Rich LeFurgy
Online Advertising Advisor—1020 Placement, Archer Advisors, and Interactive Advertising Bureau
Rich LeFurgy has been a board member, advisors or investor in over 55 online advertising companies. Currently, LeFurgy is chairman of the Internet Advertising Bureau, which he founded in 1996. The bureau, with over 300 member companies, is dedicated to promoting the use and marketing effectiveness of internet media. The organization is the largest of its kind and funds industry research, education, and advocacy. He also serves as a director at 1020 Placement, and is a general partner at Archer Advisors, a multifaceted advisory service company assisting start-up online media companies by serving on their boards of directors, completing advisory projects, and proving early stage investments.
Previously, LeFurgy was a partner with the Walden Media and Information Technology Fund, a San Francisco venture capital fund that focused on internet advertising, e-commerce, entertainment, and education. Prior to joining Walden, LeFurgy was a 20-year advertising industry veteran, and was one of the early evangelists of the internet’s integrated advertising and marketing value.
LeFurgy also helped organize the Procter & Gamble FAST Summit Initiative in the summer of 1998 to help accelerate the use of digital advertising. LeFurgy is now chairman of the FAST Steering Committee, the successor FAST organization that is helping oversee the development of a broad range of voluntary guidelines for the industry. Among his other industry interests, LeFurgy also serves as a director of the interactive ad agency Lot21; Snowball, an online media company for the Internet Generation; and AllAdvantage, a media company that rewards consumers for their economic value while they are online. He is also on the board of the Advertising Educational Foundation and the Advertising Research Foundation. LeFurgy was most recently senior vice president of the Buena Vista Internet Group, where he oversaw advertising sales for ESPN.com, ABCNews.com, Disney Online, NBA.com, NFL.com, NASCAR, and Mr. Showbiz. LeFurgy started online advertising sales at Starwave, where he helped launch ESPN.com in 1995.
In the traditional advertising world, LeFurgy was executive vice president, senior partner and on the board of directors at NW Ayer & Partners in New York for 17 years. Beyond traditional advertising, he led both event marketing and direct marketing start-ups to create integrated marketing solutions for clients. His experience base is diverse, including eight years at AT&T, and roles at P&G, Gillette, Burger King, Marriott, Avon, Ralston Purina, Nestle, 7UP, and DuPont. He holds a BS in advertising from Syracuse University, where he graduated first in his Newhouse School class.