Elisabeth DeMarse
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth DeMarse has been an accomplished leader in digital media throughout her technology career and was a female CEO of a public company when few had, and still have, achieved that status.
, graduated from Charlotte Country Day School, received her A.B. from Wellesley College and her MBA from Harvard Business School
. Media and politics were always in her blood. Her father, Samuel Cummings Hair, ran Interstate Advertising, the largest outdoor and airport display company in North Carolina. Her mother, Liz Hair, was Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Mecklenberg County. At age 15, she founded an alternative newspaper, The Naked Truth, and was editor of The Country Day Monitor. At Wellesley, she was a Wellesley Scholar, a Wellesley Washington Intern, Chief Justice, and a columnist for the Wellesley News.
) and then as an aide to Congressman Edward I. Koch, following him to New York’s City Hall when Koch became Mayor. Koch named DeMarse to a four year term on the New York Commission on the Status of Women in 1985.
. In 1988, she joined Michael Bloomberg
's new company as head of marketing, where she was employee 217. While at Bloomberg, DeMarse launched 8 businesses, including Bloomberg.com. She launched the Bloomberg series of cartoon books with The New Yorker magazine.
In 2000, Google Search Engine Optimization was barely understood. DeMarse reasoned that to be a trusted provider of mortgage rates and other money market data for the consumer, Bankrate needed to develop and maintain a solid investment in useful consumer advice in personal finance. Under her tenure, unique visitors grew from 700,000 to 5 million, by use of editorial partnerships and search engine optimization.
DeMarse applied lessons from the New York information/news/publishing scene, that valued frequently updated, original long form content. Bankrate won 6 SABEW awards, and its award-winning editorial made it a trusted source for consumers, garnering the site high Google SERP rankings.
Due to the fact that Bankrate’s traffic was “free” rather than paid, the income statement benefited with above average EBITDA margins of 30%. In 2004, four years after becoming CEO of the near bankrupt company, Bankrate reported $14 million in Net Income.
November 1, 2001, in the wake of 9/11, DeMarse testified before Congress on the impact of 9/11 credit card billing of the consumer. 9/11 disrupted mail flow across the eastern United States, and millions of consumers were affected by unfair late fees. DeMarse testified regarding the unfairness of consumer late fees brought about by the events of 9/11 before the SubCommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. Subsequently, some issuers, notably Capital One, cancelled their late fees.
, a $3 billion venture/growth capital firm as her financial sponsor. Working with AV founder Ken DeAngelis, and growth equity partner Phil Siegel, she founded DeMarseCo, an acquisition vehicle to source and evaluate tech and media company acquisitions, founder recaps and buyouts, non-core spinouts, strategic combinations, privatizations, growth capital investments and viable turnarounds. Within six months, the team obtained and deployed $260 million in funding for multiple acquisitions including: ClickSuccess, Freedom Marketng and All Star Directories.
and Chairman Patrick Spain
, DeMarse’s strategy is to grow traffic through social media, and monetize through direct sales. Newser is a mid-sized internet news publisher that combines the wisdom of editors and the power of technology, offering, a richer, smarter, and more entertaining news experience. It is listed at the #25 most influential internet publication by OMMA, beating out the Huffington Post and Daily Beast.
On February 28, 2011, Andrew Ross Sorkin disclosed that Newser’s pending acquisition of Salon.com
had failed.
for twenty years, serving as secretary, treasurer and ultimately President of the Board. In that time, Billl T. Jones, received a MacArthur Genius Award. Collaborations with Max Roach
, Keith Haring
(Secret Pastures) and many other visual and musical artists are a hallmark of the Bill T. Jones ouevre.
, YP Corporation, Heska Corporation, Incredimail.com, and Stockgroup. She is currently a board member of ZipRealty
. and Insweb Corporation
.
Early Life And Education
DeMarse grew up in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, graduated from Charlotte Country Day School, received her A.B. from Wellesley College and her MBA from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. Media and politics were always in her blood. Her father, Samuel Cummings Hair, ran Interstate Advertising, the largest outdoor and airport display company in North Carolina. Her mother, Liz Hair, was Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Mecklenberg County. At age 15, she founded an alternative newspaper, The Naked Truth, and was editor of The Country Day Monitor. At Wellesley, she was a Wellesley Scholar, a Wellesley Washington Intern, Chief Justice, and a columnist for the Wellesley News.
Career
DeMarse began her career in politics, serving on the Senate Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (aka The Watergate CommitteeUnited States Senate Watergate Committee
The Senate Watergate Committee was a special committee convened by the United States Senate to investigate the Watergate burglaries and the ensuing Watergate scandal after it was learned that the Watergate burglars had been directed to break into and wiretap the headquarters of the Democratic...
) and then as an aide to Congressman Edward I. Koch, following him to New York’s City Hall when Koch became Mayor. Koch named DeMarse to a four year term on the New York Commission on the Status of Women in 1985.
Bloomberg, L.P.
After graduating from Harvard Business School, DeMarse left politics to become assistant to Robert Flanagan, CEO of Western UnionWestern Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
. In 1988, she joined Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
's new company as head of marketing, where she was employee 217. While at Bloomberg, DeMarse launched 8 businesses, including Bloomberg.com. She launched the Bloomberg series of cartoon books with The New Yorker magazine.
Bankrate, Inc.
While at Bloomberg, DeMarse created and ran Bloomberg Personal Finance, then termed “Personal Wealth.” In 2000, she was recruited by Jeff Cunningham, the legendary former publisher of Forbes and Chairman of iLife.com, to take the reins of iLife. iLife, a public company with $8 million in ad revenue, had $12 million in the bank, and was burning $5 million each quarter. Ilife was #7 on the famous March 2000 Barron’s “Burn Rate” list. DeMarse drove revenue in the worst ad recession since the great depression, getting the company to cashflow break-even in two quarters. She drove the stock price from .18 to $26 per share. She re-branded the company as Bankrate.com.In 2000, Google Search Engine Optimization was barely understood. DeMarse reasoned that to be a trusted provider of mortgage rates and other money market data for the consumer, Bankrate needed to develop and maintain a solid investment in useful consumer advice in personal finance. Under her tenure, unique visitors grew from 700,000 to 5 million, by use of editorial partnerships and search engine optimization.
DeMarse applied lessons from the New York information/news/publishing scene, that valued frequently updated, original long form content. Bankrate won 6 SABEW awards, and its award-winning editorial made it a trusted source for consumers, garnering the site high Google SERP rankings.
Due to the fact that Bankrate’s traffic was “free” rather than paid, the income statement benefited with above average EBITDA margins of 30%. In 2004, four years after becoming CEO of the near bankrupt company, Bankrate reported $14 million in Net Income.
November 1, 2001, in the wake of 9/11, DeMarse testified before Congress on the impact of 9/11 credit card billing of the consumer. 9/11 disrupted mail flow across the eastern United States, and millions of consumers were affected by unfair late fees. DeMarse testified regarding the unfairness of consumer late fees brought about by the events of 9/11 before the SubCommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. Subsequently, some issuers, notably Capital One, cancelled their late fees.
President and CEO, DeMarseCo
In 2005, she partnered with Austin VenturesAustin Ventures
Austin Ventures is a private equity firm focused on venture capital and growth equity investments in business services and supply chain, financial services, new media, Internet, and information services companies nationally with a focus on Texas. The firm, which is based in Austin, Texas, was...
, a $3 billion venture/growth capital firm as her financial sponsor. Working with AV founder Ken DeAngelis, and growth equity partner Phil Siegel, she founded DeMarseCo, an acquisition vehicle to source and evaluate tech and media company acquisitions, founder recaps and buyouts, non-core spinouts, strategic combinations, privatizations, growth capital investments and viable turnarounds. Within six months, the team obtained and deployed $260 million in funding for multiple acquisitions including: ClickSuccess, Freedom Marketng and All Star Directories.
CEO and President, CreditCards.com
To leverage her background from Bankrate, DeMarse undertook the role of president and CEO of CreditCards.com Through organic growth (SEO, SEM and site optimization) and acquisitions, DeMarse created a global $80 million revenue, 35% EBITDA business with 4 million unique visitors/month in the Americas, Europe, and Australia. CreditCards.com was acquired at 11X EBITDA by Bankrate in 2010. While at CreditCards, DeMarse deployed the investment in editorial and traffic partnerships that had brought Bankrate to the forefront as a trusted publisher of mortgage rates. Her editor from Bankrate, Dan Ray, moved to Austin from Palm Beach to found the editorial team for CreditCards. Ned Newhouse, of the Sy Newhouse family, ran traffic partnerships. Creditcards.com grew free, organic traffic from 25% to 55% of total traffic, greatly reducing the company's dependence on search engine marketing. However, it was DeMarse’s vision to dominate the paid search channel as well. As the company grew, DeMarse would increase the investment in paid search, to dominate the top of the paid search links. In 2007, CreditCards.com spent $35 million on paid search marketing. Under DeMarse's leadership,the company was twice named to the Inc. 500, and as a recipient of the Association for Corporate Growth award. She received the Working Mother of the Year award in 2008.CEO, Newser.com
On October 17, 2010, after the sale of Creditcards.com to Bankrate, it was announced that DeMarse would undertake the role as CEO of Newser.com. Recruited by founder Michael WolffMichael Wolff
Michael Blieden Wolff is an American jazz pianist, composer, producer, actor, and jazz educator. He was the bandleader and musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show...
and Chairman Patrick Spain
Patrick Spain
Patrick J. Spain is the co-founder of Hoover's, founder of HighBeam Research and is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of news curation site Newser....
, DeMarse’s strategy is to grow traffic through social media, and monetize through direct sales. Newser is a mid-sized internet news publisher that combines the wisdom of editors and the power of technology, offering, a richer, smarter, and more entertaining news experience. It is listed at the #25 most influential internet publication by OMMA, beating out the Huffington Post and Daily Beast.
On February 28, 2011, Andrew Ross Sorkin disclosed that Newser’s pending acquisition of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
had failed.
Philanthropies
DeMarse has been active in numerous philanthropic and non-profit endeavors. Upon graduation from HBS, the North Carolina-born artist Gretchen Bender introduced DeMarse to the choreographers Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane to help establish a dance company. DeMarse contributed to The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance CompanyBill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is an American dance company based out of Harlem in New York City. Founded in 1983 by Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, the company made its debut performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with the world premiere of Intuitive Momentum with lauded drummer...
for twenty years, serving as secretary, treasurer and ultimately President of the Board. In that time, Billl T. Jones, received a MacArthur Genius Award. Collaborations with Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
, Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
(Secret Pastures) and many other visual and musical artists are a hallmark of the Bill T. Jones ouevre.
Public Company Boards
DeMarse has been a board member of Edgar OnlineEDGAR Online
EDGAR Online is an American public company specializing in financial data. Located in Norwalk, Connecticut, it takes its name from the EDGAR database of the country's Securities and Exchange Commission, through which public financial data for filing companies can be accessed.-External links:*...
, YP Corporation, Heska Corporation, Incredimail.com, and Stockgroup. She is currently a board member of ZipRealty
ZipRealty
ZipRealty, Inc. is a U.S. real estate company with licensed agents Founded in 1999, the company operates in 35 major markets in 22 states and the District of Columbia. It is incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Emeryville, California. The company went public in 2004.-See also:*National...
. and Insweb Corporation
InsWeb
InsWeb Corporation operates an online insurance marketplace designed to allow consumers to compare insurance products and rate quotes from a variety of providers....
.