Board Members

Alan Elkin co-founded Active International in 1984.
Alan began his career at Kaiser Broadcasting, which, under his direction as Senior Vice President of Sales, later became Field Communications and then a subsidiary of Katz Media Group. He’s received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young and the British American Business Inc. Award in recognition of Active’s global accomplishments.

Alan believes that community involvement is as important as business leadership and through the company’s ActiveCares program, contributions have been made to over 600 charities since 1997.

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.

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.

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.

Recent clips and bios of my career at ESPN are included below.
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/01/21/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Marketing-and-Sponsorship.aspx

The above links reflect my bio that was produced by ESPN and Disney. While I spent 20 years leading Global Sales and Marketing for the multi-platform brand that is ESPN. It also includes recent press about my retirement in January of this year from Variety. The top link is a story recently done in Sports Business Journal about accomplishments and industry milestones and industry firsts while leading sales and marketing for-the ESPN ABC Sports and Disney Sports properties. Most recently, I led the ESPN team in its marketing and sponsorship advertising strategy for the launch of ESPN+ – the the first direct to consumer sports streaming service in the US continuing the ” First” narrative.

I have been at the forefront of the ad sales and marketing business first as Publisher of Advertising Age, the industry bible for 10 years from 1990 through 1999, where I had P&L responsibility for the Ad Age Group including Ad Age the magazine, Ad Age.com , which I launched in 1995, Ad Age international and Ad Age Events and Radio. In my years at ESPN from 1999 to 2019, I merged the television sales groups of ESPN and ABC Sports into one cohesive unit. I then added all digital, print, international, and event sales as well as Business to Business Marketing to my portfolio. I successfully launched and led the first ever multi-platform sales and marketing team globally designed to deliver business winning solutions to advertisers and marketers through sports. In 2015, I added consumer marketing , Global Data and Research oversight to my role as a member of the ESPN Senior Executive team and a member of The ESPN Hearst Corporation Board.

I am skilled in marketing, media positioning, global ad sales, senior sales leadership. My knowledge of data and consumer research and its impact on marketing media and advertising is well regarded throughout the media, advertising and marketing business. I speak often at industry events, college and universities about these topics and I am passionate about making the industry more effective and efficient in how it goes to market and launches products, services and brands that WIN.

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.

Ms. Richman most recently served (2017-2018) as Executive Vice President, Brand, Revenue & Yield Management, Disney/ABC, reporting to Rita Ferro, President 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.

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.

Kenneth R. Rossano is founder and CEO of Rossano Resources, a consulting and early stage venture investment firm. He is also a director of Active International and treasurer of the New England Business Development Corporation, and is an advisory board member of Innoveas A.G., an investment firm specializing in the tech transfer for major European universities.

Mr. Rossano’s many civic activities include trusteeships or directorships at McLean Hospital, Partners Healthcare System, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, the First Literacy Foundation and the Wellesley Education Foundation. He is chairman of the Maple Leaf Foundation and chairman emeritus at the New England Canada Business Council. Mr. Rossano is also an advisory board member of the Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative at Harvard.  He is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia, University.

Mary Lee Schneider joined Active International’s Board of Directors in 2019. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Utah-based Larry H. Miller Group of Companies and Illinois-based Old-World Industries and she is a member of the Board of Trustees Penn State University.

Mary Lee was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of SG360°, a $300 million Chicago-area provider of integrated direct marketing solutions to retailers, advertising agencies, financial services companies, insurers and telecommunication providers. Prior to her role at SG360°, Mary Lee was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Follett Corp., a $3 billion provider of education-related products, services and technology.

Prior to Follett, Mary Lee was President, Digital Solutions and Chief Technology Officer for Chicago-based RR Donnelley, where she spent 20 years in multiple senior management roles. She started her career in publishing in New York city at Conde Nast Publications, Time Warner and McGraw Hill.

She has a B.A. from Penn State University, an M.S. from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and an MBA and an M.S. from Northwestern University. Mary Lee lives in Chicago with her husband and son, where she is involved with community service initiatives for the Chicago Public Library Foundation Board and the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Leader Council. She is also member of the Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicago Network, and the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Malcolm L. Sherman served as Chairman of Zayre Stores and Executive Vice President of Zayre Corporation until 1987.  Since his retirement from Zayre Corporation, he has managed several economically troubled companies. As Chief Executive Officer, he has reorganized Regina Electric Company, an appliance manufacturer and distributor, Chanel Home Centers, Inc., a chain of home improvement stores; Morse Shoe Company, a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of footwear and accessories; Ekco Group, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of houseware products and pet supplies; and Casual Corner, a women’s apparel chain.  He is past chairman of Gordon Brothers Group, LLC, a merchant services company and is currently a director of Active International, media company.

He has served as Director of Campuchem Labs, Inc, a drugs-of abuse and environmental testing company, United States Trust Company, Lifeplans, Inc., a reinsurance company, One Price Clothing, Maxwell Shoe Company, Lifespac, a hospital system, and Stethtec Corp., a medical device company, and Paratech Pharmacuticals.

He has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Brandeis University, as well as Chair of the Boards of Trustees of The Boston Museum of Science, The Two Ten International Foundation, a shoe and leather philanthropic organization, and Tufts Medical Center.

He currently serves as a Trustee of the Auerbach Foundation, Mass Creative, the Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.