From Insight to Impact: How Research & Strategy Co-Create Business Growth
As business environments grow more complex and decisions move faster, research, insights, and strategy must work together to inform both near-term choices and long-term direction. This panel gives you a front-row seat to how strategists and business leaders think—offering direct perspective on their decision-making process, priorities, and what they need from research to move strategy forward.
Panelists will share how they use research at different stages of strategy development, what makes insights actionable in leadership conversations, and how researchers can partner as thought partners—not just data providers. The discussion will explore where research most influences outcomes, where it commonly misses the mark, and how context, constraints, and judgment shape the path from insight to action.
PSRF at Night! Join us for PSRF’s first-ever evening event, Wednesday February 18th, beginning at 5:30pm, featuring buffet-style heavy appetizers from Ivar’s—no dinner planning required. This event is also priced lower than our traditional luncheons: $25 for members and $35 for non-members.
Bobbie Bailey, CEO + Founder, M Agency
Since founding M Agency in 2009, Bobbie has built an award-winning marketing firm that integrates strategy, research, and creative execution to drive measurable business outcomes. With a foundation in computer science, she brings a systems-oriented, analytical approach to marketing—connecting data, technology, and storytelling to solve complex growth challenges. Under her leadership, the agency partners with organizations across the country to strengthen brand systems, improve performance, and build durable marketing foundations designed to adapt to changing market conditions.
Bobbie’s leadership approach is grounded in operational clarity, disciplined strategy, and intentional culture. She focuses on aligning people, process, and performance—ensuring teams are empowered to execute at a high level while remaining accountable to clear values and outcomes. In addition to leading M Agency, Bobbie has served on numerous boards, including as past President of the Puget Sound Research Forum.
Jimm Spannagel, Vice President, Customer Insights & Analytics, Nordstrom
Beth Levine, Former Head of Growth Strategy & Monetization, Copilot AI & Bing Microsoft
Beth Levine is a product and growth strategy leader with nearly three decades of experience translating customer and market insight into scalable business strategies across consumer technology, enterprise software, and digital platforms. Most recently, she served as Head of Growth and Monetization for Consumer Copilot AI at Microsoft, where she led cross-functional teams responsible for driving adoption, retention, and revenue across Bing, Edge, and AI-powered consumer experiences.
Throughout her career, Beth has operated at the intersection of research, strategy, and execution—using customer insight, willingness-to-pay research, and behavioral data to shape product vision, business models, and go-to-market strategy. Her work has supported everything from early-stage innovation and platform launches to large-scale transformation efforts, contributing billions of dollars in incremental revenue across global portfolios.
Earlier roles include executive leadership at OpenCar (acquired by INRIX), founder of a product strategy consultancy, senior product leadership at RealNetworks, and global management consulting at Kearney. Beth holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, and brings a practitioner’s perspective on how rigorous research informs decisive, high-impact strategy.
*If you are a PSRF member, please log in to access the member rate.
