Chairman / Founder: C. Rowland Hanson

Rowland is CEO of Hanson Maslen Group (www.HansonMaslenGroup.com) and Chairman of CRH & Associates (www.crh-associates.com). Prior to consulting, he was Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft, where he developed and executed the company's highly acclaimed branding strategy which included the market introduction of Microsoft's most popular product—a graphical interface that he named "Windows." Several books published on the history of Microsoft document the strategies executed that led to the dominance of the Microsoft and Windows brands. Prior to Microsoft, he served as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Neutrogena Corporation, a skin care and cosmetics company that registered phenomenal growth thru new product introductions and global partnering before being acquired by Johnson & Johnson. J&J acquired Neutrogena for a significant premium after determining that, while it could certainly replicate the products, it could not replicate the strength of the Neutrogena brand. It was the successful branding strategies being executed at Neutrogena that captured the attention of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Together, Bill and Steve convinced Rowland that he should leave Neutrogena and help them in their quest to change the world by applying the proven branding strategies to a new emerging industry called software. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Over the last several years, Rowland has served as a consultant, CEO, president, and board of directors member of several emerging companies. He served as President, CEO, and Chairman of Amaze Inc., a multi-media software publisher with such popular products as The Far Side, Trivial Pursuit, Bloom County, and Berlitz theme computer calendars and screen savers. He negotiated the sale of Amaze to Delrina Corporation. Rowland was a founder, CEO, and Chairman of iTravel Corporation, an exclusive developer of multi-media travel guides for United Airlines, United Vacations, and the travel agency network. He negotiated the successful sale of this company to StarPress. Rowland was business development consultant, branding consultant, and board member of ColdHeat. ColdHeat's "instant heat, instant cold" proprietary material science has led to the successful introduction of several new consumer small appliances (see www.ColdHeat.com). Rowland was also a business development consultant, branding consultant, and board member of The Nautilus Group (NYSE: NLS), the developer and marketer of such brands as Bowflex, Nautilus, Schwinn Fitness, and StairMaster. See www.nautilus.com.

In January 2002 Rowland founded The b EQUAL Company. The company's mission was to strengthen the bonds between children and parents by creating games that made learning a fun, interactive, family event. It's partners included A&E (The History Channel / Biography), National Geographic, DreamWorks, Discovery to name a few. In 2005, the company merged into Specialty Board Games (SBG) of Toronto Canada.

To put Microsoft's brand dominance in perspective, see Business Week Online | August 6, 2001 | Table: The World's 10 Most Valuable Brands. It is interesting to note that Windows has become so well known, it is now even being used in popular comic strips. Click here for an example.

For more detail on how Microsoft became one of the world's most valuable brands and how Windows was named and launched, click here.

Employment History

Microsoft Corporation, Vice President Corporate Communications
Neutrogena Corporation, Vice President Worldwide Marketing
Carnation Company, (now Nestle USA), Division Marketing Director
General Mills Inc., Divisional Marketing Management positions
Various Board of Directors positions.

To contact Rowland by email, click here.

Graduate Degree

Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, M.B.A., Director's List
Wharton has consistently been ranked as the top business school in the U.S.
See http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/00/ for details.

Under Graduate Degree

Loyola-Marymount University, B.A., Business Administration, Alpha Sigma Nu,
Jesuit Honors Society

Personal Pursuits