Fred Singer is an Internet pioneer and entrepreneur whose career and philanthropic activities have spanned a broad range of interests from media, arts, education, science and veteran affairs. In addition to his role as CEO of Echo360, Fred also serves as Chairman of Grab Media.
Before Echo360 and Grab Media, Fred was a Senior Advisor to Masayoshi Son, President and CEO of Softbank Corporation in Japan and was also active as a venture partner at Softbank Capital in the US.
Prior to Softbank, Fred held a number of senior roles at AOL including Chief Operating Officer of AOL Studios/Interactive Services, Chief Operating Officer for ICQ (instant messaging) and Senior Vice President of Emerging Products. Prior to AOL, Fred was a founder of the Washington Post Online Service (now WashingtonPost.com) and a Consultant with Bain & Company.
Fred has served on a number of business, charitable and educational boards including DoubleClick, Motley Fool Company,Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (International Committee), Queens School of Business, and Upper Canada College. His current board work includes the Langley School and “Warriors to Cyber Warriors” which focuses on helping wounded warriors find meaningful training and careers in cybersecurity. He was named one of Washingtonian Magazine's 2013 "Tech Titans."
Fred holds an MBA from Harvard as well as an LLB, an MA in Philosophy, a BA with Distinction in Philosophy, and a BA with Honors in Commerce from Queen’s University in Canada.
Tony Abate brings more than 20 years of experience in the technology, digital media and converged services fields to Echo360 and over the course of his career, Tony has served in a variety of product management, senior executive, investment and advisory roles.
As an investor at Battery Ventures and Whitney & Co, Tony served on the board of several venture-backed start-ups. His seasoned guidance on how to profitably scale in nascent markets helped companies like Homestore, RelevantKnowledge, and Cbeyond Communications go from concept to a successful IPO or exit.
As a consultant at McKinsey & Co. and Mercator Partners, Tony advised publicly-traded companies and venture-backed start-ups on how best to capitalize on the ensuing business opportunities of digitization and convergence. Tony began his career in the US Air Force, where he developed an advanced computer platform for the then-classified stealth aircraft program.
Tony graduated summa cum laude with a BSE in Electrical Engineering from Duke University and holds an MBA with honors from Harvard Business School.
Richard Taylor oversees strategy and daily operations for Echo360’s global marketing, public relations and communications teams. Prior to joining Echo360, Richard was the Founder and President of WiseChoice Brands, the leading online provider of college guidance solutions for students and families.
Before founding WiseChoice Brands, he was Senior Vice President for Brand Marketing at AOL where he pioneered innovations in advertising and media that leveraged online, social marketing and product integration. Richard also served as Vice President of Global Marketing at Burger King where he established the company as the leader in entertainment marketing. Early in his career, Richard worked as a marketing executive in the beverage industry where he lead international brands such as Martini & Rossi and Bacardi.
Richard earned a BA from the University of California. He has been a board member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame since 2005.
Bill Holding is focused on future growth strategy and developing corporate relationships for Echo360.
Most recently, Bill was the President of Anystream, where he led the company through significant growth and the second-generation release of its industry-leading Agility platform.
Prior to Anystream, Bill was Vice President of Marketing and International for Into Networks. Before Into Networks, Bill served as Director of Business Development and Group Product Manager in the desktop products division of Avid Technology. Early in his career, Bill worked as a Product Manager at Microsoft and as an Account Executive at Young & Rubicam Advertising.
Bill holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, an M.St. in Modern History from Oxford University, and a BA in History from Emory University.
Chris Huff has more than 20 years of sales and business development leadership experience in public and venture-backed technology companies, and has built and scaled direct sales organizations, as well as indirect sales channels. Chris’ career includes more than 12 years of international sales management experience during which he has generated significant and sustained revenue streams in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Prior to joining Echo360, Chris served as Vice President of Sales for JacobsRimell Ltd., a UK-based provider of advanced IP provisioning software solutions to the telecom. Before JacobsRimell, Chris was the Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at UK-based Cerebrus Solutions Ltd. Chris has also held sales and business development executive positions at TeleKnowledge, Saville Systems, Comshare and IBM.
Chris received a BA in History from Dartmouth College.
Steve Fitzgerald brings more than 26 years of IT and software development experience and a proven track record of transforming development teams into world-class technology organizations. Prior to joining Echo360, Steve was the Senior Vice President of Product Development for Razorsight Corporation where he oversaw product design, architecture, development, QA and software delivery along with all IT and cloud/SaaS operations.
Before Razorsight, Steve was Vice President of Software Development at SoftMed Systems where he led the development of more than 25 products over the course of six years. Steve also spent 15 years at PDS Inc. where he oversaw product development, testing, distribution and documentation.
Steve holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Villanova University and a Computer Science degree from the Maxwell Institute in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Debbie is a seasoned HR professional with experience in a variety of industries. She serves as the Echo360’s Vice President of Human Resources and is responsible for HR as well as administration. Before joining Echo360, Debbie was the VP of Human Resources for Horseshoe Casinos where she managed HR and employee services for more than 1,800 employees at properties in Louisiana and the greater Chicago area. Prior to Horseshoe Casinos, Debbie was the first Director of Human Resources for the Dallas Cowboys Football Club in Texas.
In addition to gaming and professional sports organizations, Debbie has held human resources management and sales management positions in tourism, aerospace, non-profit and higher education. Her broad range of experience also includes communications, leadership development, event planning and community relations.
Debbie earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her Masters degree in Communication from Northwestern University.
Bob brings more than 20 years of experience in management, systems implementation, professional services and technical support to Echo360. He is responsible for the company’s post-sale client success including installation readiness, deployment, training and technical support to ensure a seamless on boarding process and long-term client satisfaction.
Bob’s experience spans the public sector, telecommunications, and media and entertainment industries. Prior to Echo360, Bob led the professional services team for Grab Networks where he was responsible for the installation and technical support for the company’s 700-plus broadcast customers. Before joining Grab Networks, Bob spent 15 years in systems implementation, professional services and technical support at a variety of companies including ManTech Is&T, Spirent Communications and BDM International. Bob’s management and training experience began during his tenure in the US Navy.
Bob holds an MS in International Business from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Management from The New School for Social Research.
Perry Samson, founder of LectureTools, is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences at the University of Michigan. He holds an Arthur F. Thurnau Professorship at the University of Michigan in recognition of “outstanding contributions to undergraduate education” and is the recipient of one of the inaugural “Teaching Innovation Awards” at the University of Michigan. In 2010 he was named "Distinguished Professor of the Year" in the State of Michigan.
As Vice President of Government Solutions for Echo360, Bert Steele is responsible for expanding the company’s presence in the public sector and government markets. Bert brings over 20 years of management and government experience to his role, having spent the past decade helping high-tech and software companies engage and succeed with federal clients.
Prior to joining Echo360, Bert was a Policy Advisor for the law firm Akin Gump and a founder of the Roosevelt Group, where he worked with a wide range of federally focused clients – from Fortune 500 companies to universities and technology startups, as well as public entities including state and local governments.
Bert is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves and has held multiple leadership positions both in operational units and in Washington, DC. His military leadership experience includes command of an intelligence unit in Iraq and assignments as a Senate and White House liaison officer.
Bert received his B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy, a certificate degree in global trade from Oxford University, and is a graduate of Command and Staff College.
