JIM LONERGAN
CEO & President
Jim serves as CEO and President of Synaptic Digital and has over 20 years experience in managing and growing media and information services companies. Before leading Synaptic Digital, he was Executive Chairman of publishing company Sports Information Group. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of media and financial publishing company TheStreet.com. During his seven years of leadership, TheStreet.com became one of the premier consumer and professional financial brands leveraging the Web and video into a highly successful subscription and advertising business.
Jim also served as Chief Operating Officer of financial media company Worldly Investor and was Chief Operating Officer of Thomson Financial Investor Relations. Earlier, Jim served as Chief Operating Officer of Technimetrics, an information & marketing services company. Jim was instrumental in growing the business from a start-up into a high growth, very profitable business prior to selling the company to Thomson Financial. Jim began his career in investment management, working in sales and marketing at Alliance Capital and SunAmerica Asset Management.
Jim serves on the boards of Sports Information Group and ManagementCV Inc. He currently resides in Chatham, New Jersey with his wife Mary and five children, serving as Councilman for his town.
NICK ABRAMOVICH
Chief Operating Officer
Nick is responsible for global operations, financial management and strategy at Synaptic Digital. Nick started his career at Coopers & Lybrand’s International Strategy and Planning Group and then went on to become a principal at The Bosworth Group, a boutique consultancy providing quantitative and strategy support to senior level management in the financial services industry.
Nick was later recruited by MetLife through its acquisition of The Bosworth Group to build an internal consulting capability responsible for database marketing, quantitative analysis, and strategic planning. He was later promoted to also oversee MetLife’s customer relationship management (CRM) and e-Business activities. Prior to joining Synaptic Digital’s predecessor, The NewsMarket as Chief Operating Officer, he was the CFO and Chief Operating Officer of MoveOnIn.com, a New York-based start-up in the online real estate sector, leading that company through two major acquisitions and restructuring efforts.
Nick earned his undergraduate degree from Tulane University and his MBA from Columbia University. He is also fluent in Russian.
KRISH MENON
Chief Technology Officer
Krish leads and manages all aspects of Synaptic Digital’s technology department and product development, also overseeing the company’s award-winning distribution platform, www.thenewsmarket.com. He joined the company in 2002 from Zensar Technologies, the leading software solutions provider in India and a joint venture with Fujitsu (UK) and RPG Enterprises, where he was a Web architect and project manager. At Zensar Technologies, Krish designed, managed and led multiple software projects for global customers such as Microsoft, Fujitsu and AskMe Corporation. He brings a deep understanding of Web-based technologies and experience delivering cutting-edge business applications and products to the global marketplace.
TOM MORRISSY
EVP, North American Sales
Tom runs Synaptic Digital’s sales and client relations teams in the U.S. Tom brings 20 years of media and entertainment sales and marketing experience to Synaptic Digital. Prior to joining the team, Tom ran his media and entertainment consultancy firm, Morrissy + Vine LLC, with clients specializing in online video, social media, branded entertainment, cloud research technology and consumer events.
After stints in sales and sales management at Rodale Press, Tom worked at Entertainment Weekly magazine for 10 years where he eventually served as Publisher. Tom was instrumental in helping Entertainment Weekly become one of the most profitable properties in the Time Inc. portfolio with sales exceeding $250 million a year (Source: PIB). Tom helped launch numerous product extensions including EW.com and was instrumental in the development of their high profile entertainment event business. Tom was recruited as Publisher to work on the second phase of the launch of the U.S. edition of OK! Magazine in 2006 where he launched okmagazine.com and he helped double the company's revenues from $21.4 million to $45.1 million (Source: PIB) in a two-year period. Tom has strong relationships in the media and is a columnist on social media for Media Industry Newsletter.
MATT THOMSON
Managing Director, Europe
Matt runs Synaptic Digital’s European business out of London. He has 20 years of experience in marketing and communications and a career spanning speech writing, event management, sports marketing and public relations.
He started his career in 1990 at a London-based design firm, which after several name changes is now LBI, Europe’s largest digital agency. While at LBI, Matt closed business with companies such as Europcar, Whitbread and Minorco, and helped the firm evolve into a full-service events management business and later into an interactive & digital agency. In 1995 Matt joined Bulletin International, a broadcast PR firm which is now Ogilvy Broadcast, where he ran the new media department and oversaw accounts such as Motorola and Rolls-Royce.
Matt was part of the founding team behind The NewsMarket at its launch at the Sydney Olympics. He is listed on a U.S. Patent as one of six inventors of thenewsmarket.com platform, which is today used by journalists across the globe to access video content.
CAMILLA UNGER
VP, Asia Pacific
Camilla runs Synaptic Digital’s Asia Pacific business out of Beijing, China. She has more than 10 years of business development and sales experience and has for the last 3 years been part of establishing and operating businesses in China. Before joining Synaptic Digital in February 2010, Camilla served as the Country Director for Luup Limited’s representative office in China, an international mobile payment solution company. Prior to that Camilla served as Marketing Manager at Saifu, the Chinese department of Creditsafe Ltd, a credit and business information provider.
Camilla started her sales and marketing career working as a Key Account Manager and layout designer for a Norwegian publishing media company, Konseptforlaget As.
DANIEL WEBSTER
Senior VP, Media
Daniel is responsible for the media platform strategy and media relations at Synaptic Digital. Daniel started his career in media with BBC radio in Northern Ireland and then New York where he soon joined ABC World News. He then transitioned to local television management and worked in Colorado, Montana, Tennessee, Florida and then California as the News Director at the CBS owned and operated station in San Francisco.
He made the jump to online media as a founding member of The FeedRoom – a pioneer in online video – where in succession he ran news, product, and then business development for the company.
Daniel earned his degree in Development Studies at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.
SCOTT MICHAELOFF
Senior VP, Executive Producer
Scott is responsible for initiating creative content growth with Synaptic Digital’s corporate accounts. He develops new products and services to offer corporate accounts worldwide and builds broadcast and cable partnerships that leverage www.thenewsmarket.com’s diverse content.
Over the last 10 years at Synaptic Digital’s predecessor, Medialink, Scott created the Narrative Marketing platform and “In The Know” features seen nationally on television today. His Narrative Marketing concepts have been widely adopted by leading corporations and agencies nationwide. Scott is also credited with structuring long term content creation deals with corporate accounts including General Motors, Siemens, General Mills, Allstate, Merrill Lynch and Motorola.
Previously, Scott spent 14 years at the ABC-owned international news agency WTN. He served as Vice President specializing in live international news event coverage, international programming and syndication, news feed syndication, and new media development.
Before joining WTN, Scott held producer positions in news and sports. He has worked with several national cable networks including Showtime, The Movie Channel and MTV. Scott has also worked as a producer and consultant on several entertainment programs including Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Real TV and Extra.
ANDREW LIPSON
VP, Operations
Andrew is responsible for managing Synaptic Digital’s Operations departments. He oversees the production of live events, Webcasts, and video productions, as well as all online products, monitoring and reporting.
Previously, Andrew was a Partner in Image First Productions as well as the Founder and President of Iced Coffee Media, a company providing strategic and hands-on consulting to companies incorporating video into their online business practices.
Andrew has also worked at some of the largest U.S. media companies including Viacom, Scholastic and Cablevision where he managed groups creating video, videogame and web content and created company divisions to manage all technology products. He has expertise in all formats of content creation as well as distribution channels such as broadcast television, internet delivery, video on demand, and mobile.
RICHARD KELLNER
VP, Finance
Richard is responsible for managing the company’s finance and accounting functions. He joined Synaptic Digital’s predecessor, Medialink in 1997 as controller.
Previously, he was Senior Manager at Goldstein Golub Kessler & Company where he focused his public accounting experience on services organizations, including those in the public relations and advertising industries.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the State University at Albany and is a Certified Public Accountant.
JIM LONERGAN
CEO & President
Jim serves as CEO and President of Synaptic Digital and has over 20 years experience in managing and growing media and information services companies. Before leading Synaptic Digital, he was Executive Chairman of publishing company Sports Information Group. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of media and financial publishing company TheStreet.com. During his seven years of leadership, TheStreet.com became one of the premier consumer and professional financial brands leveraging the Web and video into a highly successful subscription and advertising business.
Jim also served as Chief Operating Officer of financial media company Worldly Investor and was Chief Operating Officer of Thomson Financial Investor Relations. Earlier, Jim served as Chief Operating Officer of Technimetrics, an information & marketing services company. Jim was instrumental in growing the business from a start-up into a high growth, very profitable business prior to selling the company to Thomson Financial. Jim began his career in investment management, working in sales and marketing at Alliance Capital and SunAmerica Asset Management.
Jim serves on the boards of Sports Information Group and ManagementCV Inc. He currently resides in Chatham, New Jersey with his wife Mary and five children, serving as Councilman for his town.
SCOTT ENGLISH
Hearst Interactive Media
Scott English oversees Hearst’s Strategic Investments group and pursues acquisitions for the corporation in digital media. He acts as a director or observer on the boards of a number of Hearst’s portfolio companies including Synaptic Digital, Gazillion, BuzzFeed, Wide Orbit, Brightcove and Pandora. Since joining Hearst, Scott has overseen investments in XM Satellite Radio, Quokka Sports, Star Media, Circles, and Sling Media.
English joined Hearst Interactive Media in 1995 and ran business development and strategy for Hearst's HomeArts.com network of magazine Websites. He moved into his current role at Hearst Interactive Media in 1999 after helping orchestrate the merger of HomeArts.com and Women.com (now iVillage). Prior to Hearst, English worked in the magazine division at Condé Nast.
English graduated with a B.A. from Trinity College and earned his MBA from Columbia Business School.
ANDREW HEYWARD
Andrew is a nationally known news executive and expert on the changing media landscape who joined the company’s Board in November 2006. He is a consultant to media companies and a senior advisor to Monitor Group, helping clients transform their businesses by using digital media to drive growth and revenue.
Heyward was President, CBS News, from January 1996 - November 2005. During that time, CBS News programming grew significantly in audience, regularly scheduled hours and profitability. Under Heyward’s leadership, CBS News’s tradition of journalistic quality and integrity was recognized with an extraordinary number of broadcast journalism’s most prestigious awards.
Heyward was a key driver behind CBS News’s move into new media. He also served as executive producer of THE CBS EVENING NEWS and developed and launched the weekly primetime program 48 HOURS. He has 12 national Emmy Awards.
Heyward graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a B.A. in History and Literature.
JORDAN LEVY
Softbank Capital
Jordan Levy is a partner at Softbank Capital, a $270MM fund focused on investments in the broadband and mobile computing space. Jordan's investments have included E*Trade, Cobalt Networks and GT Interactive and he currently serves on the Boards of CoKEM International, The ABC Companies, KickApps, HelpSettle, ZipList and serves as Chairman of Synacor. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation and on the Board of The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and Advisory Board of NYC Seed Inc.
Jordan was previously Managing Partner at Seed Capital Partners, an early stage venture fund and a founder of WinGroup, an early stage technology venture fund. Jordan is an experienced operating executive with an expertise in sales and marketing and the recipient of several industry awards including The Small Business Association's Entrepreneurial Success Award and INC. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
SHOBA PURUSHOTHAMAN
Shoba co-founded the predecessor to Synaptic Digital, The NewsMarket Inc. with Anthony Hayward in 2000 in New York. She served as CEO for nine years and is currently non-executive Chairman.
As CEO, she raised over $20 million in capital from angel, institutional and strategic investors including several Tier 1 venture funds. Under her leadership, The NewsMarket grew from a vision to establish a successful global footprint with operations in the US, Europe and Asia.
Shoba was instrumental in the Company’s rapid growth through successful acquisition, retention and expansion of Fortune 500 clients, governments and international institutions. Shoba and The NewsMarket won multiple awards for technology, business leadership and industry excellence. She was a business journalist for 9 years prior to becoming an entrepreneur with the establishment of a broadcast media consultancy in London, also with Anthony Hayward. Their first business was successfully acquired by a public company. Shoba exited day-to-day operations of The NewsMarket upon the successful acquisition of Medialink, a NASDAQ-listed leader in video public relations in the fall of 2009 but remains involved at board level.
DAVID SHNAIDER
Barn Ventures, LLC
David Shnaider is a partner in Barn Ventures, an Internet venture accelerator that provides strategic and business advice to early-stage Internet companies.
David has more than 20 years of experience in the development and management of interactive electronic services. He was responsible for online services strategy and development at Ziff-Davis for 10 years, where he founded and managed ZDNet, one of the world's most successful Internet sites. Before Ziff-Davis, David participated in the development of numerous interactive electronic services and was part of the team that founded the Prodigy online service. David began his career as a wire service journalist.
BRAD SVRLUGA
High Peaks Venture Partners, Inc.
A co-founder and Managing Director at High Peaks, Brad is an experienced venture capital investor and business advisor. At High Peaks he has led the firm’s successfully exited investments in Pump Audio (sold to Getty Images), Soft Sight (sold to Vistaprint) and Allworx (sold to PAETEC). He currently sits on the boards of Synaptic Digital, TicketFly, and Cloverhill Enterprises and is responsible for the firm’s investments in Flatworld Knowledge, TxVia, and Worktopia. Prior to High Peaks, Brad was a Partner with The Berkshires Capital Investors (BCI), the original fund in the Village Ventures network. Notable investments he was responsible for at BCI include HealthShare Technology (acquired by WebMD) and Profile Systems (acquired by AT&T).
Prior to his venture capital career, Brad was a senior consultant with the Monitor Group, a premier international strategy consulting firm. At Monitor he managed projects in the firm’s Cambridge, MA, South Africa, and Brazil offices, while focusing on M&A and new market opportunities advising as well as working with the leadership team of the firm’s marketing practice.
Brad is a graduate of Williams College, where he majored in economics and captained the rugby team. He serves on a number of private company and non-profit boards and is a frequent speaker and panelist at venture capital conferences and events.