Management & Board

The Filter is a world-leading recommender and relevance engine thanks to the brilliance of its people. To read more about the team, head over to our team page on the blog. If you are more interested in Executive Management and the Investors, then read on.

Executive Management team

David Maher Roberts, CEO

David is a digital media executive with a background in both multi-national media businesses and entrepreneurial start-ups. David was appointed CEO of The Filter in September 2007.

Prior to joining The Filter, David was founder of Digital-DNA, a strategic consultancy that advised the BBC on its digital strategy and iSporty (Europe's biggest sports social network) on its product and marketing strategy. Before that he served as Digital Director at Future PLC, launching 55 websites and blogs in a little over two years. David also founded Future Plus in 2003, the Award-winning customer content agency.

Half French, David loves classic French movies, Euro-pop-dance... the less said about that the better. Current favourite TV show is Entourage.

Martin Hopkins, Founder/CTO

Martin Hopkins heads up The Filter's tech team - a talented mix of experienced data engineers, developers and maths experts who try to make him look good. He co-founded Exabre in 2004 and developed The Filter's recommendation engine with original team-member Jon Hobley.

Martin has over 25 years' experience in the software industry, with a focus on exploiting emerging technologies.  He started at Logica's finance practice in the 80s and in 1989, he co-founded Tertio and grew the business over a 10-year period, gaining recognition as a Sunday Times fast track 100 companies and being named as a top-25 growth company by Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Martin's a keen music lover with a special interest in Jazz. A one-time saxophonist with delusions of being able to play like Charlie Parker. With music ambitions significantly outstripping ability, he's now happy to search out and listen to the best in contemporary music.

Rhett Ryder, Founder/COO

Former Managing Director of Tertio and VP of Sales and Strategic Alliances for PowerOasis, Rhett is one of the most experienced and proven B2B sales executives in the tech and telecoms industries with over 25 years of building and developing sales teams to maximize revenues. Rhett co-founded Exabre in 2004, moved to PowerOasis in 2006 when Exabre focused on its B2C strategy and returned in 2010 to help maximize the company's growing momentum in B2B sales.

Board of Directors & Investors

Peter Gabriel

Peter is clearly way more than a global music legend. He divides his time and energy between his music, humanitarian projects, business investments and his family.

He became an investor and advisor to The Filter in 2006 and brings with him a clear vision of a need for smart filters to help us make sense of a world with too many choices. Working with Peter is inspiring - his passion and creativity help drive and motivate the team.

His business interests have been in the field of music, media and technology. In 1987 he founded the Real World group of companies - Real World Studios, Real World Records, and later Real World Multi Media and Real World Films. In 2000, he was co-founder and board member of OD2 (On Demand Distribution), which became the leading European platform provider for the distribution of online music (acquired in 2004 by Loudeye of Seattle, Washington). In 2005, he acquired Solid State Logic with David Engelke. In 2007, he co- founded music streaming service We7. In 2006, Peter was awarded the BT Digital Music Pioneer Award, the Q Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 'Man of Peace'' Award, presented by the Nobel Peace Laureates. In January 2008 Peter Gabriel was honored as MIDEM Personality of the Year.

For more information on Peter's work and what he is up to, go to PeterGabriel.com.

Charles Grimsdale, Eden Ventures

Non Exec Director, General Partner, Eden Ventures - Charles has over 20 years experience as an entrepreneur and operational manager in the software and digital media industry and is a co-founder of Eden Ventures. Charles founded interactive 3D software company Division Group and led the successful growth of the company through an IPO, and subsequent sale to Parametric Technology in 1999. In 2000 Charles founded On Demand Distribution Ltd (OD2), providing digital music distribution services to record companies. OD2 grew rapidly and was acquired by Loudeye in 2004, and was subsequently sold to Nokia and now powers Nokia Music. Charles is a founding partner of Eden Ventures, and brings deep domain knowledge of digital media as well as operational management skills.

Douglas Merrill

Dr. Douglas C. Merrill is the author of Getting Organized in the Google Era: How to Get Stuff Out of Your Head, Find It When You Need It, and Get It Done Right.

In February 2010, Douglas became part of The Filter's board of directors, bringing with him a great wealth of expertise. Previously he was Vice President of Engineering of Google Inc., where he oversaw all aspects of internal engineering and technology, as well as end user security, customer billing and revenue systems. Douglas led multiple strategic efforts including Google's 2004 IPO and its related investor program and regulatory activities. He was also responsible for the 2006 launch of Google Checkout, now a multi-billion dollar business. In 2007 he was tasked with leading the turnaround of Google's radio advertising business, which he put back on a growth trajectory, and was asked by Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, to drive Google's strategy and business development activity in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, the two fastest growing broadband populations in the world. Following his departure from Google, he also served as president of EMI's Digital Music Unit.

Douglas holds an MA and Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University, and a BA from the University of Tulsa in Social and Political Organization. He grew up in Conway, Arkansas, and has five tattoos.