Irvine, CA—The International Photographic Council (IPC), a non-governmental organization of the United Nations, bestowed its highest honor, the annual Hall of Fame Award, upon Fred H. Lerner, cofounder, president, CEO and director of Ritz Interactive, Inc., during the IPC Annual Hall of Fame Luncheon at the UN in New York City on February 11, 2010.
Ritz Interactive operates RitzCamera.com, WolfCamera.com, CameraWorld.com, PhotoAlley.com, BoatersWorld.com, FishingOnly.com, eAngler.com, Greg Norman’s ShopAtShark.com and other online-shopping sites.
A past president of the Photo Marketing Association (PMA), Lerner serves on its board of directors. He is also a board member of the International Photographic Council and serves on the Rochester Institute of Technology McGhee Chair Advisory Committee.
Lerner started his career at Berkey Photo in New York, working part-time while attending college. He went on to work at Berkey Photo locations in Virginia and California, where he currently resides. In 1977, he founded Lerner Photo, specializing in photofinishing for camera stores. Becoming active in the Australian photographic industry, he cofounded Rabbit Photo, Metro Photo and digitalMAX. When Kodak’s Qualex division acquired Lerner Photo in 1992, Lerner stayed on as president and CEO of Kodak Processing for seven years. Then, recognizing the potential of the Internet, he cofounded Ritz Interactive with his longtime friend, David Ritz.
At the presentation ceremony, IPC’s president, James Chung, delivered the opening remarks, and Ted Fox, executive director of PMA, presented the keynote address. Ted McGrath, president and CEO of T.M. Associates and an IPC Industry Leadership Award honoree in 1999, introduced Fred Lerner.
