Company Leadership

Brett Sciotto

CEO

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a former Army Intelligence Officer, Aimpoint Research CEO Brett Sciotto brings a practical, results-oriented approach to the civilian business world. His training in and emphasis on mission-critical information gathering and targeted research methodology make him unique in his approach to problem-solving in a corporate environment. Sciotto’s disciplined, vetted approach to research is coupled with his military precision in detailed analysis and final presentation to his clients. With nearly two decades of research expertise, Brett has had tremendous success advising corporate leaders, government officials and state and national organizations at all levels.

Scott Caine

President

As President of Aimpoint Research, Scott leads the organization in its mission to empower intelligence-driven organizations and give clients a competitive advantage. He's responsible for successfully achieving organizational goals including superior intelligence and operational excellence.

Scott is a tenured leader with more than 25 years of organizational leadership experience. He has served in organizations ranging from the United States Army, to small boutique data warehousing consulting firms and large enterprises with diverse roles including Marketing, Operation, Business Systems and Sales. Through these experiences he has honed and gained a diverse set of skills including: strategic and sector operations; marketing, marketing research and competitive intelligence; enterprise planning and organizational development; business modeling and strategy; product development and delivery; and strategic business sales.

Mark Purdy

Executive Vice President & COO

In his role as Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Mark is responsible for day-to-day operations, research oversight and accountability toward achieving organizational goals. He guides clients to strategically activate on their research results, assess impacts and develop business strategies. Mark also directs the company’s dynamic wargaming services.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a former Army Colonel, Purdy brings 25 years of results-oriented experience leading organizations of more than 2,000 people. Purdy’s vast experiences range from leading combat units to managing multi-billion-dollar security assistance portfolios that included procurement, managing the supply chain and government regulatory compliance. Purdy previously served as Director of Wargames at the U.S. Army War College providing actionable solutions to top national security dilemmas.

Purdy grew up on a farm in central Ohio, where his family raised sheep, corn, soybeans and hay. Purdy continued to leverage his agricultural background when he studied Environmental Engineering at West Point, and he currently remains connected to the family farm. Purdy holds master’s degrees in Strategic Studies Military Operational Art from the U.S. Army War College and the Air Force University.

Brice Civiello

Senior Vice President & CAO

As Senior Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, Brice Civiello works with a world-class team of researchers, administrators, data visualizers and business development professionals to ensure Aimpoint Research provides unprecedented insight to their clients. He is at the forefront of helping the organization achieve its goals, facilitate strategic partnerships and adopt innovative new systems and technologies. Since 2005, Brice has worked with our diverse corporate, government, organizational and public affairs clients around the nation coordinating research and providing strategic insight and tools to ensure their planning, R&D, marketing and communications efforts are focused, timely and successful.

Gregg Doud

Vice President of Global Situational Awareness & Chief Economist

Gregg brings an unparalleled global perspective and economic expertise to the team. He works closely with members of the Executive Intelligence Network (EIN) and plays a major role in the development of its thought leadership priorities. Prior to joining Aimpoint Research, Gregg served in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as Chief Agricultural Negotiator with the rank of U.S. Ambassador. He was one of the primary architects of the U.S.-China "Phase One" trade agreement.

Gregg has previously served as President of the Commodity Markets Council, the leading trade association for commodity futures exchanges and their industry counterparts, where he worked to lead the industry in addressing global market and risk management issues. As a senior staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Doud helped craft the 2012 Senate Farm Bill working on international trade, food aid, livestock, and oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Doud served as Chief Economist for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for eight years and is a former market analyst for the U.S. Wheat Associates.

Raised on a dry-land wheat, grain sorghum, soybean, swine, and cow-calf operation near Mankato in North-Central Kansas, Doud continues to be involved in his family’s 100-year-old farm and is a partner in a commercial cow-calf operation. He received a B.S. in Agriculture with an emphasis in animal science, as well as a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University. He currently resides with his family on their horse farm in Lothian, Maryland.

Susan Frede

Vice President and Director of Research

In her role as Vice President and Director of Research, Susan Frede leads a team of researchers and consults with clients to develop and execute innovative, actionable research. Susan is a market intelligence veteran with over 30 years of experience. She performs and consults on all phases of the research process including design, execution and delivery. Her analysis experience includes both multivariate statistical and cross-tabulation analysis with the goal of telling a story and delivering actionable insights with solid recommendations. Frede’s experience also extends to global, online and mobile research as well as sampling, data quality and online panels. In addition to her technical expertise, Frede is passionate about educating the next generation of research professionals, and she leads a Consumer Insights class as an adjunct professor at Northern Kentucky University.

Susan received her master’s degree in adult education from the University of Georgia. She completed her undergraduate work at Northern Kentucky University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Marketing with a Minor in Mathematics.

Marcello Sasso

Vice President

As Vice President, Marcello helps the global expansion of Aimpoint Research through new client acquisition, strategic partnerships, new product development and marketing activities. Marcello specializes in both qualitative and quantitative research to include branding, repositioning, new product launch, competitive analysis and trend tracking.Marcello is a passionate Italian specializing in international project coordination and business development.

Marcello holds a B.A. in International Business from the Helsinki Business Polytechnic (Finland) and an MBA from the Strategies Business School (Italy). Marcello started his career in market research in 1999, working for several UK-based global agencies and serving as an in-country consultant from Italy. Two years later he started his own research consultancy business named Cielo Research, focusing on global projects, which he directed for more than 13 years before joining Aimpoint Research in 2014.

Marcello has served for 5 years as country representative for Italy and 2 years, 2017-2018, as council member for ESOMAR (The Global Insights Community), regularly writes articles for industry magazines and also features as conference speaker at market research events.

Sarah Tveidt

Director, Executive Intelligence Network

In her role as Director, Sarah works with Aimpoint Research’s ag industry partners, as well as assists in marketing and communication efforts and thought leadership development. Sarah grew up on a farm near Humboldt, South Dakota, where her family raises soybeans, corn and beef cattle. Sarah is a graduate of South Dakota State University, where she received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with an emphasis in advertising. Before joining Aimpoint Research, Sarah served as the Communications Director for the South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (SDSRPC) and the South Dakota Soybean Association (SDSA) for eight years.

Prior to her time in the soybean industry, Sarah served on staff in the Governor’s Office for former South Dakota Governor, M. Michael Rounds, who is currently a U.S. Senator. She is a proud alumni member of the South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership program, where she volunteers on their Graduate Experience Committee.

Ken Gilliam

Director of Wargaming

In his role as Director of Wargaming, Ken plays a pivotal role in leading the integration of multiple complex market research and competitive intelligence projects for clients and helps meet the increasing demand for Aimpoint Research wargames.

Before joining Aimpoint Research, Ken served as the Director of Strategic Wargaming at the U.S. Army War College and was the founding associate editor of the Wargaming Room, a U.S. Army War College online journal and podcast.

Ken grew up in a farm community in South Georgia surrounded by watermelons, peanuts, cotton, and cattle. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he embarked on a 27-year military career in the U.S. Army. He holds a Master of Science in Operations Research from Georgia Tech, Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and is a credentialed Assistant Professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Army War College.

Jenna Lansing

Agri-Food WatchDesk Director

In her role as Agri-Food Watchdesk Director, Jenna works within Aimpoint's agri-food intelligence division collecting and analyzing intelligence and producing Aimpoint's monthly Ag Watchdesk product. She also leads and executes research efforts for the company's ag industry partners.

Jenna grew up on a cattle feedlot and row crop farm near Dyersville, Iowa. Before joining Aimpoint, Jenna launched a specialty fertilizer division in the wholesale fertilizer space and conducted market research in the animal health industry. Her expertise lies in production agriculture including inputs, retail and distribution, livestock, crops and processing. Jenna graduated from Iowa State University with an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business.

Jennifer Coleman

Director of Communications

As Director of Communications, Jennifer is responsible for the development and implementation of a communications and marketing strategy and overseeing initiatives including brand development, messaging, positioning, go-to-market strategies, and integrated communication plans.

Prior to joining Aimpoint Research, Jennifer served as the Director of Communications for the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio Soybean Association managing all communication programs and budgets including media relations, communication research, farmer awareness campaigns, and consumer outreach. She attended Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky where she received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Organizational Communication. Jennifer grew up on a small farm in western Kentucky and now resides in Columbus, Ohio.