Rick Black, who held several catalog executive jobs before founding the New York-based Prefer Network co-op database in 2001, died on Nov. 10 from kidney cancer. He was 58.
Black helped transform Prefer from an online catalog mall to a co-op database. Before that, he served as president of office products cataloger Reliable Corp.,and added the role of vice president, direct marketing and Europe for Boise Cascade Office Products when Boise bought Reliable. Prior to that, he was vice president of marketing for Rivertown Trading Co., vice president of new business development at Fingerhut, and vice president of mail order for Eddie Bauer.
“He had an incredible resume in the business,” says Prefer CEO Doug Platt. “At the company, he was always the smartest guy in the room.” Platt and the Black family ask that those who wish to make contributions in Black’s memory contact the Kidney Cancer Association (www.kidneycancerassociation.org ).