Nana Baffour, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Nana Baffour has served on our board of directors since October 13, 2006 and has served as Chairman of our board since December 15, 2006. Mr. Baffour has served as Managing Principal at KLI, a New York City based private equity firm, since 2004. Mr. Baffour was an investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston in Europe and in the U.S. from 2000 to 2004, where he advised clients in the utility sector on mergers, acquisitions and capital financing. Mr. Baffour also served as an Equity Portfolio Analyst at Standard and Poor's from 1998 to 2000 and as a Financial Analyst in the Treasury and Capital Markets Group at CIT Group, Inc. from 1996 to 1998. Mr. Baffour is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has over ten years of experience in finance. Mr. Baffour has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Lawrence University, a Masters degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from the Stern School of Business, New York University. He is also a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.
Michael G. Shook, Director
Founder, Strategic Technologies Inc (STI)
Michael G. Shook served as Chief Executive Officer from December 2006 through September 2009 - through the merger with Consonus - and as a director of the company since he founded Strategic Technologies in 1988. Previously, Mr. Shook served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 1997, Mr. Shook was awarded Carolina's Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System and USA Today. Mr. Shook served as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales and was a member of the Board of Directors of Rise Technology from 1984 to 1988. Mr. Shook also served as the Vice President of Sales for Bedford Computer Corporation from 1982 to 1984. Mr. Shook has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the State of New York and he also attended the University of North Texas. He is currently a member of the Sun Microsystems, Inc. National Advisory Council and is the Co-President of their Advisory Board. He is also a member of Symantec Corporation's Global Advisory Council.
William M. Shook, Director
Founder, Strategic Technologies Inc (STI)
William M. Shook served as Executive Vice President of Channels and Alliances from May 2008 through September 2009 - through the merger with Consonus - and has served on the Board of Directors since October 2006. Mr. Shook served as our Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing from January 2007 to April 2007, and from September 2007 to May 2008. He also served as our interim Executive Vice-President of Solutions Consulting and Delivery from April 2007 to August 2007. Beginning in 1990, Mr. Shook served as the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Strategic Technologies Inc. During his tenure at STI, Mr. Shook was responsible for overall product direction, sales force architecture and team-selling models. Mr. Shook also served as the Director of Sales for MEI Software Systems from 1988 to 1990. Mr. Shook has over twenty years extensive experience in the sales and marketing of high technology products and services as well as the management of their deployment. Mr. Shook graduated from James Madison University with a degree in business administration. He has participated on the National Advisory Councils for Symantec Corporation, BMC Software Inc. and Network Appliance, Inc. He is also a board member of the Society of Information Managers North Carolina Chapter and leads panels for the Council for Entrepreneurial Development's executive briefings and InfoTech roundtables.
Justin Beckett, Director
Founder, CEO of Fluid Audio Networks
Justin Beckett has served on our board of directors since October 13, 2006. Mr. Beckett is the founder of Fluid Audio Networks, Inc., which provides an online digital music distribution system, and has served as Chief Executive Officer of Fluid Audio Networks, Inc. since 2004. Mr. Beckett has over twenty years of entrepreneurial experience and has focused exclusively on developing Internet based consumer product applications since 2000. Mr. Beckett's recent initiatives include the founding and sale of SkillJam Technologies Corporation to FUN Technologies in 2004; the founding and sale of Music Gaming Inc. to Intermix Media, Inc. in 2001; the design and sale of an IP-based video on demand application to Visutel Technologies in 2003; and the co-founding of Measurematics Inc. in 2003. Prior to Mr. Beckett's involvement in Internet based consumer product applications, he was Executive Vice-President and principal of Sloan Financial Group, an investment management firm from 1986 to 2000. Mr. Beckett has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University.
Johnson M. Kachidza, Director
Managing Principal, Knox Lawrence
Johnson M. Kachidza has served on our board of directors since January 22, 2007. Mr. Kachidza has been a Managing Principal at KLI, a New York City based private equity firm since 2001. Prior to his employment with KLI, Mr. Kachidza was an investment banker with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. in New York from February 2000 to October 2001, and with JP Morgan Chase & Co. in New York and Johannesburg from 1997 to 2000, where he advised clients in the utility sector in mergers, acquisitions and capital financing. Mr. Kachidza has over eight years of experience in finance. Mr. Kachidza also served as a Project Engineer at General Electric Company from 1991 to 1995, where he led cross functional teams in developing new products from concept through to product launch. Mr. Kachidza is a holder of U.S. Patent Number 5,686,795 for a product design in fluorescent lamp technology. Mr. Kachidza has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Knox College, a Masters degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from the University of Chicago.
Robert E. Lamoureaux, Director
Corporate Director
Robert E. Lamoureux has served on our board of directors since January 22, 2007. Mr. Lamoureux is a Corporate Director. Mr. Lamoureux has over thirty years of experience in the public accounting and consulting fields. He was most recently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Royal Group Technologies Limited from May 2005 until October 2006, when Royal Group Technologies Limited was acquired by Georgia Gulf Corporation. He also served as interim Chief Financial Officer of Royal Group Technologies Limited from November 2004 to July 2005 and as a director of Royal Group Technologies Limited from November 2003 to October 2006. He served as the National Leader of the Corporate Governance practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers from 2001 to 2004. Between 1969 and 2004, Mr. Lamoureux served as an accounting and audit partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializing in the financial services and manufacturing and distribution industries. He also served as a director of SR Telecom Inc. from September 2004 to May 2005. SR Telecom Inc. is a company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and The Nasdaq Stock Market. Additionally, Mr. Lamoureux has served on numerous industry and professional committees and boards with various organizations, including the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants Assurance Standards Board. Mr. Lamoureux is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. Mr. Lamoureux received the designation of ICD.D and obtained a certificate in Corporate Governance after completing the Institute of Corporate Directors, or ICD, Education Program at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He is currently a director of the ICD Directors' College. Mr. Lamoureux has an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Windsor.
Connie I. Roveto, Director
President, Cirenity Management and Corporate Director
Connie I. Roveto has served on our board of directors since January 22, 2007. Ms. Roveto has served as the President of Cirenity Management, which provides consulting services in strategy, product and service development since 2003. She has also served as Chair of the Board of Management of the Canada Revenue Agency since 2005. Ms. Roveto was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Elliott & Page Limited from 2000 to 2001, Chief Operating Officer of The Trust Company of Bank of Montreal (BMO Trust) from 1996 to 2000 and President and Chief Executive Officer of United Financial Management Limited from 1992 to 1995. Ms. Roveto has over twenty years of leadership experience in financial services and investment industries. Ms. Roveto has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Toronto, and was one of the first candidates to complete the Institute of Corporate Directors, or ICD, Education Program at the Rotman School of Management and to receive the designation of ICD.D. She is currently a director of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Learning Partnership, and Women's World Banking.