Team

Kevin Ryan

Founder and CEO, Gilt Groupe

Kevin P. Ryan is the Founder and CEO of Gilt Groupe, an innovative e-commerce company offering highly coveted products and experiences at insider prices.

In 2007, Kevin along with a founding team created Gilt Groupe as an invitation-only site for coveted women’s apparel and accessories. Today, Gilt Groupe has expanded to include business lines in home décor (Gilt Home); kids & baby (Gilt Kids); men’s apparel and gear (Gilt MAN); artisanal food and wines (Gilt Taste); an online retail store for men’s apparel and accessories (Park & Bond); vacation travel (Jetsetter); local U.S. services and experiences (Gilt City), and has founded the leading flash-sale site in Japan (Gilt Japan).

Kevin is one of the leading Internet entrepreneurs in the United States having founded several New York-based businesses, including Gilt Groupe, Business Insider, and 10gen/MongoDB. Kevin helped build DoubleClick from 1996 to 2005, first as president and later as CEO. He fostered DoubleClick's growth from a 20-person startup to a global leader with over 1,500 employees.

Currently, Kevin serves on the board of Human Rights Watch, the NYC Investment Fund and INSEAD, and is a member of the Yale International Council and the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from INSEAD.

Susan Lyne

Chairman

Susan Lyne is Chairman of Gilt Groupe, the innovative e-commerce company that pioneered “flash sales” in the US. Since its launch in 2007, the company has attracted millions of members with a growing array of lifestyle sites including Gilt.com (fashion, home, and kids); Gilt City (local services and experiences); Jetsetter (vacation travel); Gilt Taste (artisanal food and wines); and Park and Bond (men’s apparel and accessories). The company also operates the largest flash sale business in Japan, a joint venture with Softbank.

Before joining Gilt, Ms. Lyne served from 2004-2008 as President and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) where she led the company’s recovery and return to profitability. During her tenure at MSLO she was named Publishing Executive of the Year by Advertising Age and received a Matrix Award from New York Women In Communications.

From 1996 to 2004, Ms. Lyne held various positions at the Walt Disney Company and ABC, including EVP Development and New Business and EVP Movies and Miniseries. In 2002 she was named President of ABC Entertainment where she was responsible for the network’s primetime schedule and oversaw the development of shows such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Grey’s Anatomy.

Ms. Lyne spent 15 years in the magazine industry before joining Disney. 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 and Publication Director.

In addition to Gilt Groupe, Ms. Lyne is on the board of AOL, Inc. She is a trustee of Rockefeller University and The New School, and a former trustee of The Posse Foundation and The Public Theater.

Andy Page

President, Gilt Groupe

Andy Page currently serves as the President of Gilt Groupe, where he oversees many of Gilt’s various businesses, including Women's, Gilt Man, Gilt Children, Gilt Home, Gilt Taste, Park & Bond, and Gilt City.

Andy joined Gilt in April 2010 as the Chief Financial Officer. In that role he led the Finance and Operations teams through significant periods of development, enabling them to more effectively support Gilt’s growth and evolving business challenges. He also managed two capital raises and two acquisitions, and played an important role in the build-out of the company’s new distribution center.

Prior to joining Gilt, Andy was Chief Operating and Financial Officer at PlayPhone Inc., where he was responsible for managing the company’s operations across multiple countries. Before PlayPhone, Andy was Chief Financial Officer and SVP of Business Strategy at StubHub Inc., where he managed the company’s financial operations, business strategy, financial reporting, and administrative functions. He also led the company’s sale to eBay in 2007. Andy has held senior executive positions at Panasas Inc., ONI Systems Corp., and Robertson Stephens & Company.

Andy holds an AB from Princeton University and a MBA from Harvard Business School. He is an advisor to several private e-commerce companies and serves on the board of directors of My New Red Shoes, a nonprofit organization that provides back-to-school clothes for homeless and low-income children in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Alexis Maybank

Founder and Chief Marketing Officer

Alexis has dedicated her career to building and launching innovative and compelling ecommerce experiences for consumers. In 2007, Alexis, along with a founding team, launched Gilt Groupe. She served as Gilt’s Founding CEO, and today she serves as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Prior to founding Gilt Groupe, Alexis served as General Manager and Business Development Director for AOL's ecommerce businesses. In 1998, she became an early member of the eBay team, where she helped launch the company's first strategic planning group working for Founder Jeff Skoll, and later launched and ran eBay Canada, which grew to become Canada's largest ecommerce business. She later helped found eBay Motors, which grew to over $2.5 billion in gross sales in its first two years and continues to be the largest category of goods sold on eBay today.

Alexis holds a BS and MBA from Harvard University. She is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, a Director for Audubon Alaska, and actively involved in the Robinhood Foundation. She currently mentors many emerging entrepreneurs in both the technology and fashion sectors.

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer

With over twelve years of international experience in luxury goods and retail, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer of Gilt Groupe, is on the forefront of revolutionizing and innovating the landscape of luxury e-commerce. Prior to co-founding Gilt Groupe, Alexandra managed retail operations at Bulgari, overseeing 15 North American stores. Before working at Bulgari, Alexandra managed Leather Goods Sales Planning for Louis Vuitton North America. Alexandra began her career working for 3 years in investment banking at Merrill Lynch, spending her time between New York, London and Latin America. She subsequently entered the retail world working for retail guru Marvin Traub at Financo Inc. Alexandra holds a B.A. from Harvard College where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Alexandra speaks five languages. She is involved in a number of not for profits including: Dress for Success, Endeavor Global, Robin Hood Foundation, the New York Junior League and El Museo del Barrio. She is also an active fundraiser for her alma maters The Brearley School, Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University. Alexandra is an official mentor for Tech Stars and an unofficial mentor for many budding entrepreneurs.

Steve Jacobs

Chief Information Officer

Steve Jacobs serves as the Chief Information Officer of Gilt Groupe, where he is responsible for overseeing the company’s technology organization and strategy. Steve joined Gilt Groupe in August 2009 to build out the data engineering team, after which he quickly rose to the CIO position in July 2010.

Prior to Gilt Groupe, Steve headed up the High Performance Computing group at Merrill Lynch, where he managed globally distributed teams that were focused on maximizing grid efficiency for the many thousands of servers used for pricing and risk calculations. Before entering financial services, Steve was the CTO of Poindexter Systems, an online ad personalization and targeting company. In his five years there, Steve was responsible for development, architecture and operations.

Steve holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Columbia University and currently serves as a mentor for NYCSeed, an early-stage New York City investment fund.

Melanie Hughes

Chief Human Resources Officer

Melanie joins Gilt Groupe with more than 20 years of experience in human resources, organizational development and change management in the technology, finance, consumer goods and retail sectors. Most recently, she was the president of Org4Change, and prior to that, she was the senior VP of HR for Coach. Melanie has also served as the senior VP of global human resources at DoubleClick, and she set up the European recruitment programs for Guinness PLC and Swiss Bank Corporation. Melanie holds a BSc. Honors from Brunel University, London, and an M.B.A. from INSEAD in France. In her spare time, she dedicates herself to not-for-profit education and leadership-training programs.

Michael Bryzek

Founder and Chief Technology Officer

Michael brings to Gilt Groupe extensive experience in developing user-focused Internet software and a deep passion for leveraging technology. 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 BSc and Masters in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Chris Halkyard

Chief Supply Chain Officer

Christopher Halkyard serves as the Chief Supply Chain Officer for Gilt Groupe, where he is responsible for global supply chain management including international and domestic logistics, product distribution, international shipping and packaging supplies. In addition to these responsibilities, he is steering vendor compliance, inventory control and the purchasing program for the company. Halkyard joined Gilt Groupe in April 2010 as Vice President of Operations and quickly rose to his current position after bringing over 20 years of distribution, logistics and supply chain experience to streamline the company’s global supply chain strategy.

Before joining Gilt Groupe, Halkyard was Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for Ecko Unlimited, where he closed several facilities and opened others in order to better structure supply chain within their new business plan. Prior to that, Halkyard worked at L’Occitane en Provence as the Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics where he was responsible for automating the distribution center in North Jersey and modifying the domestic distribution network to support over 200 stores, BtoB, Wholesale and e-commerce. Halkyard has also held senior operations and distributions positions during periods of rapid growth at FAO Schwarz, TJ Maxx/Marshall’s (TJX), and May Department Stores Company.

Christopher was educated at the University of Maryland, College Park and currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and three children. He is active in fundraising for the Cerebral Palsy school of North Jersey where his daughter is a student.

Peter Glusker

CEO, Gilt Japan & Gilt City Japan

Peter Glusker serves as Chief Executive Officer of Gilt Japan and Gilt City Japan, where he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of both companies. Gilt Japan, a subsidiary of Gilt Groupe Inc., was launched in March 2009. Today it has over 500,000 members, and has worked with over 300 brands. Gilt City Japan, a subsidiary of Gilt City, Inc., launched in December 2010.

Previously, Peter was based in New York City, running the Business Development and International Operations for Gilt Groupe, Inc. He joined Gilt in 2009, after having served as a senior executive at a number of leading media and technology businesses.

Most recently Peter was the CEO of Latina Media Ventures LLC, and prior to that served as Senior Vice President of the Viacom Digital Media Group and the CBS Internet Group. Earlier in his career, Peter served as Senior Vice President of Content Programming & Business Development at Prodigy Inc., and also held positions at The International Finance Corporation, Bain & Company, and First Boston.

Peter has served on the boards of numerous public and private media companies, including SportsLine.com, iWon and MarketWatch, and The Journal Register Company. He holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Jyothi Rao

General Manager, Women's

Jyothi Rao brings to Gilt Groupe extensive experience in the retail sector with a focus on merchandising. Most recently, she served as a senior vice president and general manager at Calvin Klein, where she launched the Specialty Retail division. Prior to that, she spent 16 years at Gap Inc., where she held several leadership positions and was responsible for aggressively growing both the regular-price and outlet businesses for Gap and Banana Republic. Jyothi, who has resided in Africa, India and Europe, also helped Gap International succeed in more than doubling its sales in Japan, France, the U.K. and Canada. She was educated at the University of Texas at Austin.

Chris Ventry

General Manager, Gilt MAN

Chris Ventry serves as the General Manger of Gilt MAN. In this position Chris is responsible for overseeing responsibilities including business operations, merchandising and marketing for the Gilt MAN business. Chris joined Gilt in 2010 as the Head of Business Operations for Park & Bond, Gilt's full-price men's site. Prior to Gilt Chris was a Director of the Enterprise Improvement Practice at AlixPartners LLC. He has also served as the COO of two apparel brands, Rogan LLC and Loomstate LLC where he launched two e-commerce websites. A recognized practitioner in the specialty and luxury sectors, Chris began his professional career in the financial services industry at HSBC Holdings plc as an International Officer with stints in the U.K., Russia, Australia, and Hong Kong, before joining the Global Emerging Markets desk to manage HSBC Asset Management's Latin equity investments. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Comparative Area Studies and in Russian, as well as a Certificate in Markets and Management Studies from Duke University. Chris earned his M.S. in Economics and Social History from Oxford University.

Jason Goldberger

General Manager, Home

Jason serves as General Manager of Gilt Home, where he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the home business, including business strategy, merchandise, and site development. Jason brings to Gilt extensive experience in e-commerce and home. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising for Hayneedle. Prior to Hayneedle, Jason served as General Manager for two separate businesses at Amazon.com: Home Improvements, and Sports and Outdoors. Jason holds a B.A. from Colby College

Rachel Jarrett

General Manager, Children

Rachel is the General Manager of Gilt Children. She previously served as the Vice President and General Manager of Kids & Specialty Products at Barnes & Noble.com. Jarrett brings extensive knowledge of the children’s business and has been recognized for creating innovative online programs, such as the children’s program “online storytime” for BN.com. She has also created and implemented strategic plans, which have benefited her companies and their customers. Prior to BN.com, she served as Executive Advisor of Merchandising and Operations at FAO Schwarz and spent five years as Buyer and Director of Merchandising for Babies “R” Us / Toys “R” Us infant and toddler furniture.

Rachel holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In addition she has a BA in International Relations, and an MA in International Economics and American Foreign Policy, both from Johns Hopkins University.

Shan-Lyn Ma

General Manager, Gilt Taste

Shan-Lyn Ma has been with Gilt Groupe since 2008, when she started as the first Product lead tasked with defining and evolving the core Gilt.com experience. She has served as the Product Management lead on Gilt's key new business launches and led Gilt's successful foray into mobile - managing apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android and mobile web.

Most recently Shan-Lyn was named General Manager of Gilt Taste, where she is responsible for launching and building Gilt's entrance into the Gourmet Food and Wine arena. Prior to Gilt, Shan-Lyn held Product and Marketing roles at Yahoo! focused on mobile, widgets and search marketing.

Shan-Lyn holds a BCommerce with First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and an MBA from Stanford University.

John Auerbach

President, Park & Bond

John Auerbach has been with Gilt since its inception as an integral part of driving the company’s unprecedented growth while overseeing the launch of both of Gilt's men's businesses – Gilt MAN and Park & Bond. John currently serves as President of Park & Bond, Gilt's full-price men's site. Prior to this role John was the General Manager of Gilt MAN, which he grew to a $100 million business within two years of launch. In 2010, he was named one of Details magazine’s "Mavericks" for the launch and success of Gilt MAN. Before joining Gilt, John worked in investment banking at both Peter J. Solomon and UBS. He also worked in Economic Development for the Bloomberg administration. He was educated at Duke University and Columbia Business School.

Nate Richardson

President, Gilt City

Nate serves as the president of Gilt City, Inc. Prior to building out the Gilt City team and business, Nate led the launch of Gilt Man. He was previously the CEO of ContentNext Media, where he led the company's sale to Guardian Media/UK. Nate has served as the Head of DowJones Online, where he oversaw Marketwatch, WSJ.com, Barrons.com and several other vertical sites. He spent several years building, growing and leading Yahoo! Finance into the Web's No. 1 online finance and business destination and was named the most influential in online finance by Institutional Investor. Nate was part of the original team at DotBank prior to its sale to Yahoo; he was an emerging-markets associate with Citibank in Istanbul, Warsaw, Johannesburg and Jeddah and also served as the country director for the International Rescue Committee in Liberia. Earlier in his career he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.

Drew Patterson

CEO & Founder, Jetsetter

A true travel connoisseur, CEO and Founder Drew Patterson brings more than a decade of experience to Jetsetter, the leading private sale site that helps travelers discover and purchase the world’s best vacations. With the introduction of Jetsetter, Patterson once again transforms the travel booking and planning industry, this time offering luxury destinations and unique insights that make for memorable vacations. Jetsetter serves as a trusted friend for savvy travelers, delivering quality choices and candid recommendations on memorable leisure travel experiences. Patterson’s expertise in the online travel arena ranges across various channels, having worked as both a supplier and an intermediary.

An industry pioneer, Patterson was part of the founding team at KAYAK where, during his five-year tenure as vice president of marketing, he played an integral role in reshaping the online travel landscape by evolving the distribution model and initializing the concept of “search.” Prior to that, Patterson cut his teeth as director of distribution and revenue management at Starwood Hotels, where he forged new distribution channels with online travel agents, including Expedia and Travelocity, to increase sales and strengthened the company’s hotel brands.

Patterson received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University before earning his Masters in Business from Columbia Business School. He resides in New York City.