Mr. Gardner is responsible for finance and operations.
Mr. Gardner brings extensive sales, corporate development, strategic planning and business building expertise to the Advantage Communications team. In addition, he has either worked in, or consulted to, the telecommunications industry for the past 10 years. Before joining Advantage Communications in 2003, he served as the Vice President of Business Development for AllResearch, Inc., an Internet monitoring and corporate intelligence gathering ASP. While there, Mr. Gardner spearheaded domestic and international strategic alliances, distribution partnerships and content agreements, establishing relationships in North America, South America, Europe and Asia that expanded sales and distribution capabilities twenty-fold. Prior to AllResearch, Mr. Gardner worked as the Director of Business Development for SmartRay Networks, a mobile media portal sold to LifeMinders for $36 million in 2000. Mr. Gardner helped the business grow from 10 to over 25 employees and solidified over 30 deals with online content, e-commerce, location technology and mobile data partners. In addition, he initiated and managed all telecom relationships with over 15 carriers in both the US and Canada including Nextel, CenturyTel, Qwest, PageNet, and SaskTel. Earlier, as the General Manager of Chase Packaging Company's Fisher division, he initiated buying and selling from international sources, introduced new product lines and territories and developed new alliances that more than doubled revenue and profits, surpassing headquarters as the most profitable division company-wide. Mr. Gardner has an MBA in Finance and Management from NYU's Stern School of Business and a BA in English from the University of Vermont.
Mr. Rome is responsible for sales, marketing and distribution activities.
Mr. Rome has 14 years combined experience selling and delivering solutions primarily to the Financial Services sector. Prior to joining Advantage Communications, Mr. Rome was responsible for the Goldman Sachs and AIG relationships for Thomson Financial, a leading information services company. Before that, he was a Director of Client Relations with Sapient Corporation. While at Sapient, Mr. Rome generated and managed over $50 million in revenues during a four-year tenure, working with senior executives of such clients as AXA, Bessemer Trust, Deutsche Bank, Dow Jones, MasterCard International, and Prudential to deliver IT consulting services and solutions to a wide range of business and technology issues. Also while with Sapient, Mr. Rome was an integral part of the regional leadership team responsible for business planning, financial forecasting, quality assurance, and delivery excellence. Mr. Rome also spent two years as an Institutional Equity Sales representative with Toronto Dominion selling equity research and corporate finance products to various "buy-side" portfolio managers. Mr. Rome began his career with MetLife, spending seven years in various roles throughout MetLife (and eventually United HealthCare through a divestiture). His last assignment was as an Account Executive responsible for managing all aspects of selling and servicing employee medical benefit programs in the Philadelphia Region. Mr. Rome holds a Masters of Business Administration from New York University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Marc L. Baum is the General Counsel and a Partner of Offit Capital Advisors and a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Prior to joining Offit Capital Advisors, Mr. Baum was a Managing Director, the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Ramius LLC, which followed his role as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for The Seaport Group. Seaport was formed in the broker dealer subsidiary of the IPO Group where Mr. Baum served as the CEO and which published the IPO.com web site. Previously, Mr. Baum served as the Chief Legal Officer and Managing Director for compliance at T.D. Securities/The Toronto-Dominion Bank. Before T.D., Mr. Baum practiced capital markets law at J.P. Morgan Securities, Merrill Lynch and Salomon Brothers. Mr. Baum began his legal career as an associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson. Mr. Baum is an active member of the Managed Funds Association where he serves on the steering committees for the Hedge Fund Advisory Committee and the General Counsels’ Forum. In addition, Mr. Baum is a Trustee of American Jewish World Service and a Director of The NASDAQ Stock Market Educational Foundation, Inc. Mr. Baum received his B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard College, earned his M.Sc. from The London School of Economics and received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
John Burris is currently the President and CEO of The Burris Firm, a leading consultancy specializing in public policy consulting and public relations. Mr. Burris also sits on several boards, including the co-Chairmanship of Mediguide America. Mr. Burris has lead a distinguished and diverse career in politics and business. Early in his career Mr. Burris grew a small local auto and truck repair company into a multi-state $13 million per year business. Mr. Burris then went on to serve as the youngest Minority Leader ever to serve in the Delaware State Legislature. While in office, Mr. Burris fostered the legislation (Financial Center Development Act) that lead Delaware to become the leading center for the credit card industry (MBNA, First USA). Mr. Burris left office after several terms, and after several more successful years in private business, accepted the presidency of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce - he remains active with the Chamber since retiring in 2000. Mr. Burris continues to keep himself immersed and involved in politics and business through his consultancy and his relationships.
Michael is the first CEO and President of Capstar. He served on the Board of the Chauncey Group® (ETS® for-profit subsidiary) since its inception. He has over 20 years of experience directing, managing and developing new businesses. He specializes in the formation of new companies, mergers, acquisitions, business development and technology. Fitton was the founder and former President of Unified Systems Solutions and has previously held executive positions with General Logistics International and Computer Horizon Corp.
In October 2002, Herb Gardner and Bill Barrett co-founded Barrett-Gardner Associates (BGA) which specializes in corporate finance and merchant banking. Prior to that for 27 years they co-managed the New York corporate finance division (NYCF) of Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC (JMS) and one of its predecessors where they were Senior Vice Presidents. JMS is a leading regional securities and financial services company wholly owned by PennMutual Life Insurance Co. Mr. Gardner is currently Chairman of the Board of Supreme Industries, Inc., a specialized truck body and bus manufacturer, and is a director of the following public companies: Rewards Network, Inc., a leading provider of dining and other rewards programs; Nu-Horizons Electronics. Corp., an active and passive electronic components distributor; Co-Active Marketing Group Inc., a marketing and sales promotion company to large consumer products companies; TGC Industries, Inc., an oil and gas exploration services company and Rumson-Fair Haven Bank and Trust Co., a community based commercial bank and trust company. Mr. Gardner began his career in investment banking in 1964 at Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and subsequently was a vice president at A. G. Becker and, its successor Warburg, Paribas, Becker. Mr. Gardner is a member of the NYSSA and earned both a Bachelor of Arts and MBA from New York University.
