Caryn Akons, Citi Sr Vice President Research & Insights
Caryn Akons is Senior Vice President, Research and Insights for Citi Retail Services, a leading provider of private label and co-branded consumer and commercial credit cards. The business services millions of accounts for iconic brands such as Best Buy, ExxonMobil, LL Bean, Macy’s, Sears, Shell, and The Home Depot. In her current role, Caryn is responsible for all aspects of consumer research for existing and prospective clients – this includes consumer mindset and behavioral research, retail and regulatory environment, and competitive monitoring. She is a frequent presenter on these services and often speaks to industry groups on the impact and implications of research. Ms. Akons joined Citi in 2005 as Vice President of Product Development for Citi Analytics where she led development of a suite of syndicated reports delivering insights and tracking metrics within retail and merchant sectors that previously had a limited view of consumer and competitive behavior. Prior to joining Citi, Caryn spent 10 years at ACNielsen, a global leader in the marketing and consumer information industry, holding positions of increasing responsibility in both the Retail POS and Consumer Panel divisions. While there she spearheaded the European transformation of Consumer Panel from a sales tracking tool to a consumer insights and analytics platform. Ms. Akons holds a MS in Market Research from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is a repeat winner of Citi’s Leaders in Excellence; awarded to the top 1% of N.A. Retail Bank employees for exceptional leadership and demonstrated passion for the business and our partners. She has held multiple international assignments working in 12 countries across 4 continents.