Dr. Kumar has been selected as a winner of the 2012 Paul D. Converse Award in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) body of work.

This award was established to honor those who have contributed significantly to the theory of marketing and toward the advancement of science in marketing. Eligibility criteria for this award include that the contributions will have to be at least five years old after it is generally available to marketing academics or students, by publication or otherwise. The five-year time frame allows for perspective and ensures that the award honors contributions that have stood the test of time. The conferring of this award on Dr. Kumar only indicates the significant contribution and impact he has in the field of marketing.

The Converse awards are bestowed over a weekend-long symposium, which includes presentations by the winners and a discussion of the winner's contribution to be led by a discussant of the winner's choice. The dates for the Eighteenth Paul D. Converse Symposium are April 26-29, 2012, at the College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.