Diane Hessan

Diane Hessan is President and CEO of Communispace, one of the fastest growing social networking companies in the country, “with a Blue Chip client list that would make a Madison Avenue giant jealous," according to Advertising Age. A pioneer in creating online communities to help marketers generate consumer insights, Diane helped found Communispace in 1999 and hasn’t looked back.

Today, Diane leads Communispace’s employees in building and managing the 400+ private online customer communities the company has created for over 100 of the world’s most admired brands. Communispace’s revenues have tripled over the last four years, and the company enjoys a 90+ percent client retention rate. It also has received a wide range of awards for product innovation, social media leadership, and corporate culture.

Diane has spent her 30-year career helping companies become customer-focused—both as a business executive, and as co-author of the bestselling book Customer-Centered Growth: Five Strategies for Building Competitive Advantage. She has received many awards and citations for her leadership, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year (National Finalist), and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year. In addition to her professional recognition, Diane is quoted frequently in the business media and is a highly sought-after speaker and expert in the marketing arena.

Diane has committed time and energy sitting on the boards of numerous organizations including the Advertising Research Foundation, The Business Innovation Factory, the Progressive Business Leaders Network, the Mass Technology Leadership Council, Horizons for Homeless Children, The Boston Philharmonic, Stand for Children, and the Tufts Alumni Council.

A graduate of Tufts University, Diane received an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is the mother of two college-age daughters and co-founder of The Sound Bytes, a cappella group that writes lyrics about business and performs at major conferences.