Experience-driven management
There’s something to be said for experience. At Sojern, our efforts are the result of a seasoned team of senior management professionals – each possessing a specialization in such areas as business, digital media, technology and travel that directly impact the company’s success.
Mark Rabe, CEO
Background: Rabe enjoys the challenge of scaling digital media businesses. He is passionate about the role that digital plays in the marketing ecosystem and the benefits that it can provide to the bottom line. As CEO of Sojern, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s rapid growth in the travel sector. Prior to that he built and managed Yahoo!’s Global Sales Team, responsible for strategic relationships with the largest global advertisers and agencies. His industry experience also includes senior management positions at Overture and About, Inc. Mark holds an MBA from Duke University, and a BA from Denison University. He is an active advisor to several internet companies.
Preferences: “The Chicago Cubs, cold beer (I lived in London for a while so this one hits home), self-deprecating people and spending time with my wife and 2 kids.”
Favorite Destinations: An avid traveler, his favorite places tend to be those hard to reach – preferably with a beach or a mountain … or both.
Brent Brummer, Vice President of Operations
Background: Brummer has spent much of his career working in and around new products and innovation. He brings a financial background to the operations side of the business. His career ranges from Audit at Union Pacific Corporation to Finance at Intuit Inc, and now he brings an organized, data driven approach to running operations at Sojern. He earned a bachelor’s degree in both Business Administration and Economics from Hastings College.
Preferences: Brummer and his wife, Jessica, enjoy all things outdoor including running, biking, sports, and traveling to the beach. He lives for two things outside of work and family: his Saturday morning golf tee time and Nebraska football.
Favorite Destinations: The smaller, more secluded the island the better for the Brummers. Favorite destinations include the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, and Costa Rica. If there’s sunshine and a white sand beach, it’s on the list of places to visit…just need to pack the sunscreen.
Patrick Fisher, Vice President of Business Development
Background: A natural inclination to remain in a constant state of motion has made Fisher is an asset in a company focused on travelers. His career has taken him from private investment manager to wealth management advisor, to entrepreneur with a chain of successful coffee franchises. Fisher gave up his flip-flops and shorts for more conventional attire in an unconventional business when he joined Sojern. He holds a degree in business management from the University of Arizona.
Preferences: Fisher enjoys all things outdoors – from fishing and hunting with Dad and brothers, to boating and beaches with his wife, Andi, and their 3 children. A true adventurer, his travels have taken him around the world, from the Bahamas to Seattle to the Cape of Good Hope. He’s also right at home enjoying fine wine, listening to live music and sitting in the audience of a live show.
Favorite Destinations: Travels often take Fisher outside the ordinary, from Cape Town, South Africa, to the Papagayo Peninsula of Costa Rica with his family.
Dwight Hanson, Chief Financial Officer
Background: Playing by the numbers is what drives Dwight to succeed. With over 20 years experience helping organizations through IPOs, acquisitions, product and company launches, and FDA approval processes, Hanson’s comprehensive and diverse background is an asset to Sojern. He was previously the CFO with Eleos, a cancer therapeutic biotech firm, and also served as the CFO for ACI Worldwide, a publicly traded software company, where he managed staff in ten countries. Hanson was a partner at Affiliated Management Resources and with the accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. He is a CPA and holds a B.A. in accounting from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
Preferences: When not crunching numbers, Hanson can be found spending time with his wife, Kim, and their four sons at sporting events or on a golf course. He also admits to being a big fan of The Office and spends a lot of time laughing out loud.
Favorite Destinations: Whether driving a jet ski or a golf club, the Hansons enjoy vacationing in the Florida Keys and in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Brad King, Vice President Marketing & Vertical Sales
Background: If you want to know anything about data, Brad’s your guy. Having spent the last 8+ years working in the online data and media field, he is passionate about the benefits of using big data to enhance digital marketing channels. Brad was recently VP of Marketing at TellApart and Managing Director, Channel Development for BlueKai. His experience also includes 5 years with Yahoo! and time in the travel sector with Hotwire, WorldRes, VailResorts and Northwest Airlines. Brad grew up in the great state of Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
Preferences: “Spending time in the mountains – no matter what the season, taking in a Green Bay Packer or SF Giants game, an occasional martini and hanging out with my wife and 3 ‘energetic’ kids.”
Favorite Destinations: An adventure is almost always in the cards when vacationing with King. Give him a mountain and a pair of skis (or a mountain bike depending on the season) and look out. One of his favorite destinations includes Vail, Colorado where he lived for a time and met his lovely wife.
Chris Marrow, Vice President US Sales
Background: Marrow brings more than 20 years of online media advertising sales, business development and sales management experience to the leadership team. Prior to Sojern, Chris was the Chief Revenue Officer for Aggregate Knowledge and served in executive positions at Tacoda, eBay, AltaVista, Ziff Davis and FlyCast Communications. Marrow’s team leadership and motivation skills lead revenue growth for the Sojern team.
Preferences: Good conversation, a great steak and a some good California wine tops Marrow’s list of favorites.
Favorite Destinations: Chris’s favorite spots include anywhere where his wife and son Logan may be, but in particular, you can find him hiking and enjoying a good glass of wine.
Chris Smutny, General Manager, Sojern Media Platform
Background: Chris brings an extensive background in online media to the management team. With a background spanning search marketing at Overture/Y!SM, and email, display and social gaming at Adknowledge, he has worked across some of the most exciting areas in online marketing. Most recently he was the VP and General Manager at Adknowledge where he ran their Gaming division. Chris graduated with honors from Occidental College with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Preferences: Chris and his wife enjoy visiting remote, off the beaten path locations – always without an itinerary. You will find them at remote mountains and lakes enjoying the outdoors. Chris and Brett are proud parents of a new baby daughter.
Favorite Destinations: Remote mountain lakes, dirt roads and places with interesting food.
David Stokes, General Counsel & Secretary
Background: After more than 25 years in the legal profession Stokes has heard all the jokes about attorneys – but still enjoys what he does and takes his position very seriously. Prior to joining Sojern, Stokes was chief legal officer with Prism Technologies, an internet security technology management and licensing firm. He also spent more than 15 years as general counsel at ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), working with technology and banking organizations in multiple countries. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and from Creighton University School of Law.
Preferences: Stokes and his wife, Mary, enjoy spending time with their three children at sporting events, golfing or snow skiing. You can find them every year behind the dugout at nearly every College World Series baseball game.
Favorite Destinations: Stokes enjoys traveling to San Francisco and Scottsdale. He says that someday we’ll find him learning about international communities by living abroad for extended periods of time.
