Shawn is responsible for creating the original concept and executing the simultaneous acquisitions of eNom, eHow, and several domain name portfolios to create Demand Media. Since co-founding the company with Richard Rosenblatt in April 2006, Shawn and his team have sourced, negotiated, and completed over 30 acquisitions, including the acquisition of ExpertVillage, the world’s leading instructional video platform company, and also the company’s recent acquisition of Pluck.com, which firmly positioned Demand Media as a true leader in social media. In addition to running mergers and acquisitions, Shawn is also responsible for high-level strategic relationships, including Demand’s relationship with the Lance Armstrong Foundation which led to the creation of LiveStrong.com.
Prior to Demand Media, Shawn spent 10 years in the private equity industry as a Principal with Spectrum Equity Investors, a $4 billion private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in media and communications companies. While at Spectrum, Shawn was involved in several of the firm’s most successful investments, including Illuminet (NASDAQ: ILUM, acquired by Verisign). Shawn has served on corporate boards in the US and Europe, where he spent several years building the firm’s European business from London. Shawn is a graduate of Princeton University, with a degree in Engineering and Operations Research.
