Rory C. Ellender Senior Research Analyst "While there are one-time pivotal decisions, it's decision-making and execution over time that truly accounts for great outcomes. The key to achieving this sort of long-term consistency is having sound strategies based on cogent, up-to-date market intelligence."

According to Senior Research Analyst Rory Ellender, "most business strategy experts agree that, while there are one-time pivotal decisions, it's decision-making and execution over time that truly accounts for great outcomes. The key to achieving this sort of long-term consistency is having sound strategies based on cogent, up-to-date market intelligence. With this in mind, we have designed a wide-range of innovative research tools to ensure our clients have a comprehensive understanding of the forces at play in their specific markets."

Since joining AR&D in 1999, Rory has analyzed data from over 200 television market studies. His experience has aided in the creation of a number of the statistical models and databases aimed at giving greater depth and context to each of the company's research projects. Rory notes that "our goal is not only to tell you what is happening in your market but also to explain why. It's both of these aspects together that lay the foundation for building a winning strategy."

Rory holds two degrees - a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas.

He began his training in sociological research design and analysis while at the University of Oklahoma. Much of Rory's work during this time focused on the field of Criminology where he studied the relationship between law and society - including law as an independent variable (i.e., as a mechanism for social change) and law as a dependent variable (i.e., how laws are created or changed by social pressure). "At Oklahoma, I spent a good deal of time working with large data sets collected over a number of years. Our goal was to analyze the information for trends and then forecast the impact of those trends on the future. It really was a great precursor to what I do now at AR&D."

Later during his graduate work, Rory applied his research experience to the realm of business strategy. The focus of the work was again predictive modeling. Using statistical techniques such as regression analysis and conjoint analysis, Rory sought to determine which of a number of potential strategies would have the most positive impact on a company's bottom line. AR&D Consultant Bob Kaplitz notes the value of this experience, "His MBA gives Rory keen insight into how stations can improve their ROI from the strategy we develop."

Rory's passion for research stems largely from his boundless curiosity. "I've always felt that curious people are restless people, always searching for new and better ways to do things. Every research project presents a unique puzzle, and thereby, an opportunity to look at things in a novel way and ask fresh questions. In the end, I simply enjoy trying to solve the puzzle."

Outside of work, Rory is an avid sports enthusiast. He is a "weekend warrior" in several local leagues and prides himself on never missing an Oklahoma Sooners football game. Rory lives in Plano, Texas with his wife Shonda and their two wonderful children.

You can reach Rory Ellender at rellender@ar-d.com or 214.418.3452.