Jim Safka

[5] Safka's insight into differing cultural norms and their ultimate effect on what individuals expect from a relationship caused international expansion of Match.com, where the company achieved local dominance through marketing, advertising, and product strategies.

[13][14] Safka led key strategic marketing and product initiatives, enhancing Ask's position in the hotly competitive search category.

He re-focused the brand on its question-and-answer origin and launched an aggressive effort that added more than 300 million "question and answer" pairs to the site.

[23] Mr. Safka served on the Board of Directors of SpeedDate.com until its acquisition by Match.com and is an advisor to the social media marketing Company Talenthouse.

Safka consults and provides interim leadership for a select list of startups, small and large enterprise companies, and private equity and venture capital firms.

From 1997 to 2002, Safka worked in product management and marketing roles at E-Trade, where he helped develop the site's "Destination E*TRADE" services to empower the individual investor.

[24] Safka also worked for Intuit (PM for Quicken.com, 1995–1997), Alberto-Culver, Inc (Asst Brand Manager 1994), Warner Bros, Inc (development assistant 1991-1993), Paramount Pictures.

At Alberto-Culver, his career nearly ended prematurely due to an ill-fated joint promotion with the Potato Growers of Idaho that involved a spurious Universal Product Code.

Safka has said that this debacle instilled an obsession with checking details and an enduring fear of anything with black-and-white parallel stripes.