Vantage Team

  • Richard Lear - Managing Partner

    rich@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (415) 456-8100

    Rich has completed more than 300 executive searches across the executive team of early stage companies. Presently, he is focused on digital media, interactive media, eCommerce, SaaS, Open Source and consumer technology. Previously, Rich led major relationships with market-leading companies such as Microsoft, Warner Bros, RealNetworks, AOL, Zone Labs and Verisign. In 1999-2000, Rich was founder and CEO of RichMedia Networks which developed media-based, customer lifecycle management (CLM) solutions. He was the founding partner at Lear, Herrerias & Lee and Senior Associate at the Stratford Group. Rich graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brown University where he received his bachelor’s with honors in Economics.

    Recent Successes:

    • CEO, Mindflash – Online Training
      IGSB 
    • CEO, Ebates - Lead-Generation
      Canaan Partners, August Capital, Foundation Capital
    • CEO, VoloMedia - Video Advertising Network
      Sutter Hill Ventures, Worldview Technology Partners, Mayfield Fund
    • COO, Komli - Advertising Network
      Draper Fisher Jurvetson
    • SVP eCommerce, CourseSmart - eTextbooks
      Joint Venture, Pearson
    • VP Marketing, Betfair, Digital Media
      Softbank, Betfair UK

    more...

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  • April B. King - Managing Partner

    king@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (650) 579-7300

    April King brings nearly 20 years experience in retained executive search to Vantage Partners and is charged with leading the Enterprise and Cleantech Practice Areas, while also serving as a key partner within the Digital Media and Consumer / Internet practice areas.  Previously, April held the position of Recruiting Partner at Sequoia Capital and was one of the first executive search professionals to establish the functional expertise within venture capital.  She served as a member of the International Technology and Industrial Practices of Heidrick & Struggles prior to her tenure at Sequoia Capital.  More recently April was a senior principal of Howard Fischer Associates.  April received her bachelor's degree specializing in Social Psychology with an emphasis in Business Administration from UCLA.

    Recent Successes:

    • CEO, Mindflash - Online Training
      IGSB
    • CEO Infinian - Mobile Couponing Infrastructure 
    • SVP eCommerce and SVP Products, CourseSmart - eTextbooks
      Joint Venture, Pearson 
    • GM Consumer and SVP Marketing, GreenRoad Technologies - On Demand Driver Safety
      Benchmark, Virgin Green Fund
    • VP Sales, Socialtext - Saas Based Enterprise Social Software
      Draper Fisher Jurvetson 
    • VP Social Media and VP Engineering, Betfair - Digitial Media
      Softbank, Betfair UK
    • VP Marketing, Cloud9 Analytics - On Demand Sales Analytics
      Interwest Partners, Leapfrog Ventures

     

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  • Tom Callahan - Managing Director

    tom@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (650) 868-9956 - Tom_Callahan (Twitter)

    Tom Callahan joined Vantage Partners in 2006 and is responsible for the Technology Practice at the firm.  Tom established his eye for engineering talent at Oracle Corporation, where he spearheaded its technical recruiting for eight years and partnered closely with senior executives handling their strategic hiring and planning initiatives during the company's expansion from a $5 billion to $10 Billion software giant.  Several of Tom’s Oracle placements proved to be technical game changing executives who ultimately impacted the company’s growth in market share and valuation.  He later helped to build U.S. presence for an international executive search Harvey Nash prior to joining Vantage Partners.  Tom earned a B.A. in Economics from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

    Recent Successes:

    • SVP Engineering, Yola, Consumer Free Website
      Columbus Venture Capital, Reinet Fund
    • SVP Product Management, CourseSmart - eTextbooks
      Joint Venture, Pearson
    • SVP Marketing and Product Management, GigaOM - Digital Media
      True Ventures, Alloy Ventures
    • VP Engineering, Betfair USA - Digital Media
      Softbank, Betfair UK 
    • SVP Engineering, Replay Solutions - DVR-like Functionality for Software Hummer Winblad, Sigma Partners, UV Partners, Partech International
    • SVP Engineering, WideOrbit - Advertising Optimization
      Khosla Ventures, Mayfield Fund

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  • Mark Hubbell - Managing Director

    Mark@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (415) 932-6035

    Since joining Vantage  Partners in 2003, he has successfully completed multiple VP/C- level searches in the Consumer / Internet including; Zynga, GreenRoad, Cake Financial, Plum.com, Metacafe, Snapvine, LimeLife,  Snap.com, Like.com, Retrevo, Meez, Turn, etc. and Enterprise Software; EmSense, Adchemy, Pubmatic, Anchor Intelligence, Moka5, etc. for top-tier venture capital firms, including Accel, NEA, Benchmark Capital, USVP, Khosla Ventures, Highland Capital, Rustic Canyon, Battery, Norwest Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, and Bay Partners.  Prior to joining Vantage Partners, Mark served as a Partner with Optimum Executive Search in San Francisco.  Mark graduated with top-honors from Indiana University with a Bachelors Degree in Economics.   

    Recent Successes:

    • SVP Marketing and Product Management, GigaOM - Digital Media, True Ventures, Alloy Ventures
    • GM Consumer, GreenRoad, On Demand Driver Safety Solutions  
      Benchmark Israel, Virgin Green Fund 
    • SVP Sales & Marketing and VP Finance, EmSense - Customer Metrics
      Foundry Group, Tim Krogle
    • SVP of Sales & Corporate Development, SayNow – Mobile Social Network
      Shasta Ventures, Tugboat Ventures and Altos Ventures
    • VP Customer Service and Community, Zynga – Gaming 
      KPCB, Foundry Group, Union Square Ventures
    • VP Social Media, Betfair, Digital Media - Betfair UK, Softbank

    more...

     

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  • Irene Murphy - Managing Director

    irene@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (415) 460-0719

    Irene Murphy brings more than 20 years of experience in the recruiting industry to Vantage Partners.  Previously, Irene was most recently the founder and Principal at Prism Associates. Previously, Irene held the position of Director at the Stratford Group after serving as the Manager of the Technology Sales and Marketing practice at the BridgeGate Group. During her tenure at BridgeGate, she more than doubled practice revenues within one year of her promotion to Director and received the “Most Valuable Player” award for ten consecutive years. This award was conferred in recognition of her number one firm-wide ranking in both revenue production and outstanding client satisfaction. Irene holds a Bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

    Recent Successes:

    • SVP Sales & Marketing, Streetline, City Infrastructure/Clean-Tech Solutions   Sutter Hill Ventures
    • VP Sales, Socialtext - SaaS Based Enterprise Social Software
      Draper Fisher Jurvetson 
    • VP Sales, Cornerstone On-Demand - SaaS Talent Management Solutions Bessemer Venture Partners, Bay Partners
    • VP WW Sales, Verix - Next Generation Business Intelligence Software
      Carmel Ventures, Gemeni Israel Funds
    • VP Sales & Marketing and VP Finance, EmSense Corporation - Customer Metrics
      Foundry Group, Tim Krogle
    • VP Sales, Weatherbill - Weather Coverage Protection
      NEA, Index Ventures

    more...

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  • Steve O'Deegan - Managing Director

    steve@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (408) 656-7079

    Steve brings over fifteen years of experience in retained executive search, servicing a broad range of industry segments that includes Enterprise/ Infrastructure Software, Consumer (Electronics and Internet), Networking, Wireless and Semiconductor.  

    Before joining Vantage Partners, Steve served as VP Sales and Marketing for startup FastPencil, a Web 2.0/online book publisher.  Previously, Steve was one of the highest producing Principal’s in Howard Fischer’s (HFA) Silicon Valley office before being recruited to the Laurel Group as Managing Partner to expand the firm’s Silicon Valley practice.  An earlier career in search included a Partner role with Austin McGregor and the founding of Celerity.

    Recent Successes:

    • VP Sales, Boomi, Cloud Integration Applications
      FirstMark Capital
    • VP Marketing & VP Business Dev’t, Splunk, IT Infrastructures
      Ignition, August Capital, Seven Rosen, JK&B
    • CEO & VP Marketing. Helpstream, SaaS Support Applications
      Foundation Capital, MDV
    • VP Engineering, Daptiv, SaaS Project Management
      DFJ, Bay Partners, Kennet Venture Partneres

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  • Audrey Shuster - Managing Director

    Audrey@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (925) 803-9661

    Audrey is a 20 year veteran of the technology industry and Silicon Valley and has been an executive search consultant since 1996.  Previously, she was a founding Partner at Silicon Search Partners, Inc. an executive search firm serving the technology sector. Prior to her career in executive search, Audrey held key leadership and operational roles at Fortune 100 and venture funded technology firms including Digital Equipment Corporation (later acquired by HP) and NeTpower, a spin-off of SGI. At these companies her experience spanned roles in Sales (direct and OEM) as well as Marketing, Strategic Alliances and Channels with both domestic and international scope. Audrey holds a Bachelors Degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

    Recent Successes:

    • VP Online Marketing & Sales, Untangle - SaaS for Small Business
      CMEA Ventures, Rustic Canyon
    • VP Marketing, Amitive - SaaS Supply Chain
      CMEA Ventures, Logispring
    • VP Sales, Amitive - SaaS Supply Chain
      CMEA Ventures, Logispring
    • VP Sales, Verix - SaaS Business Intelligence
      Carmel Ventures, Gemini Israel Funds, Hillsven Capital
    • VP Business Development, Untangle - SaaS for Small Business
      CMEA Ventures, Rustic Canyon

      more...
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  • Julie Locke - Principal

    julie@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (415) 379-4545

    Julie brings over 10 years of experience in high-tech executive search and research to Vantage Partners. Though she began her career in the Enterprise Space, her more recent industry experience and personal interest has been in the Consumer Internet space.  Julie grew up in Ireland and earned her BA in Political Science from Furman University, MA and PhD (abd) in International Relations with an emphasis in Third World development from the University of South Carolina and MA in Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

    Recent Successes:

    • CEO, Proximic - H/W & S/W Network Support Services
      Wellington Partners
    • CEO, EBates - Lead Generation
      Canaan Partners, August Capital, Foundation Capital
    • Sr. Director of Marketing, Infoblox - Appliances for Core Network Services
      Sequoia Capital, Lehman Brothers, Duchossois Technology Partners
    • VP BD, Adchemy - Performance Marketing
      Mayfield Fund, August Capital
    • GM, Adchemy Actions - Performance Marketing
      Mayfield Fund, August Capital

      more...
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  • Gene Zaccor - Principal

    gene@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (415) 455-8200

    Gene brings to the Vantage team over 10 years of success in high-tech executive recruiting for companies in the Enterprise Software, Media, Internet Security and Communications industries. Gene returns to Vantage Partners after serving as Director of Recruiting for Audiobase, where he was instrumental in building the foundation of the marketing, sales, professional services and technology teams by recruiting executives and high-quality talent to the company. Gene graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Johns University with a Bachelors Degree in Economics.

    Recent Successes:

    • VP Marketing, Betfair, Digital Media
      Softbank, Benchmark Capital
    • VP BD, Pubmatic - Revenue Automation for Online Publishers
      Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Nexus India Capital, Helion Ventures
    • VP BD, Turn - Technology for Online Advertising
      Norwest Venture Partners, Trident Capital, Shasta Ventures
    • VP Sales, Amitive - On Demand Supply Chain Management Software
      CMEA Ventures
    • VP Marketing, Yield Software - Automated Search Engine Marketing
      Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Washington VC, WPP
    • VP Product Mgmt, Symantec - Security Software
      NASDAQ: SYMC

      more...
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  • Jennifer Harris

    Jennifer Harris - Research & Support

    jen@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (916) 939 7288

    Jen Harris brings 14 years of industry experience focused in information technology. Prior to joining Vantage Partners, Jen served as an executive recruiter of Allison International. She began her career with Ziff-Davis Publishing and later joined Mobius Venture Capital as Director of Recruiting. Today, Jen directs the Vantage Partners research and support team.

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  • Tricia Morse

    Tricia Morse - Director of Operations & Support

    tricia@vantagepartners.net
    Direct (650) 593-2084

    Tricia brings 10 years of experience in high-tech staffing operations and project management to her position at Vantage Partners. Prior to Vantage Partners, Tricia was a staffing consultant at Tropos Networks where she was integral in building the staffing programs there and contributing to the recruitment of many key employees. She has also served in various staffing and human resources positions at Kx Systems, Remedy Corporation and Informix Software.

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