Management

1. Rating: +0

   

   Evert Wilbrink
   is Chairman of the Board of Directors as well as International Business Manager for the SFI Group of Companies.

   Evert Wilbrink is Chairman of the Board of Directors as well as International Business Manager for the SFI Group of Companies. Wilbrink was born in 1948 in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, and is living in Nashville with his wife Deborah.

   Wilbrink studied political and social sciences at Amsterdam University prior to joining CBS Records as press officer. Via EMI Records he became Product Manager at the Bertelsman Music Group, where he was involved in acquiring and managing the Island, Chrysalis and Virgin Records licenses. Wilbrink was also instrumental in Richard Branson’s first international deal for Virgin records and pivotal in the acquisition of Clive Davis' Arista Records, now a staple in Sony/BMG's international operations and valued in 2004 at 3 billion dollars, and in the career development of many international stars, like the Flying Burrito Brothers, Blondie, Roxy Music, Bob Marley, Herman Brood, Mike Oldfield and Cat Stevens.

   Wilbrink was also closely involved with the development of BMG’s Benelux distribution operations and BMG’s international marketing structures and strategies.

   Later Wilbrink was hired as Managing Director of Tomato Records/The Music Works; held the Presidency at King Biscuit Flower Hour where he turned an operating loss into a profit; and at the start of the new millennium helmed his own Corazong Music Management. Throughout his career Wilbrink has doubled as a writer for various magazines (including the biggest Dutch weekly Veronica, of which he was managing editor).

   Wilbrink obtained significant experience in setting up international licensing agreements while with the Bertelsman Group.

2. Rating: +0

   

   Thomas Schroepfer
   is President and International Sales Manager for the SFI Group

   Thomas Schroepfer is President and International Sales Manager for the SFI Group. Schroepfer was born in 1957 in Erfurt and grew up in Munich, Germany. After graduating in 1972, Mr. Schroepfer completed his professional education in Sales & Marketing at Hirmer & Co in Munich, 1975.

   From there, he relocated to the United Kingdom and worked for the sales departments of several stock brokerage companies in London. Upon his return to Munich, he managed sales for Diner's Club and the Wax Group. In the fall of 1993, Mr. Schroepfer migrated to the U.S. and was granted his Permanent Residence status in 1995. He became Chairman of ITC Inc. and Glow Bench, Inc. in Fort Lauderdale/Florida and worked as a Sales & Marketing Manager for several investment companies. Mr. Schroepfer was recognized for outstanding service in 1994 by President Bill Clinton and received the City of Fort Lauderdale Community Award in 2003 from the hands of Sheriff K. Jenne. Since 2006, he is a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and of the Southern Area Business Council for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

3. Rating: +0

   

   Robert Wang
   is Director for Research & Development for the SFI Group with offices in Shanghai/China

   Robert Wang, born in 1958, is a citizen of Sweden. In recent years, he was President of Shanghai Standard Radio Telecom Co. Ltd, a joint venture of Swedish Standard Radio Telecom AB and local enterprises in Shanghai/China. Additionally, Mr. Wang was a consultant to Swedish companies SAAB Tech AB (CelsiusTech System AB) and Ericsson Business Innovation AB. He held the positions of Marketing Director for China at Swedish Ericsson Telecom AB, and of the CEO and President of Shanghai 42Networks AB, is a software research and development. Robert Wang has a university degree in physics and information technology from JiaoTong University in Shanghai and a Ph.D. of physics from Stockholm University.

4. Rating: +0

   

   Manfred Bogaert
   is VP and Marketing Director of SFI. With his offices in Antwerp/Belgium, he also coordinates SFI activities in Europe

   Manfred Bogaert is VP and Marketing Director of SFI . He will start up SFI’s European Operations. After his graduation in Marketing and PR from Ghent/Belgium College, he became management consultant for Metra Proudfoot International and executed several projects in France, the United Kingdom, and Canada for the company. Subsequently, he started his own International Business Center in Antwerp/Belgium which he sold four years later. During the following six years, he worked as Account Director for a number of international advertising agencies. He was, from 1990 to 1992, Sales and PR Manager for the nationwide daily De Gazet Van Antwerpen. In 1992, he was hired by the International Hotel Group Alfa Hotels. His responsibilities were opening and promoting new business throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In 2001, Mr. Bogaert purchased a hotel in Barcelona/Spain which he operated until 2006. Since then, he has dedicated his work to introducing the smokefree cigarette to the market.

5. Rating: +0

   

   William Whalen
   is Vice President of Sales and Marketing USA for the SFI Group.

   William Whalen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing USA. Born 1973, is currently the president and CEO of EBS Worldwide, LLC. Through his wholly-owned corporation, EBS Worldwide, Mr. Whalen owns and manages subsidiaries that cover various industries including tobacco, consumer products, building materials, and horticulture. His companies have successfully launched products into major retailers across North America.

   From the mid 90s until the early 2000s, Mr. Whalen was the Division Manger and Marketing Director for multi-national horticultural distribution company.

   In his career, Mr. Whalen has been responsible for new product development, conducted national and international product launches, chain store promotions and programs, e-commerce initiatives, creation of catalogs and brochures, licensing and sales force training. Mr. Whalen is an expert on identifying market trends and finding products to satisfy or create demand from global sources.

   Mr. Whalen is an alumnus of Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Widener University, and Centro Bilingue in Cuernavaca Mexico.

6. Rating: +0

   

   George Roth
   has established a large number of publicly traded entities that have since been merged, acquired or transformed into companies that continue to trade today.

   George Roth’s primary area of business consulting practice for over 40 years has been structuring small public enterprises to access growth capital while remaining compliant with regulators and securities laws. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University as an engineer with a Masters degree in Management Science in 1959. Since leaving the Aerospace industry in 1969, he has established a large number of publicly traded entities that have since been merged, acquired or transformed into companies that continue to trade today. His contacts with funding sources produced results for a number of companies both public and private. He has a long standing relationship with and is well known and respected for integrity among a number of national brokerage firms.