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Quest Oracle Community
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Mentor Profile: Fred Pond

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Fred Pond

Director of Engagement and Delivery
Society for Information Management (SIM)

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * Degree in Business with major in Accounting, minor in Finance, University of
   Idaho
 * Past Board Participation: Society for Information Management (SIM), the CIO
   Forum of the Technology Association of Oregon (TAO), Quest JD Edwards Global
   User Group, the Operations and Technology major at the Pamplin School of
   Business at the University of Portland and been on local company boards
   SourcePanel, Gear Up Sports and IGNW
 * Current Board Participation: Shelter Products and a not-for-profit vacation
   property the Sawtelle Club.
 * Volunteer with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Providence Cancer Center, Meals
   on Wheels for Kids, and The University of Idaho.
 * Honored as one of ComputerWorld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2003.

Professional Biography

Fred Pond is a semi-retired former business executive and CIO. He currently
works part time as a CIO consultant and advisor; as a Board of Directors member
for companies and non-profits; and facilitates a leadership development program
(RLF), a large cap CIO group (APC), and an Executive Coaching program for the
Society for Information Management (SIM).

Fred retired (February 2017) from his Vice President and Chief Information
Officer role at Columbia Sportswear Company, the Oregon based designer,
developer, distributor and retailer of apparel and footwear for the outdoor and
active consumer with revenues of more than $3B, 6,000 employees, and operations
and product sales in more than 100 countries across the globe. In this role,
Fred was responsible for Global Information Services (GIS) and Technology for
the company with a team of over 300 people spread across more than a dozen
countries, and a capital and operating budget of more than $75M annually.

Before Columbia, Fred worked from 2006 to 2010 as Chief Information Officer of
North Pacific Group (NPG) a $1.3B Portland based distributor of lumber, building
materials, and food products. In his role at NPG, he led a successful and
complete rebuilding of the company’s technology organization and infrastructure.

Prior to NPG, Fred worked from 1997 to 2005 leading the Information Systems and
Technology organization for the Schnitzer Group of Companies; a Portland, Oregon
based group of six independent but related companies made up of: Schnitzer Steel
Industries (self-service auto parts, recycled metals and steel manufacturing),
Schnitzer Investment Co. & Schnitzer Northwest (real estate development and
management), Lasco Shipping & Liberty Maritime (ocean shipping and freighter
owner and operators), and Island Equipment Company (real estate and gas products
manufacturing & distribution). These diverse businesses comprised approximately
$1.2B in annual revenues and $1.8B in assets. In his role he and his staff
completely replaced the majority of all technology infrastructure, hardware,
networking, and application software & systems throughout these six businesses.

Prior to the Schnitzer Group, Fred worked from 1990 to 1997 in various roles
including Leading the Information Systems and Technology Organization for
Stevedoring Services of America (SSA), now SSA Marine/Tideworks Technology. SSA
is one of the largest shipping terminal operating, cargo logistics companies and
technology providers in the U.S. and also have significant operations in ports
in more than 40 locations globally. In his role at SSA, he was responsible for
significant improvements in technology infrastructure and development of complex
custom cargo management and cargo logistics systems that gave SSA major
competitive advantage, and to this day continues to differentiate their business
from their competitors under the Tideworks Technology brand.

Prior to his 27 years of IT management in industry, Fred worked as an accountant
and consultant with the Arthur Andersen & Co. and then Andersen Consulting for
more than 7 years. His roles there included progressive responsibilities from
staff accountant and consultant to consulting manager with responsibility for
multiple clients and engagements mostly in the manufacturing and distribution
industry sectors.

Fred has been married to Cherie for 36 years, they have two grown children
Natalie and Allison. They all love travel, sports, outdoors and getting together
with family.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Cullin J. Wible

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Cullin Wible

Managing Director,
The Conti Group

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

Many Corporate Boards and Executive Management Positions; Founder of Several
Companies; Past Chair, Quest Oracle Community; President Oceanport Board of
Education

Industry Experience

Software • Construction • IoT • Renewable Energy • Real Estate • Automotive •
Finance

Professional Biography

Cullin is an executive entrepreneur and technology expert who has decades of
experience founding, managing, growing and advising businesses of all types and
stages of growth. This diverse experience allows Cullin to effectively lead
across broad functional areas spanning leadership and governance, strategy,
finance and venture capital, team building and recruiting, international
operations, sales and business development, software and product development,
and infrastructure.

Cullin currently serves as a Managing Director at The Conti Group, a family
office holding company that spans construction, global infrastructure, renewable
energy, biotechnology, energy, finance, insurance, software and IoT. In his role
as Managing Director, Cullin takes a hands-on, technology centric approach to
building and managing organizations, ensuring that they are at the forefront of
their industries. Prior to his role as Managing Director, Culin served as the
Conti Group’s Chief Information officer, where he led the expansion and upgrade
of the company’s global technology platform. Cullin was also the Co-Founder and
Chief Technology Officer at eDataSource, an industry leading email
deliverability and data analytics company, where he also designed and developed
the software and analytics platform, raised the first round of venture capital
and launched the company.

Outside of the office, Cullin enjoys sailboat racing and cruising with his
family. He believes in public service and is actively involved in local
government, where he’s served in both appointed and elected capacities. For a
brief period, he was also a volunteer EMT and once assisted the US Coast Guard
with a rescue at sea.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Denise Evans Grills

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Denise Evans Grills

Chief Executive Officer,
Denise Grills Consulting

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * Degree in Business Administration, University of Montana
 * Master of Business Administration, Southern Methodist University
 * Served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and was an Advisor and
   Coach to the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the University of Montana
 * Certified by the Co-Active Training Institute and the International Coaches
   Foundation

Industry Experience

Developer • Operations • Business Analyst • Logistics

Professional Biography

Denise Grills is a proven leader and champion for organizational and individual
growth. She has worked in Information Technology for 35 years as a developer,
trainer, business analyst, IBM Sales Representative, product manager and
communications leader. During 25 years with the JD Edwards / Oracle brand, she
led teams in content and communications, product strategy and product marketing.
Denise retired as a Vice President of Product Development in January 2020.

Through her career, Denise found her passion in managing highly effective
individuals and teams to achieve organizational goals while coaching them to
find fulfillment and balance in their lives and careers. Denise launched her
practice to assist organizations and emerging leaders find clarity, ask for what
they want, and have the skills to succeed. She utilizes the Co-Active Coaching
Method and is certified in the practice and with the International Coaches
Federation. She trained with the founder of “Power Camp” to enable women and men
for success in the workplace.

She lives in Greenwood Village, Colorado and has two adult daughters who work in
San Francisco based technology companies.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Elizabeth Schriefer

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Elizabeth Schriefer

President,
ILearnERP

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * MED Organizational Change & Development, Colorado State University
 * BA in Education, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
 * Prosci Certified Change Practitioner

Industry Experience

Consulting • Manufacturing • Education • Technology • Management

Professional Biography

Elizabeth Schriefer is a relationship-builder with strong training, change,
communications, sales, and leadership experience. Specializing in systems
initiatives incorporating project management, change leadership, user
development and business intelligence with digital transformation components,
she is confident working with teams and individuals at all levels of an
organization across many industries. Elizabeth co-founded and is current owner
and President of iLearnERP, a boutique change, training and communication
company focused on the Oracle applications space. Direct management of
operations for day-to-day activity, this includes financial planning, staffing,
back office, marketing and contractor resources for an extended team of across
the globe. Elizabeth continuously strives to advance every client’s learning
culture and programming to empower employees with knowledge and growth mindsets.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Emily Crow

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Emily Crow

IT Director, Enterprise Services,
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BBA in International Business – Texas Tech University
 * MBA – Texas Woman’s University
 * Serves on Quest ERP and HCM Advisory Boards and the Board of Directors for
   Denison Sister Cities

Industry Experience

Financial Services • Government • Tribal Nations (Government, Commerce,
Healthcare) • Technology • Marketing

Professional Biography

Emily Crow is an accomplished IT professional with a distinguished career
spanning leadership roles in both marketing and technology. Currently
specializing in Oracle Cloud transformation, Emily has been instrumental in
enhancing system functionality and fostering productive vendor and team
relationships to support the organization’s strategic direction. With over two
decades of experience in driving innovation through technology, Emily has
consistently demonstrated her ability to drive organizational success through
visionary thinking and effective implementation.

With a background as Marketing Director at Texoma Educators Federal Credit
Union, Emily honed her skills in brand management, strategic planning, and
community engagement. She led a successful rebranding effort, implemented
innovative marketing campaigns, and oversaw corporate events, demonstrating her
ability to foster brand consistency and enhance market positioning.

In her current role at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Emily leads the Hoshonti
(Oracle Cloud) product support team, overseeing ERP, HCM, and SCM systems. Her
leadership ensures optimal system performance through effective team management,
technical expertise, and a deep commitment to aligning technology with cultural
values and strategic goals. Emily’s approach integrates technical proficiency
with strong leadership and interpersonal skills, ensuring effective
collaboration with vendors, team members, and stakeholders.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech University and
has furthered her education with a Performance Leadership Certificate from
Cornell University and an MBA from Texas Woman’s University. She is actively
involved in her community, serving on the Denison Sister Cities Board of
Directors. She is also passionate about contributing to the Oracle user
community as evidenced by her participation in the Quest ERP and HCM Advisory
boards and speaking at industry events such as Blueprint 4D and Oracle
CloudWorld.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: James Whalen

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James Whalen

SVP, Chief Technology Officer,
Boston Properties

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * University of Notre Dame, BA
 * New York University, Coursework toward MBA
 * Quest, Past Board Member/Executive Committee
 * Boston Chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM), Trustee and
   Past President
 * Real Estate Cyber Consortium, Co-Founder/Executive Committee
 * Realcomm Advisory Council
 * Commercial Facilities Cyber Working Group
 * TechHire Boston, Co-Chair
 * Boston Private Industry Council, Board Member

Industry Experience

Commercial Real Estate • Government • Non-Profit

Professional Biography

James Whalen serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer for BXP
where he is responsible for the direction and implementation of technology
services and solutions. Prior to joining the Company in March 1998, he served as
Vice President, Information Systems of Beacon Properties. He is a graduate of
the University of Notre Dame and a recipient of the New York City Urban
Fellowship. Mr. Whalen is a current trustee and past President of the Boston
Chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM) and serves on the Real
Estate Cyber Consortium, Realcomm Advisory Council, Commercial Facilities Cyber
Working Group, TechHire Boston and Boston Private Industry Council.

BXP (NYSE: BXP) is the largest publicly traded developer, owner, and manager of
premier workplaces in the United States, concentrated in six markets – Boston,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. BXP is a
fully integrated real estate company, organized as a real estate investment
trust (REIT), with more than 50 years of experience developing, owning,
managing, and acquiring exceptional properties in dynamic gateway markets.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Rod McDonald

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Rod McDonald

Vice President – Enterprise Applications,
Aimbridge Hospitality

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BS in Business, Computer Information Systems, DeVry University
 * Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science, DeVry University
 * Certifications: ITIL Foundation – Cert. Number: GR750011244RM | Certified JD
   Edwards Trainer | PDA Leadership

Industry Experience

Hospitality • Finance • Manufacturing • Logistics • Retail • Real Estate •
Technology • Consulting

Professional Biography

Rod is a strategic and growth-centric Business Executive, with verifiable
experience leading the evaluation, implementation, integration, and maintenance
of various systems and applications. Rod is experienced at developing
relationships at the President or C-level and demonstrates strong communication
and leadership skills. In Addition, Rod has propelled next-level success by
designing and implementing complex ERP software and managing all aspects as the
subject matter expert.

Stakeholder-centric executive noted for enabling unsurpassed value and
best-in-class lean quality products. Adept at taking calculated risks, inspiring
innovation, and building workplace culture from the top down. Rod provides
leadership combined with the technical aptitude required to deliver projects on
time and within budget without production application disruptions.

Rod is a transformational and turnaround leader who increases efficiency and
effectiveness of Cloud, Web and enterprise solutions. He also pioneered the use
of new technology with Robotics, Analytics and AI to deliver advanced
applications for business reporting in the US and European Markets. Rod excels
in project management, including planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and
delivering deliverables. He is an expert in acquisitions, legacy system
conversions, implementations, and systems development to ERP system conversions.
Rod has experience in retail, manufacturing, distribution, communications,
investments, and real estate industries.

Rod’s executive strengths include business strategy, investment and operations
budgeting, policy and procedure development, personnel management, technical and
data analysis, enterprise project management, risk assessments, mergers and
acquisitions, and governance and compliance.

Rod serves on the Quest Oracle User Community’s board of directors and in his
spare time enjoys producing music and playing the drums with Kindred Jazz band.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Jesse Carrillo

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Jesse Carrillo

Former CIO
Carrillo Advisors LLC

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BS in Computer Science, Trinity University
 * Master of Business Administration, University of Texas at San Antonio
 * Previously served on the Advisory Boards of Realcomm International, Quest
   Oracle Community, and the Houstin Baptist University College of Science
   Engineering (COSE), Cyberhouston.org
 * Past President of the Houston Chapter of Society for Information Management
   (SIM)

Professional Biography

Jesse Carrillo is founder and principal at Carrillo Advisors LLC where he
provides strategic advisory and fractional CIO/CTO services. Jesse brings 25+
years of real estate experience having served as Chief Innovation Officer for
The Howard Hughes Corporation where he led the strategy and operation of the
company’s innovation and technology platforms across HHC’s national portfolio of
large-scale master planned communities (MPCs) and mixed-use properties. Prior to
joining HHC, Mr. Carrillo served as Chief Information Officer of Hines,
directing all corporate technology, strategy, and standards for the global real
estate firm worldwide. He joined the Hines in 1994 and served in various
technology roles before becoming the company’s Chief Technology Officer in 2007
and then its Chief Information Officer in 2009. A strong supporter of providing
opportunities for young professionals from underserved communities and
diversity/inclusion initiatives, he serves on the board of Genesys Works –
Houston and GlobalMindED. Jesse has been recognized for his achievements by
being named a Premier 100 recipient in 2016 by Computerworld Magazine, the Julie
Devine Digital Impact Award presented at the 2017 Realcomm Conference, the
Realcomm Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, recognized as one of the Top 50
CIOs by the National Diversity Council in 2020, Houston CIO of the Year ORBIE
Award – Enterprise Category in 2021, and HMG Global Institute Leadership Award
in 2021.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Kristen Arner

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Kristen Arner

Vice President: Workforce Systems & Analytics,
Penske Transportation Solutions
Oracle HCM User
Oracle FDI User

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BS in Management Information Systems, Penn State University
 * Six Sigma Black Belt Certification, GE Corporation
 * Strategic Workforce Planning Certification, Human Capital Institute
 * Oracle Cloud World Speaker 2022, 2023

Industry Experience

Transportation • Logistics • Insurance

Professional Biography

Kristen Arner is the Vice President of Workforce Systems and Analytics for
Penske Transportation Solutions. She is an experienced leader specializing in
operations, business process analysis, experience design, digital
transformation, change management and analytics. Kristen leads with a practical,
associate experience centered approach to the work.

Kristen led the HR Digital Transformation efforts at Penske, adopting the Oracle
HCM platform for over 40,000 associates across two divisions with operations in
the US, Canada, and Mexico. This August 2023 implementation spanned several
workstreams including Recruiting, Onboarding, Workforce Administration, Total
Rewards, Talent, Learning, HR Help Desk and Analytics retiring nine disparate
systems. This effort was recognized by Oracle as a finalist for the 2024 Oracle
Excellence Award for Employee Experience.

Post implementation Kristen continues to lead the evolution of the Oracle HCM
platform at Penske with focus on people analytics, enabling new use cases and
being an early adopter of new capabilities.

During her 25+ year career with Penske, Kristen has held multiple roles across
logistics, account management, operational excellence and human resources.
Kristen has a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Penn
State University and is a six sigma certified Master Black Belt. She is a
founding member of the Penske Analytics Network, an internal community driving
data insights within the organization. She has presented on topics around people
analytics and the HR Digital Transformation journey at IHRIM and Oracle Cloud
World.

Kristen resides in Sinking Spring, Pa., with her husband, Matt, and their three
daughters.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Mike Whitmer

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Mike Whitmer

Global Risk & Compliance Officer & EMT (Board) Member,
RGF Staffing

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BS in Computer Science, University of West Georgia
 * Telecommunications Management Program (Master Level work), University of
   Colorado – Boulder
 * Executive Sponsor for the Global Digital Talent Mentor Me Program – RGF
   Staffing
 * World Employment Confederation Digitalization Taskforce Chairman
 * Past Board Member of Quest

Industry Experience

Staffing • Broadcasting • Telecom • Software Startup/IPO • Consulting

Professional Biography

Mike Whitmer is a globally experienced C-level executive leader who ensures
protection and minimizes risk throughout global enterprises. As well, Mike is a
“technologist for business strategy sake” ensuring that the organization
leverages technology to create value and be a market differentiator. He has
experience with the strategy, execution and delivery of Enterprise Digital/IT
across 10 separate and distinct organizations totaling $12B in revenue and
leading a team of 500+ employees. Mike leads via a collaborative management
style, focused upon building strong relationships internally and externally,
while delivering technology for the purpose of creating business growth with a
distinct ROI.

Mike has been a member of the Executive Management Team (Board) of RGF Staffing
since 1 April 2019 and he is currently the Global Chief Risk and Compliance
Officer since July 1, 2024. Prior to that, he was the Global Chief Digital
Officer since 1 January 2018, responsible for the Digital and IT domains.
Whitmer holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from University of West
Georgia. He’s been with Recruit Holdings since 1 July 2012 as operational CIO
for Staffmark Group/Advantage Group UK, which he held until 1 January 2019.

Mike is an executive leader with deep technical knowledge and business
experience leading and executing strategy while embracing and driving change. He
is a proven technology professional with a strong technical aptitude and
background including architecture, enterprise applications, infrastructure
analytics, transformational change and PMO. His technical knowledge includes
ERP, CRM and BI software (i.e. Oracle, SAP, PeopleSoft, Salesforce, Cognos,
Tableau, and others) delivered via traditional and leading-edge methods. As
well, Mike is experienced in technical and application architecture research,
selection, design, and implementation of custom web-based, client/server and
legacy applications. Mike has a patent for the “Method and system for improving
enterprise performance” and he is a published author “Data Warehousing
Unleased”, SAMS, 1997. He was fortunate to have the experience leading a team
through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) performing due-diligence, documentation
preparation, and patent review for the IPO of Witness Systems Inc. in Feb. 2000.

He started his career as a software engineer and has worked in technology for
over 39 years, 21 of those years in staffing. For the past 20 years, he gained a
strong business acumen while holding numerous roles managing Information
Technology internationally. Mike lives in Atlanta, GA, has a 32-year-old son and
attended the University of West Georgia where he played on the Golf Team. In his
spare time, Mike loves to spend time with family, play golf and exercise.

CLOSE
Mentor Profile: Melanie Trudell

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Melanie Trudell

Director – HR Technology,
The Wendy’s Company

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BS in Industrial & Organizational Psychology and Business
 * Quest Board member, Employee Resource Group Leader, PTO Board Leader,
   Volunteer for Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
 * Program Mentor for Wendy’s Mentorship program
 * 2 Time Wendy’s Employee of the Year (2018 & 2023)
 * Ally of the Year, National Diversity Council (2023)

Industry Experience

Retail • Quick Service • Finance Services • HR • Technology • Consulting

Professional Biography

Melanie Trudell is a seasoned HR and technology leader with over two decades of
experience driving strategic initiatives and transformation in human resources
and technology. Currently, she serves as the Director of HR Technology & HR
Analytics at The Wendy’s Company, where she leads HR tech transformations and
solutions. Most recently Melanie has supported her organization through a
multi-year ERP Transformation with both IT and HR leadership roles.

Melanie’s previous roles at Wendy’s include Director of Enterprise Technology
Product Management, Director of Business Intelligence & Analytics, and HR
Manager for People, Processes, and Analytics. Her expertise extends to HR
transformation consulting from her tenure at Aasonn and Bersin by Deloitte
(Bersin & Associates), where she specialized in change management, talent
strategy, HR & Learning technology strategies and organizational development
across multiple industries. Earlier in her career, Melanie honed her skills in
recruitment and HR strategy at AmTrust Bank and KeyBank, significantly impacting
talent acquisition and operational effectiveness. She holds a reputation for
delivering innovative solutions, enhancing business growth, and fostering a
culture of continuous improvement.

This is Melanie’s first year serving on the Quest Board and she’s excited to
leverage her passion around leadership development and mentoring to the Quest’s
Emerging Leaders programs. She also participates in multiple employee resource
groups at Wendy’s and served 4 years on the board of WeQual, Wendy’s ERG focused
on supporting the LBGTQIA+ community at Wendy’s. In addition Melanie serves on
the board of her daughter’s middle school PTO and supports the Dave Thomas
Foundation for Adoption as a volunteer. Melanie has invested time as a mentor in
many capacities over the years included Wendy’s formal mentor program and her
alma mater’s mentorship program for students entering the workforce.

Melanie lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, daughter and 2 dogs. While not
a work she enjoys meeting her fitness goals, enjoying time outdoors bike riding
and hikes with the dogs, reading, yoga and traveling to new places.

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Mentor Profile: Venkat Maganti

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Venkat Maganti

Senior Director of IT
MDC Holdings

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * Manages ERP Technical Operations, Application Development, Integrations, BI
   and Data Warehouse, web development teams.
 * Results-driven and people first senior IT Director with 25+ years hands-on
   experience on JD Edwards EOne, Oracle Middleware, BI, Data Warehouse,
   Integrations, Technology Operations, Databases, VM Ware, Cloud, SaaS.

Professional Biography

Venkat Maganti is a Senior Director of IT managing diverse set of teams for top
5 Home Builder.
He is an excellent manager and communicator who possesses a strong work ethic
and extensive experience in ERP Systems implementation, program management,
systems analysis, design, development and enhancements. He is passionate about
solving complex business problems using innovation and application of
technology. Venkat has worked extensively in ERP Operations, Product Support, IT
Operations, Development, Process Automation, Performance Tuning, Quality
Testing, Licensing Management and Auditing. He has extensive experience with
integrations and using 3rd party systems and SaaS applications. He is passionate
about solving complex business problems with simple technology solutions and
delivering excellence through service leadership. He is a focused and engaging
leader with strengths in mentoring, motivating talented teams, thought
leadership, collaboration, innovation, knowledge sharing and productivity. Also,
he has experience in budget management, partner/vendor management and contracts.
Venkat is a leader with communication, decision-making and problem-solving
skills and drives projects to successful completion while exceeding customer
expectations.

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Mentor Profile: Kristina Hanson

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Kristina Hanson

CIO,
Fred Hutch

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BA in Business, Western Washington University
 * MS in Organizational Leadership, Eastern Washington University
 * Certifications in IT Service Management and Banking
 * Actively involved in volunteering efforts aimed at promoting STEM education
   and financial literacy among students

Professional Biography

Kristina ‘Kris’ Hanson is a seasoned Chief Information Officer (CIO) renowned
for her visionary leadership and transformative impact on organizations across
diverse industries. With over two decades of experience, Kris has consistently
demonstrated her ability to shape and execute robust technology and information
strategies that drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and align with business
objectives. As the Director of Financial Management Information Systems at Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Center, Kris was handpicked by senior leadership to lead a
transformative overhaul of the department. By modernizing operational processes
and implementing cutting-edge technologies, Kris empowered decision-making and
enhanced user experience across scientific and administrative divisions.

Prior to her role at Fred Hutchinson, Kris served as the Vice President of
Information Technology at Inspirus Credit Union. Here, she architected the IT
organization from the ground up, driving growth and digital transformation while
nurturing a culture of innovation and collaboration. Kris’s strategic
partnerships with third-party vendors and business partners led to the timely
implementation of technologies that enriched member experiences and propelled
business processes to surpass expected outcomes. Kris is renowned for her
servant leadership approach, where she prioritizes the development and
empowerment of her teams to achieve technology objectives while fostering a
positive work environment. Her hands-on and engaging executive style, combined
with her strong analytical skills, enable her to analyze complex problems,
identify opportunities, and develop effective solutions. Kris excels in bridging
communication gaps between technical complexities and executive discussions,
fostering collaboration with diverse business units to achieve strategic goals.
Her exceptional skills in leveraging data analytics and business intelligence
tools have been instrumental in driving strategic initiatives and delivering
measurable results.

With each challenge surmounted and every innovation introduced, Kris has not
only shaped the trajectory of the organizations she has served but has also left
an indelible mark on the landscape of information technology and strategic
management. Her journey, defined by resilience, adaptability, and visionary
leadership, continues to inspire and influence the realms of technology and
business strategy. As a transformative leader in technology and innovation, Kris
Hanson continues to make a lasting impact on organizations and communities
alike. With her strategic vision, analytical prowess, and commitment to
excellence, Kris is poised to drive positive change and achieve shared success
in the ever-evolving landscape of technology and business.

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Mentor Profile: Ken Piddington

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Ken Piddington

CIO
US Silica

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Education, Leadership & Affiliations

 * BS in Business, Management & Leadership, Northeastern University
 * Serves on multiple boards, including Energy Institute High School and the
   Quest Oracle User Community
 * Program Mentor, Columbia University Masters Technology Management
 * 2022 Houston CIO of the Year Orbie award winner

Professional Biography

Ken Piddington is a transformational, global business technology executive who
creates a strategic vision and mission, positioning to scale, and driving
initiatives that enable high business growth. Strategist who builds deep trust
within IT organization, fostering collaborative, open, and trusting environment
focused on problem-solving, innovation, and continuous improvement. Ken is an
innovative change agent and CEO partner with a strong legacy in all business
cycles, including high growth, business transformation, mergers and acquisitions
integration, and an entrepreneurial spirit. He is a strategic business partner
who leverages emerging technology solutions across multi-industry verticals –
logistics, retail, manufacturing, oil and gas, and consulting to accelerate the
pace of bottom-line results. As an award-winning thought leader and published
author, he is respected for game changing industry contributions, and his
passion for talent development and customer satisfaction.

Currently, Ken leads as the Vice President and CIO at U.S. Silica. He is
responsible for defining and executing its business technology strategy and
leading its digital transformation initiatives.

Ken previously served as CIO for Global Partners LP, SGR Energy, and MRE
Consulting. At each company, he contributed to tremendous growth and
transformation. He actively participated in Global Partners’ revenue growth from
$6 billion to $20 billion in four years. SGR Energy had 1700% revenue growth,
and the company was named Houston’s fastest-growing privately held company by
the Houston Business Journal. While at MRE, Ken turned an internal project into
a marketable, adding a new revenue stream for the company.

Ken serves on the Quest Oracle User Community’s board of directors and is a
board member with the Friends of Energy Institute, supporting the Energy
Institute High School. Ken is also an Advisory Board member for the CIO
Executive Council and a mentor in their leadership development program.

In 2022 Ken received the Houston CIO of the Year Orbie award. He has been named
a Computerworld Premier 100 Technology leader, is a CIO100 award winner, and has
twice been recognized as an InformationWeek 500 Top Technology Innovator. Ken is
recognized as an industry thought leader, a regular speaker at business and
association conferences, and featured in multiple media publications.

Ken holds a Bachelor of Science in Management & Leadership from Northeastern
University and attended Graceland College, where he played football and
baseball. Today, Ken makes Houston, Texas, his home.

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