Corporate Governance

John W. Gibbons joined Libsyn’s Board of Directors in August 2023. He currently serves and Interim CEO and President of Libsyn. Prior to joining Libsyn, he served as CEO of Pocket Casts, an industry-revered podcast app Mr. Gibbons spent over a decade with Amazon.com and its subsidiary, The Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com); following his tenure at Amazon.com, he served as VP of International for Sizmek, a global ad server, preceding its acquisition by Amazon.com. A VC-backed Founder and CEO of a digital-first video company, Mr. Gibbons also helped launch and grow Atom Tickets, an award-winning movie ticket e-commerce app, and has served as an advisor to Podchaser, an industry-leading podcast-discovery database, since its inception. Mr. Gibbons’ career has focused on creating products that empower creators and customers to thrive on growing platforms. Mr. Gibbons spent 13 years at Amazon.com and The Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com), an Amazon.com company, where he established and launched both the global advertising business and its related products, launched the platform for third-party sales on Amazon, and built strategic partnerships with well-known global brands and Fortune 100 clients. Mr. Gibbons was the Founder and CEO of a tech startup providing an attribution database for digital-first content, delivering intelligence for content creators, brands, agencies, content networks, and distributors.

Ian Harris joined the board in December 2022. Mr. Harris is a Partner and Head of Research at Hudson Executive Capital LP, a value-oriented investment firm focused on small and mid-cap public companies. At Hudson Executive Capital, Mr. Harris focuses on investments in technology, financial services, and healthcare. Mr. Harris currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cantaloupe, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTLP), a software and payments company that provides end-to-end technology solutions for the unattended retail market. Prior to Hudson, Ian worked at Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays PLC, where he advised companies on M&A and capital markets activities. 

Mr. Harris graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations.

Douglas Polinsky has served as a director of the Company since its inception in September 2015. Mr. Polinsky has served as President and CEO of Mill City Ventures III, Ltd., a publicly traded non-bank lender and specialty finance company, since 2013. Mr. Polinsky has served as a director of FAB Universal Corp. since October 2007. Mr. Polinsky serves as the President of Great North Capital Corp., a Minnesota-based financial services company he founded in 1995. Great North Capital Corp. advises corporate clients on capital formation and other transaction-related financial matters. Mr. Polinsky earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

The Company believes that Mr. Polinsky is a valuable member of the Board based on his extensive business background, and his experience serving in leadership roles and on the boards of other public and private companies.

Eric Shahinian has served as a director of the Company since October 2019. Mr. Shahinian is the managing member of Camac Partners LLC, a private investment firm that he founded in 2011. Prior to founding Camac, he was an analyst at Kingstown Capital Management L.P., an investment firm, from 2009 to 2011. Mr. Shahinian was a director of Khan Resources, Inc. from 2015 to 2017, during which time the company reached a settlement with the government of Mongolia regarding an arbitration award entered in the company’s favor and paid out a large return of capital. Mr. Shahinian has a B.S. from Babson College.

The Company believes that Mr. Shahinian is a valuable member of the Board based on his knowledge and experience in investing, capital allocation, corporate governance and his general business experience.

Michael Torok is the co-founder and managing director of JEC Capital Partners, LLC, an investment company with offices in the United States and Germany founded in 2008. Before that, he served as Chief Financial Officer for Integrated Dynamics Engineering Inc., a semiconductor equipment technology company that was acquired by Aalberts Industries. Earlier in his career, Mr. Torok served in various positions for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a multinational professional services network of firms. Mr Torok currently serves on the board of directors of Liberated Syndication, Inc., a podcasting platform for creators and advertisers. He previously served on the board of directors of Photon Control Inc., which, before being acquired by MKS Instruments, Inc., designed and manufactured optical sensors and systems to measure temperature and position. In addition, he previously served on the board of Symbility Solutions Inc., which before being acquired by Corelogic, Inc., was a software company focused on the insurance industry. Mr. Torok received a B.S. in Finance and a Master’s in Finance from Boston College.

In addition to the extensive experience in the media field, for the past nine years, Mr. Woodrum has lead ChinaCast Education Corporation as its Chief Financial Officer and Secretary in an effort to recover funds for its creditors and stockholders.

Doug’s experience with financial oversight and audits will be a tremendous asset as we grow the Company.