Zavers. The product and market accelerator.
Board of Directors
Ronald T. LeMay
A pioneer and respected leader in the wireless industry, Ron brings more than 30-years of carrier-side operating experience as a former executive at AT&T, Sprint, and Southwestern Bell. He was employee number one and CEO of Sprint PCS, which under Ron's direction, generated $10B in annual revenues faster than any US company has before or since. Ron is the current chairman of Aircell, the leading broadband Internet service that will change in-flight communications and bring Wi-Fi to commercial airline and business passengers. After leaving Sprint in 2003, he joined Ripplewood Holdings as an Industrial Partner and orchestrated the purchase, turn-around (as CEO), and subsequent sale of Japan Telecom, generating billions of dollars in returns to Ripplewood investors.
Ron is a highly sought-after board member for both public and privately-held companies and currently sits on the boards of Allstate (ALL), Imation (IMN), EasySale, eRecyclingCorps, Zave Networks, and the Boy's and Girl's Club of America.
A native of Arkansas, Ron attended Southern Arkansas University where he earned a bachelor's degree and the University of Arkansas School of Law, where he earned a JD.
Lance T. LeMay
Lance is the founder of October Capital, a privately funded venture investment firm. Founded in October of 1999, October Capital has invested primarily in innovative technology enabled businesses. As the lead investing partner, Lance has led investments in 9 of the 12 October Capital investments. In his role as investor and board member during the past 10 years, Lance has assisted his management teams in developing innovative solutions across a diversity of industries including, web-enabled enterprise services, mobile commerce, agricultural equipment services, digital media and advertising, publishing, logistics, wireless services, and financial services. Lance is known for his passion for early stage innovation, his ability to work collaboratively with entrepreneurs, and his willingness to work actively to help build businesses. As an active board member, Lance has served on board of 9 portfolio companies and currently sits on the board of 5 companies. His current board seats include, Zave Networks, eRecyclingcorps, Machinerylink, Easysale, and Athletixnation.
As an advocate of entrepreneurship and venture investing, Lance is a frequent speaker and panelist. He has worked diligently for over 10 years to stimulate innovation in the Midwest through entrepreneurship and venture investment in the region. Lance holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas.
Richard A. Herbst
Rick is Managing Director and runs the Chicago office of Levi Littell Herbst & Co., a boutique M&A advisory company specializing in transactions under $100 million in enterprise value and assisting venture capital and private equity firms in making and managing investments. Rick has 25 years of experience in general management, strategy and investment banking. He has been VP and GM of the Targeted Marketing Services division of Alliance Data Systems (NYSE: ADS), a $1 billion transaction processing and loyalty marketing concern, overseeing its divestiture to CoolSavings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSAV) in 2004. He has been CCO of Transora, with global responsibility for all business development, operations and strategy at the supply chain technology firm, which was backed by a $250 million investment from Procter & Gamble, The Coca Cola Company, Kraft and fifty of the world's other leading packaged goods companies. He was formerly GM and VP of Kellogg North America's e-commerce unit, and partner in Accenture's Strategy Consulting group, leading global e-commerce, information technology and telecommunications strategies. Rick holds a BA from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Scott B. Relf
A founder of Zavers, Scott is President of Blue Chip Strategy Group, a consulting firm focused on growth strategies for companies -- from start-ups to multi-nationals -- that seek to bring high-tech products and services to the consumer mass market. Scott has proven success with start-ups as a founder and an advisor, plus an outstanding record in large corporations as a senior operating executive. Scott invested 17 years in marketing and sales, brand building and product development with Sprint PCS, Kellogg's, E&J Gallo Winery and Procter & Gamble. Scott has a reputation for leading top-line growth initiatives through business unit startups, product introductions, acquisitions and turnarounds. He has helped build brands like Sprint PCS, Eggo Waffles, Lender's Bagels and Bartles & Jaymes, has received Advertising Age's Marketing 100 Honors and the American Marketing Association's Best New Product Silver Edison Award. Scott earned a MSBA from Boston University School of Management and a BA, Management, Economics from Rice University. Scott was also a US Army Officer and Aviator.
Thad Langford
Thad is President and Chief Executive Officer of Zavers. He comes to Zavers after a distinguished career at Sprint where he established a record of driving growth. Considered an innovator in the wireless industry, Thad held executive leadership positions across the functional areas of Marketing, Strategy, Product Management and Business Development. As VP of Strategic Partners and Innovation, he led a profitable business unit responsible for relationships with wireless wholesale, affiliate, and cable partners inclusive of partnership management, operations, pricing, and strategy. Thad has led efforts to build strategic partnerships in the wireless data business, which have resulted in industry-leading products and services in music, imaging, multimedia, gaming, location, and content. Thad also created and managed a start-up corporate venture fund, Sprint Ventures, which invests in game changing and innovative early stage companies. Thad holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BSBA in Marketing from the University of Arizona.