Management

Bob Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Schwartz is a Board Member and currently interim CEO of Portero (The Authenticated Luxury Market) and is also the Founding Partner of the SchwartzGroup, a firm that provides consulting and interim leadership to consumer Internet and eCommerce growth companies / brands and their investors. Mr. Schwartz was recently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Clearstone Venture Partners in Los Angeles. Mr Schwartz has established himself as a builder of consumer-facing internet companies and brands with a more than 20 year track record of successfully building companies delivering over $1 billion in revenue, achieving top web site rankings, and category leadership in diverse areas such as fashion, shoes, paid content, luxury goods and personal computers. His career includes: President of USSearch.com (SRCH), where he turned this public company around and into the leader in paid on-line content, eventually merging it to form First Advantage (FADV); Managing Director of eColony, Internet Capital Group's (ICGE) early stage incubator; Founder and GM of Nordstrom.com, where he built the leading fashion apparel Internet company and led the venture funded spin-off from Nordstrom Inc; and the youngest Vice President for leading consumer PC manufacturer Packard Bell Computers, where he built two consumer direct divisions. At the SchwartzGroup he serves as an consultant, advisor and interim executive to multiple fast growth consumer Internet companies, leveraging his consumer technology experience to guide companies through their growth stage by crafting growth strategies and product development innovations, establishing key partnerships, driving customer acquisition, and securing financing. Bob is a speaker and thought leader on eCommerce and the challenges and opportunities of luxury brands on the internet. He graduated from the University of Washington where he earned his degree in Economics.

William R. Engles, Jr., Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Engles has 20 years of operating and financial transaction experience as a senior manager and an investment banker. He joined Portero from Palisades Associates, a merchant banking firm, where, in addition to assisting in identifying, evaluating, and consummating transactions, he was responsible for the finance operations and for implementing a number of operational initiatives at a $100 million portfolio company. Prior to that, Mr. Engles was the CFO of Synergy Technologies, a publicly-traded early-stage oil and gas technology company, where he helped engineer a successful reorganization and subsequent sale of the company. Before joining Synergy, he served as the CFO of PartMiner, Inc., which operates the leading business-to-business online marketplace in the semiconductor industry. Prior to these operating roles, Mr. Engles spent 13 years as an investment banker, at Bear Stearns and Salomon Brothers, where he advised clients in the media, telecommunications, and technology industries. Mr. Engles holds MBA and JD degrees from the University of Chicago and an AB in economics from Harvard College.

Steven Francia, Chief Information Officer

With over 13 years experience as a technology leader and implementor, Steve has built and led teams, served as principal architect, and built web applications using varied technologies. Starting in 1995, Mr. Francia has been part of all three Internet revolutions, beginning with search; Steve built an early localized search engine serving the Tri-State area, Ctsearch.com. Following that, he pioneered e-commerce by implementing the Intershop platform for eBags, an international luggage company. In 2000, founded a consulting firm (Supernerd) whose clients included Priceline,com, Toyota, Real Salt Lake and HealthMinded. Solutions included an affiliate program and corresponding system for Priceline.com, Search Engine Optimization [SEO] and Content Management Systems [CMS] and multilingual e-commerce platforms. In 2005 Mr. Francia was appointed as CTO for ConnectU, the original college social network looking to reinvent itself after Facebook cornered the college market. Most recently, Steve joined Takkle.com as one of the original 6 employees, and led it’s development team to launch and through 300,000 registered users. He has an extensive background on the Internet particularly with e-commerce and social networks. Architected the Zoop Framework, the first OO, and first AJAX framework for PHP. Mr. Francia holds a BA from Brigham Young University in Philosophy, where he created and taught a course on dynamic web development.

Allison Keisman, Vice President, Marketing

With over 14 years marketing experience, Allison Keisman is an Internet veteran who has played a variety of leading roles in traditional retail marketing, e-commerce, and direct marketing. She started her career in corporate marketing for Saks Fifth Avenue; and in 1996, she launched the store's first ecommerce website. In 1997, she co-founded Shop.org (now owned by the National Retail Federation), as well as planned the industry's first e-retailing conference. Her e-commerce marketing experience is vast and includes stints at NetGrocer and HomeClick.com (as the VP Marketing in 2001 where she contributed significantly to the turnaround of a near bankrupt online luxury home furnishing retailer to profitability). In 2003, she founded Customer Finders, a consultancy which helped provide many top companies and internet start-ups (including Spa Finder, Mothernature, The New York Times and Home Décor Products, aka HomeClick.com) with effective customer-centric acquisition and retention marketing strategies in order to build successful e-commerce businesses. Keisman holds a M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications and Direct Marketing from Northwestern University and a B.B.A in Marketing from The George Washington University.

Board of Directors

Michael L. Sheldon, Chairman & Founder, Portero

Mr. Sheldon has spent the past 20 years in venture capital, private equity, and high technology. He is a veteran executive, having been involved in over 80 portfolio companies worldwide, including 15 boards, representing a combined initial portfolio value of approximately $600 million. Mr. Sheldon served most recently as president of ETF Group, where he was actively involved in the firm's US companies, including eWork Exchange, Beast Financial Services, Commerce One, eFusion, Panacya, and Hotspot FX. Prior to ETF, Mr. Sheldon founded and led the international private equity business for Trust Company of the West, where he built joint venture offices in India, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina and established the firm's cross-border private equity investment strategy. Mr. Sheldon has also had significant positions in sales at Hewlett-Packard and investment banking at Merrill Lynch. He holds an MBA from the Amos Tuck School, and a BS in Engineering/Computer Science from Northwestern University.

Jon Brilliant, Atelier Fund

Mr. Brilliant, as one of three partners, helped launch in early 2006 the Atelier Fund, a private equity fund focused on the luxury goods marketplace. Prior to this Mr. Brilliant was the Managing Director for the US operations of Syntek Capital AG, a €400 million European private equity fund with offices in Munich, Milan, Tel Aviv that invested in media and technology companies. Before joining Syntek, Mr. Brilliant was Director of Business Development at Harrods in London, where he was responsible for worldwide business development, strategy, and eCommerce and oversaw aspects of the personal portfolio of private companies of the owner of Harrods. Before Harrods, Mr. Brilliant was the Chief Web Officer of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., currently the 17th largest privately held company in the United States (over $9.0 billion in revenue), where he was responsible for overall Internet strategy and development. In addition to being on the board of Portero, Mr. Brilliant sits on the board of Adam+Eve, Harrys of London, Mary Norton, Kaenon, C2Media, and WellDoc Communications. Mr. Brilliant previously served on the board of directors of WildBrain and eCommLink.

Douglas Dunnan, The Grosvenor Funds

Mr. Dunnan is a Managing Partner of The Grosvenor Funds, which he co-founded in 1994. Over the past 12 years, Mr. Dunnan and his partners have made over 60 venture capital investments. They are currently investing their fourth fund with a focus on early stage technology companies addressing large market opportunities. Prior to co-founding Grosvenor, Mr. Dunnan spent 10 years at Salomon Brothers. After six years in corporate finance covering technology and media companies, he spent two years on the Chairman's strategic planning staff. Then during his final two years at Salomon, he headed the private placement of equity. Mr. Dunnan graduated from Cornell University, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago Business School. He also practiced law with the Kirkland & Ellis venture group in Chicago from 1980 to 1982.

Bob Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer, Portero

Mr. Schwartz the founder of SchwartzGroup, a consulting firm focused on building great on-line brands at the intersection of Commerce, Media and is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Clearstone Venture Partners in Los Angeles. Mr Schwartz has established himself as a builder of consumer-facing internet companies and brands with a more than 20 year track record of successfully building companies delivering over $1 billion in revenue, achieving top web site rankings, and category leadership in diverse areas such as fashion, shoes, paid content, and personal computers. His career includes: President of USSearch.com (SRCH), where he turned the company around and into the leader in paid content, eventually merging it to form First Advantage (FADV); Managing Director of eColony, Internet Capital Group's (ICGE) early stage incubator; Founder and GM of Nordstrom.com, where he built the leading fashion apparel Internet company and led the venture funded spin-off from Nordstrom Inc; and the youngest Vice President for leading consumer PC manufacturer Packard Bell Computers, where he built two consumer direct divisions. At the SchwartzGroup he serves as an advisor and interim executive to multiple fast growth consumer Internet companies, leveraging his consumer technology experience to guide companies through their growth stage by crafting growth strategies and product development innovations, establishing key partnerships, driving customer acquisition, and securing financing. Bob is a frequent speaker on eCommerce, Internet Media and Brands. He graduated from the University of Washington where he earned his degree in Economics.

Frank Vivier, Richemont SA

Over the past 20 years, Frank Vivier has operated in the international world of e-commerce, business process re-engineering and business start-ups. In his current role as Group Director e-Business & Projects for Richemont SA he is responsible for the development of e-Retailing strategies and new business development projects for Richemont. He is also Chief Executive Officer of Compagnie Financière Richemont's venture capital entity Columbus VC. Previously, he worked as a consultant specializing in strategy and business process re-engineering. In addition he has played an entrepreneurial role developing new companies including CommsCo and Destiny E-Commerce (Pty) Ltd, both organizations that provided e-commerce and creative business solutions to international companies. Frank Vivier has a B.Mil from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, a B.A Hons in Strategic Studies Cum Laude from the University of Natal and MBL from the University of South Africa.

Martha Wikstrom, Atelier Fund

Ms. Wikstrom has an extensive background in retailing and the luxury goods industry. From 1981 to 1999, Ms. Wikstrom was affiliated with Nordstrom's, one of America's leading specialty retailers, rising from sales person to President of the Nordstrom's Full Line Store Group. Ms. Wikstrom was formerly a Managing Director of Harrods, Ltd., and a Board Director of Harrods Holdings, Ltd. and Harrods Estates. She was also the interim CEO and a Board Director of Kurt Geiger Ltd. She is a founding partner in Atelier Management, LLC, specialising in the acquisition and development of luxury brands. Ms. Wikstrom is a Non-Executive Director of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA as well as Bally International Ltd. In addition, she sits as the Chairman of the Board of Harrys of London, Ltd. She resides in London with her husband and son.

Leslie Frécon, LFE Capital

Prior to founding LFE Capital, Ms. Frécon was senior vice president, corporate finance, at General Mills, where she held management positions in corporate finance and operations. Her success as a business executive leading operating teams and executing business transactions, together with her appreciation for an underserved and growing segment of the small business market, formed the basis for her first fund. Prior to her almost 17 years at General Mills, Ms. Frécon was a corporate lending officer at Bank of America in Los Angeles. Ms. Frécon is a director of The Ryland Group, a NYSE company and one of the nation’s largest homebuilders. She is a director of Portero, M.A. Gedney, and Avant Healthcare, LFE Capital portfolio companies. She is also a director of Associated Packaging Company, a Castle Harlan portfolio company. Ms. Frécon is an executive board member of the Greater Twin Cities United Way. She is an advisory board member of the Center for Women’s Business Research in Washington, D.C. and WomenVenture, a Minnesota non-profit agency. Ms. Frecon is also a member of the Minnesota Women's Economic Roundtable and the Women Presidents' Organization. She holds an M.B.A. in finance from UCLA and a B.A. with distinction from Stanford University.