Careers

As long time friends, Alexis and Alexandra knew that they would always create something innovative together. For Alexis and Alexandra, the question was never “if” but rather “when.” Alexis returned from the West, her proving ground was Silicon Valley as a founding member of eBay, while Alexandra hailed from the East coast, blazing a trail up 5th Avenue with tenures at both Bulgari and Louis Vuitton.

However, it was not until 2007 that their plans coalesced, the stars aligned and Gilt Groupe was born. Bringing complementary strengths, interests, and areas of expertise proved the perfect combination. Alexis and Alexandra set out to take the New York invitation only sample sale “on the road” via the Internet superhighway; they made what was once accessible to New Yorkers, accessible to the country. With the launch of Gilt Groupe, ecommerce met fashion and your closet breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Susan Lyne
Chief Executive Officer

Susan has a proven track record as a successful media and entertainment executive with an exceptional expertise in consumer branding. From 2004 until July 2008, Susan served as President and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO), where she led the company's recovery and return to profitability. She diversified its merchandising portfolio with the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's; and with the acquisition of Chef Emeril Lagasse's company, MSLO became an established leader in lifestyle content and products.

Prior to MSLO, Susan spent eight years as an executive at the Walt Disney Company, principally as President of ABC Entertainment, where she oversaw the development of hits such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy. During her tenure, ABC's movies and miniseries dominated the ratings and earned numerous awards, including the Peabody, Golden Globe and multiple Emmy's. Prior to ABC, she was Managing Editor of New Times and The Village Voice and, in 1987, created and launched Premiere Magazine, where she served as Editor-in-Chief for eight years. The Wall Street Journal has named Susan as one of its "50 Women to Watch". Susan is a Director of CIT Group and serves on the boards of The New School and The Posse Foundation.

Susan can be reached at sl@gilt.com

Alexis Maybank
Founder and Chief Strategy Officer

Alexis has dedicated her entire career to building and launching innovative and compelling online ecommerce experiences for consumers. She most recently served as General Manager and business Development Director for AOL's ecommerce businesses.

Prior to that Alexis joined eBay in 1998 as an early member of the team, first working for the co-founder in the launch of the company's first strategic planning group. Later, she launched and ran eBay Canada, which at the time grew to become Canada's largest ecommerce business. She later helped found eBay Motors, which grew to over $2.5B in gross sales and continues to be the largest category of goods sold on eBay today.

Earlier in her career, Alexis worked in Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown's new media investment banking group. She holds a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Alexis can be reached at am@gilt.com

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson
Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer

Alexandra has over a decade of international experience in the luxury goods and retail sectors. Most recently she oversaw retail operations at Bulgari, managing 15 North American stores. Prior to Bulgari, Alexandra managed Leather Goods Sales Planning for Louis Vuitton North America. She started her retail career as a consultant for retail guru Marvin Traub at Financo Inc. She holds a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Alexandra can be reached at aw@gilt.com

Michael Bryzek
Founder and Chief Technology Officer

Michael brings extensive experience in developing user-focused Internet software and a deep passion for leveraging technology to streamline logistics. Prior to Gilt Groupe, Michael founded Volunteer Solutions, an Internet application service provider for the philanthropic sector. Volunteer Solutions was acquired by United Way of America in 2001. Michael then served as Chief Technology Officer for United eWay, the United Way of America's technology subsidiary. He holds a B.S. and Masters Degree in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Michael can be reached at mb@gilt.com

Jennifer Carr-Smith
Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer brings to Gilt Groupe 15 years experience in operations, finance and strategy for retail and technology companies, including eight years in start-up ecommerce operations.

Most recently, Jennifer oversaw finance and operations for Ralph Lauren Media. Before Ralph Lauren, she was Senior Director of Operations for drugstore.com. Jennifer started her career as a Consultant for Accenture, and as an Analyst for Gartner Group. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Jennifer can be reached at jcs@gilt.com

John Auerbach
Director, Men's

Informed by his personal interest and professional background, John brings his extensive experience in the retail and apparel sectors to his current role as Director of Men's. Prior to joining Gilt Groupe, John worked with retail and apparel companies at Peter J. Solomon Company, a New York-based boutique investment bank. John also served in the Bloomberg Administration focusing on economic development within the apparel and retail sectors. John holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.A. from Duke University.

John can be reached at ja@gilt.com

Leah Park
VP, Creative

Leah brings a passion for creative design and branding from her early days as student at Art Center College of Design. She has served as Senior Art Director at Bergdorf Goodman, where she redesigned and relaunched the Bergdorf Goodman Magazine, branded and launched 5F, designed creative assets for the New York Times, Lucky, Allure, W and the New York Magazine. Leah has also developed identity programs and customer journeys for brands such as Bath and Body Works, Clairol, Phillips–Van Heusen, amfAR (American Foundation for Aids Research) and White House Black Market -- just to name a few. Leah holds a BFA from Art Center College of Design, and her designs have been showcased in Vogue, Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, Communication Arts and the Williamson Gallery.

Leah can be reached at lp@gilt.com

Christian Leone
Vice President Marketing and Communications

Christian joins us as Vice President Marketing & Communications and has more than a dozen years of communications experience in the fashion sector. Most recently, Christian was the Vice president of Public Relations/Communications for Giorgio Armani. In addition, Christian oversaw communications and strategic planning for luxury fashion houses including Alberta Ferretti and Halston. He holds a B.A. from St. Lawrence University.

Christian can be reached at cl@gilt.com

Kevin Ryan
Chairman

Kevin is one of the leading internet entrepreneurs in New York's Silicon Alley. In the past three years, Kevin has started five New York-based businesses including Shopwiki, Silicon Alley Insider, Panther Express, Music Nation and Gilt Groupe. Kevin helped build DoubleClick from 1996-2005, first as President and later as CEO. He fostered DoubleClick's growth from a 20 person start-up to a global leader with over 1500 employees.

Currently, Kevin serves on the Board of Human Rights Watch and the NYC Investment Fund and is a member of the Insead International Council and Yale International Council, as well as the Council on Foreign Relations. He has served in the past on the Boards of the Direct Marketing Association, The Ad Council, Hotjobs and on the Advisory Board for Doctors Without Borders. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Insead.

Kevin can be reached at kr@gilt.com