Financial services companies are among the biggest advertisers on the Internet. In 2005, the industry accounted for 12 percent of all U.S. online advertising - about $1.5 billion of the $12.5 billion total for the year, according to The Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Peter Kang has been known to walk into meetings at Saatchi & Saatchi, L.A. with a video game player in his pocket. But Kang, the creative director of interactive and emerging technology, whose sole client is Toyota, isn't just playing -- he's studying.

Hillary Evans was still in college when she landed a freelance gig designing Jolt Cola's first Web site in the early 1990s. "That was the soda that was popular with programmers because it has twice the caffeine of other sodas," she recalls with a laugh.

When Kirk Drummond takes a vacation, he isn't one to sightsee or lounge on a beach. Instead you'll find him adventure-racing - a sport that has had him kayaking through crocodile-infested waters, traversing terrain crawling with vipers, and mountain biking down steep slopes.

Nick Pahade's parents weren't happy. It was early 1996, and he'd just told them that he was dropping medical school to start "a Web site promotional company" with a few college pals.

Ask anyone at OMD Digital or any of the agency's clients about Sean Finnegan and they're effusive: He's a visionary and a people person; a great leader, motivator, and team player.

David Cohen can thank digital media for many things -- including his wife.

Any interactive media planner looking ahead to 2007 has Google, YouTube, and MySpace on the radar.

It's our second annual Online All Stars issue, honoring nine individuals who've shown extraordinary leadership and vision in online media, marketing, and advertising.