Peter Zandan | |
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| Born | 1953 (age 72–73) Longmeadow, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts Amherst (BA) University of Texas at Austin (MBA, PhD) |
| Occupations | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Known for | IntelliQuest; Zilliant; Quantified AI |
Peter A. Zandan (born 1953) is a data scientist, entrepreneur and business executive known for founding analytics and technology-focused companies and for senior leadership roles in market research and communications consulting.
Zandan was born in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MBA and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. [1]
He is the executive chairman and chief data scientist of Quantified AI, which was named to the 2025 Inc. 5000 as one of the 50 fastest-growing AI firms in the US. [2] Quantified AI uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to assess, develop and improve individual communication skills [3]
"I was always interested in what motivates human behavior... When I completed my PhD, I realized I had an opportunity to apply what I knew to the emerging world of personal technology, when companies like Apple and Microsoft were just getting started. I started IntelliQuest Information, Inc., which I later took public, to analyze how people were using personal technology and incorporating it into their lives. What was so interesting about the technology world in the 1980s was that companies were very good at product development but were not so good at tuning in to marketplace needs. I was able to inform business efforts by providing consumer information that I gathered through some of the first electronic surveys."
Zandan founded IntelliQuest Information Group Inc. in 1984 and served as its chairman and chief executive officer until 1999. [5] The company specialized in technology market research and adopted early electronic and internet-based survey methods. [6] IntelliQuest was listed on Inc. magazine’s Inc. 500 ranking of fastest-growing private companies in 1995 and 1996. [7] Zandan took the company public on NASDAQ in 1996, and it was acquired by WPP in 1999.
In 1998, Zandan founded Zilliant Inc., an enterprise software company focused on predictive analytics and pricing optimization. [8] Zilliant received investment from Goldman Sachs [9] and was named to The Wall Street Journal list of the “Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies” in 2011. [10] The company was acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners in 2021. [11]
From 2011 to 2021, Zandan served as global vice chairman of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, where he worked on analytics-driven reputation management and communications research. [12]
Zandan has served on the board of KLRU-TV, Austin’s public television station, [13] and has been a member of the Board of Directors of Meow Wolf since 2017. [14]
In September 2023, Zandan was appointed Special Advisor for Audience and Impact to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. [15]