LookSmart Names Ned Brody to Chief Financial Officer
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2000--LookSmart (Nasdaq:LOOK), a global leader of Internet search infrastructure, today announced that Ned Brody, senior vice president of finance for LookSmart, has been promoted to chief financial officer for the Company.
In his new position, Brody will be responsible for the overall financial management of LookSmart, including its domestic and international expansion, and will oversee all financial strategy and operations.
Over the last year, LookSmart has emerged as a leading search infrastructure company and is now utilizing its network's reach of over 50 million unique users each month in the U.S. to create and monetize a powerful eCommerce distribution channel.
Brody developed the eCommerce group and led LookSmart's eCommerce distribution strategy. More recently, as senior vice president of finance, Brody oversaw the implementation of operational and financial disciplines for LookSmart's emerging eCommerce distribution business.
"Ned's strategic leadership of our eCommerce distribution businesses, related successful M&A activity, and proven track record in creating accountable management structures best position him to lead the finance function going forward," said Evan Thornley, chairman and CEO of LookSmart. "We wanted someone with a strong set of analytical and financial skills, hands-on experience managing product financials, and the ability to operate effectively within the fast-paced LookSmart culture. This appointment recognizes the leadership role Ned has been playing for some time across each of these functions."
Brody replaces Patricia Cole, who will be leaving LookSmart, having taken the Company public last year. Cole joined LookSmart in its start-up stage, initiated all key management and financial systems, and oversaw a successful $60 million mezzanine round and $108 million initial public offering during her tenure.
"During my tenure, LookSmart has matured to become a thriving public company and I'm proud to have been a part of it," said Cole. "Ned has the experience and skills to steer LookSmart towards continued success and outstanding performance as a leading Internet infrastructure company."
Prior to joining LookSmart in 1998, Brody spent over 10 years at Mercer Management Consulting, a top management consulting firm specializing in using analytical techniques to solve business problems. During his tenure at Mercer, Brody founded and managed Mercer's Internet practice and counseled Internet clients in the content, syndication, and infrastructure industries. Brody spent over 6 of his 10 years working outside the United States in Europe, Australia and Asia, before ending his tenure at Mercer as Office Head of the San Francisco office.
Brody received a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, in finance and decision sciences (quantitative analysis and computer science) from the Wharton School. He also received his MBA from Wharton, with focuses in finance and multinational management.
About LookSmart
LookSmart (Nasdaq:LOOK) is a global leader of Internet search infrastructure, dedicated to helping the world find useful information quickly. LookSmart's distribution network reaches over 50 million people a month -- nearly 74 percent of all Internet users in the U.S. -- through LookSmart's Web properties and partner sites. LookSmart's search solutions include a collection of over 1.5 million high-quality URLs organized into more than 100,000 categories. LookSmart provides its search solutions to leading Internet portals, ISPs and Web sites including The Microsoft Network, Netscape Netcenter, Time Warner Inc., Excite@Home, Sony, BT, Road Runner, Prodigy, US West, AltaVista, NetZero, over 370 Internet service providers and thousands of Web sites. LookSmart has built Web directories for 25 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Brazil. Through its partnership with Cox Interactive Media, LookSmart also offers one of the largest collections of quality local Web content in more than 70 U.S. markets. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and can be contacted at 415/348-7000 or visited at www.looksmart.com.
CONTACT: LookSmart
Liz Connaghan, 415/348-7185
lconnaghan@looksmart.net