Prior to Orbitz, Sands was brought into the General Motors Corporation as one of a dozen marketers designated with improving the auto company's North American marketing efforts. As director of advertising and sales promotion for the Oldsmobile Division, Sands managed a $250 million budget that allowed him to reposition the Oldsmobile brand. In addition to developing capabilities for the division in target marketing, CRM, and one-to-one marketing, Sands created innovative integrated promotions with leading companies such as E-Trade, Blockbuster, MTV and ABC. Sands led a significant shift in the division's marketing focus, taking many traditional efforts online. His efforts made Oldsmobile an e-marketing leader within the overall auto industry and led Sands to being named as one of ten "Marketers of the Next Generation" by Brandweek magazine.

Other positions Sands has held include vice president of customer acquisition marketing at Giant Step, a subsidiary of the Bcom3 Group, that provided e-solutions to Fortune 100 companies and director of corporate marketing communications and brand strategy for Ameritech Corporation. Sands' early career began at the advertising firm Leo Burnet Co., where he supported the United Airlines, Tropicana, and Seven-Up accounts and played a key role in the launch of UAL.com.

Sands holds a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Northwestern University as well as a Masters in Management degree from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management. He serves on his Undergraduate school's alumni board of advisors.