Friday Forum

Brian Salzman, Founder and CEO of RQ, has been a leader in the marketing services industry for over 15 years. His creativity and passion to foster authentic movements for brand partners inspired him to start RQ in 2016. He’s spent the last decade pioneering a new form of brand marketing dedicated to building more organic partnerships between brands and people of influence. His unique methodology is a breath of fresh air for brands and talent alike -- in just three years, RQ has grown to a team of 30+ in LA servicing clients including Pizza Hut, Google, YouTube, Samsung, HBO and MINI USA. By shifting focus away from “influencer marketing” and back towards the elements of “relationship marketing” and “offline influence” Brian is helping to rebuild the marketing matrix and redirect focus on the value of relationship intelligence for brands, influencers and consumers alike. His insights have been included in numerous conversations around the future of influencer marketing and its impact on the world today, having appeared everywhere from business publications like Forbes and CMO to trade outlets including Adweek and Campaign. 

Prior to RQ, Brian’s industry experience most recently includes President, USA, of Quintessentially Media, a Division of Quintessentially Group Worldwide. Here Brian built a new division of the global company focusing on online and offline influencer marketing. 

Prior to that, Brian was Senior Vice President at 2 Degrees Ventures, an award winning marketing agency, where he had been for 10+ years. Here he played a key role in operations and new business development, and oversaw the growth for a unique portfolio of global clients including Samsung, AT&T, Blackberry, Microsoft, Nike, Spotify, among others.  

Before entering the marketing industry, Brian was a Producer and Celebrity advisor in Los Angeles and New York. He was responsible for film and TV development, film festival campaigns, and event production and management. Brian worked on many television and film projects including Sex And The City, Loverboy, Little Black Book and Mona Lisa Smile.

Brian earned two degrees from New York University: a Bachelor of Science from the Stern School of Business and an Associate of the Arts Degree in Liberal Arts.