MARK FORD
President, Group Publisher, Time Inc. News Group
Mark Ford was appointed in 2008 to his current role at Time Inc. News Group, which is comprised of the
Sports Illustrated Group, The Time Group, the Fortune/Money Group, and Life. Com. He previously served
as president of the Sports Illustrated Group. His four-year tenure was marked by consistent, year-over-year
bottom line growth, an expanded global footprint, groundbreaking digital development, and the launch
of an event marketing division. Before taking the helm at SI, Mr. Ford was president of TIME4 MEDIA and its
network of 17 enthusiast magazines. From 2001 to 2005 he shaped TIME4 MEDIA by honing its strategy and
mission, revamping the sales-and-marketing organization, and affirming a commitment to editorial excellence.
Consistent with his track record, Mr. Ford produced strong results with this group, reporting an average annual
income increase of 11.6%. He joined Time Inc. in 1985. In recognition of his leadership qualities and sales
expertise, Mr. Ford has twice been bestowed with the Time Inc. President’s Award (1992 and 1997).
JON FORT T
Technology Correspondent, CNBC
Jon Fortt joined CNBC as technology correspondent earlier this month, and is based in the network’s Silicon
Valley bureau. He covers the companies, startups, and trends that are driving innovation in the industry.
Mr. Fortt came to CNBC from Fortune magazine, where as a senior writer he covered both large technology
companies, such as Cisco, HP, and Microsoft, and trends, including cloud computing and the smartphone
revolution. He appeared regularly on KNTV’s Press:Here technology show and analyzed tech trends on CNNi’s
Quest Means Business. Along with a Fortune colleague, he conceptualized Techmate, a video series and column
that appeared on Fortune.com and in the magazine’s technology section. Before joining Fortune in 2007, Mr.
Fortt was a senior editor at Business 2.0 magazine, where he produced the What Works section. From 1999
to 2006, he wrote and edited at the San Jose Mercury News. There he contributed to several efforts that won
awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.
KARIN FRICK
Head of Research, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI)
Karin Frick is head of the think tank and an executive board member at GDI. As an economist, she has been
researching and analyzing trends and countertrends in business, society, and consumption for more than
15 years. Since graduating from the University of St. Gallen, Ms. Frick has held various positions in which she
worked on future-related topics, innovation, and change in people and markets. She was editor in chief of
the well-known quarterly publication GDI IMPULS, and managing director of the Swiss Society for Futures
Studies (SwissFuture). She analyzed developments in the consumer goods and service sectors on behalf of
noted companies.
MICHAEL T. FRIES
President and CEO, Liberty Global, Inc. (LGI)
Mike Fries, a 20-year veteran of the cable and media industry, has spent nearly his entire career building
international distribution and programming businesses. Today LGI is the world’s second-largest cable TV
operator and the largest outside the U.S., with more than 27 million video, voice, and broadband Internet
subscribers, operations in 14 countries, and $11.1 billion of revenue. Before the formation of LGI and his
appointment as CEO, Mr. Fries served as president and CEO of UnitedGlobalCom (UGC), which combined
with Liberty Media International to form LGI in 2005. Mr. Fries joined UGC shortly after its formation in 1990
and served five years as senior vice president, business development. In 1995, he became president of the
Asia/Pacific region and launched LGI’s current business in Australia as well as several other markets. He was
promoted to president and COO of UGC in 1998 and CEO in 2004. Mr. Fries is a member of Liberty Global’s
board and its two-person executive committee.
