Joe Basili is president and research director of Network Trends Now. He is a recognized thought leader has conducted research and benchmarks, writing extensively on topics that include telecom expense management (TEM), wireless mobility management, unified communications and network performance management. He is a keynote speaker at conferences and a contributor to publications for IT, finance and procurement professionals. Basili holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Vanderbilt University.
Vince Bradley is the founder, president and CEO of World Telecom Group, one of the largest master agents in the U.S. He entered the telecommunications industry in 1993 as a sales representative for the Los Angeles-based Addtel Communications. Bradley founded World Telecom Group in 1996. He holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA. A former member of the PHONE+ Channel Partners advisory board, Bradley has been / is currently on advisory boards for Abovenet, ACC Business, Level3, Mpower Communications, New Edge Networks, Telepacific Communications and XO Communications, among others. He is also currently a council member of The Gerson Lehrman Group and on the board of directors of the Technology Channel Association (TCA).
Ross Buntrock, a partner in the Arent Fox law firm’s telecommunications group, has more than 14 years of experience in virtually every aspect of communications law, as well as extensive experience in drafting and negotiating telecom and technology agreements. He is a frequent author and speaker on telecommunications and privacy issues.
Lenny Chesal is the vice president of strategic sales and CMO of Host.net, a multinational communications and information services company headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. The company operates a multinational fiber-optic based Internet, MPLS and layer 2 backbone, delivered to customers utilizing a wide range of last-mile options. Prior to joining Host.net, Chesal worked for AT&T, BellSouth, Teleport Communications Group (TCG) and Florida Digital Network. He has been a panelist at Channel Partners in Las Vegas and Cisco Live! in Orlando, as well as for many local technology forums.
Ed Cox, VP Marketing and Carrier Sales, brings a comprehensive background in computer and network design, marketing, business development, international and domestic sales, operations and M&A from his experience with companies such as Ameritech, Fujitsu, Compaq Computers, Tandem Computers, Santera Systems, Tekelec and GENBAND, where he was RVP Channel Sales. Mr. Cox earned his Masters in Business Administration with concentration in computer science and information technology at Ball State University. He holds both a BS, BA and BS, ME also from Ball State University.
As Senior Vice President & CTO of AboveNet,
Rajiv Datta oversees all engineering, IT and product development activities at the company. This includes technology responsibility for a significant communications network incorporating more than .8 million fiber miles in 15 major metro markets supporting hundreds of private DWDM networks, a long haul transport network spanning more than 10,000 route miles and a Tier 1 IP backbone across the U.S., Europe and Japan. Leveraging AboveNet’s unique fiber-based delivery model and deep technology expertise, Datta has created next-generation, business-grade services with a focus on WDM, Ethernet, VPN and IP offerings that have generated significant revenue streams while positioning AboveNet for the future. Prior to joining AboveNet in 1998, Datta worked for Alcatel Telecommunications Cable in North Carolina and at Alcatel’s Optical Fiber Competency Center near Paris. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Rutgers University and is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honors Society
Christopher Dean, Skype's Chief Strategy Officer, has 20 years of experience in business and corporate development, strategy consulting and advising startups. He specializes in deals to grow revenue, create new distribution channels and develop and launch new products. Dean has led several business development and strategy teams that have defined and prioritized strategic partner targets and identified, negotiated and closed partnerships. He was most recently the co-founder of Texada Capital and responsible for new business development. Earlier, he spent four years as the senior vice president of marketing and business development at Face Time communications, a leading vendor of security, management and control solutions for enterprise-oriented instant messaging. Dean also was an executive in business development at Epoch Partners, SmartAge.com, Worlds, Inc. and a consultant at Regis McKenna, Inc. He has consulted with Apple, Adobe Systems, IBM, Oracle and Placeware, prior to its sale to Microsoft. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Vassar College and a master's degree in business administration from Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Mark Gianinni is the CEO at Accel Networks. Gianinni provides the vision and innovation that is the engine of Accel’s success. His ability to recognize market needs and deliver solutions has been evident throughout his career, with over 25 years in the RF engineering community. Gianinni recognized that an wireless data communication network was a natural and necessary progression for retail, where the use of multiple dial-up lines for various countertop point-of-sale devices and back office applications is the rule. Gianinni went on to develop the concept for Accel Networks, which he co-founded in 2002.
John Johnson, Managing Director of Advocate Networks, has 16 years of experience in IT management. During his career, he has developed a $40 million IT expense budget, lead diverse IT teams, and delivered multiple IT process improvements and systems implementations. He previously was the director of portfolio management and IS controls at Sage Software, a small business and mid-market software company based in Atlanta, Georgia. He held a similar position at EarthLink and was an IT process improvement consultant for IBM, Deloitte Consulting, and KPMG. As a consultant, he supported multiple clients in varying industries with IT process improvements and systems implementations. John has an MBA from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the William Paterson University.
Dean Jordan is a telecommunications professional with more than 22 years of experience in sales, sales management and business management. Known as a technical, application-focused sales professional, Jordan has used his knowledge to develop products for Telesphere that appeal to customers and sales people alike. His experience with all aspects of voice and data communication and his focus on emerging technologies and trends have made him an expert in converging technologies, including MPLS, hosted telephony, disaster recovery and network design.
Philip Josephson is the founder of the Law Office of Philip Josephson and focuses his practice on providing general counsel and strategic planning services to business leaders and business owners. As outside counsel to a variety of companies, the law firm is uniquely able to add value at the increasingly crowded and confusing intersection of law, finance, strategy and operations. Josephson earned a Phil earned a bachelor of business administration degree in finance rom the University of Miami, a juris doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law, and an master’s degree in business administration from Columbia Business School. A member of the Florida Bar, the Arizona Bar and the Federal Communications Bar, he is also an avid golfer.
William Leutzinger earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from Ball State University in 1990 and a master’s degree in information communication sciences in 1991. After graduation, he worked in sales and sales management for communications companies, then owned and operated two telecommunications recruiting businesses, CareerCom and GreatNewJob.com. In the early 2000s, Mr. Leutzinger spent two years in major account management for SBC, then left to start WRL Communications. In 2007, he co-founded TelecomMedic, an Internet-based agency that provides online quotes and trouble tickets for three different telecommunications companies. Leutzinger is also a part-time instructor in the telecommunications graduate program at DePaul University.
As vice president and director of product development and revenue assurance for TMC Communications,
Sarah Linares drives the development of new products and pricing structures for the company’s more than 300 agent partners. A seasoned professional with more than 15 years of telecom experience, she also leads the team that is responsible for TMC’s customer bill analysis and 99 percent invoice accuracy. Her product development and technical background gives her a unique insight into opportunities in the rapidly emerging new age of telecom.
Randy Lynch, senior vice president of marketing, strategy and business development for Telstra International, Americas, has more than 28 years of experience in product management and development, marketing, strategy, business development, sales and regulatory/public policy for the telecommunications industry. He recently completed three years as COO of Telstra Enterprise and Government, working for Telstra Corp. in Australia. He also served as managing director of strategy, marketing, planning and sales operations for the Enterprise and Government Division, which has more than $5 billion in annual revenues. Lynch has a bachelor’s degree in business from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado.
Michael Machonkin, vice president of sales and marketing for GLOBALINX, focuses on the company’s sales growth, product development and marketing initiatives. His leadership has helped the company achieving revenue growth of over 800 percent over the last four years and to be recognized for four consecutive years by Inc. 500 magazine as one of the fastest-growing privately-held companies. Machonkin joined GLOBALINX’s parent company, 5LINX, in November of 2005 as their 13th employee. He was hired as the general manager and spearheaded the development and launch of GLOBALINX’s VoIP platform which included building out the company’s network, operations, marketing, product and sales aspects.
John Martin is Director of National Alternate Channels for Clear Wireless LLC. CLEAR, based in Kirkland WA offers 4G mobile internet and VOIP services on our WiMAX network in markets across the U.S. John is responsible for our Channel Partner Program currently operating in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Portland, several Texas markets and many planned market launches in 2009 & 2010. Prior to CLEAR, John was a Business Development Director for BellSouth and AT&T in Atlanta and Managing Director for Webridge Ventures, LLC.
Trent McCracken is the president of Spectrum Inc. Trent is the architect and subject matter expert behind TrueVue®, Spectrum’s award-winning telecom expense management (TEM) solution. His depth of experience and diverse skillset in technology, marketing, finance and telecommunications allows him to continuously improve the processes and varied applications demanded by Spectrum’s national clientele. Trent's ongoing mission since the day he joined Spectrum was to utilize advanced technology to develop and automate internal systems and processes that maximize the efficiency and productivity of the entire organization. He spent several years as both a senior systems and software engineer for EMC Corporation and Peritus Software Services prior to joining Spectrum in 2000. Responsible for the design and implementation of technical business solutions, Trent developed a solid foundation in process improvement and quality control, which is reflected in his disposition toward maximizing efficiency and productivity.
Troy McCracken is the CEO of Spectrum Inc. Troy founded Spectrum in 1999 with the vision of delivering unparalleled telecommunications management services to small and medium sized businesses within southwestern Ohio. Since its inception, Spectrum has expanded its geographic market on a national level and has added large enterprises to its growing clientele base. Troy excelled as a sales professional for several years while at Cable & Wireless and Cincinnati Bell. Adept at networking, he developed a sales channel that presented opportunities for significant revenue growth. He then leveraged those loyal relationships to develop a service template that sustains Spectrum’s dynamic business model. After ten years of significant growth under Troy's leadership, Spectrum has evolved into a nationally-recognized telecommunications lifecycle management (TLM) company that develops and implements telecommunications expense management (TEM) solutions.
Ken Mercer is senior vice president at Telecom Brokerage Inc. (TBI) where he has focused on CLEC and local service support for TBI’s agents. Mercer began his career in technology in 1993 with V-tech industries where he was a VAR/VAD manager providing private-branded personal computers by Leading Edge, Leading Technology and Laser. Later, Mercer was promoted to vice president of the company’s subsidiary, MBX, which he helped grow to become a multimillion dollar sales organization providing custom computing solutions nationwide. Mercer also has served as a senior account executive at LCI/Qwest Communications International Inc., a national account manager with Fujitsu Networks, a senior account executive for Sprint, and a senior account manager at McLeodUSA Inc. Mercer’s experience with McLeodUSA, providing integrated access solutions to corporate customers, developed his skills for becoming a CLEC specialist for TBI.
Mike O’Neil, president and founder of Integrated Alliances (IA), was a PC networking and telecom veteran of 20 years when he switched to online social media networking and formed IA in 2003. In his technology days, O’Neil was a sales engineer, supporting the direct sales and indirect/channel sales teams. Now an online networking expert in the world of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogging and even Skype, O’Neil trains and helps technology companies utilize social media to build up their businesses through sales and business relationships. He often speaks to and trains executives and sales professionals at national and international companies as well as speaking at conferences and conventions. He is globally ranked No. 34 on LinkedIn with 24,000 connections, has 9,000 Twitter followers and enjoys 2,000 friends on Facebook.
Daniel Olrich serves as the Executive Vice President of Operations at US Signal. He joined US Signal in 2002 as a Network Engineer supporting the Carrier Sales Team and later became the Sales Director tasked with developing the Channel Sales Team. In 2006, Mr. Olrich was promoted to Vice President of Sales, leading the Carrier, Wholesale, and Channel sales teams. Prior to joining US Signal Mr. Olrich worked as a Systems Engineer for the Enterprise Sales Division at Nortel Networks, a Senior Network Specialist for Steelcase, and an Information Systems Software Engineer for the United States Treasury Department.
S. Chris Palermo is the founder and CEO of Global Communication Networks Inc., a leader in the telecommunication agency industry. Prior to starting GCN more than 12 years ago, Palermo held both sales and management positions at ATT, Cable and Wireless and Allnet Communications. He opened Global Communication Networks in May of 1997 and transformed his company from a small agency into a full-service global company that offers on-site project management for large opportunities and a resale component to their largest clients who prefer several carrier offerings under one MSA. GCN represents more than 100 carriers worldwide and specializes in GIG/10G circuits, large suite global colocation deployments and complex voice and data opportunities. In addition, GCN is now the agent and reseller to some of the world’s largest companies and sourced extensively for global colocation and project management.
Peter Radizeski started as a BellSouth agent in 1999. Since then, he has become an agent for more than 20 carriers and numerous other vendors. He is also a telecom blogger and author of the book “SELLECOM,” as well as a founding member of TCA and a former PHONE+ Advisory Board member.
Michael Shonholz is the director, Channel Sales and Support, for iTEMize Technologies. Shonholz joined iTEMize in August 2006, and currently leads the channel program with responsibility for developing new distribution channels and managing partner relationships. During his tenure, Shonholz has assisted in the growth and development of the software, managed services, pricing, marketing and sales of the iTEMize software. He previously worked at InterCall in both direct and channel sales and has also worked in the financial services sector.
Joe Stratton is a Regional Consulting Engineer with Sprint and has been with the company for the past 18 years. He has an extensive background in many areas of telecommunications including routing, switching, voice, mobile telecommunications and satellite. Joe has been in Telecom engineering for over 28 years.
Bill Taylor, president of Corporate Ladders, is a pioneering technology executive, industry consultant and advisor to CEOs. His experience as director of national accounts for AT&T Wireless as well as high-level executive positions with IBM, Prodigy Internet and Election Inc., has provided him with a broad, knowledge-based approach to the technology and telecommunications industries. His success as an IT marketing and channel development strategist has enabled him to develop an extensive client list that includes BroadSoft, InfoHighway, Eureka Networks and Mellon Bank.
Sandra Thomas is the director of tax research at BillSoft Inc. Prior to joining BillSoft, she served for 12 years as the Platte County (Mo.) auditor, an elected position. She received the “Outstanding CPA in Government” award from the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants in 2003 for the advances made during her tenure as auditor. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from William Jewell College and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She recently served on the Missouri State Board of Accountancy and currently serves as a board member for the Missouri Society of CPAs. Thomas is active in the AICPA and is also a member of tax organizations such as the Institute for Professionals in Tax and the Broadband Tax Institute.
Ted Wagner is director of product management for data services at Level 3 Communications, where he is responsible for the company’s VPN product portfolio, including definition, delivery and growth of Level 3’s MPLS-based layer 3 IPVPN and layer 2 Ethernet VPLS, and EVPL products. Prior to joining Level 3, he held a variety of product leadership roles at Broadwing Communications, including VPN services, partner-provided managed services and data colocation products. Prior to this, he spent a number of years at a high-tech software startup focused on developing and delivering switch control software to enable vendor neutral real-time applications for service providers. Wagner holds a master’s degree in business administration from DePaul University.
Ralph Widmar is the CEO of Network Intelligence, Inc. Widmar is a 1978 graduate of the University of Colorado with a degree in Communications and Marketing. In early 1985 Mr. Widmar formed Network Intelligence, Inc. to provide consulting services to clients in the telecommunications industry. Network Intelligence focuses on the nexus of technical and regulatory issues, providing hosted and managed solutions for clients that optimize financial and service performance. He has advised Wireless providers, State, Federal, and International regulatory agencies, ISPs, RBOCs, and CLECs. Clients include Alcatel, SBC, AT&T, Bell Atlantic, the German Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication, the European Commission, the U.S. Justice Department, FCC, and the NSA.
