River West Brands LLC exists at the intersection of brand marketing, business strategy, finance, and intellectual property management... a unique profile that is reflected in the backgrounds of our capable team.

Mark Thomann is River West’s Chief Executive Officer. Mark brings a deep background in structured finance/M&A, distressed finance, and intellectual property management, having previously held positions at such firms as Development Specialists, Inc., 363 Group, and Ocean Tomo. Prior to entering the public sector, Mark also gained significant experience in political finance. He holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross.

Paul Earle is River West’s Founder and President. Prior to founding Cow Town Group, Inc., River West’s predecessor, Paul learned the advertising, new product development, and brand management trade at Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide in New York, and at Kraft Foods outside Chicago. He holds a BA from Hamilton College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

David Kuipers is River West’s Chief Financial Officer. He brings substantial experience in public accounting, structured finance/M&A, distressed finance, and intellectual property management, having previously held positions at such firms as Arthur Andersen, Development Specialists, Inc., 363 Group, and Ocean Tomo. He has also served as interim CFO of two of River West’s key affiliate companies. David holds a BA from Calvin College, and MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Stephen Oblak is River West’s Vice President. He brings significant experience in brand development and strategy. Prior to joining River West, Steve was a Senior Director at FutureBrand (Interpublic), a top brand management consultancy that serves a number of America’s most famous brands; he has also served as a consultant at Peppers & Rogers Group. Steve holds a BA from Hamilton College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Brett Tolpin is River West's Corporate Counsel - Director of Intellectual Property. He has practiced intellectual property law for over ten years, beginning with his career as a Trademark Examining Attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and subsequently at a boutique law firm specializing in patent, trademark, copyright and patent prosecution and litigation. He guides all legal aspects of portfolio/brand management through the clearance, registration and enforcement of River West's domestic and international trademarks. Brett holds a BA from the University of Iowa and JD from Gonzaga University School of Law; he is licensed in Illinois and Washington.

Paula Phillips is River West’s Brand Development Manager. She brings a vast amount of experience in brand development and strategy. Prior to joining River West, Paula was a Senior Brand Licensing Manager at IMC Licensing, a leading agency specializing in consumer product brands; she has also served as an Intellectual Property Consultant at Ocean Tomo. Paula holds a BA from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Indiana University.

Bruce Grieve is Chairman of River West’s Board of Directors. Bruce is a proven leader in brand building and general management, having held senior executive positions at American Express, Keebler Co., and Kellogg’s. Earlier in his career, he worked at Leo Burnett Co. on a number of flagship client businesses, as well as at General Foods in a variety of brand management roles.

John Greening sits on River West’s Board of Directors, and is closely involved in the affairs of the company. At present, John serves on the faculty at the Medill Graduate School of Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. Prior to entering academia, John spent over twenty years at DDB Chicago, where he most recently served as the Worldwide Director for the Anheuser Busch account, spanning the U.S. and twenty two other countries. John has led the creation and development of a number of America’s most famous and beloved ad campaigns.

Philip George is a key Strategic Advisor to River West, in addition to his role as CEO of the River West Healthcare effort. Philip brings extensive senior leadership experience, most recently as Managing Partner of Accenture’s North American Health and Life Sciences practice, where he advised CEOs of some of the world’s most prominent companies.



A key strategic and financial investor in River West is Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE: OMC), a multibillion dollar global holding company whose broad range of subsidiaries and affiliates provide advertising, marketing, and corporate communications services to the “who’s who” of brand owners. Omnicom’s agencies—from BBDO, to DDB, to Interbrand, to Radiate Group, to a host of highly specialized experts— are amongst the best in the world at creating brand value.

River West proudly welcomed Omnicom to the effort in December 2006, and is pleased to have been collaborating within the famous “Omnicom Network” ever since.

For more information see www.omnicomgroup.com.