Michael Fertik, Chief Executive Officer

Michael Fertik is a repeat Internet entrepreneur and CEO with experience in technology and law. He founded ReputationDefender in 2006 with the belief that citizens have the right to control and protect their online reputation and privacy. In his capacity as CEO and position on the advisory board of The Internet Keepsafe Coalition (iKeepSafe), a non-profit that works to protect the health and safety of youth online, Michael is regarded as the pioneer of online reputation management and the foremost expert on issues of online privacy. Michael authored the forthcoming book Wild West 2.0, and lectures internationally in front of professionals, students, school administrators and parents. Prior to founding ReputationDefender, Michael clerked for Chief Judge Danny J. Boggs of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals of the United States. Michael is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, speaks several languages and enjoys sailing, reading and running.

Owen Tripp, Chief Operating Officer

Fluent in Internet search technologies, data mining and analytical marketing, Owen Tripp co-founded ReputationDefender in 2006 and now serves as its COO. Responsible for the breadth of the company’s revenue platform, his duties span sales, business development and partnerships, corporate development, and company operations. Prior to joining ReputationDefender, Mr. Tripp created the user intelligence team at eBay, breaking new ground in systems for identity management, next generation product finding, and keyword search optimization. An alumnus of Accenture, Mr. Tripp architected large-scale operations centers in the US and the Philippines during his time with the consultancy. Mr. Tripp holds a BA with Honors in Spanish Literature from Trinity College and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business; outside of the office, he enjoys the culinary arts, wine collecting, and reading.

Terrence Sweeney, Chief Marketing Officer

Terrence Sweeney is an accomplished subscription marketer and branding expert. He was previously the VP of Multi-Product Marketing & Competitive Strategy for the Comcast Corporation. He was responsible for the packaging, pricing, positioning and branding of bundles of Comcast services (aka The Triple Play). Terrence also led customer acquisition and retention efforts for the company and developed the award-winning "It's Comcastic!" advertising campaign. Prior to Comcast, he was VP of Marketing at Sirius Satellite Radio in its start-up phase as well as the Director of Advertising & Communications for British Airways. Terrence has also worked at a number of global marketing agencies including BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi and TPMG Media Innovation where he managed branding, advertising, media and promotions for clients like Gillette, FedEx, HBO, Dish Network and General Mills. He received a BA with honors from Amherst College.

Tom Dignan, Vice President of Engineering

As Vice President of Engineering, Tom Dignan leads ReputationDefender’s technology and development team. Prior to joining the company, Dr. Dignan was Vice President of Engineering at Hands-on Mobile, where he managed a cross-functional international team responsible for building infrastructure and applications for mobile devices. Dr. Dignan has also led engineering teams at Yahoo!, Earthlink and Excite@Home and possesses proven expertise in architecting large-scale consumer Internet systems. A graduate of San Francisco State University, Dr. Dignan received his Ph.D. in high-energy physics from Harvard University and has spent time at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center as a postdoctoral scholar.

Dorothy Colantuono, Vice President of Operations

As Vice President of Operations, Dorothy Colantuono brings an extensive background in Internet and software operations management to ReputationDefender. Prior to joining ReputationDefender, Ms. Colantuono served as a Vice President with Internet infrastructure provider VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN). As Vice President & Chief of Staff to the CEO, Ms. Colantuono directed corporate operations and managed the execution of core corporate initiatives. During her tenure at VeriSign, Ms. Colantuono was instrumental in the development and execution of an international expansion strategy and a divestiture and strategic investment operating plan transforming the company to three core business units. Before joining VeriSign, she served in a number of executive capacities with various Internet and software companies. Ms. Colantuono holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Joe Jose, Vice President of Sales

Joe Jose is a proven sales executive with over 20 years of success in the hi-tech industry. Joe has been recognized as a leader in developing strong, recurring revenue at Oracle, Novell, Netscape, VeriSign and Audatex (a former division of ADP). Joe is an expert at building top performing sales teams from the ground-up; as Division Vice President of Sales at VeriSign, Joe built, managed and led one of the most profitable sales organizations within the company. During his 5-year tenure, sales in his department grew from zero to over $60 million dollars in annual SaaS contract revenue. Prior to VeriSign, Joe was Director of Sales at Netscape Communications where he built a team chartered to sell and market Netscape’s Internet, Intranet and Extranet solutions to federal and public sector accounts. Joe holds an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

David Thompson, General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer

David Thompson has deep experience in Internet technology and the law. His commercial background began with founding his first Internet business in 1996 and continued after college through serving as a management consultant to Fortune 500 companies--including advising on the launch of an extension of a $2 billion / year pharmaceutical. Highlights of his legal experience include clerking for Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit and clerking for Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court of the United States. David is a graduate of Yale University and Stanford Law School, where he was order of the coif and salutatorian. David is the co-author of the forthcoming book Wild West 2.0.

Brent Franson, Senior Director of Advanced Client Solutions

Brent Franson is a recognized search engine-marketing authority with a proven track record of creating powerful online search marketing strategies. Before coming to ReputationDefender, he founded and built a successful global full-service search engine-marketing firm, with offices in Mountain View, Denver, Philadelphia, and Bangalore, India. In his current role as Director of ReputationDefender's MyEdge Client Solutions, he uses his decade of experience in search marketing strategy and deep search algorithm expertise to manage and maintain our clients' online reputations.

Bart Munro, Director of Product Management

Bart Munro holds extensive internet technology product management experience, including work with Microsoft, CNET, Dialpad (Yahoo Voice), and eBay. His strengths include leading large and complex initiatives, establishing robust product vision, and creating highly innovative solutions. He has led projects in search, catalog and data management, new market launches, cross-border trade, and retail analytics. Mr. Munro is a founding member of rēp, a non-profit organization focused on transforming developing societies through business. He holds his MBA from Stanford and BS in Engineering from Princeton University. He is a native Texan, and loves to rock climb, snowboard, and backpack.

Stefanie Peters, Director of European Business Development

Prior to joining the ReputationDefender team, Stefanie Peters set up the German business for Jajah Inc., signing strategic partnerships with top online/media players. She also managed the operational business of be2, a leading online matchmaking company, in the German-speaking region. Prior to this, Mrs. Peters was a Principal at the Boston Consulting Group in Germany and the U.S., where she acquired strong expertise in the Internet and media business. Before BCG, Stefanie Peters gained her MBA at INSEAD and worked as a consultant for Accenture.

Ross Chanin, Director of Analysis & Planning

Ross Chanin has deep experience in emerging markets analysis and growth-company operations and finance. He co-founded ReputationDefender in 2006 and now serves as its Director of Analysis and Planning. In this capacity, he is responsible for working with departments across the company to organize and plan for growth. Prior to ReputationDefender, Ross worked as presidential campaign speechwriter and civic advocate. He remains civically engaged as a Truman Fellow and founder of the American Constitution Society's Bay Area Networking Development (ACS BAND). Ross is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, and Stanford Law School.

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