Team Bios

Tom Hoscheidt, Managing Director
Benchmarking Research
Tom directs BAI's performance benchmarking line of business. He brings over 20 years of financial services marketing to BAI— expertise in such areas as primary research, consulting and benchmarking. He holds an MBA from Illinois State University and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Southern Illinois University.

Ajay Nagarkatte, Managing Director
Syndicated Research
Ajay is responsible for developing and managing major syndicated strategic research initiatives for BAI. Besides his experience at BAI, he has several years of senior-level strategic advisory experience focusing on financial institutions, having held positions at KPMG, ZEFER and Ernst & Young Consulting. Prior to that, he spent several years in the insurance and mutual fund sectors. He received an MBA (Honors) in Strategy and Economics from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in Operations Research from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Jeff Hartney, Sales Director
Research
Jeff is responsible for client relationship management for benchmarking and other research products, as well as coordinating efforts with BAI’s research partners. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in technology sales and sales management with such organizations as CheckFree Corporation and Xerox. He holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.

Tom Drogos, Senior Account Manager
Research
Tom manages client relationships for BAI benchmarking and syndicated research projects within the top 100 US banks. With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Tom has held senior positions at leading research and advisory services firms. He earned a master’s of science degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree from Loyola University of Chicago.

Mark Riddle, Director
Benchmarking Research
Mark is responsible for the report development and presentation of BAI's benchmarking programs.  Prior to joining BAI, he held consulting and sales positions with Open Solutions, Deluxe Corporation and various Chicago area banks and brings over 15 years of experience to the organization.  Mark received an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago and a bachelor of science in Finance from Southern Illinois University. 

Jack Thurston, Marketing Director
Research
Jack is responsible for facilitating awareness and lead generation through marketing and thought leadership campaigns within the syndicated research and benchmarking lines of business. Jack has several years of strategic marketing experience within the financial institutions industry.  Prior to BAI, he was vice president and marketing manager for LaSalle Bank. Jack holds an MBA in Marketing and Management from the University of Illinois–Chicago and a bachelor’s in English from Eastern Illinois University.

Dan Hough, Director
Syndicated Research
His primary focus will be on Frontline initiatives, adding other syndicated research as it develops.  Prior to BAI, he was the market research director for the Educational Testing Service where he oversaw primary research and competitive intelligence.  He has over 20 years of experience in research and has authored and co-authored numerous publications over that period.  Dan holds and bachelor’s in English from Rutgers, The State University.

Sandra Hoey, Data Services Manager
Benchmarking Research
Sandra is responsible for the benchmarking data infrastructure and report development.  She has experience working on large-scale CRM database development, customer insight, customer segmentation and predictive modeling with financial services and telecom institutions.  She holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jason Borucki, Senior Data Analyst
Benchmarking Research
Jason is primarily responsible for developing the reporting infrastructure for BAI benchmarking programs.  Prior to BAI, he has worked as an analyst for both a technical consulting firm and a recruitment process outsourcing company, focusing on financial and operational analysis.  Jason has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Debra Hamilton, Assistant
Research
Debbie manages daily activities for BAI's research group, is responsible for coordinating multiple research events, provides economic and company data as needed, as well as handles daily client interaction. For over 25 years, she has worked in the executive and research arena with top financial officials for major corporations.