“Rob Burns is the kind of marketer every organization needs: He stays on top of current trends and keeps current with the evolution of marketing. He takes it upon himself to get the education and insights required to be a successful marketer today. Modern marketing is a dynamic, changing place these days, and Rob is on top of it all. I admire his approach!” ~ Ann Handley, Digital marketing & content expert. Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Keynote speaker. Writer
“Take a look at Rob's experience. Now take a look at the classes he's taken in the past five years. What does that say about him? This man is an urgent learner, constantly re-inventing himself and staying up to speed on every new idea and technique. A wonderful resource and the consummate professional.” ~ Mark Schaefer, Keynote speaker, marketing consultant, author of KNOWN, executive branding coach, Rutgers University Adjunct Marketing Professor
“I have been "around" Robert for years in the social media and LinkedIn arena - but was finally able to meet him face to face recently at a conference. It was such a pleasure to spend time with him - he is so knowledgeable and generous with that knowledge. If you have need of a biz dev professional, especially Social Business Development - then Rob is your man!” ~ Viveka Von Rosen, International Keynote Speaker, LinkedIn Expert & Author, Forbes Top 20 Most Influential, Digital Sales & Personal Branding Expert
“I had known Rob online through social media for some time before we had a chance to meet in person at Social Media Marketing World in San Diego in March of 2013. I ended up spending a great deal of time with Rob getting to know him in person, and I was impressed with his deep understanding of social media marketing and willingness to apply his knowledge to an industry which needed it: B2B Information Technology Professional Services. I then had the pleasure of having Rob in my class at the Rutgers University Mini-Social Media MBA program, where his participation only confirmed his deep understanding and ability to apply what he knows about social media marketing. Since Rob has a solid business background before social media - and a deep understanding of social media - I look forward to seeing him become a pioneer in the space of B2B social media marketing.” ~ Neal Schaffer, Social Media Keynote Advisor, Speaker & Educator, Author, Adjunct Professor Rutgers University
“Rob recently attended his second Rutgers Mini-MBA certificate program, the Digital Marketing program. I first met Rob in 2013 when he attended the Social Media Marketing program at Rutgers and was his instructor again for the recent Digital Marketing component. Rob is a very engaging and energetic student, always asking insightful questions and offering examples or engaging in class discussions that complemented the course content. Based upon my interactions in several Rutgers program modules since 2013, Rob has always demonstrated a passion and ability to learn today’s rapidly changing and advancing digital technologies and digital marketing best practices. Rob has demonstrated that, in addition to Rutgers and many other programs, he is able to successfully apply his expertise and the knowledge he has learned along with his business development, technology and digital experience. I am confident that Rob's expertise, skills and knowledge would be a benefit to an organization that is in need of digital marketing, marketing technology or social media direction.” ~ Mike Moran, Digital and Social Media Marketing Consultant, Adjunct Professor Rutgers University
“I have known Rob for over 20 years and would consider Rob as both a friend and a valuable member of MicroAge. Rob has always conducted himself at MicroAge with a high level of integrity, with a high quality of work and with a responsive attitude. During the course of Rob’s career at MicroAge, he has consistently overachieved in areas of business development and account management; I would also consider Rob one of the best negotiators I have done business with. In addition to Rob’s sales skills, he has also developed valuable insight in regards to business. He has a unique ability to develop additional, creative and profitable business opportunities within his accounts. He is very well liked and respected by our MicroAge management and staff. I would strongly recommend Rob for a business development or account management role in a professional services organization.” ~ Allan Daitchman, President of MicroAge
“Rob is a rare professional who recognizes that education is never complete and actively seeks to attract, retain and apply knowledge in the pursuit of driving business objectives. In particular, he is a master evangelist for social media, leveraging the principles to grow his career and the success of his business clients. He is a person that should be on every marketers short list to follow as he will share valuable insight into a marketing world that is forever changing.” ~ Peter Methot, Executive Director, Rutgers Business School
“It's rare to meet a professional that takes their passion for digital media and innovation and puts it into action... IMMEDIATELY! But that's precisely who Rob Burns is. Rob's excitement is contagious. His work ethic is enviable. And his creativity is infused into all he does. Many professionals will be challenged by this avalanche of change--but Rob Burns is inspired by transformation and leads the way (and I dare you not to have fun learning from him!).” ~ Christina “CK” Kerley, Adjunct Professor Rutgers University
“If I were to hand pick a team of the best contributors and collaborators I know, Rob would be on it. He's smart, insightful, a doer and personable. He's someone who makes great things happen and a strong asset to any organization.” ~ Rob Petersen, Data Driven Digital Marketing Leader, Adjunct Professor Rutgers University
“Rob has been a trusted and effective business advisor for Yorkdale Wellness Clinic for many years. Rob has continually invested the time to understand our issues, challenges and objectives and worked with us to formulate business plans, execution paths and comprehensive solutions to suit our specific needs. He has helped us focus on many key areas of our business and we have already experienced a significant return on investment from his advice. Specifically, Rob has successfully advised us in regards to opportunities and risk within critical areas of our business including Business Development, Operations, Information Technology and Social Media. In addition to his broad and in-depth business knowledge and professional oversight, Rob offers a high level of integrity, a solution oriented approach to business issues, client and issue responsiveness and a high degree of quality deliverables to our organization. I would strongly recommend him for his advisory services for your business.” ~ Lori Strathdee, Owner and Founder of Yorkdale Massage Clinic
“Robert is a well organized, detail oriented person who is a pleasure to work with. Robert and I worked together for the close to two years and I found him to be a quick study and someone who quickly grapsed the concepts and nuances of sales in a very challenging environment. Robert knows how to develop client relationships, based on trust and value; quickly understand his clients needs and issues; and craft solutions to reslove those needs and issue at a fair price.” ~ Timothy McAward, Director, Ernst and Young
“I recently had the privilege of meeting Rob when he participated in our Digital Marketing Mini-MBA program here at Rutgers Business School Executive Education. Over the course of our week-long program, Rob shared his experiences and lessons learned with his fellow participants in a way that enhanced the overall energy of the class. As a result of his interaction, it's clear to me that Rob is a results-oriented marketing mind, with a fervor for learning how to continuously adapt marketing strategies in the face of channel fragmentation and innovation.” ~ Christina Griffo Murphy, Program Manager, Rutgers Business School
“I worked with Robert on several clients and have always been very pleased with his level of preparedness, professionalism and ability to get the job done. Good communicator and well-liked by his clients.” ~ Terry McKay, Finance Advisory Lead, Ernst and Young
“I have known Rob for several years. Rob is the most effective business development professional I have had the pleasure to work with. His ability to build executive relationships and develop trust at the C level is one of his strongest assets. Rob's relationship with customers, peers and partners are exceptional. His understanding of the customer's challenges and his attention to detail also contribute to Rob's success as a sales professional. I strongly recommend Rob as an asset to your sales organization.” ~ John Sneyd, Regional Account Manager, Panasonic
“Rob is a seasoned sales executive who is quite comfortable developing relationships with senior executives. He is focused and dedicated to doing what is right.” ~ Bob Bauer, Director, Business Development, Ernst and Young
“Rob is very enthusiastic and has a wide range of expertise in the digital marketing field. Throughout the 2 Day Digital Marketing program, Rob gave a number of great examples and tips to the other members of the program. It was a pleasure having Rob in the program as he offered invaluable information to his peers. During the program, Rob was enthusiastic and "coached" his group mates to resolve a problem that was presented and formulated creative ideas. One last comment, through a provoked debate, Rob was very respectful and open minded when disagreeing with his fellow peers. His character is top notch, while his expertise is even more impressive!” ~ Leila Samli, Assistant Professor Harvard University.
“I worked with Rob Burns in the planning and execution of a computer centre out source project managed by MicroAge. Rob was the key business resource for coordinating all technical work which was consistently delivered on time and according to spec. Rob was instrumental in the successful conclusion of this project on schedule and in budget.” ~ Eric Brown, Director, Information and Technology Services
“As my student, Rob reached out within the class as well as during our online discussions to fully leverage the educational opportunity. He is not limited by preconceived insights but very willing to challenge the status quo and to contribute and grow. Rob is one of the select individuals who are able to build on their broad experience and fully embrace the opportunities change and transformation in the marketing and management field are offering.” ~ Mark Mueller-Eberstein, CEO and Founder of Adgetec Corporation, Author, Adjunct Professor Rutgers University
“When I met Rob, I noticed immediately how different he was from other executives I’ve worked with. Rob is thoughtful, responsive and an excellent communicator. Although he has an impressive, well-rounded knowledge of marketing, he is also a tremendous listener; on our project, Rob was always open to input from the entire team and actually did something about it. Rob is a voracious learner in constant pursuit of new knowledge, insights and techniques in his field, and he’s an all-around nice, humble guy despite a history of professional achievement that would inflate many egos. Anyone who gets to work with Rob is in luck - I hope to count myself among that group in the future!” ~ Raj Chander, Content marketing Strategist
“As an account-centric Business Development Executive (BDE) , Rob’s primary responsibilities regarding Advisory Services were to a) understand the scope of the Advisory Services (AS) E&Y can provide, b) understand AS in terms of BDE’s priority accounts, and c) work with the AS BDE Leader to identify possible AS opportunities in priority accounts. Relative to these responsibilities, Rob has performed very well – he assisted to set up initial meetings at several tier clients. Rob is well organized in his thoughts, and has utilized / leveraged a number of his pre-exiting business relationships to set up initial meetings with potential prospects for E&Y. Given his IT background, Rob has been a quick study with the scope of Advisory Services that E&Y offers. Also, Rob has been aggressive in getting to know and work with the account leaders for the priority accounts he has been assigned to.” Malcolm Nicol, Business Development Executive, Ernst and Young
“Rob worked with me at E&Y and I was very impressed with his drive, desire, work ethic and, most importantly, results. His knowledge about LinkedIn is second to none and ayone who is interested in leveraging social media to drive top-line results should consult with Rob.” ~ Anthony Batchelor, Management Consulting and Professional Services Executive
“It has been a pleasure working with Rob as a business partner! Professionalism and respect are the pillars of his success and the foundation that he builds his business relationships on. Strong leadership and a terriffic understanding of the industry and his customers requirements are elements that make Rob a serious consideration for any firm who wants to be successful in the present and future. I recommend Rob whole heartedly and look forward to working with him on another project!” ~ Jim Campbell, Managed Services Executive
“I've known Robert Burns for a couple years now, but it feels like I've known him for much longer. Besides his incredible skill and acumen as a marketing professional, he's one of those rare birds in corporate life: he's a hell of a nice guy who really cares about everyone he works with. He treats every vendor and partner like they're "part of the family" and it definitely shows. Besides this, he has a vast knowledge and level of experience in the digital marketing space that rivals some of the best I've seen. Finally, his attention to detail and level of organization and planning is something I learn from each time I interact with him. I’m proud to call Rob a friend.” ~ Jon Wuebben, CEO Content Launch, Author
“Rob was part of the negotiation team that I dealt with for a large, multiyear outsourcing agreement. Throughout the negotiation process, Rob combined a high degree of business savvy with his seemingly limitless knowledge of the technical issues at hand. Through Rob's dedicated efforts, we were able to conclude an agreement beneficial to all parties that is being used to provide services to this date.” ~ Darren Ghan, Chief Legal Council, Data Centre Legal Services
“Rob's years of sales experience in real life, and tireless study of LinkedIn, make him such a wealth of knowledge on how to use this platform as a business development system in a professional and 'human' way. He readily shares his insights and is helpful whether I am asking a 101-level question, or one that is very technically specific to the platform. He's my go-to guy on how to get the best out of LinkedIn for my business goals, and I'd suggest, should be yours as well.” ~ Jennifer Kelly, Marketing Executive
“Robert brings an amazing combination of creative observation, high energy, depth of experience, and sheer passion for Digital Marketing - to his work. Depth of experience in both Sales and Marketing coupled with his thirst for knowledge about all things Digital - make Robert a master at Marketing Strategy. There are many claims about Digital Marketing and Social Selling these days. Unlike the claims, the one person who is getting it right is Robert!” ~ Charles Dimov, Marketing and Insights Executive
“Rob is a modern day social media expert. His extensive business acumen and business development skills are both relevant and current which complements his extensive knowledge and passion within Social Media. Rob applied his LinkedIn and Social Media expertise to significantly boost my Google and LinkedIn Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results in a mere matter of days. He also assisted me with LinkedIn’s Profile Optimization, Lead/Prospect Generation, Connections & Network Development, Group opportunities and how to best leverage best practices related to Social Media. His professionalism and technology background were valuable on multiple Social platforms, including Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. He consistently exceeded expectations through his responsiveness and in providing high quality deliverables.” ~ Michael Allemano, Founder of The Allemano Group
“I have known Rob for over 10 years from when we were colleagues at a previous firm, and was very pleased to work with him again in his role as Recruiting Consultant at Lock Search Group. I am always impressed with the unique way Rob has of effectively qualifying an opportunity and proposing options that are right on to achieving the desired result. Add to that his endless energy, creativity and great sense of humour, and you have someone who is consistently great to work with. I would not hesitate to recommend Rob!” ~ Denise Barry, Global New Business Development Executive
“Rob brings a strong combination of technology and business development skills to his roles. He has a proven track record helping his clients select effective technology solutions for their business requirements, and maintains productive ongoing relationships with them. He is personable, organized, and results focused, and he delivers great value to his clients and co-workers. He is an asset to the solution selling team.” ~ Dorothy Loeffen, Business Development Executive
“I welcome the opportunity to recommend Robert for his recent speaking engagement at Print World. Robert was referred to me by a trusted colleague who is very well respected and active in the social networking sector. I was looking for a speaker to address our Print World attendees about the value of leveraging social media to grow their business. Robert’s presentation was very engaging; his presentation content fulfilled the expectations of the seminar attendees, including many “excellent” and very positive feedback ratings. His presentation provided a formidable framework for the seminar participants to leverage social media, specifically LinkedIn. He included real life examples and the many social media features to leverage for optimum business development growth, including numerous areas of LinkedIn that are underutilized for business development. I would not hesitate to engage or recommend Robert as a social media adviser or for similar speaking engagements in the future.” ~ Filomena Tamburri, PrintWorld Executive
“Rob is an accomplished business professional and someone I would consider as both a trusted business advisor and business colleague. He complements his extensive business development skills with his impressive social media expertise, especially LinkedIn. Rob has always been very responsive in my business experiences with him. He has demonstrated a high level of integrity and business acumen along with a providing high quality business deliverables. I would not hesitate in recommending Rob for business development, lead generation, prospect development or client retention business engagements.” ~ Karim Ayache, Business Development Director
“I worked with Rob many years ago at SystemHouse as a colleague and now as a business consultant for our software development firm Headwall Software Inc. Rob has been instrumental in guiding me through Linked in as a social media tool to enhance our outreach for possible candidates for our own firm and for others that we are recruiting for. He educated me on the value of social media and with properly utilizing Linkedin as a whole. Rob is a valuable resource as a trusted advisor for social media and business development. His integrity is unsurpassed and he is committed to delivering a high quality product that is relevant and easily transferrable. I would recommend Rob without hesitation.” ~ Andrea McLaren, Booking Coordinator, The Furniture Bank
“Robert Burns is an energetic, creative minded problem solver with intimate knowledge of how to grow your business through Web 2.0 social networking tools. Our time was well spend with Robert.” ~ Robert Martellacci, Learning Technology Executive
“I have had the true pleasure of working with Rob and found him to be very knowledgeable, devoted, conscientious and a true consummate professional. Rob has a unique flare and ability to connect with clients and candidates quickly while acting as a Social Media expert! He has an excellent understanding of the Information Technology world and I found him to be a wonderful addition to the team. Rob takes great pride in his work and inspires most of us to present solutions that demonstrate value and excellent results. He builds rapport quickly and he responded quickly to new requirements. His communication skills both written and verbally are exceptional. In summary, I would highly recommend Rob for any position or endeavour that he may seek to pursue. He will be a valuable asset to any organization. I truly wish him the best of luck!” ~ Luba Hamuika, Recruitment Executive
“A trusted colleague, Rob is an extraordinary individual who has a strong understanding of business, technology and social media. He’s been an exceptional resource and has provided me with a great deal of direction and guidance in understanding the social media space. Rob’s ability to connect with industry influencers, his in depth knowledge of technology and his effective use and understanding of social media has resulted in key business development activities. Rob’s very detailed, organized and a true professional. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Rob and highly recommend him.” ~ Frank Joe, Recruitment Executive
“It was a real pleasure to work with and get to know Robert. He is a natural leader with an intense drive and desire to help those around him thrive and perform at the highest standards. Robert is an honest and considerate team player who's charisma and energy motivates and inspires those around him to perform at the highest level. Robert can be trusted and depended upon to deliver and would be an asset to any project team or organization.” Alan Welburn, IT Delivery Manager
“Rob’s intelligent and unique advice helped me see around the social media marketing corner. His willingness to offer his time has been inspiring to me. He is an absolute joy to interact with – he is down to earth and extremely helpful. Rob is one of the most insightful and smartest marketers I have ever known. Listen to what he has to say because everything he says is gold. Highly recommended!" ~ Vladimer Botsvadze, Fortune 500 Consultant
“I managed Robert Directly while he was the Branch Manager in Sudbury. Robert became a corner stone in the rebuilding of a 10 Branch district, where more than 50% of the Branches were not profitable. I found Robert to be a complete team player, who enthusiastically went about implementing the District "plan" and consistently overachieved on plan objectives. Of course this allowed him to achieve President's Club status for that period. Moreover his leadership in the District, rubbed off on peer Managers, enabling the District to overachieve to the 127% level as well. I mention this point, because with Robert it wasn't just about himself, he was always interested in helping his peers and myself achieve on our objectives. I remember Robert having fostered solid, long-term relationships with the Branch clients, which was displayed by achieving Target numbers, as wll as being supported through client attendance on VIP tours. Building close relationships with clients, and running the business from a prudent operational perspective, clearly characterized his years spent with me. It was a pleasure to have managed and known Robert!” ~ Jim Cappadocia, District Manager, ComputerLand
“I worked with Rob in a business partner relationship on a large schedule A bank. Rob was the MicroAge Account Executive responsible for this bank. Although Rob was a business partner, he was also an integral and trusted member of the IBM account team. He is an effective and competent business development professional who was able to create new relationships and opportunities at all levels within the account. I could always depend on Rob to have our client’s business issues, objectives and best interests top of mind. In addition to his knowledge of MicroAge’s professional services, Rob was also very familiar with IBM’s core competencies, services, products and the solution based best practices that were utilized by IBM. He consistently provided excellent feedback, knowledge and oversight during the complex opportunity pursuits and large scale deployments that we engaged in for the client. Rob is an energetic, responsive, professional and passionate team player. He always worked with the highest level of integrity, flexibility and consistently provided high quality deliverables. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Rob not only as a major contributor to the success of the account, but as a trusted partner and would not hesitate to recommend him or work with him again.” ~ Sue Wickens, IBM Account Executive, Financial Services