Richard Zackon has enjoyed a varied career as an advertising and media executive, a research consultant and trainer, a group facilitator, a university professor, an attorney, and a personal business coach. His lifelong focus on media was inspired at an early age by the writings of Marshall McLuhan.

His professional journey began in 1973, when he joined the media department of ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach. In 1976, Richard joined AirTime Inc., where he continued to plan and buy media. In 1977, he created AirTime’s media research department. He moved to the sell side in 1983, becoming VP Research for the Cable Television Advertising Bureau at a time when this new medium was exploding.

As an independent media consultant and trainer, Richard has worked with research firms and across all major media types, with a particular focus on television. In the research arena, he has served as a consultant to Nielsen on numerous projects and, in 2005, when the Council for Research Excellence was created by Nielsen in active collaboration with its clients, Richard was chosen as its Facilitator. Over the next 13 years, the CRE published more than 30 cutting-edge projects designed to improve the methodology of audience measurement. Today, Richard consults under the banner of his company, Audience Patterns LLC, which is currently exploring the ecology of in-car media and offering a blended learning curriculum on the role of artificial intelligence in advertising and media.

As an executive coach, Richard has trained with leading business coaches and earned certification from the International Coach Federation. He has coached numerous executives at all career levels.

Richard received his undergraduate degree in Religious Studies from Yale University and holds graduate degrees from Stanford in Statistics and Communication Research. He also earned a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law and has been a member of the New York State Bar since 1995.

On a personal note, Richard has studied improvisational comedy and occasionally performs in New York City. Audiences less occasionally laugh.

Richard lives with his wife, Jane Harris, in Brooklyn, NY.