Brian Asner

Brian Asner has extensive experience in strategy and planning roles. Brian currently holds the position of Vice President of Strategy at Critical Mass, where they lead the strategy department and works with clients such as Mars Wrigley, Harley-Davidson, and the U.S. Army. Prior to this, Brian served as the Vice President of Strategic Planning at FCB Chicago from 2018 to 2022.

In 2016, Brian launched DNAinfo's Neighborhood Factor™, a neighborhood marketing consultancy that utilized big data models and primary research to help brands strategically leverage neighborhoods for deeper consumer connections. During their time at DNAinfo, Brian achieved several key milestones, including the production of the first-ever neighborhood segmentation system and the development of a model to decode neighborhood patterns. Brian also provided strategic consulting to industry-leading brands and agencies.

Before joining DNAinfo, Brian worked as a Strategy Director at Havas Worldwide Chicago, where they focused on driving behavior change at Citi retail branches. Brian implemented new customer acquisition strategies, developed Millennial-focused communication strategies, and played a key role in the launch of new service tiers.

Brian's early career includes a decade-long tenure at Upshot, where they held the position of Strategic Planning Director. Brian worked with various B2B and B2C clients, driving measurable business growth through insight generation, creative strategy, brand development, and marketing efforts. Brian also initiated Upshot's B2B Marketing Practice.

Throughout their career, Brian has achieved significant results and has worked with a diverse range of clients in various industries.

Brian Asner has a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Chicago, with specializations in Political and Voluntary Associations, Criminology, and Organizational Sociology. Prior to that, they obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with High Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, where they pursued an Interdisciplinary Studies Field Major with a concentration in "Social Constructions of Norms and Deviance". In addition to their formal education, Brian also holds certifications in "Recruiting and Retaining Neurodivergent Talent" from Texthelp, obtained in October 2022, and "Facebook Certified Creative Strategy Professional" from Facebook, obtained in December 2020.