BNET Industries

Circles Inc.

is in the Business Services Industry

Last Fiscal Year Sales:$37.5M
  • Private
  • US
Dow Jones Description

Circles is a loyalty and experiential marketing company that is unique in the marketplace. We wow our clients by being smart strategic partners. And we thrill our customers by fulfilling wishes and delivering the impossible. We accomplish this through our vast network of connections and world-class technology. At our very core is the passion, commitment, intelligence and integrity of our staff of more than 400 employees. We accomplish on a daily basis what can only be described as magic whether it's delivering an Elvis impersonator to an anniversary party, or a last-minute reservation at the hottest restaurant in town. And that delivers impact to your bottom line. At Circles, we have a service philosophy that we live by. This applies to our clients and our members and guides our daily interactions.

President and CEO
Sharon Munger
Number of Employees 374
Contact Information

300A Street Fl 5

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

circles.com

1 617 622 6200

NAICS Code Marketing Consulting Services: 541613

Decision Makers

Name (plus bio) Position
Sharon Munger President and CEO
Kathy Sherbrooke President and Co-Founder
Phyllis S. Swersky President, the Meltech Group
Hugh Merryweather Chief Financial Officer
Jay Althoff Chief Strategy Officer
Rob Murphy Executive Vice President, Strategic Growth Initiatives
Michael Breault Executive Vice President and General Manager
Robert E. Keith Jr. Managing Director, Tl Ventures
Janet Kraus Co-Founder
Christopher Miller Director of Pharmacy
Jack Dison
Malcolm Lim Senior Facilitator

Board of Directors

Name (plus bio) Position
Kate Buggeln Board Director and Retail Industry Consultant
Kathleen Pingelski Board Member
Kenneth A. Bronfin Board of Directors
Robert P. Schechter Board of Directors

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. President and CEO Current
M/A/R/C Group Inc. Chairman Former
M/A/R/C Research Chief Executive Officer Former
M/A/R/C Research President Former
Marc and Company Former
Vanderbilt University B.A. Degree Former

Responsible for translating the Circles vision into strategic business objectives and financial results, Kathy Sherbrooke has propelled Circles to a leadership position in the customer and employee loyalty space among Fortune 1000 companies. Kathy is wowed by the change Circles is able to make in peoples' lives. For example, by fulfilling a customer's request to help achieve her sister's life-long dream of riding an elephant while in remission from breast cancer, we were able to create a profound impact in her family's life. Kathy is also moved by "putting together groups of people who love working together, have real friendships, and are passionate about what they do." Previously, Kathy was Product Marketing Manager for INC. Magazine's business products division. In this role, she had direct responsibility for helping small businesses run effectively and caught the entrepreneurial bug. A graduate of Stanford Business School, Kathy co-founded Circles in 1997 to address the needs of time-starved professionals and corporations that rely on these professionals as high-value customers or employees. Two things she didn't learn in school: the "power and importance of good decision making" and the "complexity in managing an organization full of people." Kathy believes Circles' mission is to make peoples' lives richer. "We are making a difference in the lives of the people who work here, the members who call in each day and our clients and partners." Kathy was a finalist for the 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was recognized as one of Boston Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40. Circles received the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award for 2003.

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. President and Co-Founder Current
Stanford Graduate School of Business Former

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. President, the Meltech Group Current
Art Technology Group, Inc. Chairperson Current
Atg, Inc. Member of the Atg Board of Directors Current
Art Technology Group, Inc. Director Current
Circles, Inc. Board of Directors Current
Atg, Inc. Member Current
Cullinet Software Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Former
Cullinet Software Executive Committee Member Former

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. Chief Financial Officer Current
Northeastern University MBA Former
Amherst College BA In History Former

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. Chief Strategy Officer Current
Circles, Inc. Senior Vice President, Corporate Development Former

Rob Murphy leads Circles' strategic growth efforts. In this role he oversees the development and incubation of new business models that leverage and extend the company's core capabilities. Rob is inspired by "making a difference in peoples' lives by helping them do something they would not have accomplished otherwise." He is wowed by people in and out of the customer service industry who are "polite, helpful and honest," as he finds these qualities are rare. Rob recalls one powerful example of the impact Circles can make on the lives of our members. It's the story of a member's son vacationing in Asia during the tsunami that struck in early 2005. The family had unsuccessfully been attempting to contact their son, so they turned to our concierge service for help. After much research and determination, Circles was able to find the member's son safe on a remote island resort off the coast of the Philippines. This exemplifies our efforts to defy the limits of what is possible to make a difference in someone's life. Prior to joining Circles, Rob was Senior Vice President at Digitas, a leading relationship marketing services firm. At Digitas, he managed large-scale client relationships and helped leading brands optimize customer interactions in the phone, field and online channels.

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. Executive Vice President, Strategic Growth Initiatives Current

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. Executive Vice President and General Manager Current

Organization Position Status
TL Ventures Chief Executive Officer Former
Circles, Inc. Managing Director, Tl Ventures Current
Akcelerant Infrastructure Solutions LLC Managing Director of Tl Ventures Current
TL Ventures Chairman Current
Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. Chairman Current
Circles, Inc. Board of Directors Current
Akcelerant Infrastructure Solutions LLC Board of Directors Current
Metallect Corporation Board of Directors Current
Internet Capital Group, Inc. Board of Directors Current
Ben Franklin Technology Partners Vice Chairman Current
Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. Board of Directors Current
TL Ventures Managing Director Former
Enertech Capital Canada, Ltd. Co-Founder Former
Enertech Capital Canada, Ltd. Senior Advisor Former
The Fidelity Bank Inc. Executive Positions Former
Fidelity Bank Former
The Fidelity Bank Inc. Vice Chairman Former
Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law Graduate Former
Amherst College Graduate Former

Organization Position Status
Desk Top Graphics Inc. Founder Current
Circles, Inc. Co-Founder Current
The Capital Network, Inc. Board of Directors Current
Big Sister Board of Directors Current
Circles, Inc. CEO Former
Vision, LLC Director Former
V-A-L-U-E-S.Com Director Former

Array

Organization Position Status
Epicon Associates, LLC Current

Jack holds a MA and Ph.D. in Sociology. He retired in 2000 from a career in higher education which included faculty appointments (sociology/criminology) and administration. He then moved to California where he pursued further graduate work including academic and practicum work at the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies in Fresno. In the past five years he has spent much of his time in various restorative justice activities and projects. He facilitates small victim-offender groups of lifers at San Quentin and elsewhere through Insight Prison Project. He does victim-offender facilitated dialogues as an Associate with The Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies (Fresno Pacific University), and works with Circles of Support and Accountability through Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth. He is also teaching a group of lifers at a state prison in Vacaville techniques and skills in conflict resolution. He speaks on and advocates for restorative justice and criminal justice reform in a variety of settings.

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. Current
Rjoy Current

Malcolm Lim (B. Music, McGill University) is a passionate percussionist, educator, and drum circle facilitator. He performs regularly with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and is the founder and musical director of the Calgary School of Samba. Malcolm is on faculty as a creativity facilitator for Leadership Development at The Banff Centre and teaches percussion at the Mount Royal College Conservatory of Music. He has published several articles in Percussive Notes, the Percussive Arts Society journal, and has received professional development grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Shastri Indo-Canadian institute. Malcolm is a senior facilitator for Circles of Rhythm, receiving training and certification as a Professional Drum Circle Facilitator from Judy Atkinson, president.

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. Senior Facilitator Current

As executive and consultant, Kate Buggeln has 20 years of experience working with high-end retail corporations, such as Coach, Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's Department Stores and Gucci. At Coach (COH), as senior vice president of Strategy and Business Development, Kate was responsible for strategic planning, licensing, direct marketing, market research and multi-channel customer relationship management programs. Kate is a member of the board of directors of Dress Barn Inc. (DBRN), one of the nation's leading value-priced women's specialty retailers. Kate is also a member of the governing board for the Business Council for Peace (www.bpeace.org), a U.N.-affiliated organization helping women in world regions of conflict and post-conflict. Kate's prior positions also included president of Boo.com, executive vice president of the LakeWest Group Ltd. and manager for Coopers & Lybrand Retail National Consulting Practice.

Organization Position Status
Circles, Inc. Board Director and Retail Industry Consultant Current
The Dress Barn, Inc. Board of Directors Current

Kathleen is President of MicroKnowledge Inc. and the Fit Tech Chicks Team Leader. She serves as board secretary of Catholic Charities Caregivers Support Services and as a board member for Circles of Mercy. She is also a Troy-Cohoes YWCA volunteer and the Albany Rotary Club's Lobster Fest volunteer coordinator. A resident of Clifton Park, Kathleen has two reasons for walking: First, she is committed to living a healthy lifestyle and training for the event has forced her to exercise five to seven times a week. As a result, she has lost weight and lowered her blood pressure and cholesterol. Kathleen also has dear friend who is a breast cancer survivor and would like to contribute to all those who are in need of strength to survive this deadly disease.

Organization Position Status
Microknowledge, Inc. President Current
Circles, Inc. Board Member Current
Catholic Charities Caregivers Support Services Board of Directors Current

Kenneth A. Bronfin, 48, President of Hearst Interactive Media (the interactive media division of diversified media company Hearst Corporation) since 2002. Prior thereto, Deputy Group Head of Hearst Interactive Media since 1996. (Biographical Information as of April 9, 2008)

Organization Position Status
The Hearst Corporation President, Hearst Interactive Media Current
Hearst Interactive Media President Current
Aether - Ham Radio Logging Current
SCENE7, Inc. Director Current
E Ink Corporation Director Current
Hasbro, Inc. Board of Directors Current
FREE411 Board of Directors Current
Circles, Inc. Board of Directors Current
National Broadcasting Company, Inc. Vice President of Nbc Cable and Business Development Former
NBC Universal, Inc. General Manager Former
National Broadcasting Company, Inc. General Manager Former
Interactive Media Group Incorporated Founder Former
iVillage Inc. Board of Directors Former
NBC Universal, Inc. Director Former
Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania MBA In Management Former
University of Virginia Bachelor's Degree In Electrical Engineering Former

Organization Position Status
Naturalmicrosystems.Com CEO Current
NMS Communications Corporation President Current
Moldflow Corporation Corporate Director Current
Moldflow Corporation developer Current
Soapstone Networks, Inc. Developer Current
NMS Communications Corporation Chairman Current
Unica Corporation Chair Current
Boston Children's Museum Board of Directors Current
Infinium Software Board of Directors Current
Moldflow Corporation Board of Directors Current
Unica Corporation Board of Directors Current
Soapstone Networks, Inc. Board of Directors Current
Massachusetts Telecommunications Council Board of Directors Current
Circles, Inc. Board of Directors Current
International Business Group Chief Financial Officer Former
International Business Group Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations Former
PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Former
Cooper's Inc. Partner Former
Lotus Development Corporation senior executive Former
Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania MBA Former
Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania Degrees Former
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Degrees Former
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