Driving the Digital Revolution
At THUNDER GROUP, we're building a unique business creation, investing and brand-building venture that both capitalizes on, and helps drive the digital media and marketing revolution.We created THUNDER GROUP based on the concept of a Japanese keiretsu, a group of companies that collaborate, co-create and innovate with interlocking relationships. By aligning entrepreneurs and start-ups with complementary digital media, marketing, technology and communications disciplines, we accelerate success with shared expertise, contacts and business opportunities.
Our Team
THUNDER GROUP is led by a team of highly innovative marketing and business executives who cover the digital ecosystem, from branding and fundraising to technology innovation, organizational development and financial management.
Patrick U. Di Chiro
Founder and CEO
As the founder and CEO of THUNDER GROUP Patrick brings nearly 32 years of experience and leadership in marketing, business innovation and entrepreneurship. Patrick was an early proponent and practitioner of new and interactive media, and co-founded the Interactive Group at Ketchum Worldwide in the early '80s. He is also a pioneer in integrated marketing. In 2000, Patrick launched THUNDER FACTORY, which has become one of the nation's leading integrated marketing firms by creating big ideas that drive results across the full range of marketing channels, media and tactics. During his career, Patrick has run agencies as well as marketing divisions within large companies such as Visa, E*TRADE and American Express. Patrick has deep experience working with a long list of leading consumer product companies and business enterprises, including TD AMERITRADE, Reebok, E & J Gallo, AT&T Wireless, Dell, McKesson Corp., Match.com-IAC/InterActiveCorp, Philips Electronics, Merck, JP Morgan Chase, Acura, Pacific Dunlop and Prudential Financial.
Thomas L. Eddington
Advisory Board Member
Tom has over 25 years experience in the Organization Development arena. He spent more than 15 years with Hewitt Associates as an owner and management consultant, serving a range of corporate and nonprofit clients including Hewlett-Packard, IKON Office Solutions, MBNA Corporation, American Red Cross, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Tom returned to the U.S. in 2002 after spending four years in Europe as a member of Hewitt Associates management team. While living in the United Kingdom, Tom was a guest lecturer on HR strategy in the City University (London) MBA program.
He received his MS in Organization Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania, where his course work included international studies in the Peoples Republic of China, Hong Kong and Japan.
Tom serves on several boards and advises a number of organizations including College Carrot, Media Gems, Mill Valley LiveArts, and the Taproot Foundation.
Fred S. Goldberg
Advisory Board Member
Fred Goldberg has long played a leadership role in the San Francisco advertising agency community. Before his retirement in 2000, Fred spent more than 35 years in the marketing and advertising industry. Most recently he was the Chairman/CEO/Founder of Goldberg Moser O'Neill Advertising, a top 100 US advertising agency with $500 million in billings. In 2000, Fred sold the agency to Interpublic Group, one of the world's largest agency holding groups.
Earlier in his career, Fred was President of Chiat/Day Advertising San Francisco, and Vice Chairman and COO of Chiat/Day's headquarters office in Los Angeles. Fred was deeply involved in creating and airing what is generally considered to be the greatest TV commercial of all time, the Apple "1984" spot that ran once during the Super Bowl. Fred began his advertising career at Young & Rubicam in New York City.
Steven R. King
Advisory Board Member
Steve King has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the information technology industry. In May 2008, Steve was appointed President and CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Virtela Communications, a global network solutions company. Previously, Steve was President and CEO of ZANTAZ, Inc, a pioneer in compliance email archiving and e-discovery. Under Steve's seven-year leadership, ZANTAZ grew to be a profitable company with more than $100 million in revenues, and was acquired in 2007 by Autonomy Group (LSE: AU.L) for approximately $400 million.
Prior to joining ZANTAZ, Steve held a number of executive positions at E*TRADE Group, Inc., where he played a key role in growing a company with 200 people and under $100 million in revenue to one with nearly 5,000 employees worldwide and revenues exceeding $1.5 billion. He ultimately rose to become CEO of E*OFFERING, the pioneering online investment bank of E*TRADE. Previously, Steve held senior management positions at the Thomson Corporation and Ziff-Davis. In 2006, Steve received the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year AwardŽ.
Thierry Zamora
Advisory Board Member
Thierry has nearly 20 years of marketing strategy, interactive, direct response and advertising experience in the context of ad agencies and consulting firms. Throughout his career some of Thierry's clients have included: Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Countrywide Financial, L'Oreal, BofA, GM, United Healthcare, Sprint, Holiday Inn, Campbell's, TXU and many others. After starting his career at Andersen Consulting, Paris (now Accenture) as a Management Consultant, Thierry re-focused on marketing and advertising at DraftWorlwide (now Draft/FCB) in both New York and Chicago. He later co-founded FusionDM in San Francisco, a direct marketing and interactive agency which was sold to Publicis Groupe in 2001. After three and half year as COO of Publicis Dialog SF, Thierry left in 2005 to start a lifestyle brand targeting China's emerging middle class. Today, his passion for everything advertising and technology has him constantly thinking of ways to re-define how advertising can remain relevant. He brings his vision to life as CEO of Ad Juicer, a newly created business sourcing platform that brings together advertisers with content creators.
