We longed for change, so we founded PINE.   A partner appropriately suited for an evolving market.

For years, we witnessed companies race to solve problems without asking the right questions. We faced agencies who sold what they “do” instead of what clients needed. And we watched silos and formalities stifle partnerships and possibilities.

We saw the need for a better way. A way that intertwined business and design more closely. A way that asked and answered the hard questions.

Today and every day, we aspire to be a solution-oriented partner that promotes lasting partnerships with great work and great results.

We believe in:

Transparency and trust
Starting with questions, not answers
Collaborating to break down silos
Harnessing the power of left and right brain thinking

Leadership

PINE is a team of thinkers, problem solvers and challengers. Our diversity of thought and experience guides us in solving our clients’ challenges. Our background and experience includes research, design, retail, branding, digital and technology. This diversity, combined with our passion for problem solving, provides us the basis for the unique, integrated perspective we bring to our work – work that has led to clarity and growth for our clients.

Raj B Shroff, Principal and Founder.
Raj B. Shroff
Principal | Founder
Prior to founding Pine, Raj was VP of Brand, Strategy & Design at a global experience design firm. During his tenure there he led many turnkey research, strategy and retail design engagements and was a specialist on all things digital; consulting clients and teams on mobile, VR, AR and the application of technology in experience. He has run many large-scale initiatives, having served in account leadership roles at Fitch (WPP), in the areas of Research, Retail, Brand and Product design and at Resource (now IBM iX), in Digital Experience & Marketing.

Clients he has served with include Intel, P&G, Mars Wrigley, Unilever, Target, Walmart, Dollar General, LG (South Korea), Pernod Ricard (Mexico), Reliance Retail (India), Aditya Birla (India), Mahindra (India), Nestle, Tyson Foods, The North Face, SC Johnson, Gatorade, Carhartt, NFL and others. Raj is an industry speaker on topics such as the future of retail, branding, digital engagement and consumer behavior.

He is Adjunct Faculty at CCAD (Columbus College of Art and Design) in the Masters of Integrative Design and Undergraduate Design programs.

He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two sons. He is an avid runner, reader, mentor and compulsive traveler. He started undergrad in Chemical Engineering but ended up in a self-directive program and holds an MBA in Strategy & Marketing from Ohio State.
Michael Reda, Partner.
Michael Reda
Partner
Michael has spent his career gaining a wide range of diverse experience. That experience has brought him wisdom that he leverages daily to bring a unique voice to client engagements.

His experience spans brand, digital and strategy leadership roles working with or for companies like Abbott, Heinz, ConAgra, Hormel, Nestle, Purina and Procter & Gamble. In these roles he has led engagements that include new product launches, brand architecture, sales strategy, digital innovation and brand strategy / positioning.

Michael is passionate about connecting the dots to create a connected consumer experience and believes that asking the right questions at the beginning + putting the consumer first are the keys to solving complex business and marketing problems.

He spends his free time with his wife and two daughters enjoying the little things in addition to biking, reading and traveling. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in MIS and Finance and an MBA in Strategy & Marketing from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
John Younger, Partner.
John Youger
Partner
John has been focused on the customer, their needs, wants and desires for over 20 years. This focus has evolved into projecting future experiences for well known brands through the use of future trends, business workshops and cutting edge research methodologies with customers and clients. John has touched all forms of the customer experience from Product Development at Fitch (WPP), to Interactive and Digital Experiences at Resource/ Ammirati (now IBM iX) and most recently Retail Design and Customer Experiences at WD Partners.

He has led strategies for top companies including P&G, Microsoft, Walmart, Mars-Wrigley, Starbucks, The Home Depot, Target, Pepsi and others.

John is also faculty in the Undergraduate Industrial Design Department and the Masters of Integrative Design at CCAD (Columbus College of Art and Design). He was awarded the 2017 Faculty of the Year Award.

John enjoys camping, watching documentaries and staying up on anything technology related. He holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Ohio State University.