Name Seb Bishop | ||
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Seb bishop espotting inspiring entrepreneurs internet icons
Sebastian Luke (Seb) Bishop (born 1974) was the CEO of GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle company, from 2011 to 2014. Prior to joining GOOP, Bishop was the International CEO of (RED), the organisation created by Bono and Bobby Shriver to raise money for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. He had previously started the firm Espotting at the age of 26.
Contents
- Seb bishop espotting inspiring entrepreneurs internet icons
- Bishop and RED
- Espotting and MIVA now Vertro
- Millionaires Mission
- Awards
- References
Bishop was educated at Highgate School and began Espotting with his school-friend Daniel Ishag in a basement flat in 2000. He expanded the business across Europe before merging with US based FindWhat.com in June 2004 in a deal which valued the company at $186m. He is also the Chairman of Steak, a search-inspired communications agency.
In 2007 Bishop was one of 8 British entrepreneurs featured in the Channel 4 documentary 'Millionaires' Mission.' He spent 3 weeks in a remote region of Uganda, using Western entrepreneurial skills to try and bring sustainable relief from poverty to affected communities.
Bishop and (RED)
He joined (RED) as their International CEO in September 2008.
The idea of (RED) was that the companies could make products using the (RED) logo in exchange for donating up to half their profits from those products directly to the Global Fund for AIDS programs in Africa.
Since launch (RED) has grown to 9 partners (and growing): American Express (UK only), Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Dell, Windows, Apple, Hallmark and Starbucks. On 1 December 2008 (World AIDS Day), (RED)wire was launched – (RED)'s music subscription service.
(RED) partners and events have generated over $120 million to help eliminate AIDS in Africa through The Global Fund (January 2009).
Espotting and MIVA (now Vertro)
In 2000, at the age of 26, Bishop founded Espotting – the company that pioneered search marketing and Pay-Per-Click advertising in Europe. He expanded the business across Europe before merging with US based FindWhat.com in June 2004 in a deal which valued the company at $186m. In 2005, he led the global rebrand of the combined company under the MIVA name. Following the merger Bishop became President and chief marketing officer of MIVA (NASDAQ: MIVA). The online advertising model of Pay-Per-Click advertising which Luke pioneered in 2000 has driven much of the growth in the online advertising market, and in 2003 both Google (with their AdWords programme) and Yahoo! subsequently followed Espotting into the UK market.
One of the youngest presidents of a NASDAQ listed company (appointed to the role at the age of 31), Bishop began working in advertising at the age of 14 at Yellowhammer during his summer holidays and at 19 joined Publicis as an art director. From Publicis he moved on to Rainey Kelly Campbell Rolfe and was part of the company when they successfully took over Y&R London. During his advertising agency years, Luke created the award-winning campaign that launched Coca-Cola in Russia as well as campaigns for some of the world's most famous brands including Virgin, Diet Coke, HP, Renault and Nintendo.
Under Bishop's leadership, Espotting and MIVA have won a number of industry awards including 'Most Dynamic UK Media Company' (Media Momentum Awards), 'Fastest growing IT company' (Europe's 500 Awards) and 'Top 50 Creative Business' (Financial Times).
Millionaires' Mission
In 2007 Bishop featured in Millionairess' Mission, a new Channel 4 documentary in which eight British business leaders spend three weeks in a remote region of Uganda, using Western entrepreneurial skills to try and bring sustainable relief from poverty to affected communities.
In the programme, Bishop helped create two businesses within the local communities – a farmer's co-operative and Teach Inn, an innovative eco-tourism hotel.
The first episode of the 4-part series aired on Channel 4 in the UK on 19 September 2007.