• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, August 10, 2016

Chicago-based Rise Interactive has formed an Advisory Board gathering together a distinguished group of marketing and business leaders to help guide the strategic direction of the agency.

The Board is comprised of five leaders, each of whom has made a significant impact in their respective fields: Cheryl Berman, David Friedman, Chris McGowan, Andrew DeGuire, and Jack Kraft. Each plays an active role and is regularly involved in the agency's operations.

Of the formation of the Advisory Board and its members, Rise Interactive Founder and CEO Jon Morris said,"Each individual's background is unique and influential in helping Rise advance our business goals, and I'm honored to be working with a group of this caliber. Assembling this advisory board will allow the agency to grow and innovate on behalf of our clients and do so at an accelerated rate. I look forward to having them play both a mentorship role and hold the leadership team accountable as we continue to scale the business."

As former chairman and chief creative officer of Leo Burnett USA, Cheryl Berman was responsible for some of the agency's most successful and famous marketing campaigns. During her tenure, she was named Chicago's Ad Woman of the Year in 1997 and was featured in Ad Age as one of the 100 most influential women in advertising in 2012. "Rise is a breath of fresh air. The ability to combine the agency's analytical acumen with my creative expertise offers a unique solution for today's marketers," shared Berman. "I am truly excited to help integrate world-class creative at all levels, as I believe Rise represents the real future of marketing."

David Friedman brings over 25 years of experience helping brands achieve digital marketing success. Previously, Friedman served as president of marketing for Sears Holdings, where he oversaw both the Sears and Kmart marketing divisions. After his time at Sears, Friedman spent 11 years in executive roles at Razorfish. Of his appointment, Friedman said, "What drew me to this position at Rise was the ability to tap into my brand side and agency services background to create a new breed of marketing service provider. I'm thrilled to play a part in the next chapter of Rise's journey."

Christopher McGowan has been a private equity and venture capital investor for 22 years. The agency hopes his financial experience strengthens Rise's ability to help clients make better use of their marketing budgets. McGowan, the general partner of CJM Ventures and an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, previously worked at Madison Dearborn Partners as a managing director, co-heading the private equity firm's basic industries practice. In his role on the board, McGowan will advise on strategic investments to ensure long-term growth and innovation at the agency.

Andrew DeGuire brings over a decade of experience in business development and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to his current role as vice president of mergers and acquisitions and corporate development for global printing company, Quad/Graphics, DeGuire was vice president of business development and global growth for the building efficiency division of Johnson Controls, Inc., a Fortune 100 company. In his role, he orchestrated a $2.5 billion joint venture with Japan's Hitachi Ltd. in 2013.

Jack Kraft is a long-time advisor to both Morris and the agency. Formerly a vice chairman and chief operating officer of Leo Burnett Company, Kraft spent 20 years playing an instrumental role in the growth of the agency. On Kraft joining the board, Morris said, "Jack has been a mentor of mine since the start of Rise. His extensive media background and experience building world-class organizations allows us to create the right foundation to be successful in the long-term."

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