RICK SIRVAITIS
Rick Sirvaitis President Rick Sirvatis’ 34-year media career has run the full gamut… from buying to selling, from traditional to alternative media forms. Rick is the former President and Chief Operating Officer of General Motors Mediaworks, the consolidated media buying unit for all General Motors divisions including network and cable TV purchasing in New York, as well as all print and Internet buying and a Cyberworks R&D unit in Detroit. Rick was also responsible for the GM local spot-buying activity within LCI. GM Mediaworks was solely dedicated to the media needs of General Motors and was part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG). Rick has also been President and COO of Phase2media, an Internet sales organization for branded Web sites. Prior to that, Rick was responsible for all ad sales for Fox Family Channel, Fox Kids Broadcast Network, Fox Kids Magazine, Fox Family Countdown Radio and Fox Kids Webnet. During his five-year tenure with Fox Family (previously International Family Entertainment), Rick was involved in the transition of the Family Channel, the development of two cable services in Latin America and a television ad sales firm in China, and ad sales for various syndicated television properties. Prior to his association with Fox, Rick spent nine years with Turner Broadcasting Sales, Inc. (TBSI), having joined as Vice President and Sales Manager in Detroit and ultimately rising to Executive Vice President, news. In this position, he was responsible for all domestic sales for CNN/Headline News, the CNN Broadcast Networks, the CNN Airport Channel, all other place-based media, as well as all advertising sales for the TBSI Internet properties. Prior to Turner, Rick spent five years in sales management at an NBC affiliate (WDIV-Detroit), three years with NBC Television Network Sales, three years at Blair television and four years at Campbell-Ewald Advertising. Rick is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Radio and Television Society and Confirmedia. He is past chairman of the National Advisory Board of the Cable and Advertising Bureau, co-chairman of its Cable Industry Standards and Practices Committee and received the Bureau’s Presidents Award in 1993. Rick graduated with a B.A. in Advertising in 1971 and received his M.A. in Advertising in 1976 from Michigan State University. He was named the Outstanding Graduate Student of the year in 1972 and was named Outstanding Alumnus by the Department of Advertising in 1991. In 1985 he earned a law degree at Detroit College of Law and was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1986. With his wife Pattie and their two children, Rick resides in Greenwich, CT. |