Decision Makers
Board of Directors
Diane Irvine has served as Chief Executive Officer since February 2008 and President since February 2007. She served as Chief Financial Officer from December 1999 to September 2007. She has been a Director of the Company since May 2001. From February 1994 to May 1999, Ms. Irvine served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc., a timberland management and wood products company. From September 1981 to February 1994, Ms. Irvine served in various capacities, most recently as a partner, with Coopers and Lybrand LLP, an accounting firm. Ms. Irvine serves on the board of directors of Ticketmaster, a live entertainment ticketing and marketing company. Ms. Irvine holds a B.S. in Accounting from Illinois State University and holds an M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University.
Mark Vadon co-founded Blue Nile and has served as Executive Chairman since February 2008 and Chairman of the Board since inception. Prior to February 2008, he served as Chief Executive Officer from inception and served as President from inception to February 2007. From December 1992 to March 1999, Mr. Vadon was a consultant for Bain & Company, a management consulting firm. Mr. Vadon holds a B.A. in Social Studies from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
Dwight Gaston has served as Blue Nile’s Senior Vice President since September 2005. From July 2003 to March 2005, Mr. Gaston served as Vice President of Operations, and from May 1999 to July 2003, Mr. Gaston served as Blue Nile’s Director of Fulfillment Operations. From June 1992 to June 1995 and from August 1997 to May 1999, Mr. Gaston was a consultant with Bain & Company, a management consulting firm. Mr. Gaston holds a B.A. in Economics from Rice University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Senior Vice President |
Current |
| Bain & Company |
consultant |
Former |
| Harvard University |
M.B.A. |
Former |
| Rice University |
B.A. in Economics |
Former |
Susan Bell has served as Blue Nile's Senior Vice President since June 2005. Ms. Bell has held executive level positions in both marketing and merchandising since she joined Blue Nile in September 2001. From October 2000 to February 2001, Ms. Bell served as Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing for The Body Shop Digital, an e-commerce company. From July 1984 to July 2000, Ms. Bell served in various capacities at Eddie Bauer, Inc., a clothing and merchandise retail company, most recently as Vice President and General Merchandising Manager. Ms. Bell holds a B.A. in Business Administration from San Francisco State University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Senior Vice President |
Current |
| San Francisco State University |
B.A. In Business Administration |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Vice President, Marketing |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Vice President, Operations |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Vice President, Technology Operations |
Current |
Terri Maupin has served as Blue Nile's Vice President of Finance and Controller since July 2004. From September 2003 to July 2004, Ms. Maupin served as Blue Nile's Controller. From February 2001 to September 2003, Ms. Maupin served as the Staff Vice President of Finance and Controller at Alaska Air Group, Inc., the parent company of airline companies Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries, Inc., and Staff Vice President of Finance and Controller at Alaska Airlines, Inc. From September 1994 through January 2001, Ms. Maupin served in various capacities at Nordstrom, Inc., a clothing and merchandise retail company, most recently as Director of Financial Reporting. Ms. Maupin holds a B.A. in Accounting from Western Washington University.
Eric Carlborg, age 45, has served as a director since February 2005. Since April 2006, Mr. Carlborg has served as a partner at Continental Investors LLC, an investment company. From September 2005 to March 2006, Mr. Carlborg served as Chief Financial Officer of ProvideCommerce, Inc., an e-commerce company. From July 2001 to October 2004, Mr. Carlborg was a Managing Director of Investment Banking with Merrill Lynch & Co., a financial services company. Prior to his tenure at Merrill Lynch, Mr. Carlborg served in various executive financial positions, including Chief Financial Officer at Authorize.net, Inc. and Chief Strategy Officer at Go2Net, Inc., providers of Internet products and services. Mr. Carlborg also previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Einstein/Noah Bagel Corp., a food service company.Mr. Carlborg previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Big Lots, Inc., a Fortune 500 retailer. Mr. Carlborg holds a B.A. from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Diner Dash |
General Partner at Trinity Ventures and Playfirst Board Member |
Current |
| Cspa |
General Partner, Trinity Ventures |
Current |
| Playfirst, Inc. |
General Partner, Trinity Ventures |
Current |
| Aventail Corporation |
General Partner |
Current |
| Trinity Ventures |
General Partner |
Former |
| Modulus Video, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Aventail Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Cspa |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Hidden City Games, LLC |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Playfirst, Inc. |
Board Member |
Current |
| Jobster, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Fitlinxx, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Fatbrain.com, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. |
Team Member |
Former |
| Bain & Company |
Consultant |
Former |
| Bain & Company |
consultant |
Former |
| Digital Equipment Corporation |
|
Former |
| MIT Sloan School of Management |
Master's Degrees |
Former |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
MBA |
Former |
| Harvard University |
BA |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| aQuantive, Inc. |
President & CEO |
Current |
| Affiliate 2 |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Nacdnw |
President and CEO |
Current |
| Microsoft Corporation |
Head, Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group |
Current |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| aQuantive, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Nacdnw |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Fisher Communications Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| ABC Sports, Inc. |
Executive Vice President |
Former |
| ABC Sports, Inc. |
General Manager |
Former |
| General Mills, Inc. |
Product Manager |
Former |
| Gen Mills, Inc. |
|
Former |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Director |
Former |
| aQuantive, Inc. |
Director |
Former |
| Harvard University |
MBA |
Former |
| Stanford University |
MBA Degree |
Former |
| Harvard University |
BA Degree |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Sterling Stamos |
Managing Director of Private Equity |
Current |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Pacific Community Ventures |
Managing Director |
Former |
| Symphony Technology Group |
Managing Director |
Former |
| University of California, Los Angeles |
Jd |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| The Allstate Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Sabre Holdings Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Autodesk, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Citigroup Inc. |
Corporate Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations and Technology |
Former |
| FedEx Corporation |
Senior Vice President |
Former |
| The Allstate Corporation |
external director |
Former |
| Autodesk, Inc. |
Director |
Former |
| Mississippi State University |
CPA certificate |
Former |
| Mississippi State University |
B.S. in Finance |
Former |
Michael Potter has served as a Director since June 2007 and has served on the Audit Committee since September 2007. Mr. Potter served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Big Lots, Inc., a Fortune 500 retailer, from June 2000 to June 2005. Prior to serving as the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Potter served in various capacities at Big Lots, including the role of Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Big Lots, Mr. Potter held various positions at The Limited, Inc., May Department Stores, and Meier & Frank, all retail companies. Mr. Potter also serves on the Board of Blue Nile, Inc., a leading online retailer of certified diamonds and jewelry.
Eric Carlborg, age 45, has served as a director since February 2005. Since April 2006, Mr. Carlborg has served as a partner at Continental Investors LLC, an investment company. From September 2005 to March 2006, Mr. Carlborg served as Chief Financial Officer of ProvideCommerce, Inc., an e-commerce company. From July 2001 to October 2004, Mr. Carlborg was a Managing Director of Investment Banking with Merrill Lynch & Co., a financial services company. Prior to his tenure at Merrill Lynch, Mr. Carlborg served in various executive financial positions, including Chief Financial Officer at Authorize.net, Inc. and Chief Strategy Officer at Go2Net, Inc., providers of Internet products and services. Mr. Carlborg also previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Einstein/Noah Bagel Corp., a food service company.Mr. Carlborg previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Big Lots, Inc., a Fortune 500 retailer. Mr. Carlborg holds a B.A. from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Bessemer Venture Partners |
General Partner |
Current |
| Determina, Inc. |
Chairman |
Current |
| NextMedium, Inc. |
Board Member |
Current |
| Keynote Systems, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Elemental Security, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Nominum, Inc. |
Board Member |
Current |
| ViryaNet, Ltd. |
Investor |
Current |
| Qualys, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Ciena Corporation |
Investor |
Current |
| Determina, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Register.com, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Finjan Software, Ltd. |
Investor |
Current |
| Nominum, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| MotherNature.com, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Delivery Agent, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Elemental Security, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Tumbleweed, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Counterpane Internet Security, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| VeriSign, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Visto Corporation |
Investor |
Current |
| Tripwire, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| eEye Digital Security |
Investor |
Current |
| NextMedium, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Vimo, Inc |
Investor |
Current |
| Netli, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Blue Nile, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| Postini, Inc. |
Investor |
Current |
| VeriSign, Inc. |
CFO |
Former |
| VeriSign, Inc. |
cofounded |
Former |
| Keys School |
Computer Science Teacher |
Former |
| VeriSign, Inc. |
Chairman |
Former |
| Netli, Inc. |
Board Member |
Former |
| Worldtalk Corporation |
Investor |
Former |
| Cyota.com Inc. |
Investor |
Former |
| PSINet, Inc. |
Investor |
Former |
| ValiCert, Inc. |
Investor |
Former |
| Harvard University |
M.B.A. Degree |
Former |
| Harvard University |
A.B. Degree In Mathematics |
Former |
Executive News
-
Blue Nile Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor Conferences
Business Wire - 9/02/09 - View Story
-
Blue Nile launches fully redesigned site
National Jeweler - 9/02/09 - View Story
-
Blue Nile unveils redesigned Web site
Seattle Times - 9/02/09 - View Story
-
Blue Nile Gets Makeover to Please Ladies
The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition - 9/02/09 - View Story
-
New Blue Nile Site Hits Web
Business Wire - 9/01/09 - View Story
-
Blue Nile Q2 Earnings Call Transcript
123Jump - 8/24/09 - View Story
-
Brier Dudley Former aQuantive CEO opts to stay in Seattle and join Madrona
Seattle Times - 8/14/09 - View Story
-
Ex aQuantive boss McAndrews joins Madrona Venture Group
Seattle Times - 8/13/09 - View Story
-
Madrona Hires Microsoft Ace
Forbes.com - 8/13/09 - View Story
-
Brian McAndrews on Holding Companies' 'People' Problem
Advertising Age - 8/13/09 - View Story
-
Former aQuantive CEO Brian McAndrews Joins Madrona Venture Group as a Managing Director
PRWeb - 8/13/09 - View Story
-
Archive Microsoft: the ad agency
Seattle Times - 8/09/09 - View Story
-
Blue Nile reports 11.3% decline in quarterly profit
Seattle Times - 8/07/09 - View Story