Management & Directors

Executive Management

Jirka Rysavy
Founder and Company Chairman as well as Chairman of the Board. He has been Chairman since our inception and served as our full-time Chief Executive Officer from December 1998 to March 2009. In 1986, Mr. Rysavy founded Corporate Express, Inc., which, under his leadership, grew to become a Fortune 500 company supplying office and computer products and services. He was its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until September 1998. Mr. Rysavy also founded and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Market, a health foods market, which was sold in 1987 to become the first Wild Oats Markets store. Mr. Rysavy is also Chairman of Real Goods Solar, Inc., a subsidiary of Gaiam.

Lynn Powers
Chief Executive Officer and a Director. Ms. Powers has been our Chief Executive Officer since March 2009 and a Director since February 1996. She also served as our President from February 1996 to November 2010. From February 1996 until September 2001, she was our Chief Operating Officer, and from September 2001 until March 2009 she was our Chief Executive Officer of North American operations. From 1992 to 1996, she was Chief Executive Officer of La Scelta, an importer of natural fiber clothing products. Before that, Ms. Powers was Senior Vice President Marketing/Strategic Development and Vice President Merchandising of Miller’s Outpost, a specialty retailer. Ms. Powers also serves as a director of Real Goods Solar.

Bill Sondheim
President. Mr. Sondheim became Gaiam's President in November 2010 and had served as Gaiam's President of Entertainment and Worldwide Distribution since joining Gaiam in April of 2007. From 2005 until 2007, Mr. Sondheim was in charge of Global Dual Disc music format for Sony BMG. Prior to 2005, Mr. Sondheim served as President of Retail at GoodTimes Entertainment and President of PolyGram Video at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.

Steve Thomas
Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Thomas became Gaiam’s Chief Financial Officer in November 2010 and has served as Gaiam's Chief Accounting Officer since 2009 and Controller since 2006. From 2005 until 2006, Mr. Thomas was Chief Financial Officer of Digitally Unique Corporation, an online retailer of consumer electronics, and from 2003 until 2005 Mr. Thomas was Controller of American Coin Merchandising, Inc., a public company acquired by Coinstar in 2004 for approximately $235 million. Mr. Thomas has held numerous financial and accounting positions throughout his career that began with Arthur Andersen LLP in 1986.

John Jackson
Vice President of Corporate Development and Secretary. Mr. Jackson has served as Gaiam’s Vice President of Corporate Development since June 2006 and was appointed Secretary in March 2007. Prior to joining Gaiam, Mr. Jackson served as the Chief Executive Officer for Alliance Management, LLC, a firm that he founded in 1999 that provided strategic alliance advisory services to domestic and international middle market business concerns.

Directors

Jirka Rysavy
Founder and company Chairman as well as Chairman of the Board. He has been Chairman since our inception and served as our full-time Chief Executive Officer from December 1998 to March 2009. In 1986, Mr. Rysavy founded Corporate Express, Inc., which, under his leadership, grew to become a Fortune 500 company supplying office and computer products and services. He was its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until September 1998. Mr. Rysavy also founded and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Market, a health foods market, which was sold in 1987 to become the first Wild Oats Markets store. Mr. Rysavy is also Chairman of Real Goods Solar, Inc., a subsidiary of Gaiam.

James Argyropoulos
Director since May 2002. Mr. Argyropoulos has been primarily engaged as a private investor over the last fifteen years. In 1972, Mr. Argyropoulos founded and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Cherokee Group Inc., a shoe manufacturing and apparel business. Mr. Argyropoulos also serves as a director of Real Goods Solar.

Barnet M. Feinblum
Director since October 1999. Mr. Feinblum has been co-managing director of Greenmont Capital Partners I, LLP, a private equity fund, since 2006. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Feinblum was the Chairman of Organic Vintners, a marketer of organic wines, and prior to becoming Chairman served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Organic Vintners starting in 2001, when Mr. Feinblum founded the company. Mr. Feinblum was the President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Horizon Organic Dairy from May 1995 to January 2000. From July 1993 through March 1995, Mr. Feinblum was the President of Natural Venture Partners, a private investment company. From August 1976 until August 1993, Mr. Feinblum held various positions at Celestial Seasonings, Inc., including President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board. Mr. Feinblum was also a director of Seventh Generation, Inc.

Barbara Mowry
Director since October 1999. Since 2003, Ms. Mowry has been Chief Executive Officer of Silver Creek Systems, a provider of enterprise data usability software. From 1997 until February 2001, Ms. Mowry was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Requisite Technology, a business-to-business e-commerce company specializing in the creation and management of electronic content and catalogs. Prior to joining Requisite Technology, Ms. Mowry was an officer of Telecommunications, Inc. (cable television) from 1995 to 1997; and UAL, Inc. (airline) from 1983 to 1990. Ms. Mowry also serves as a director of Real Goods Solar.

Paul H. Ray
Director since October 1999. Since 2000, Mr. Ray has been a Founding Partner of Integral Partnerships LLC, a consulting firm specializing in Cultural Creative topics. From 1986 until 2000, he was Executive Vice President of American LIVES, Inc., a market research and opinion-polling firm. Prior to joining American LIVES, Mr. Ray was Chief of Policy Research on Energy Conservation at the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources of the Government of Canada from 1981 to 1983. From 1973 to 1981, Mr. Ray was Associate Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. He is the author of “The Integral Culture Survey,” which first identified the Cultural Creative subculture.