Shari Munoz builds MAYAN Insights on ad measurement and audience strategy

Shari Munoz, founder of MAYAN Insights Consulting and a former leader at Seedtag and Publicis Groupe, is being featured by Influential Women for her work in advertising measurement, audience strategy, and AI-driven research. Her profile highlights how she is blending analytics and neuroscience to help brands improve effectiveness and adapt to a fast-changing media landscape.

Why it matters: - Shari Munoz’s career tracks a bigger shift in advertising: brands want better measurement, sharper audience strategy, and more credible ways to prove effectiveness. - Munoz is positioning herself at the intersection of data science, marketing intelligence, and emerging ad technology. - Her work reflects growing demand for leaders who can connect research, AI, and business outcomes.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Shari Munoz, founder and managing partner of MAYAN Insights Consulting, Inc. - Munoz has more than 15 years of experience in insights and analytics. - She has worked most recently as Head of Research & Measurement at Seedtag. - She previously served as Senior Vice President of Audience Strategy at Publicis Groupe. - The profile also notes her work at the company level in 2025 on research and measurement for a contextual advertising organization.

The details: - Munoz’s background includes custom research, multicultural and market research, analytics, measurement, and audience strategy. - At Seedtag, she led campaign effectiveness initiatives aimed at improving client performance through advanced measurement frameworks and data-informed insights. - Her work focused on how advertising effectiveness is defined, measured, and optimized in a changing digital ecosystem. - At Publicis Groupe, she worked with media, strategy, and creative teams to build audience-centric frameworks for global clients. - She helped translate audience data into strategies that informed creative development, media planning, and brand positioning. - Munoz built her agency career after earning an MBA and worked with brands including Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, and Pfizer. - Her experience also spans pharmaceutical, consumer packaged goods, travel, and financial services. - She began her academic path in medical microbiology before moving into market research and advertising research. - In 2025, she helped advance a new positioning as a neuro-contextual AI leader by designing the end-to-end research methodology. - The research combines neuroscience and measurement principles to better understand audience engagement and cognitive response. - Munoz presented the research at Advertising Week NYC. - The research is slated for presentation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. - Through MAYAN Insights Consulting, Munoz advises organizations on research frameworks, measurement systems, audience understanding, and growth strategy. - Munoz is also a member of CHIEF, a private network for women executive leaders. - She is completing an Artificial Intelligence certification through eCornell. - She also completed additional coursework at New York University after earning her MBA. - More information is available in Shari Munoz’s Influential Women profile.

Between the lines: - The profile frames Munoz as part of a broader push in ad tech to treat AI as a strategic capability, not just an automation tool. - Her emphasis on neuroscience and measurement signals where advertising research is heading: toward tighter links between human behavior, data, and commercial outcomes. - The article also underscores a leadership style built on cross-disciplinary thinking, mentorship, and adaptability. - Munoz’s COVID-era experience managing a reduced team while keeping output steady is presented as evidence of resilience under pressure.

What's next: - Munoz is expected to keep building around AI, measurement, and audience intelligence through MAYAN Insights Consulting and her broader industry work. - Her developing AI training and ongoing research work suggest a continued focus on applying new technologies to marketing and advertising strategy. - The Cannes Lions presentation could further expand visibility for the neuroscience-based research approach.