Leadership: Executive Committee

Chris Colbert is one of the founding partners of Holland Mark, and until his decision to re-launch the agency in 2007 he was the managing partner of Pile and Company, one of the leading advertising industry consulting firms.  From 1986 to 2001 he was the president of Holland Mark Advertising and a principal in its sister company BeNow, a marketing database technology firm. 
In his various roles, Chris developed significant expertise in consumer brand strategies and integrated communications from his work with Blue Cross, TJ Maxx, Universal Studios, Ameritech, Polaroid, Liberty Mutual, and the Boston Globe; in database and relationship marketing, working with brands like Polaroid, Thomson Consumer Electronics (RCA), Scholastic, and Compaq; and a strong competency in addressing the challenges and opportunities in the interactive realm, from his direct involvement with tjmaxx.com and redlobster.com.
 
In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Chris is Chairman Emeritus of the Advertising Club of Greater Boston.  He holds a BA in History from Connecticut College and an International MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

Larry Weber started his own public relations company, The Weber Group, in 1987. The company was unique in its focus on technology and its location in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an area soon to become the interactive capital of the world. Weber built strong relationships with clients, but also with visionaries and leaders throughout the technology community. Weber’s personal interest and expertise in adopting technology to drive communications led to his founding of Thunder House, which was one of the first online marketing firms. Within ten years, The Weber Group was the world’s largest and most established technology public relations firm. 

Weber’s philosophical style and international success attracted the attention of marketing communications conglomerate The Interpublic Group of Companies, which purchased The Weber Group in late 1996. Thunder House also was purchased by Interpublic and forms the core of its interactive marketing communications offerings. In early 2000, Weber was named chairman and CEO of Interpublic’s Advanced Marketing Services group, which includes the company’s public relations, research and analysis and entertainment holdings. In the summer of 2001, Weber engineered the merger of Weber Shandwick Worldwide and BSMG Worldwide to form the world’s largest public relations firm. Weber continues to serves as founder of the company. 

After seven years on Madison Avenue, Weber decided to return to his entrepreneurial roots. In early 2004, he became Chairman and Founder of W2 Group, Inc. Recognized as a visionary in applying technology to the communications field, Weber is a sought after speaker and counselor. Weber serves on the board of Modem Media, EchoMail, The Yankee Group, Racepoint Group, Spotlight Health, Poindexter Systems and Third Screen Media. He is also co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX), the largest interactive advocacy organization in the world. 

Emily Nagle Green leads all aspects of Yankee Group's strategic, financial and global research initiatives. An industry veteran, Green is chartered with continuing Yankee Group's expansion by delivering timely and actionable research, consulting and events that empower clients to make successful business decisions.
Before joining Yankee Group, Green was the CEO and member of the board of Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), the preeminent research and consulting firm in the energy sector, and led its sale in 2004 to IHS Energy (Englewood, Colo.).

Previously, Green served for nine years in leadership roles with IT advisory firm Forrester Research, helping the company grow from a privately held boutique to a publicly traded market leader. From 2001 to 2003, she was managing director, Forrester Research North America. She also launched and built the company's European operations, serving as managing director, Forrester Research Europe from 1998 to 2001, acquiring and integrating several regional competitors during that time.

Green is a frequent speaker and author on the challenges and opportunities of new technologies for businesses and consumers alike. Green holds a B.S.L. degree in linguistics from Georgetown University and an M.S.E. degree in artificial intelligence and computer graphics from the University of Pennsylvania.

A Business Assurance Partner in the Technology, InfoComm and Entertainment practice, Vic is the leader of the Technology, InfoComm and Entertainment (TICE) practice for the firm’s Northeast Region.  Vic was previously the Global Leader for the Software and Internet Sector. His clients range from start-ups to multinational companies, including closely and publicly held, high growth companies.

His educational background includes a MS in Accounting and a BS in Economics from the State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA).  Vic is a member of the Curriculum Advisory Board for the Accounting Department of SUNYA. He is a Board member of The Massachusetts Interactive Multimedia Council and an active member of the Massachusetts Software Council.  He is also a member the American Institute and Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Michael Barron is a Partner at DLA Piper in the Corporate and Securities Department. Mr. Barron focuses on providing legal services to emerging technology and life sciences companies and to investors in emerging technology and life sciences companies, in addition to providing trademark and licensing services. Mr. Barron is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Mr. Barron is a member of the Boston Bar Association, the International Trademark Association, the Licensing Executive Society, the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, the MIT Enterprise Forum, and the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (Board of Directors). Mr. Barron is the founder and general counsel for the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX).

Prior to founding Spring Partners in January, 2008, Janer was most recently Chief Marketing Officer of Third Screen Media, a mobile advertising technology and services company, where he was responsible for the company’s marketing and product management initiatives.

Before joining Third Screen Media, Janer was Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Britemoon, an online marketing solutions provider. In 2000, he was a founding partner of Traverse Partners, a firm providing strategic consulting and interim operational management to VCs and emerging growth companies. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice President of Fidelity eBusiness, a 90-person Internet strategy and development organization. He was also President and CEO of Larry Miller Productions, a marketing communications firm acquired in 1998 by iXL, an Internet professional services firm, where he was an Executive Vice President.

Janer holds a BA in International Relations from Brown University.