Farkas Eye Black Announces Board of Directors

July 13, 2012 - PRLog -- Bloomfield Hills, MI (July 13, 2012) – Following the release of a new eye black formula, Farkas Eye Black announced today its leadership team.  The team is tasked with assisting the family-owned, inspired and operated company to expand distribution channels and establish strategic partnerships.

Says President and CEO Brian Farkas, “After perfecting our product through science and tradition, I set out to assemble the best board possible to elevate the company to new heights.  Whether you are talking about business, sports or life, you’re only as good as the team around you.”  

That team includes Steelers Board of Directors member, USMC veteran and independent investor Brian Rooney; former VP, Marketing for Microsoft and CMO for Visio Corporation Gary Gigot; the Yale Ophthalmologist who literally wrote the book on the effectiveness of eye black, Dr. Brian DeBroff M.D.; and former Browns, Saints, and Buccaneers center Jeff Faine.

Over the last several months, the company has tested the new formula at pro youth camps, with top college lacrosse teams and equipment managers, and through rigorous lab tests at Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Avomeen Analytical with the oversight of Dr. DeBroff.

“We assert that the quality of our product is unmatched.  We’ve put time and resources into assuring that we stay the highest quality product on the market:  scientifically-proven, gimmick-free and field-tested,” said Farkas.  “This company, this product - and now this team - are reflections of my family’s name and my grandpa’s legacy.”

MEET THE BOARD

Brian Farkas, Andy’s grandson, founded Farkas Eye Black and leads the company today as President & CEO. Brian is a graduate of Notre Dame and formerly an Assistant Attorney General in Michigan.

Gary Gigot is a Seattle-based, private investor.  He has experience in advertising via Ogilvy and Mather and is a former VP, Marketing for Microsoft and CMO at Visio Corporation.  His experience spans software marketing, venture capital, advertising and angel investing.  He currently is a Board Member with Sesame Corporation and Symetra Mutual Funds.  His investment focus is on companies identifying a new category (like business diagramming with Visio) or creating market success with strong brand development and strategy.  Gigot was an early seed investor in Farkas Eye Black and serves as a marketing advisor to the company.  The University of Notre Dame's Gigot Center for Entrepreneurship is named after him.

Brian Rooney is on the Board of Directors for the NFL's 6-time Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers that his family has owned since 1933. As of member of Art Rooney's family, Brian, literally grew up in the NFL.  He has also served our country courageously as an officer in the USMC and is currently a Major in the reserves. Among his many accomplishments, Major Rooney has been awarded three prestigious medals from the Secretary of the Navy. While deployed in Iraq, he helped rebuild cities and win the hearts and minds of Iraqi citizens. After resigning his commission for the Marine Corps in October, 2006 and receiving an honorable discharge.  Rooney was a seed investor for Farkas Eye Black and continues to serve as a business consultant.

Dr. Brian DeBroff M.D., a Yale Ophthalmologist, was instrumental in developing Farkas Eye Black into the best eye product on the market.  His research, as reported in a 2002 Yale School of Medicine study, found eye black grease to be more than just psychological war paint and more effective than stickers. Dr. DeBroff was a seed investor in Farkas Eye Black and also serves on the Board of Directors of Prince Professional Inc, Eye Surgery Associates LLC, and KDM Holdings LLC. In 2000, he completed an Executive Management Program at the Yale University School of Business.  

Jeff Faine, current NFL center, serves as a key advisor to Farkas Eye Black ensuring that the product continually exceeds the expectations of today’s top athletes. He assists Farkas Eye Black with building key relationships and developing brand recognition.