Mark Penn is best known for his wealth of experience in the world of polling. He conducted his first poll at the age of 13 and over many decades since, has dominated the field. Penn is a leading voice for understanding public opinion – from world leaders to presidential campaigns to business titans.

Penn not only began polling at a very young age, but he also has innovated the industry significantly. He built a computer to create the first overnight poll in 1977- changing the way polling was conducted and the speed at which information flows.

Penn also developed a unique corporate and polling hybrid that helped elect no fewer than 30 heads of state worldwide, and has been used at companies from AT&T to Microsoft, Ford Motor Company, Merck, Verizon, BP, and McDonald’s.

Today, Penn is the Chairman of the Harris Poll as well as leading research companies including the National Research Group, Harris Insights & Analytics and HarrisX. He is also the co-founder of the Harvard-Harris Poll, a monthly poll on key public opinion topics crucial to Americans like taxes and healthcare. Learn more about the Harvard-Harris poll here.

Penn also believes passionately in the importance of teaching polling to a new generation. After a class at Harvard on polling changed his life, Penn decided to do the same for future Harvard students. He currently teaches polling to students at Harvard University and the George Washington University.