ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Internal Director
- President, Active International Holdings
A principal of the company, a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Leadership Team, Alan has direct responsibility for global strategic development …
A principal of the company, a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Leadership Team, Alan has direct responsibility for global strategic development as well as strategic oversight of Active's domestic and international media and non-media trading products, models and strategic partnerships.
Known for his innovation and creativity, Alan has developed trading programs and products that have become industry standards.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Thought Leadership Team
- CFO & Executive Director International Division
Job Titles:
- EVP & Chief Information Solutions Officer
As EVP, Chief Information Solutions Officer, Alex oversees information technology, data science, and MarTech innovation for Active and its subsidiaries. He is passionate about connecting brands with consumers via creative combinations of tech, data, and analytics and has led the development of patented solutions that power media strategy and performance for Active's clients. Alex leads the 40+ person Information Solutions team that is dedicated to leveraging technology to improve our offering and achieve company growth.
Job Titles:
- President of Agency Brands - North America President, Managing Director - Canada
- President, Managing Director for Active Canada
Bio
Andrew Bulmer is the President, Managing Director for Active Canada. In this role, Andrew is responsible for leading Active's Canadian Operations, as well as developing and implementing the company's long-term business strategies across the Canadian division.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Executive Chairman
- Executive Chairman of the Board
Bio
Along with Alan Elkin, Arthur co-founded Active International in 1984. Since its inception, the company has been recognized as the global leader in Corporate Trade and maintains a footprint in 12 countries.
Arthur co-founded Active International in 1984. Prior to co-founding Active, Art gained a reputation as one of the industry's most knowledgeable …
Arthur co-founded Active International in 1984.
Prior to co-founding Active, Art gained a reputation as one of the industry's most knowledgeable media experts. He held senior sales and management positions at four important broadcast companies: Seltel, Inc., Katz Communications, Field Communications and Kaiser Broadcasting.
Art has also made community involvement a priority. Through the company's Active Cares program, contributions have been made to over 600 charities since 1997.
Job Titles:
- EVP, Strategic Partnership Group
Bio
Bethany oversees Active's Strategic Partnership Group. In her role, she liaises across Active's media teams and business units to ultimately bring value to agencies and clients.
Job Titles:
- Global CEO
- President
- Internal Director
- President & CEO ( Global ) Dean Wilson / Global Chief Operating Officer
Bio
Bill joined Active in 2007, energized by the company's inventive concept and its potential to redefine corporate trade. Bill has brought more than 20 years marketing, advertising and sales leadership experience to Active.
Bill Georges is Active's President & Global CEO. Bill joined Active in 2007, energized by the company's inventive concept and its potential to redefine corporate …
Bill Georges is Active's President & Global CEO. Bill joined Active in 2007, energized by the company's inventive concept and its potential to redefine corporate trade. Bill has brought more than 20 years marketing, advertising and sales leadership experience to Active.
Bill was previously Senior Vice President, Advertising and Affiliate Sales for Comcast Networks and Senior Vice President at Liberty Media, spending more than 10 years at both companies.
Earlier in his career Bill played competitive tennis, competing at the U.S. Open and playing on the ATP Tennis Tour. After a sports-related injury, he transitioned to the business world, becoming Vice President of Sales and sponsorships for the ATP Tour.
Job Titles:
- Chief Investment Officer, US
Bio
A 25+ year veteran of Active, Bob oversees nearly 250 media and investment trade professionals across Video, Audio, Digital, OOH, and Print. He and his team work with large and small brands and agencies to deliver strategic integrated media campaigns. Bob's been on the board of the IRTS (International Radio & Television Society) for over 10 years, and in 2021, he was named to their Hall of Mentorship for his support of the organization's commitment to building future media leaders and fostering diversity within the industry.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Thought Leadership Team
- VP, Integrated Media / Active Entertainment
Bio
Carl's career in media spans 25 years, with foundational expertise in Broadcast and Cable TV buying. For over a decade, he has focused specifically on campaigns for film releases and television series. He's also known as a "walking IMDb" by his friends and family, often fielding texts looking for the name of "the guy who that was in that thing."
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Media Relations
Bio
Cecilia Barossi is Senior Vice President, Media Relations at Active International, where she partners with national media companies to create new opportunities for our clients. CeCe's built her career at Active, joining as a national broadcast assistant and taking on growing levels of responsibility during her 25+ years with the company.
Job Titles:
- SVP
- SVP, Strategy, Research & Planning
Bio
Corinne Casagrande is SVP, Strategy, Research & Planning. Corinne leverages her background in business analytics to identify pockets of opportunity, maximizing marketing investment for clients. She brings experience from both creative and performance media agencies, with a background in developing brand strategies, relaunching products, conducting consumer research, and writing integrated marketing plans for brands.
Bio
As SVP, Operations U.S., Dan focuses on productivity by leading the US budgeting, forecasting, and reporting functions. He also manages the risk of our trading positions by overseeing deal approvals and analyses. In his 15+ years at Active, he has held numerous positions, including VP of Risk Management and Business Operations, Director of Financial Media Operations, and Financial Analyst. Throughout his tenure, he has leveraged his experience in operations, finance, risk management, and media to create organizational efficiencies.
Job Titles:
- in 1995 As the International Media Director
- SVP, Dir. Int'L. Media & Account Management
Bio
Darren joined Active in 1995 as The International Media Director. In 2000 his scope grew to include international Client Management. In his role Darren is responsible for the growth and maintenance of our media relationships outside of the United States and for client partnerships and growth internationally. Although his home base is Pearl River and he works closely with the team there, he is fully focused on our international business.
Job Titles:
- Global Chief Operating Officer
- President & CEO ( Global ) Dean Wilson / Global Chief Operating Officer
As Global Chief Operating Officer, Dean is responsible for the day-to-day running of our businesses worldwide, focusing on the company's positioning in the marketplace, growth, operational excellence, and ongoing technology adoption.
Ms. Richman most recently served (2017-2018) as Executive Vice President, Brand, Revenue & Yield Management, Disney/ABC, to the President of Advertising Sales, Disney/ABC. In this …
Ms. Richman most recently served (2017-2018) as Executive Vice President, Brand, Revenue & Yield Management, Disney/ABC, reporting to the President of Advertising Sales, Disney/ABC. In this capacity, Debbie optimized and managed multi-platform business opportunities across the Disney/ABC portfolio. She lead dedicated daypart, programmatic and digital revenue teams, linking to the content across multiple platforms, including ABC Entertainment, Daytime, News, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Radio Disney and Freeform. This also included The Walt Disney Company's online, social and mobile offerings.
Debbie had previously served as the Senior Vice President of Primetime Sales for the ABC Television Network until 2017. Debbie joined ABC in April 2010 and reported directly to Geri Wang, President of Sales. Her responsibilities included the sale and stewardship of ABC Primetime and ABC Unified (the network's multi-platform program offering), the development of upfront and scatter to-market strategies for all dayparts and the management of key vendor relationships, including AMPAS, DCP and CMA.
Richman was previously Executive Vice President, Ad Sales, of Lifetime Networks, a position to which she was named in April 2008 . In her role, Richman oversaw all ad sales for Lifetime Television and Lifetime Movie Network - the two highest-rated women's networks - Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Digital (which includes myLifetime.com, LMN.tv, Roiworld.com, DressUpChallenge.com, MothersClick.com and LifetimeMoms.com), as well as Lifetime HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD and Lifetime On Demand.
Prior to joining Lifetime, Richman had been Managing Director, National Broadcast, at OMD since 2005. In this role, she was responsible for the annual purchase of $4B in media while authoring a number of industry "firsts." With her dedicated team of digital investment specialists (online, broadband, Tivo, HD, 3D and VOD), she crafted historic combined linear/digital Upfront with ABC Unlimited and MTV Networks. Richman pioneered exclusive product integration deals with both cable and broadcast networks that spanned OMD's client portfolio on both traditional television and emerging platforms.
Previously, Richman was Director of National Television at Optimum Media, which folded into OMD in 2002. While there, she managed the investment of billings for more than 40 blue-chip accounts, including Hershey, Universal Pictures, Mobil, Clorox, McDonald's, State Farm and JC Penney.
Richman also ran the Johnson & Johnson National Broadcast agency of record account while with two separate advertising agencies over the span of ten years. From 1988 to 1993, she was Vice President, Media Supervisor, at Young & Rubicam, and from 1993 to 1997, continued to oversee the J&J account as Vice President, Group Media Supervisor, with McCann-Erickson. She began her media career in 1984 at Ogilvy & Mather, where she worked on such accounts as Smith Barney, International Playtex, Duracell, Campbell's Soup and Hallmark.
A 2005 Advertising Age Woman to Watch, Richman graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She resides with her family in New York City.
In March of 2019, Erhardt Media Ventures was founded as a Global Advisory and investment entity with unparalleled experience access and insight into Advertising/Marketing, …
In March of 2019, Erhardt Media Ventures was founded as a Global Advisory and investment entity with unparalleled experience access and insight into Advertising/Marketing, Media, and Sports Key. Areas of expertise include first mover experience in streaming services for sports and entertainment, media monetization across multi-platform, cross media offerings enhanced advertising driven by data and content analytics. I also advise and serve on boards of private, public (sports wagering) companies that are across the entertainment, sports media and marketing industries.
Before joining Active in 1993, Gary was Chief Accounting Officer at In-Store Advertising, Inc. He began his career at KPMG, advancing to Senior Manager of Audit Services.
Gary is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the New York State Society of CPAs, and Financial Executives International. He is a Certified Global Management Accountant. His MBA from New York University followed graduation with highest honors from Northeastern University with a BS in Business Administration.
On a volunteer basis, Gary spent fifteen years as a National Trustee and Treasurer of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, worked with the Central Park Conservancy, and was a scout leader for ten years, during which 30 youths became Eagle Scouts.
Gary and his wife, Tina, are avid travelers and adventurers. Recently, Gary has successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and dove in the Galapagos Islands.
Gary Steinbeck is Chief Financial Officer. He oversees all of Active's global financial operations, treasury, and financial planning and analysis.
Job Titles:
- Global Chief People Officer
- Global People Officer
Bio
As Global People Officer Gemma focuses on creating an exceptional employee experience and developing high-performing teams. Prior to joining Active in 2011, Gemma held leadership positions in the advertising industry, including Hamblyn Media Selection, Digital Cinema Media, and Carlton Screen Advertising.
Bio
George joined Active International Australia in 2001 and opened Active India in 2006. In 2008 George relocated to New York and joined the Client Management team, where he is now Senior Vice President, Client Management.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Sales
Bio
Howard is a 24+ year veteran of Active, with extensive experience in developing and scaling Corporate Trade programs that deliver results. He has structured and customized over 250 financial transactions with Senior Finance, Marketing, and C-suite Executives at Fortune 50-1000 companies. His focus is on risk mitigation and creating "out of the box" solutions for purchasing various assets. Howard is the architect of Active's proprietary Bulk Gift Card Distribution Program, which has boosted sales for dozens of retailers.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Sales and Marketing Partnerships
Bio
Jeff has been with Active for over twenty years delivering value to new clients across industries including CPG, Telecom, Apparel and Retail. With a financial background from JP Morgan and Piper Jaffray, Jeff creates trade transactions that are value-driven from start to finish. He immerses himself into his clients' businesses, resulting in growth across brands and divisions. His knowledge about all aspects of trade makes him a valuable part of a transaction, from asset management to trade value utilization. Jeff's specialties include New Business Development, Client Management, Media Evaluation, Inventory Disposition.
Job Titles:
- SVP of Strategic Partners and Part
- SVP, Strategic Partners
Bio
Jeffrey Marder is the SVP of Strategic Partners and part of the executive team at Active International. Prior to his current 24 years at Active, Jeff was the General Manager for seven years with a major east coast apparel retailer. He spent the first 15 years of his career in his privately held retail business running operations with such responsibilities including, buying, planning and marketing. Jeff attended Kingsboro Community and continued education at NYU with a degree in Business Administration, Marketing and Management.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- SVP, Enterprise Risk Management
Bio
Jeffrey Pappas is Senior Vice President, Enterprise Risk Management. Jeff supports the Chief Risk Officer in managing Active International's risk profile regarding all sales opportunities throughout the organization. He is responsible for the financial analyses which helps determine the most profitable deal structure for the firm yet satisfies the client's needs.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Global Marketing Strategy & Planning
Bio
During his five years with Active, Jordan has consistently made a meaningful impact, rising from US Sales Marketing Director to his current role as SVP, Global Marketing Strategy & Planning. In this position, he collaborates with cross-functional teams, driving remarkable business growth across the organization.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Strategic Partnership Group
Bio
Judy joined Active in May, 2018. Judy began her career at BBDO, NY. She then worked as a Senior Account Executive at the ABC Network Television for 9 years across the Sports and Entertainment Divisions before joining Univision Spanish Language Network and spent ten years there rising up to be EVP, Sales, Marketing & Research. Judy also ran Sales and Marketing for several companies including Newscorp and EstrellaTV before joining Active International.
Kevin Farkas - Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Risk Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Commercial Officer
- Chief Risk Officer
Bio
An Active veteran since 1996, Kevin has spent most of his career in financial roles focused on risk and business growth management. After several successful years serving as Controller of Active's U.S. operations, Kevin was tapped to integrate with Active's sales team, creating a new role designed to infuse additional value into Active's Trading model.
Job Titles:
- Global Chief Marketing Officer
- Global Chief Marketing Officer With
Kimberly Armstrong is the Global Chief Marketing Officer with Active International. Kimberly oversees the strategic growth of the Active International house of brands globally.
Connect
Kimberly.Armstrong@activeinternational.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Managing Director for Involved Media
- SVP, Managing Director Involved Media
Bio
Kristi is SVP, Managing Director for Involved Media. She is an experienced executive, skilled in marketing, media and client management.
Job Titles:
- EVP Global Financial Planning & Analysis
Bio
Initiating her time at Active in 2003, Lana is an ACCA-qualified accountant and holds a master's degree, with distinction in International Economics and an MBA. In May 2016, Lana was given the responsibility of Strategic Planning for Active's International division, which eventually became a Global FP&A role in 2018 with the inclusion of the US Operations. Lana is responsible for the roll out of various finance focused, operational processes across the company.
Bio
As EVP Global Operations, Liz finds efficiencies and increases effectiveness across the entire organization, leading to improved decision-making at all levels. Her unique understanding of media, technology, and finance provides her with the tools for success. Likewise, the solutions she creates are a careful balance between what the business can afford, our internal needs, and what our clients require.
Bio
As SVP, Total Rewards, Marie designs, implements and manages the Total Rewards programs, including Health and Wellness, Benefits/401(k), Equity, Compensation, Payroll, and Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS). Marie ensures that the programs address the holistic needs of all employees while supporting the company's business objectives and meeting legal/compliance requirements.
Having escaped a life in accountancy, Mark started his career in the advertising sales teams of Granada TV and Thames TV, parts of the ITV network. He moved to the …
Having escaped a life in accountancy, Mark started his career in the advertising sales teams of Granada TV and Thames TV, parts of the ITV network. He moved to the agency side as Group Head of Planning and Buying at Geers Gross and then Director of Planning and Buying at Austin West Media, sitting on the industry board of the Association of Media Independents.
In 1990 Mark moved to Sky Television two weeks prior to the merger with their rival BSB. He stayed there for 14 years rising to Director of Sales. In addition to Sky's channels, his team represented Paramount, Nickelodeon, Arts and Entertainment, Discovery, and National Geographic across multiple platforms. During his time at Sky, he was the business owner of the Interactive Advertising (Red Button) Launch Project and worked on two Fundamental Business Reviews of the company, alongside Ernst and Young and Anderson Consulting (Accenture). He was a founder member of the group that became Thinkbox, the TV industry's trade body, and sat on the 2003 committee of the Edinburgh International Television Festival.
In 2005 he became Vice President of Sales for Yahoo! Across Europe generating all display advertising revenues for the company in the region. He is on the Executive Committee of the IAB and the European Interactive Advertising Association.
He joined News Group Newspapers in August 2006. In his role as Media Director was responsible for all advertising revenues across print, online, and mobile for The Sun and The News of the World.
Mark has been president of the advertising industry's Solus Club welcoming, amongst others, Sir Martin Sorrell and Lord Sebastian Coe as his event speakers. He captained the industry's golf society, SW1GS in 2021.
He joined Active International as Managing Director of the UK on 29th February 2012, which made celebrating annual anniversaries somewhat tricky. He is proud to have built a first-rate team that enjoyed significant growth in revenues and clients, introducing programme finance, digital signage, and energy utilities into the Active model for the benefit of media partners. He stepped down from the UK team at the end of 2020, joining the Active International board of directors as an advisor.
He loves spending time with his wife Louise and grown-up children Lauren, Benedict, and Joshua. Downtime is spent traveling, hiking, playing golf (poorly), and watching cricket and rugby. His guilty pleasure for the last 30 years has been playing in his rock band, The Breaks.
Job Titles:
- Advisor to the Executive Chairman
Mr. Lazar has served as one of our directors since his appointment in 1998. He was the founder of Lazar Levine & Felix LLP, certified public accountants, was its managing …
Mr. Lazar has served as one of our directors since his appointment in 1998. He was the founder of Lazar Levine & Felix LLP, certified public accountants, was its managing partner from 1969 until 2002, and continued as a member of the firm, now known as Baker Tilly, LLC, until his retirement in 2014. Mr. Lazar specializes in business valuations and merger and acquisition activities.
As the managing partner of a certified public accounting firm for over 30 years, a member of the board of directors of a New York Stock Exchange REIT company and the chairman of its audit committee and a former member of the audit committee of a large biotechnology company, Mr. Lazar has extensive accounting and financial expertise in a variety of businesses, which lead the Board of Directors to conclude that Mr. Lazar should serve as a director of the Company and as Chair of the Audit Committee.
Mr. Lazar received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the City College of New York in 1960 and completed the Principles of Business Valuations of the American Society of Appraisers. He received his accreditation in Business Valuation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1988. Mr. Lazar's certified public accounting firm was an early member of the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board. Mr. Lazar is a life member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and he has served on their various committees.
Melissa joined Active in 2016, as EVP, National Media. Prior to that, she was Executive Vice President, Channel Investments at Havas Media. Melissa resides in Westchester County with her husband and son.
Job Titles:
- EVP Local Activation and Media Innovation
Bio
Melissa, a 15+ year veteran of Active, leads investment across Video, Audio, OOH, Direct Response, Digital Direct, and Active's Private Marketplace. She also heads the team that conceived and launched our proprietary video marketplace network across broadcast, cable, and streaming. Her role spans sales, buying, and strategic development. Melissa's expertise extends to product development, having secured a patent for the technology pivotal to our operations.
Melissa's industry impact was recognized in 2020 when she was named a Top Women in Media honoree by Cynopsis, for her role as an "innovator and disruptor", challenging the status quo and pushing the industry forward.
Job Titles:
- Chief Digital Officer
- Global Chief Digital Officer / EVP Digital
Bio
Michael Dobson is Global Chief Digital Officer at Active, and EVP, Digital, at Involved Media, Active's full-service, global media agency. Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to the team, with both agency and client-side experience implementing marketing initiatives. As our digital practice lead, Michael sorts out the signals from the noise, to build repeatable results-driven media campaigns.
Bio
Michael Dobson is the Global Chief Digital Officer, where he leads the company's digital transformation and innovation agenda worldwide. With deep expertise across both agency and client brand, he has a proven track record of designing and implementing marketing strategies that drive measurable business growth.
Michael spearheads the development of next-generation digital products and solutions, positioning the organization at the forefront of an evolving media landscape. His leadership in biddable media-spanning programmatic, social, search, retail, and influencer marketing-continues to push boundaries and elevate how brands connect with consumers.
Job Titles:
- SVP Finance, International Management
Bio
In her current position as Senior Vice President, Finance - International Management, she works alongside the International CFO overseeing the Finance functions of the International Division as well as additional finance support for the international executive teams around the globe. She acts as the key liaison between the international division and the corporate office on financial reporting.
Before joining Active, Nick was a litigator in the New York office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he helped corporate clients across the country and around the world navigate some of their most pressing challenges. Nick's practice was focused primarily on the areas of complex commercial contracts, corporate governance, employment, insurance, and white-collar and regulatory defense.
Nick used to have hobbies; now he has kids.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Global Brand & Creative
Bio
Pauline Bernfeld is the SVP Global Brand & Creative with Active International. Pauline oversees the Creative services team for the Active group of companies globally.
Bio
Robert Pankuck joined Active in 2009 and is the Executive Vice President of Sales. Bob and his team are entrusted with overseeing Active's front-line sales strategy and fostering engagement with potential clients. Before assuming his current role, he led Active's Client Management team.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Strategic Partnerships Group
Bio
Shawn has been at Active International for 24 years, starting as a Senior Media Buyer in the Local Group. He became an Account Director in 2001 and in 2007 became Director of Client Services.
A global business leader, Sir Bryan Nicholson GBE ran the main European operations for Xerox before serving on company boards as chairman and non-executive director …
A global business leader, Sir Bryan Nicholson GBE ran the main European operations for Xerox before serving on company boards as chairman and non-executive director and as President of the Confederation of British Industry (CPI). Sir Bryan is active in UK public life, chairing national public bodies in the fields of manpower, education, and financial regulation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- SVP, Direct Response Media
Bio
Tom Turner is Senior Vice President, Direct Response Media. Coming to Active in 2010, he is responsible for overseeing all DR media placements on behalf of Active's clients, which has quickly became one of the fastest growing initiatives at the Company.
Bio
As SVP, Employee Experience, Tim focuses on attracting top external talent and creating an environment where people can grow and thrive in their careers. Prior to joining Active, Tim held leadership roles at Rent the Runway and Bloomingdale's.
Job Titles:
- SVP, Sales & Marketing Partnerships
Bio
Tom is a key member of Sales and New Business, where he works to introduce, onboard, and execute many partners' initial engagements with Active. Since joining the organization in 2019, he has been tasked with managing the Sports Marketing practice, where he works with brands, properties, and agencies to help them leverage Active's unique value proposition and deep industry relationships to support various business needs.
Job Titles:
- Independent Director
- Board Member of Global Fashion Group S.a
Victor has extensive experience in corporate management and business operations in the consumables industry. From 2015 to 2019 Mr. Herrero served as the chief executive …
Victor has extensive experience in corporate management and business operations in the consumables industry. From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Herrero served as the chief executive officer and director of Guess Inc, which is principally engaged in designing, marketing, distributing and licensing a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, denim, handbags, watches, footwear and other related consumer products around the world. Prior to joining Guess Inc, Victor served as the head of Asia Pacific and managing director of Greater China of Industria de Diseño Textil, S.A. (Inditex Group), an international fashion retailer with brands including Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka and Stradivarius.
In addition to Active International, Victor is a board member of Global Fashion Group S.A., (e-commerce fashion site operator and owner of Zalora and The Iconic among others, the shares of which are listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange), G-III Apparel Group, Ltd (US manufacturer and distributor operating through a portfolio of brands, the shares of which are listed on NASDAQ) and Gruppo Coppel (Mexican consumer finance and retail conglomerate) and Clarks (British based international shoe manufacturer and retailer)
Victor graduated with a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from ESCP Europe in Paris, France in 1992 and a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Zaragoza in Spain in 1993. He was also awarded "Best CEO in the Sustainable Apparel Industry" in 2018 by European CEO Magazine.