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Atlanta Tech Leaders

Special Edition: Georgia CIO Leadership Association

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Bryson Koehler / The Weather Company Linkedin Twitter

Bryson is a firm believer in IT as a Service – the concept where IT “gets out of the way” and openly arms every product developer with the tools they need to crank out an endless supply of innovations. As a member of the executive committee and self-proclaimed weather geek, Bryson plays a key role in the overall business strategy for The Weather Company. As head of the technology group, Bryson oversees the strategic vision, technical direction, execution and operations of all technology initiatives, systems and platforms across all of the company’s four divisions – TV, digital, professional and international.

His team oversees the architecture, global infrastructure, weather forecasting and big data platforms, broadcast engineering and TV localization systems, all of the company’s internal systems as well as overall quality assurance for all products and platforms. The technical platform his team has built provides all frameworks, data, tools and processes necessary to build, deploy and operate globally scalable B2B, B2C and B2B2C products and services. Through the design, implementation and global operations of industry leading cloud-based computing capabilities, large scale big data systems, the company’s internal and external APIs, live and digital video personalization technology for web, cable, satellite and telecommunication distributors, The Weather Company has transformed itself into a leading technology powerhouse.

Bryson brings a passion for change and innovation by sitting at the strategy table for both business and technology groups within large and small enterprises. He uses his 20+ years of experience to help companies transform their business capabilities and utilize elegantly simple solutions that are always focused on maximizing the business goals of the company. Bryson has and is serving on many customer advisory boards, including Verizon Business, Genesys, Revinate, Microsoft, Google, Akamai & HCL. He was selected by the Executive Alliance as the Quality Leadership Executive of the Year in 2007, and in 2010 Bryson was recognized by CIO magazine as One to Watch with an additional standout award for innovation. Bryson lead IHG to become ranked #2 on InformationWeek’s Top 500 innovative technology companies for the development of patent-pending inventory management systems his team developed. In 2013 Bryson was given the ATP Innovation of the Year award. In 2014 Bryson lead The Weather Company to be named as a top 10-technology company in the state of Georgia and has been nominated as CIO of the Year by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.

Bryson earned his double bachelor’s degrees in political science and communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has lived in the Atlanta area for 15 years, is married and has five children. He is active in his community and has served as the co-captain for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), executive sponsor of the Women In Technology (WIT) program in Atlanta, and is the chief of his son’s Indian Guides program with the YMCA. Bryson also is on the Board of Directors for Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, The Technology Association of Georgia and San Francisco-based Revinate.

Jay Ferro / American Cancer Society

Jay is currently Chief Information Officer for the American Cancer Society (ACS), a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the American Cancer Society has more than 900 local offices nationwide and a presence in more than 5,100 communities. Jay is responsible for the people, strategy and operations of the Global Information Technology organization.

Prior to joining ACS in 2012, Jay served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for AdCare Health Systems, a rapidly growing and recognized innovator in health care facility management. Jay spent the previous 7 years at AIG (American International Group), most recently as VP and CIO for AIG Aerospace, a leading global aerospace insurer. At AIG, Jay implemented numerous improvements that have delivered substantial value to the organization while managing significant organizational change in a turbulent market environment. In addition to his role as AVP of Information Technology with AIG Personal Lines, Jay was selected as CFO for Operations and Systems in 2006 and led multiple global IT Finance and Governance Standards initiatives that resulted in millions of dollars in savings for the organization.

Jay continues to be a thought leader in the Information Technology arena and is a frequent guest speaker and panelist, both in Atlanta and Nationwide. In recognition of his accomplishments, Jay was selected as Georgia CIO of the Year in 2011, and is currently serving as Chair for the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.

His commitment and dedication to community involvement is evidenced by the time and energy he contributes. In 2007, he founded the non-profit group, Priscilla’s Promise, in honor of his late wife, which raises funds for cervical cancer education and research, and currently serves as its Executive Director. In 2011 he was elected to the Board of Directors for TechBridge, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization which helps other nonprofits use technology to improve their capability to serve the community, and in 2013 was named Board Chair.

Jay earned both his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and his Masters of Business Administration from The University of Georgia. Jay continues to be involved with his alma mater, both as a mentor for young alumni and as a member of the Alumni Board of Directors for the Terry College of Business.

Jay lives in the Metro Atlanta Area with his 3 sons: Trey, Connor and Alex.

 

 

Special Edition: Atlanta Tech Village

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Karen Houghton / Atlanta Tech Village Twitter Linkedin

Atlanta Tech Village is building a thriving ecosystem in the tech community. Our mission is to support and inspire entrepreneurs to achieve success through a community that promotes faster connections between talent, ideas and capital. Together, we will fuel Atlanta’s rise to a top five tech startup center in the U.S.

Melanie Crissey / Rigor and Startup Chicks Twitter Linkedin 

Melanie Crissey is a web developer and Client Success Manager at Rigor Web Performance in Atlanta. She helps organize a StartupChicks Circle at Atlanta Tech Village and blogs about things she’s learned at: http://melaniecrissey.com

 

 

Turner Smith with Health IT Leadership Summit and Sanjay Parekh with Startup Riot

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Turner Smith / Health IT Leadership Summit

Dr. Smith has extensive experience in the design, implementation, and training necessary to build successful telemedicine programs. Dr. Smith is passionate about innovative application of Health IT to increase patient engagement and education in healthcare, improve outcomes, reduce costs, and bridge the gap between patients and access to quality care.

He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Technology Association of Georgia, Health Society and is Chairman for the annual Health IT Leadership Summit in Atlanta. Additionally, Dr. Smith is a member of the Health IT Subcommittee and Public Policy Task Force of the Bioscience Leadership Council at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. He has presented at the American Telemedicine Association Annual Meeting and also serves on a working group for the Georgia Department of Education which is developing the curriculum for the Health Science Cluster to align with Federal Career Clusters and career pathways.

Dr. Smith received his Psy. D. degree from the American School of Professional Psychology/ Virginia Campus, an MA in Clinical Psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology, and his BA from Hampden-Sydney College. Dr. Smith lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and he enjoys shooting sporting clays and playing tennis in his free time.

Sanjay Parekh / Startup Riot Twitter

Sanjay Parekh is the Founder of Startup Riot, an all-day event which highlights 30 startups through three minute, four slide presentations given by the startups. The startups subsequently answer questions from a judging panel for three minutes. The upcoming event will be March 4, 2015 at Terminal West.

 

 

Michael Long CIO Georgia Department Of Revenue

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Michael Long / Georgia Department of Revenue Linkedin

Michael is currently Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Revenue and was 2013 Georgia CIO of the year. Michael is responsible for enterprise wide information technology; infrastructure, operations, applications development, networking, support, IT governance, security and business development in support of the following revenue divisions:- Alcohol & Tobacco, Compliance, Special Investigation, Local Government Services, Motor Vehicle, Taxpayer Services, Tax Policy, Processing Center, Finance and Human Resources.

Prior to the Department of Revenue, he was Chief Information Officer and Vice President, Information Technology at USTravel, a large corporate and leisure Travel Company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael developed an overall corporate information vision and strategy, introduced a new CRM system and created a competitive business advantage through the use of leading-edge technology.

Prior to that, he was Vice President of Global IT Infrastructure & Operations at Knowledge Learning Corporation. In this role, Michael was responsible for the strategy, planning, direction and coordination of all activities associated with delivering reliable computer infrastructure, applications and networking services throughout the company. This includes voice and data networks, Windows systems, Computing Services, Change management and customer service, including Data Center Operations, Capacity Planning and Disaster Recovery.

Prior to that, he was Interim Vice President of Information Technology Service at WellPoint, a $40 billion healthcare insurance provider. There, he was responsible for the enterprise-wide IT and networking systems, from which he drove a total restructuring of the IT infrastructure and implemented a framework for financial reporting. Prior to WellPoint, he was SVP Information Systems for TCIM Services, there he managed 14 call centers with over 4,500 seats in the US and Canada, established strong relationships with vendors and maintained a 24-hour, 7-day a week call center. Prior to TCIM he was Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Group 4 Securicor, Plc where he designed and implemented a passenger tracking system for Delta and United Airlines and negotiated and implemented a new managed network service offering from a leading network vendor. Michael has also held key IT positions with Galileo International, one of the world’s largest providers of electronic global distribution services, connecting 44,000 travel agencies across the world and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a $22 billion company with a network of more than 3,000 locations in 150 countries.

Jay Ferro / American Cancer Society

Jay is currently Chief Information Officer for the American Cancer Society (ACS), a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the American Cancer Society has more than 900 local offices nationwide and a presence in more than 5,100 communities. Jay is responsible for the people, strategy and operations of the Global Information Technology organization.

Prior to joining ACS in 2012, Jay served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for AdCare Health Systems, a rapidly growing and recognized innovator in health care facility management. Jay spent the previous 7 years at AIG (American International Group), most recently as VP and CIO for AIG Aerospace, a leading global aerospace insurer. At AIG, Jay implemented numerous improvements that have delivered substantial value to the organization while managing significant organizational change in a turbulent market environment. In addition to his role as AVP of Information Technology with AIG Personal Lines, Jay was selected as CFO for Operations and Systems in 2006 and led multiple global IT Finance and Governance Standards initiatives that resulted in millions of dollars in savings for the organization.

Jay continues to be a thought leader in the Information Technology arena and is a frequent guest speaker and panelist, both in Atlanta and Nationwide. In recognition of his accomplishments, Jay was selected as Georgia CIO of the Year in 2011, and is currently serving as Chair for the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.

His commitment and dedication to community involvement is evidenced by the time and energy he contributes. In 2007, he founded the non-profit group, Priscilla’s Promise, in honor of his late wife, which raises funds for cervical cancer education and research, and currently serves as its Executive Director. In 2011 he was elected to the Board of Directors for TechBridge, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization which helps other nonprofits use technology to improve their capability to serve the community, and in 2013 was named Board Chair.

Jay earned both his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and his Masters of Business Administration from The University of Georgia. Jay continues to be involved with his alma mater, both as a mentor for young alumni and as a member of the Alumni Board of Directors for the Terry College of Business.

Jay lives in the Metro Atlanta Area with his 3 sons: Trey, Connor and Alex.

 

 

Praveen Ghanta with HiddenLevers, Ed Pimentel with MobileMonday Atlanta, Randall Toussaint with Cumming-Forsyth Chamber and Ruben Boling with UNG

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ATLPraveen Ghanta / HiddenLevers Twitter

Praveen Ghanta is responsible for the HiddenLevers engine and product development. Praveen has a deep background in financial technology, having built credit derivatives trading and risk management systems at Deutsche Bank. Previously, he founded and led SmartWorkGroups, an online collaboration startup, until its acquisition by Intralinks (NYSE:IL) in July 2000. Praveen has also served as a co-Director of the Founder Institute Atlanta chapter, and is the author of a SeekingAlpha-certified blog called TrueCost, which looks at economics and government policy through the lens of cost-benefit analysis. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Bachelor’s degrees in computer science and economics, and a Master’s degree in computer science.

Ed Pimentel / MobileMonday Atlanta Linkedin Twitter

Randall Toussaint / Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Randall Toussaint is the Vice President of Economic Development at The Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity he leads an economic development program that works to recruit new companies to his community, while helping local businesses to grow and expand. Prior to moving to Forsyth County Randall worked in the field of economic development in such communities as Clayton County, Georgia and Savannah, Georgia. Randall holds a bachelors degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia; a Masters in Public Administration from Savannah State University; a certificate in Spanish Studies from La Universidad de Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico; a certificate in Economic Development Leadership from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development; and a certificates in Strategic Planning and Business Marketing & Attraction from the International Economic Development Council.

Ruben Boling / University of North Georgia

 

 

Stephen Culp and Jen Martin with Rockfish, and Sarah Tourville with GATN

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Stephen Culp and Jen Martin / Rockfish Linkedin Twitter  Facebook

Stephen Culp is Vice President of Business Innovations for Rockfish, a digital innovation partner that drives business for some of the world’s largest brands. He has spent 20 years in the digital space, working in agencies, in consulting and software development. For more information, visit rockfishdigital.com.

Jen Martin is the Associate Director of Business Innovations for Rockfish, a digital innovation partner. In addition, upon moving to Atlanta she opened up a Girl Develop It chapter, and acts as chapter lead working to promote and encourage digital literacy among all women and making learning software development affordable and accessible.

Sarah Tourville / GATN Linkedin Twitter

Sarah is a technology marketing communications professional and business leader with extensive experience at launching and growing technology brands across Europe, Middle East and North America. Sarah began her in career in technology marketing at WORDSPAN (now Travelport) where she supported the launch of Microsoft Expedia, the first online travel booking site. She then moved to Motorola Inc. at their London HQ, managing corporate communications across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

She is the founder and CEO of Media Frenzy Global, an award winning tech marketing agency and since 2006 has led the company’s developments across Europe, Middle East and North America providing Messaging, Branding, PR and AR services to Fortune 1000 companies including Motorola Solutions, Nokia (Symbian OS), Convergys, Ingenico and to smaller disruptive tech players including Autotask, iMobile3, LNL Systems, Photoweb, Stratix, Twocanoes. Sarah is also one of the founding board members of the Greater Alpharetta Tech Network, a network aimed at engaging and strengthening the Greater Alpharetta technology community through thought leadership, educational, and networking events.

Sarah has a proven track record of growing technology brands by leveraging her network of tech media and analysts and by implementing core tech marketing disciplines with a go getting attitude. Sarah is well versed in mobile platforms, applications and devices, network infrastructure solutions, e-commerce and m-commerce, mobile payments, beacons and wearable technology. She is a personable and tenacious individual with excellent communication skills and a result’s driven approach to business.

 

 

Andrew Ryan with MemberSuite, Tarby Bryant with The Gathering of Angels and Jason Michaud with MacStadium

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Andrew Ryan / MemberSuite Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Andrew Ryan serves as the CEO and Chief Geek at MemberSuite, an Atlanta-based association management software provider. With a background in software development and cloud computing, 
experience in the association and no-profit marketplace, and a passion for entrepreneurship, Andrew was driven to create a product and a business model that reflected the growing needs 
of associations.

Before founding MemberSuite, Andrew polished his leadership and technology skills with companies such as Bloomberg and Northrup Grumman. As his role transitioned from developer to CEO, 
Andrew understood the necessity of an outstanding product to accompany a hardworking team.

Andrew wrote his first line of code at the age of six and a half, graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and can still be 
found writing code.

Tarby Bryant / The Gathering of Angels

Jason Michaud / MacStadium Linkedin Twitter Facebook youtube

 

 

 

 

Special Edition: Georgia CIO Leadership Association

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John Trainor / Aaron’s, Inc. Linkedin Twitter Facebook

John Trainor is Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Aaron’s, Inc., an Atlanta-based specialty retailer that leases furniture, electronics, and appliances. Since 1999, he has helped Aaron’s grow from 450 to over 2100 stores with almost $3B in revenue. Prior to joining Aaron’s, he worked in technology roles at the Southern Company and the United States Senate. He has a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

John serves as the founding Chairman of the Mobility Society Board and on the Board of Directors for the Technology Associate of Georgia and is the Membership Chairman for the Georgia CIO Leadership Association. He volunteers and raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Georgia.

John lives in Roswell, GA with his wife, Heather, and 3 sons, Jack, William, and Phillip. When not working, he shuttles his sons back and forth from football and wrestling practice and tries to squeeze in some swimming, biking, and running (and, sometimes all at the same time).

Jay Ferro / American Cancer Society

Jay is currently Chief Information Officer for the American Cancer Society (ACS), a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the American Cancer Society has more than 900 local offices nationwide and a presence in more than 5,100 communities. Jay is responsible for the people, strategy and operations of the Global Information Technology organization.

Prior to joining ACS in 2012, Jay served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for AdCare Health Systems, a rapidly growing and recognized innovator in health care facility management. Jay spent the previous 7 years at AIG (American International Group), most recently as VP and CIO for AIG Aerospace, a leading global aerospace insurer. At AIG, Jay implemented numerous improvements that have delivered substantial value to the organization while managing significant organizational change in a turbulent market environment. In addition to his role as AVP of Information Technology with AIG Personal Lines, Jay was selected as CFO for Operations and Systems in 2006 and led multiple global IT Finance and Governance Standards initiatives that resulted in millions of dollars in savings for the organization.

Jay continues to be a thought leader in the Information Technology arena and is a frequent guest speaker and panelist, both in Atlanta and Nationwide. In recognition of his accomplishments, Jay was selected as Georgia CIO of the Year in 2011, and is currently serving as Chair for the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.

His commitment and dedication to community involvement is evidenced by the time and energy he contributes. In 2007, he founded the non-profit group, Priscilla’s Promise, in honor of his late wife, which raises funds for cervical cancer education and research, and currently serves as its Executive Director. In 2011 he was elected to the Board of Directors for TechBridge, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization which helps other nonprofits use technology to improve their capability to serve the community, and in 2013 was named Board Chair.

Jay earned both his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and his Masters of Business Administration from The University of Georgia. Jay continues to be involved with his alma mater, both as a mentor for young alumni and as a member of the Alumni Board of Directors for the Terry College of Business.

Jay lives in the Metro Atlanta Area with his 3 sons: Trey, Connor and Alex.

 

 

Sanjay Bhatia with Izenda, Michael Halbert with Mindtree and Cynthia Morneweck with Great Parents Academy

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Sanjay Bhatia / Izenda Linkedin Twitter

Michael Halbert / Mindtree

Cynthia Morneweck / Great Parents Academy Twitter

Cynthia oversees the overall strategic and operational responsibility of the three core areas of the company: Learning, Technology and Business. She provides leadership and coordination to the senior management team and is on the Board of Directors keeping them abreast of strategies progress and challenges.

Prior to GPA, Cynthia worked for PointClear Solutions, a consulting firm in the healthcare vertical. She was the Director of Operations for the UX practice. She also worked for Northrup Grumman as a Lead UX practitioner on a CDC contract. Before that she worked for the CTO of Georgia Institute of Technology as a UX practitioner promoting and helping the IT team produce a more user-centered approach to building applications.

Even though her roles have changed over the years, her love of User Experience stays with her. She applies the core principles of the discipline (HCI) to all aspects of her life. “I can’t turn it off. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. I breathe it. It has served me well.”

Cynthia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Psychology from Smith College as well as a Masters of Science in Human Computer Interaction (Computer Science) from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Along with her GPA responsibilities, Cynthia is a wife and mother (daughter and son).

 

 

Michael Tavani with Switchyards and Slingput

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Michael Tavani / Switchyards and Slingput Linkedin Twitter

Michael Tavani recently launched Switchyards, a design-focused consumer startup incubator based in Atlanta.

Michael was named one of 20 People to Watch in 2014 in Atlanta by Creative Loafing, has been awarded Top Up-and-Coming Entrepreneur at TiECON Southeast 2013 and 2010 Mobile Marketer of the Year by the Tech Marketing Awards and is a frequent speaker on startups. He has been quoted in/on Wired, CNN, CNBC, The Washington Post, Businessweek, Mashable, NPR, Travel + Leisure, CBS, and Fast Company, among others. He is the host of On Doers, a conversation about founders and beginnings.

He’s also a Co-Founder of Scoutmob, a venture-backed & nationally recognized ecommerce & local mobile company that was named one of the top apps in all categories by Wired and Mashable and one of the country’s most promising companies by Forbes.

Prior to Scoutmob, Michael co-founded SkyBlox, a local Wi-Fi marketing company that became the first company to ever raise financing via Twitter. SkyBlox was named to Network World’s list of 2009 mobile/wireless companies to watch. He previously worked in professional sports marketing for the Atlanta Hawks, Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) and Major League Soccer (MLS). In 2002, he started Tavani Soccer with his father and brother, a successful youth soccer camp company that has hosted thousands of campers and still runs today.

Michael lives in Atlanta with his wife, Stephanie and sons, Jarrett and Hudson, and holds a Juris Doctorate from Barry University School of Law and a BA from Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

James Douglas and Samantha Abrahams / Band of Coders