through philanthropic partnerships or demonstration of ethical marketing and sales practices.