Nitro Group founder Chris Clarke (right), who went on to assume an executive director, co-CCO role when Sapient acquired his firm nearly two years ago, is leaving what’s now known as SapientNitro to launch a venture capital project. Following the June 2009 acquisition of Nitro, Clarke partnered with co-CCO Gaston Legorburu, helped build out the re-branded outfit that is Sapient’s marketing and commerce division and served a strategic advisor on key accounts.
Clarke’s new VC group, meanwhile, will include investor Ray Chambers of Wesray Capital and Chris Burch, co-founder of Tory Burch. Still, despite his new project, Clarke isn’t completely detaching himself from SapientNitro as he’ll remain on as a strategic consultant at the shop and will still hold board posts on two of the agency’s charities. In a statement explaining his decision, Clarke says, “I simply could not turn down the opportunity to lead another start-up.”