Sterling-Rice Group

Michael's career began at J. Walter Thompson (JWT) in Chicago. There, he managed advertising for Quaker Oats, Kraft, SC Johnson and Gerber, and helped create the JWT New Product Task Force. He left JWT to join Rick Sterling in the early ‘80's at Celestial Seasonings as director of New Products. At Celestial Seasonings, Michael helped develop and launch a number of new tea products, as well as Celestial's first initiatives outside of herbal tea. Michael has a talent for integrating creativity and strategy, giving both vision and a hard-nosed sense of operating reality.

Michael's diverse marketing experience as an entrepreneurial operating manager, coupled with his sophisticated advertising background, helped shape the beginnings of Sterling-Rice Group.

Michael and Rick Sterling formed the Sterling-Rice Group in 1984. Rick and Michael worked together in Chicago and then again at Celestial Seasonings. They believed there was a great opportunity to leverage their experience with companies involved in the process of inventing and launching businesses. Now, with over one hundred employees, Sterling-Rice Group has become one of the country's leading integrated brand development firms recognized for the fusion of strategy and creativity. Sterling-Rice Group's clients today include a collection of international and local firms. Nationally, clients include Pepsi, Kraft, General Mills, Kellogg's, Starbucks, Annie's Homegrown, Arrow ECS, Bernina sewing machines, Bayer Pharmaceutical, and the Almond Board of California. Local firms include Horizon Organic Dairy, Frontier Airlines, Efficas, and Sciona.

Michael has been deeply involved in the community since forming Sterling-Rice Group. The company has always been an active contributor to local nonprofit organizations. Michael has three children, one in college and two in Boulder schools.

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