Michael R. O’Brien

Based in St. Petersburg, Catalina Marketing Corporation was founded more than 20 years ago by Michael O’Brien and four friends, from an idea they had as they sailed to Catalina Island in California.  They believed that targeting communications based on the actual purchasing behavior of customers would generate sales. 

Their idea was to used technology to respond to customer behavior as they made buying decisions in their local grocery stores.  They invented a system to enable manufacturers to identify customers based on their purchases and to distribute coupons and customized incentives at the point-of-sale. 

Today, that system is installed in more than 17,000 grocery stores throughout the United States and another 4,000 stores around the world.  Another similar system is in more than 12,500 retail pharmacies in the United States. 

In 2001, Michael O’Brien founded the O’Brien Family Foundation, which donates to health and education charities throughout the country.