Leslie Forde is Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships at Communispace Corporation, where she helps the world's largest brands align the power of listening within online customer communities with their strategic business and marketing goals.  As a 16-year marketing and brand management veteran, she is an expert in identifying strategic partnerships and new technologies that ensure ongoing product innovation and help expand Communispace's opportunities internationally.  Forde, whose experience includes senior positions at America's Test Kitchen, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb and Allstate Insurance, is a frequent speaker at industry events on topics such as customer engagement, Web 2.0, social media and word-of-mouth marketing.