TAG Board of Directors

Ron McMurtrie leads marketing across Honeywell, inspiring long-term relationships through creativity and innovation. McMurtrie aligns the strategic direction of brand, digital marketing and communications, public affairs, business operations and oversees key functional areas for new customer acquisition, ensuring customer success, and advancing Honeywell Forge.

Before joining Honeywell, McMurtrie was global Chief Marketing and Business Enablement Officer Sage Group. Previously, McMurtrie has over 20 years’ experience in similar roles for brands including VCE – the joint venture between Cisco, EMC and VMware – First Data, Verizon and MCI.

As CEO, Wendy Thomas leads Secureworks to fulfill our purpose of securing human progress via innovative, battle-tested security solutions. She first joined Secureworks in 2008 leading Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), where she helped to execute strategic acquisitions that scaled the business and Secureworks’ IPO in 2016. As Strategy lead and Chief Product Officer, she developed the vision for Secureworks’ future, fueling the team that built and launched Secureworks TaegisTM. Prior to becoming CEO, Wendy served as President, where she drove a customer-centric approach to help organizations achieve better security outcomes. In this role, Wendy was recognized in the number one position in The Software Report’s “Top 25 Women Leaders in Cybersecurity of 2021.”

Wendy leverages over 25 years of experience in strategic and functional leadership roles, and has worked across multiple technology-driven companies such as FirstData, BellSouth, and Internap Network Services, Inc. Wendy is a graduate of the University of Virginia, with a double major in Economics and Foreign Affairs, and she holds an International MBA from the University of South Carolina School of Business.

Wendy’s been an active member of the Atlanta, GA community since 1998. She serves as a Liaison for AFS Intercultural Programs, an international youth exchange organization, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Previously, Wendy served on the Board of Directors at YWCA of Greater Atlanta and Dad’s Garage Theatre.

Caroline Cochran is the Vice President & Chief People Officer for Atlanta-based Secureworks, a Dell Technologies company.  Secureworks (Nasdaq:  SCWX) is a cyber security software provider located in Atlanta that went public in early 2016.   Caroline joined Secureworks in 2015 to assist in the pre-IPO efforts as their Chief Audit Executive.  In 2020, Caroline accepted the Chief People Officer role to assist in the company’s transition to become a leading cyber software provider.  She is currently responsible for their global Human Resources function, which includes the Learning team, as well as the implementation of a culture initiative aimed at promoting the employee experience in a rapidly evolving remote and mobile workforce post Covid.  Prior to Secureworks, Caroline held positions at BlueLinx, Cbeyond and Travelport.  She began her career in the Big Four at KPMG where she was a member of the Risk & Advisory Services practice with a focus on IT Audit.  Caroline recently joined the board of the Technology Association of Georgia.  She graduated in 2002 from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Management Information Systems.

As President of NPI, Don is responsible for growing the company’s roster of satisfied clients, and for defining and executing growth strategies. He brings more than 35 years of enterprise IT and business leadership to the NPI team as well as a long track record of growing successful companies. Prior to NPI, as President and CEO of Mobile Labs Don was responsible for taking the business from start-up to an established market leader in mobile application testing. He previously served as President, Americas at ORTEC and as President and CEO at Seagull Software where his vision and leadership established both companies as global powerhouses in their respective industries. He was also President and COO of KnowledgeWare, an innovative application development tools provider.

Outside of the office, Don is actively involved in helping grow Georgia’s thriving technology industry and has previously served as Chairman and Vice Chair of the Technology Association of Georgia’s (TAG) board of directors.

Brian studied Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and has a Master of Business Administration degree from Belhaven University.  Brian volunteers as an Executive Ambassador for TechBridge, Incorporated, serves on the Executive Advisory Board for Atlanta Technology Professionals, the Advisory Board for the Government Technology Special Districts Program, the Greater Atlanta CIO Governing Body for Evanta and serves as Board Chair for the Technology Association of Georgia’s Southeastern Software Association.  Brian is a technology evangelist and has a passion for bridging the digital divide.

Yogaraj (Yogs) Jayaprakasam serves as Chief Technology and Digital Officer and a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Deluxe Corporation (NYSE: DLX) since May 2022. 

Yogs has distinguished background in financial services and payments area, leading large-scale consulting and technology transformation for American Express, Cognizant Technology Solutions and Start-ups for ~25 years. His expertise spans Multi-Cloud Payment Platforms, MarTech, Open Banking APIs, Client & Partner integrations, Data, AI and ML Analytics Platforms, and other key areas. At Deluxe, Yogs’ team is responsible for Technological Transformation in support of 109-year company’s mission to transform from a check printer into a modern Payments & Data Company. He holds several patents. Under his leadership, Deluxe won CIO100 Award for its Digital-First platform innovation, listed under Constellation Research’s Business Transformation 150 for year 2025, and WSJ recently recognized him as one of the influential technology decision makers.   

Yogs considers investing and supporting access to good education, gender equality, and agricultural improvements are part of his roots and core values.  

Yogs received his bachelor’s degree in Physics from University of Madras, India, and a master’s degree in Computer Applications from Bharathidasan University, India. He also has a Chief Technology Officer Certification from University of California, Berkeley, and a leadership certificate from Harvard University. 

Natalia Migal is the Chief Risk Officer for LeasePlan USA, a global leader in fleet management services. Natalia has worked in banking and financial services for over 20 year, in the United States and the Netherlands.

She is a corporate risk and governance expert with a strong passion for analytics, change management and leadership.

As true believer in lifelong learning, she holds multiple degrees, including a Masters in Applied Math from DePaul University and a Master’s degree in Risk Management from NYU Stern School of Business.

Natalia moved to the Atlanta area two years ago and is eager to engage with the local community. Natalia believes that community service is the best way to have an impact, give back and make long-lasting connections.

Finally, Natalia is a Polish and United States national who loves to travel around the world, with her husband (of 13 years) and two young children.

When she’s not working or traveling, you can usually find her exploring the outdoors with her family, swinging a tennis racket, or learning to play jazzy tunes on her piano.

Mike Neumeier, APR, is CEO of Arketi Group, a public relations and digital marketing agency serving a wide range of B2B technology clients that include well-known brands as well as up-and-coming tech challengers. Under Mike’s leadership, Atlanta-based Arketi, which he co-founded, helps these companies apply intelligent strategy, messaging, PR and digital marketing to generate revenue and accelerate growth. The firm’s track record prompted the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) to name Arketi Group its Digital Marketing Agency of the Year. The agency has also been repeatedly recognized by Chief Marketer magazine as one of the nation’s “B2B Top Shops” and is a fixture on the “Chief Marketer 200” list.

For the past 25 years, Mike has pushed the limits of B2B marketing – inciting clients and colleagues to challenge, innovate, and drive for measurable results. Named PRSA’s Technology PR Professional of the Year in 2013, Mike counsels clients on smart strategies that get their message across to markets and media influencers. He has an enviable track record of creating and executing communication plans that help clients build the bottom line.

Mike serves on several boards, including FinTech Atlanta, TAG, TAG’s executive committee and the Advisory Council of the College of Charleston Department of Communication. He is past chair of PRSA’s Counselors Academy, past president of the Georgia PRSA chapter, past chair of the University of Florida’s Public Relations Advisory Board, a founding member of the National Advisory Board for Kennesaw State University’s Department of Communication, a founding member of the Atlanta PR Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, and executive committee member of HealthMPowers’ Board of Directors. A 2010 inductee of the National PRSSA Hall of Fame, Mike graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations.

Vikram Ramani is currently the Chief Information Officer at Synovus, a position he assumed in October 2023. He is responsible for Technology functions across all lines of businesses and functions.   

Prior to joining Synovus, Ramani held the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Banking at FIS, where he was responsible for driving technology strategy and execution across the banking portfolio. During his tenure, he spearheaded various modernization initiatives to enhance product and technology capabilities.   

Before FIS, Ramani held several leadership positions at Equifax, including CIO roles for multiple business units.  Ramani earned his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Madras and later pursued his Masters in Business Administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta.  In addition to his achievements, Ramani is also a member of the Advisory Board for Highline Inc., providing valuable guidance and expertise to the Leadership team in the areas of Go-to-Market and Technology Strategy.  

Nigel Zelcer co-founded Jabian Consulting in 2006 with the vision of creating a company that could provide amazing client service, a place for employees to pursue their passions, and a commitment to be an integrated partner in the communities it serves. This is accomplished partly by Jabian’s unique no-travel consulting model, allowing employees the best opportunity to become ingrained in their communities and have more time for their passions and client relationships. Through his leadership, Jabian has grown into one of the most respected management consulting firms in the country and has consistently been recognized as a best place to work and a charitable community leader.

Prior to forming Jabian, Nigel started his career at Accenture where he worked with various U.S. and European companies delivering large scale transformation programs. He is widely considered a pioneer in large scale outsourcing, eCommerce, and wireline/wireless convergence.

Based on his passion for cognitive psychology and how humans interact with technology, Nigel earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, in Information and Decision Systems, and in Industrial Management.

Nigel has held numerous leadership positions within the Atlanta community and currently is on the Board of Directors for the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). As an active member of TAG, Nigel is the board Secretary, leads Board Development and is member of the Executive and Strategy committees. Outside of the technology community, Nigel is an active fundraiser with the Winship Cancer Institute, is a member of the Woodward Presidents Circle, and supports Jabian’s employee-led 501(c)3, Jabian Cares, through matching donations.

Nigel and his wife, Randi, reside in Decatur with their two children.

• Fred is the Vice President of Enterprise Application Services at Cox Enterprises, where he leads the strategy, development, and operational support for technologies, applications, and tools utilized by internal customers in critical business operations across all divisions. His management encompasses applications in Finance and Supply Chain Management (including Oracle, OneStream, and WebCenter), Human Capital Management (notably Workday and over 250 integrations), and Corporate Business Shared Services (such as ServiceNow and Enterprise Security), along with platform integration services and DevOps.
• Previously, Fred held the position of Assistant Vice President within the Technology organization at Cox Communications, where he was responsible for end-to-end program delivery for the Network Transformation development portfolio. This multi-year strategic initiative ensures the generational transformation and future-proofing of CCI’s broadband services. The NT 2.0/3.0 projects have broad enterprise impacts, significantly enhancing the company’s product, service, and business capabilities. He successfully managed a large, matrixed team, aligning execution and go-to-market strategies, and frequently updated Officer and C-Level executives within a stringent governance framework. Additionally, he served as Chief of Staff to the SVP of Engineering for 18 months, where he contributed to strategic direction for the department.
• With over 20 years of professional experience, Fred has a rich background in client services and program management, consistently delivering solutions on an enterprise scale. He earned his MBA from Emory University and holds MS and BS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and Northeastern University, respectively. He served on the Advisory Board for Georgia Tech’s Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) for 5 years, and is currently serving on the Client Advisory Board for Slalom Consulting.

Marc H. Balizer is a Managing Director at BlackRock. He is a senior leader in BlackRock Solutions, which offers the firm’s risk and investment management platform to external clients. Mr. Balizer is the Head of the Aladdin Business in the BlackRock Atlanta Innovation Hub where he is responsible for building out the technology ecosystem and championing the ‘One BlackRock’ culture. Additionally, Mr. Balizer is a member of the BlackRock Solutions COO team focused on employee engagement, culture and talent strategy. Mr. Balizer is a member of the Aladdin Business Operating Committee and the Atlanta iHub Leadership Team.

Prior to moving to his current role, Mr. Balizer was a member of the Aladdin Client Engagement Team and responsible for managing the firm’s relationships with clients of BlackRock Solutions. Mr. Balizer led the Aladdin Provider Team, which is responsible for creating more seamless integration across the investment management lifecycle by streamlining the operating model between asset managers and asset servicers.

Mr. Balizer joined BlackRock in 1998 as an Analyst in the Data Integrity Group. He then joined the Portfolio Analytics Group, where he produced BlackRock’s suite of daily risk reports. In 2000, Mr. Balizer joined the BlackRock Solutions Relationship Management Group, where he worked as part of the team that implemented Aladdin at BlackRock Solutions’ first external client. Since that time, he has successfully led multiple Aladdin client relationships within the banking, asset management and insurance industries. Prior to joining BlackRock, Mr. Balizer worked in the White House where he spent time in the Communications Department as well as the Office of Legislative Affairs.

Mr. Balizer lives in Atlanta with his wife, Heather, and twin sons, Jacob and Sam. Mr. Balizer is an active member of the community and sits on several boards including: Anti-Defamation League, University of Georgia Terry School Advisory Board, FinTech Atlanta and the Technology Association of Georgia.

Mr. Balizer earned a BS degree in Consumer Economics from the University of Delaware in 1997.

Tim Callahan joined Aflac as the Chief Information Security Officer in April 2014. He oversees Aflac’s Global Security Program which includes Technology Risk Management, Physical and Logical Information Asset Protection, Information Security Program, Threat and Vulnerability Management, Cyber Security Operations and Incident Response, Information Technology Compliance and Risk Management, Security Engineering, Crisis Management, Business Resiliency and Disaster Recovery. Tim is responsible for the protection and availability of assets for the world’s leading provider of voluntary insurance. He leads various security and risk committees and structures to help business partners accelerate in a safe and sound manner, while protecting Aflac clients.

Prior to Aflac, Tim was Senior Vice President, Business Continuity and Information Assurance at SunTrust Bank. Tim was responsible for SunTrust’s Corporate Threat and Vulnerability Management, Information Security Monitoring and Investigation, Business Resumption, Disaster Recovery, Incident Response/Crisis Management, Technology Risk Project Office, Records and Information Management programs. He led a team of professional risk managers in ensuring the protection, preservation, and availability of critical corporate information and resources. Tim integrated these functions building a capability that provided a unified approach in determining threats, developing mitigation strategies and solutions, and managing through incidents. He has successfully tested this integrated concept in the management of virus, weather, technology outages, and distributed denial of service attacks.

Prior to SunTrust, Tim served as First Vice President, Technology Risk Management, and Chief Information Security Officer, at Peoples United Bank in Bridgeport Connecticut. He was the executive charged with protecting People’s United Bank’s information, information systems, and technology. During his tenure, Tim built and effective technology risk management organization and led the company through a technology integration and organization program upon acquisition of a bank of near equal size. He also served on the State of Connecticut Judicial Committee on Identity Theft to assist in building requirements for protecting sensitive personal information introduced into the judiciary through legal actions.

Tim was a career military professional serving in leadership positions throughout his 23-year career. In his final assignment, Tim was the program manager for a command risk management function at one of the US Air Forces Major Command Headquarters.

He is a sought after and frequent speaker, panelist, moderator and chair at conferences, seminars, and summits on topics ranging from leadership, technology, information security, information governance, governance risk and compliance, and cyber security. He has chaired the annual IT Governance Risk and Compliance Summit for six years.

Tim has been a recognized industry thought leader; his awards include: SC Awards 2017 in the CSO of the Year category; IDG Enterprise’s CSO50 Awards for 2016 and 2017; 2017 American Business Awards-Silver Stevie honoree in the Tech Innovator of the Year category; The Technology Association of Georgia – 2016 Georgia Game Changers – “Who’s Who in Information Security;” and Evanta’s 2015 CISO Top 10 Breakaway Leader Award.

He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, a Certified Information Security Manger, and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control, a Certified Project Manager, and Competent Toastmaster. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science from University of the State of New York.

Dr. Ramnath K. Chellappa is Associate Dean and Goizueta Foundation Term Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management at the Goizueta Business School, Emory University.   He is also the founding Academic Director of the Master of Science in Business Analytics program at Goizueta.  He was previously a Caldwell Research Fellow at Goizueta, Emory and SRITNE Distinguished Academic Fellow and Visiting Professor at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.   Prior to joining Emory University, Prof. Chellappa served on the faculty of Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California.

Prof. Chellappa’s expertise is in the fields of electronic markets, AI, Data Analytics, pricing, digital goods piracy and economics of information security and privacy.  In addition to being widely published in these areas, his work has also received multiple best paper awards in premier conferences.  His research methods include analytical modeling, empirical modeling and social network analysis.  He also serves/has served on the editorial boards of Information Systems Research and MIS Quarterly.  He was previously the president of the INFORMS Information Systems Society.

Prof. Chellappa also works closely with the industry on the managerial aspects of information technology driven issues and frequently serves as a litigation expert on technology-related cases.  He is often quoted in the popular media on information privacy and security related issues.

Prof. Chellappa has received numerous awards for teaching, mostly recently the Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education. He received his PhD from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin  where his work provided the first scholarly definition of the term “Cloud Computing”.

Jonathan Cox is the Vice President of IT at Manhattan Associates were he leads all IT infrastructure and operations activates. Prior to Manhattan he was the VP & CIO of Treadmaxx Tire Distributors, formerly Kauffman Tire, where he led all IT activities for the wholesale and retail operations. He spent some time at KPMG in the IT Strategy practice, where he gained great insight into different industries.

Jonathan is very active in the IT community and enjoys mentoring the next generation of leaders.

Jonathan is a husband, dad, army veteran, and Georgia Bulldog who resides in Atlanta, GA.

Hans Delly is a Managing Director at Slalom. He is a leader within their Data & Technology Practice and leads their global community of technology strategy practitioners. Hans is a Senior Business and Technology Leader with experience defining the vision and driving the strategy and execution for digital platforms, complex IT initiatives, enterprise solutions and business strategy. He creates differentiation in the marketplace and a distinguished brand by transforming strategic vision through execution into solutions at the intersection of business, technology, and data. Hans guides clients on their technology-powered enterprise transformation journeys bringing focus and an informed perspective while architecting for the future. He helps his clients navigate rapid technology change by creating opportunities for leaders and their organizations to act differently and think strategically.

Hans is a versatile executive with globally diverse cross-industry experience including Telecommunications, Cable, Media, Financial Services, Payments, High Tech and International Development. He has a proven track-record of improving business performance in the areas of Product Innovation and Development, Service Delivery, Information Technology, Network and Infrastructure.

Leaning into his own experience as an entrepreneur, Hans is active within the Atlanta entrepreneurial community having served as a technology advisor on the boards of local Tech Startups and as a mentor to founders. He is currently serving as an advisor supporting the black-owned businesses within the ecosystem of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE).

Hans is also very active within the Haïtian-American business community in Georgia having served on the board of the Georgia Haïtian-American Chamber of Commerce (GAHCCI). He is committed to changing the narrative about Haïti by working with entrepreneurs and emerging leaders to advance the business and economic interests of the community.

Hans has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and MBA from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is married and has two energetic boys.

Steven Ferguson is a 25-year veteran of the IT industry. As the Chief Information Officer for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), he leads a talented team of IT professionals in support of TCSG’s technical education, adult education, economic development, and workforce divisions across the 88 campuses of Georgia’s 22 technical colleges. He is currently driving innovation in higher education as the architect of TCSG’s eCampus platform.

Ferguson holds an M.S. in Information Technology from Southern Polytechnic State

University, a B.S. in Business Administration, Information Technology from Columbia

Southern University, an A.S. in Engineering from Gainesville State College, and is a proud graduate of TCSG’s Executive Leadership Academy.

Beyond his service to the State of Georgia, Ferguson is very active in his local community, currently serving as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Development Authority of Lumpkin County, Chair of Lumpkin County School System Governance Team, Advisory Board Member for numerous IT events and organizations, and as a volunteer for various non-profit and educational organizations.

Cherie Fuzzell is senior director of business development and partnerships for Apple Wallet, Payments & Commerce, which includes Apple Pay.  In this role, Ms. Fuzzell oversees business development and manages ongoing relationships with issuers, networks, processors and other participants in the Apple payments ecosystem.  Prior to joining Apple in 2015, Ms. Fuzzell served as chief executive officer of Parkmobile, a leading provider of mobile payment solutions to the parking industry.   Ms Fuzzell also served as chief administrative officer and general counsel at Elavon, where she had global responsibility for the legal, mergers & acquisitions, human resources, compliance and training functions.  Ms. Fuzzell earned an Bachelor of Science in Commerce & Business Administration (major in Accounting) from the University of Alabama and a Juris Doctor from the Vanderbilt University School of Law, where she was a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review.

Brian is senior sales leader for Verizon Business Group based in Atlanta, GA, responsible for approximately 2000 enterprise clients and prospects across the Eastern U.S. footprint. Additionally, Brian is responsible for a practice area focused on enabling fan experience and operational outcomes for Pro Sports Leagues, Teams, and Venues. Prior to his current role, Brian worked as the Director of Strategy and Business Development for Verizon Advanced Solutions, leading teams focused on growth and retention of our strategic services customers. This included the creation of the Advanced Solutions Customer Success organization, a new function focused on helping customers achieve business outcomes through increased adoption of Verizon platforms and services. Brian began his career in IT as a developer and systems engineer with MCI in Greenville, SC.

Brian holds a BS degree in business administration/computer science from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC, along with an MBA from The University of Georgia with a concentration in finance. While not at work he can be found coaching and watching his two children play sports, and also enjoys running, playing golf, and boating with family and friends on Lake Hartwell.

Fred is a performance driven executive in the technology and financial services industries with over 30 years of diverse payment card experience through technology-enabled consumer engagement & loyalty, marketing, and product management functions across industry leading payment organizations.

Fred brings his deep domain expertise and diverse background to Mastercard, where he currently serves as Senior Vice President, Account Management, Head of Community Institutions for North America. In this role leadership responsibilities include developing and executing overall segment strategy, organizational design, relationship management, delivering YoY revenue growth (P/L), contract negotiations, and on-going sales activities for over 500 community banks and credit unions across the country.

As an accomplished transformational business leader, Fred has a track record of building and cultivating dynamic management teams that consistently exceed internal business objectives while consulting and delivering exceptional performance results for his customers. Prior to joining Mastercard, Fred has held various executive and senior leadership roles with TSYS (Global Payments), Fintura Corporation, FleetCor (Corpay), InfiCorp Holdings (subsidiary of FNBO), Wachovia (Wells Fargo) and Bank One Card Services.

Fred stays grounded both personally and professionally through his passion for doing well, by doing good!

Roy is Special Counsel at the law firm of Morris, Manning & Martin and leads the AI/Digital
Innovation team. Roy has been a trusted advisor to a diverse clientele, including high-growth
businesses, governmental bodies, and corporate legal departments – particularly in the
areas of cybersecurity, risk management, and artificial intelligence. Roy’s expert guidance is
sought after, particularly in data governance and compliance matters, and in complex
cybersecurity incidents.

Roy’s rich professional background spans various executive roles, including vice president,
general counsel, and corporate secretary for a publicly traded wireless communications
company, as well as vice president, general counsel, and chief privacy officer for an
international travel services and technology corporation.

He has also provided legal counsel within the technology and entertainment sectors, and
held positions such as special counsel to the president of the American Bar Association,
special assistant attorney general for the State of Georgia, and currently serves as Special
Counsel to the Commonwealth of Virginia for Cybersecurity. Roy also currently serves on the
Georgia State Bar AI Committee, the Technology Association of Georgia Board of Directors,
the Policy Board for the National Technology Security Coalition, and the Atlanta CIO Advisory
Council.

Andrew launched his career as a software developer at IBM, where he ascended to the role of lead architect overseeing major government services projects. Transitioning to WebMD during its formative years, Andrew served as Technical Director, steering development teams and actively participating in key mergers and acquisitions.

His extensive experience has positioned him as a leading technology executive, specializing in financial services startups. Andrew notably held pivotal roles as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Cardlytics, Steady, and ParkMobile, driving technological innovation and growth strategies.

Andrew then transitioned to the corporate sector, assuming the role of Senior Vice President of Technology at CoStar, a premier property analytics firm. In this capacity, he continues to leverage his expertise to drive transformative technological initiatives

When not working, he enjoys time with his family and spending time outdoors hiking and seeing the world together.

Monty Hamilton is the CEO and founder of Sparq, formerly known as Rural Sourcing, where he leads the executive team and drives the overall strategy. Sparq is a unique digital engineering company focused on helping its clients realize their digital transformation strategies and creating thousands of technology careers in places where they otherwise would not exist. Monty has helped grow the firm through two private equity investments to become the largest privately held digital engineering firm with colleagues across the US and Latin America. He is a sought-after speaker on the outsourcing and domestic sourcing topic and has recently been featured on CNBC, BBC, NPR radio and at various industry conferences including IAOP, Gartner, Digital Georgia and others. In addition, recent articles depicting Sparq’s innovative outsourcing model have appeared in Business Week, CNN Money magazine, CFO magazine, and CIO magazine.

This is Monty’s second entrepreneurial startup venture after leaving Accenture in 1995. He joined together with four other colleagues to build a consulting firm – Clarkston Consulting. He was instrumental in growing Clarkston into a global strategic and systems integration firm with offices across the US and Europe. After Clarkston’s acquisition of Sparq, he became the CEO in 2009.

Monty is on the Board of Directors for Ventures ATL, a technology company in Atlanta focused on providing careers for adults on the autism spectrum, a member of the Board of Trustees for Millsaps College, and an investor in early-stage technology companies.

Monty holds an M.B.A. from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and a B.B.A. in business from Millsaps College.

R. Scott Herren is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Cisco, managing the financial strategy, global finance organization, procurement, and mergers/ acquisitions and integrations for the company with total revenue for fiscal year 2022 of $51.6 billion and 83,300 employees. Herren is focused on accelerating Cisco’s shift towards a more recurring revenue business model, maximizing long-term shareholder value, and maintaining the high level of integrity and transparency for which Cisco is known.

Prior to joining Cisco in 2020, Herren spent over six years as CFO at Autodesk where he was responsible for global financial strategy including operations, corporate development, financial systems, tax and treasury as well as the company’s procurement organizations. Herren was instrumental in orchestrating Autodesk’s business-model transformation – shifting from selling perpetual licenses to selling subscriptions. Before Autodesk, he held senior level strategy and financial positions at Citrix Systems, FedEx, and IBM.

Herren serves on the board of directors and chairs the Audit Committee for Rubrik. He is also a chair of the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) Advisory Board and a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Board at Georgia Tech. He holds a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Columbia University.

Tobias is Partner at MHP – A Porsche Company, the leading global management and technology consulting company in mobility and manufacturing. As President & CEO of MHP Americas and based out of Atlanta, Georgia, he and his team focus on the Americas region, supporting clients from various industries on strategy, management and digitization related consulting topics. Over the past 20 years Tobias has worked for several leading global strategy, management and technology consulting firms across Europe, Asia and North America. Completing projects in 10+ countries, he has supported clients on a wide variety of business challenges ranging from strategy development and digital transformation to manufacturing innovation and supply chain optimization. Tobias studied in Oxford, Madrid, Paris and Berlin and holds a M.Sc. in Economics, Diplôme de Grande École and Diplom-Kaufmann from ESCP Europe.

As a hybrid technology and business executive, Victor has more than 20 years of technical transformation experience with increasing responsibility across the Retail, Hospitality, Construction, Insurance, and Financial industries. He has led global teams of more than 200 associates through periods of dramatic people, process, and technology change. Victor began his career in the insurance and financial services space and has spent the vast majority last 16 years focused on delivering innovative and robust technical solutions for Home Depot to both internal and external customers through the use of cutting-edge technologies, intelligent deployment of human resources, and efficient process execution.

Victor moved to Atlanta in 2006 and joined Home Depot where he lead the Buy Online Pick Up In Store initiatives which laid the foundation for Home Depot’s InterConnected Retail Strategy.

Using a unique capability of technical depth and organization development he currently leads application development and support teams for Corporate and HR Systems at The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer with $150+ annual sales and industry recognized omnichannel retail capabilities. Responsible for building Workforce Management, Payroll, and Corporate Communications software systems & platforms that run the massive scale of operations across 2,200+ Stores, serving millions of customers and 500,000+ Associates. Victor currently presides as President of University of Florida Black Alumni Association – Atlanta, and enjoys his time outside of work with his wife Yolanda (Yoli) and 4 children Victoria, Samaya, Victor Jr., and Andrew.

Dustin Johnson is currently the Head of Information Technologies – U.S. Operations for UCB. UCB is a Belgium pharmaceutical company with its U.S. headquarters in Smyrna, GA. Dustin leads the U.S. go-to-market information technology activities including omnichannel CRM, data & analytics, market access & pricing, patient & platform Solutions and Digital web technologies.

In the last ten years, Dustin served in various IT leadership roles in healthcare technology related companies. Prior to that, he began his career in sales, sales management, and sales operations leadership roles.

He earned his Bachelor’s Business Administration degree in Marketing from Ohio University and a Masters in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University’s, International EMBA program.

Dustin lives in Johns Creek, Georgia with his wife and two kids. His hobbies include triathlons, hiking, golfing and international travel.

Krandall Jones is senior vice president, digital operations for WarnerMedia, Inc. (WM). and oversees operations & support, ITSM processes, application portfolio governance, the service now platform, a global software testing center of excellence and customer support teams for WM. Jones and his team provide tiered support services for third party and custom-built software solutions in support of operational needs of all WM businesses, including studios, linear & digital networks, network sales, network operations, research, film acquisition, finance management and more. Jones is based in Atlanta and reports directly to Patty Hirsch, executive vice president, consumer digital & platforms for WM.

Jones previously served as senior vice president, media software & services for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) and oversaw strategic development and implementation of applications technology for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.). Jones collaborated with key business partners throughout Turner to leverage and deliver applications technology in support of business goals. Jones began his career at Inuit Inc. As an IT professional, Jones has gained experience in the areas of technical support, quality assurance, software development, information security, IT compliance and support & operations. He also held roles in software implementation at Peachtree Software and Alltel & Synchrologic before joining TBS, Inc. in 1997 as manager of quality assurance.

Jones earned a bachelor of science degree in computer information systems at Grambling State University and an MBA in information technology from the University of Phoenix. He also completed an IT management partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology and completion of NAMIC’s executive leadership development program at UCLA. Jones has also earned special recognition from US Black Engineering and IT.

In addition to his interest in corporate IT, Jones’s passion lies in leadership modeling, mentoring and paying it forward. For many years running, Jones has served as a mentor for members of Black Professional @ Turner, Turner Women Today, NAMIC’s L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Program and countless other mentoring outlets. Jones is a spirited and compassionate leader that does not shy away from expressing the importance of effective leadership.

In his spare time, Jones loves to golf and loves to travel to where the golf is good.

WarnerMedia, Inc., an AT&T company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Reggie leads sales for Sierra.ai, which is a conversational AI company that creates
sophisticated AI Agents that power customer experiences for the world’s leading
brands like ADT, Sonos, SiriusXM and WeightWatchers. Sierra is one of the fastest
growing startups in Silicon Valley recently raising a funding round that values the
company $4.5 billion.
Prior to Sierra, Reggie held a variety of senior leadership roles at Salesforce.
Reggie is on the Board of Directors for the National Sales Network. He’s also a
proud graduate of Morehouse College and a published author – “The Blue Print –
The Keys to making BIG Money in Professional Sales.”

Daniel Mikkelsen was appointed as the Technology Leader for Southern Company (GAS) on behalf of the Southern Company Services Technology Organization (TO) in May 2023. Daniel is accountable for technology service and delivery to GAS, one of the largest natural gas investor owned utilities in the United States. GAS is an energy services holding company with approximately 4.4M customers across four states (IL, VA, TN & GA), over 600K marketing services retail customers across 10 states, 78K miles of pipeline, over 4,600 employees, and 15 natural gas storage facilities. Southern Company Gas is subsidiary of Southern Company, a nationally recognized leader in the energy industry.

Daniel ensures that TO provides secure, reliable, and resilient technology solutions for GAS. Daniel partners with the GAS CEO and direct report CXO’s to ensure TO services and support are effective and aligned with the business priorities of GAS. In Daniel’s role, he partners closely with the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and VP Operations Support to ensure technology roadmaps, delivery, support, and operations are seamlessly integrated.

Daniel brings experience partnering with leadership across businesses to enable business and technology transformation through people, processes, and technology with a focus on driving shared service synergies and achieving operational excellence through continuous improvement. Daniel has driven technology success on trading floors, call centers, digital marketing, customer experience, big data, advanced analytics, mixed reality, operational finance, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

Daniel has over 25 years of experience in technology. Over the past decade, Daniel has lead technology for 5 different businesses. He also served as technology leader on the largest customer transformation program, Southern Company has ever endeavored. Daniel has driven technology success on trading floors, call centers, digital marketing, customer experience, big data, advanced analytics, mixed reality, operational finance, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Daniel’s combination of business acumen and technology expertise enable him to be

Daniel is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Engineering, cum laude, and has a Master of Business Administration from the Emory University Goizueta Business School. Daniel and his wife have three boys and reside in Roswell, Georgia.

Monika has over 23 years of experience, bringing innovative solutions to her clients. Monika has focused on business and technology management at entrepreneurial, Fortune 500, and consulting companies. She has a depth of experience in management consulting, information management, process optimization, and customer relationship management. Monika has served in leadership roles at Ernst & Young, PriceWaterHouseCoopers, OnStar, and Daugherty Business Solutions. At her prior employer, Monika held P&L responsibility for the Atlanta Business Office, which included Sales Solutioning, Delivery, Recruiting and Operations for a team of over 200 consultants. During her 4 year tenure, the company doubled in size and created a team-based culture winning 12 awards and increased employee morale to its highest levels. While at the Big 4, Monika was a Senior Leader helping to drive growth and innovation with exciting technology and telecom clients including Sprint, Global One, AstroLink, OnStar and many others Monika received her B.B.A. in Management from Cleveland State University and her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Monika sits on the Board of the Technology Association of Georgia and the CIS Advisory Board. Monika enjoys spending time with her two children in the outdoors, traveling and jogging.

Sheldon Mundle, an Executive Technology Leader with more than 25 years of global work experience, has led strategic projects for firms ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations. Sheldon’s employment history includes providing business technology consulting services for IBM, KPMG and currently EY. In addition, he has served as a CIO for three different firms in the telecom and industrial industries.

Sheldon is renowned for designing and directing business-aligned technology roadmaps to achieve specified objectives, such as business transformation, operational efficiency, and successful product delivery.

Sheldon is currently a Managing Director in the Ernst & Young (EY) Technology Consulting Practice.  He has resided in Atlanta since 1996 and is a father of three teenagers.  Hobbies include traveling, playing chess and curating unique dining experiences.

Michelle Pluskota is the Vice President of Business Services, responsible for developing and implementing strategies to drive growth and business results for Comcast Business in the Big South Region. The Big South is the largest region in the Comcast footprint, encompassing 10 states and 15 markets. Most recently, Michelle led the Big South Business Services team to achieve incredible results finishing at #1 in the company’s national rankings for 2020 based on Revenue, Subscriber and EBITDA growth. Her team has remained in the Top 3 every year since.

Michelle brings more than 20 years of experience, successfully leading teams in both the SMB and Enterprise space. She previously served as Vice President of Business Services in Comcast’s Heartland Region, where she led an organization of more than 200 employees across their three-state footprint. Under her leadership, the organization routinely exceeded performance objectives for growing customer relationships and sales productivity. Michelle earned five President’s Club honors at Comcast, the highest performance award within the organization.

Michelle has been celebrated by industry and media organizations. In 2012, she was named to the prestigious list of Women in Cable Leaders to Watch and was named one of Crain’s Detroit Business’ Top 100 Most Influential Women in 2016.

Michelle is passionate about mentorship and supporting women and actively participates in various Women in Cable groups across Central Division. Michelle also served as the Executive Sponsor for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk 2020-2023.

Johnson Rajakumar is Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for NCR Voyix.

Johnson is an information technology leader with more than 25 years of experience developing and executing strategies to help organizations achieve new levels of growth and success. Previously, he served as Chief Information Officer for Verint Systems, managing global IT infrastructure, information security, enterprise application development, delivery, support and operations.

Prior to his experience at Verint, Johnson was promoted through progressively responsible leadership roles at First Data Resources. Throughout his career, Johnson has gained a multidisciplinary skill set spanning product development, cloud management, enterprise architecture, financial services technology and corporate applications. He is an engaged coach and mentor, building high-performing teams to achieve uncharted levels of growth and performance.

Johnson is a strategic and innovative Chief Transformation Officer with a proven track record of ensuring excellence across information technology and security programs, functions and teams. With his expert ability to create and execute scalable technology strategy and solve complex security challenges, Johnson has optimized IT performance and mobilized global teams to achieve both short- and long-term technology goals aligning with company vision and enabling business growth.

Johnson holds a doctorate in Business Administration from Georgia State University, an executive MBA from the University of Nebraska, a B.S. in IT from Bellevue University and a bachelor of engineering in electrical and electronics from College of Engineering Guindy in Chennai, India.

Johnson currently resides in Johns Creek, Georgia, with his wife and four children. He enjoys outdoor running and is passionate about CrossFit workouts. He is actively involved in the community through his church.

Jason Sankey is a strategic change agent with nearly two decades of progressive leadership and experience in operations and technology. He is known for his ability to effectively collaborate across business lines while continuously driving innovation.

Jason brings his immense experience as a technology leader to the City of Atlanta as the chief information officer (CIO) of the Department of Atlanta Information Management (AIM). In this role, he is accountable for delivering information technology services to all 25 departments, including Public Safety, Justice, Operations, Administration and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Jason is widely known for his executive leadership, technology foresight, and thought-provoking strategies in transforming organizations. He strives to balance innovation with a realistic approach to advancing technology while integrating the City’s goals with efficient services.

Previous to joining AIM, Jason served as the CIO of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). While working at ODJFS, he used his exemplary budget and operation management skills to oversee technology solutions for the department’s $3.5 billion budget while also developing and supervising the States’ public assistance services.

Jason has a track record of building talented, highly accomplished teams that demonstrate excellence and consistently produce impactful results. Prior to joining ODJFS, he spent 13 years as vice president at Citigroup in New York City and Columbus, Ohio.

Recognized as a consummate professional and determined leader who perseveres through challenging times, Jason prides himself on the impact he makes within communities through his work serving as a public service executive. Jason serves on various community boards where he stresses collaboration and seeks enterprise solutions while focusing on maximizing technology through customer experience.

Accomplished executive with more than twenty years of proven success in increasing profitability and demonstrating consistent technical excellence in an ever-changing IT/business climate. Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, value creation, team leadership and relationship building. History of aligning IT services with business strategies and overseeing high-value IT/business portfolio, program and project management. Record of optimizing efficiency through vendor management, systems integration, standardization, cost/time management and process refinement. Resourceful leader skilled in negotiations, training, and testing.

Nicole Tackett is the as Head of Merchant Revenue for Corporate and Commercial Banking. In this role, Nicole collaborates with leaders across Elavon and Corporate and Commercial Banking to develop business, product and revenue management strategies on behalf of vertical specialty groups across U.S. Bank, including teams that serve airlines, hospitality and healthcare.

Nicole joined U.S. Bank nine years ago. She helped grow the business in Corporate Payment Solutions (CPS) through a sharp focus on B2B payments strategy and innovation as the Head of Strategy and Chief Product Officer. Nicole positioned U.S. Bank as a commercial issuing market leader through platform investments, sales and marketing strategy, and supplier acceptance, and portfolio optimization within the large and middle market segments. Integral in the TravelBank acquisition in 2021, Nicole oversaw a successful integration and launch of an integrated card, expense, and travel solution that will serve the Emerging Middle Market via the TravelBank platform. In 2018 and 2021, Nicole was named Most Influential Women in Payments by Payments Source.

Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Nicole managed Global Product and Marketing at WEX Inc. leading the globalization of its commercial card product, building international brand awareness, creating lead generation strategies to sustain growth, and developing customer retention strategies.

Nicole’s roots in Payments started during her tenure at First Annapolis Consulting assisting with the management of client engagements which included strategy development for major card associations, merchant services providers, and banks; support on payments-oriented M&A transactions; and analysis on payments trends for industry-leading companies in Europe, India, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

Nicole resides with her husband in Portland, ME along with their two children, Madeline (12) and Jack (7) and their two Labradors. She is an avid runner and swimmer. Nicole earned a BBA from the University of Georgia and her MBA from the University of Maryland.

Mrs. Talbot-Hubbard is a seasoned technology and cybersecurity executive with experience leading complex global F100 organizations through transformation of information technology, data management and cyber security organizations across diverse industry verticals. Through this experience she knows how companies can strategically leverage innovative technology in growing business revenue while managing cyber risks. Julie serves as an Advisory Board Member to several venture capital organizations. Julie has guided cyber security organizations on both their Go to Market strategies and products.

Currently, Mrs. Talbot-Hubbard serves as President, Services and Chief Operating Officer at Cyderes where she leads the organizations Go to Market globally, Services P&L, and core business operations. Julie is leveraging her vast security expertise across numerous industry verticals to advise, deliver and position market differentiated security solutions across global enterprise customers. Prior to joining Cyderes Julie served as the General Manager, Global Senior Vice President at Optiv where she led a $100M security solutions P&L, sponsored the Client Advisory Board and served on the DE&I committee. Julie has held numerous Security leadership and CISO positions at SunTrust Bank, Symantec and The Ohio State University where she ensured the protection, resilience and compliance of the company’s intellectual property, assets and services maintaining customer trust. Prior to these roles, Julie served in various leadership positions at Nationwide Insurance, Cardinal Health and JP Morgan Chase where her focus was data management, cyber security, audit and risk management. In these roles she managed critical relationships with regulators and auditors while routinely presenting to the Board of Directors.

Julie is a transformative leader in technology and cybersecurity and is respected for her innovation and thought leadership within the industry. Julie is a sought-after speaker and has been the recipient of numerous Security Executive Awards, nominated and attended the FBI CISO Academy and Smith College Women’s Executive Leadership Consortium. In addition to Julie’s VC Advisory Board work, Julie is an active Advisory Board Member and Financial Committee member of Women in Technology (WIT). Julie holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, which has been enhanced by these post graduate certifications: Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Business Continuity Planner (CBCP), Certified Governance Enterprise (CGEIT) and Harvard Executive Education, Board Preparedness Course.

Namita Tirath is the co-founder, co-owner and Chief Customer Officer of Pyramid Consulting, Inc., a company specializing in technology and professional staffing, technology solutions, and IT training across North America, Europe and Asia.  Namita’s leadership has grown Pyramid from 3 people working in an Atlanta basement to a $300M business in 20+ countries.

In response to growing IT talent shortages, in 2019 Namita drove the creation of GenSpark, giving recent college grads and those looking to grow in their careers the opportunity to re-skill, upskill or get their foot in the door with intensive IT training and a career-path while providing talent for clients. The Academy has graduated 100+ people and counting.

In addition to her experience and longevity in the marketspace, Namita brings her passion to increase diversity in the technology space, and the tenacity, perseverance, persuasiveness and ability to connect with people on both a personal and professional level that it takes to drive collaboration and change.

Namita was named a Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2021 DE&I Influencer and was listed in the SIA Global Power 150 Women in Staffing for 2019 and 2020.

As America’s #1 Sportsbook, every employee at FanDuel is ‘absurdly fan-focused’ however few are as dedicated to championing the customer experience as Billy Turchin who leads  core product strategy for the company.

Billy is a senior commercial executive with a rich background in digital, customer experience, loyalty, marketing, technology and product management. Based at FanDuel’s new Atlanta technology campus, Billy leads product strategy for the company’s core product capability including account, wallet, payments, loyalty, promotions, responsible gaming and compliance.

Prior to joining FanDuel, Billy’s work experience included domestic and international leadership roles at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Honeywell, Oracle and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.

1. Strategy, Operations, Product and Technology Leader specializing in driving Corporate Strategy, Operational Excellence, and Cross-Functional Alignment. Passionate about leading moonshot initiatives to drive breakthrough revenue growth.
   
   Top strengths include developing strategies to expand the addressable market and create differentiation for SaaS and PaaS businesses. Being a talent magnet, simplifying complex business problems, leading cross-departmental initiatives, and leading disruptively when culture changes are essential for success.
   
   22 years of experience in Consulting and SaaS/PaaS Product companies. Worked with industry leaders including 6+ years with Accenture deploying large-scale Enterprise systems for Fortune 100 clients, 4 years with Cbeyond deploying PaaS products to power Cloud and Communications for SMBs, 6 years with Bridge2 Solutions developing industry-leading Loyalty SaaS products, and a year with BAKKT driving innovation for a crypto and loyalty consumer wallet.

Robbie Vickers brings 29 years of IT leadership and management experience to higher education. He joined TCSG in 2018 overseeing 3 teams that includes the Student Information System, Information Management System, and Economic Development System. Prior to joining TCSG Vickers spent 23 years at Lanier Technical College leaving as the Vice President of Technology, overseeing all technology operations at the college. At Lanier Technical College he led to the opening of 4 other campus locations along with relocating the main campus to the largest single project in the history of Technical College System. During his first year at TCSG, Vickers implemented the first Managed Services division which oversees the Student Information Systems at 18 of the 22 colleges. Under Vickers leadership, the agency embraced a systemwide CRM implementation, resulting in record enrollment increases throughout TCSG.

Vickers holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of West Alabama in Technology and holds a master’s degree from Brenau University in Organizational Leadership. He has served as a lead facilitator for the iLEAD at Lanier Technical College and is a proud 2015 Graduate of the TCSG executive leadership academy.

Vickers enjoys camping with his family, golfing, fishing and pretty much anything outdoors. His specific goals as a leader are to make everyone around him better, generate enthusiasm to those around him and create conditions for motivation to flourish.

Scott Waid joined the Atlanta Braves in late 2020 after almost 12 years at Equifax where he held senior leadership positions delivering innovative solutions, analytics, and technology to drive growth, deliver operational excellence and scale, and improve the customer experience.  Previously, Scott worked at BellSouth and at&t where he focused on identifying, developing, and scaling new businesses including data services, the launch of BellSouth.net and e-commerce business, and wireless.  Scott has an undergraduate engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Georgia State.

Scott and his wife Sandy have three children and live in Peachtree Corners where they have been active in the community supporting school programs, youth sports, and Boy Scouts.  Scott enjoys golf, hiking, and travel to beautiful destinations.

Dwain Wilcox is the EVP and CIO of the Americas for Thyssenkrupp Elevator. Since joining the organization in 2017, he has been responsible for IT strategy and execution while leading transformation and digitalization programs in the Manufacturing, Field Service, and Spare Parts business units.

Mr. Wilcox possesses over 25 years of senior executive experience spanning multiple industries, including Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Supply Chain and Professional Services. Prior to joining Thyssenkrupp, he served as EVP and CIO of Axiall Corporation, a multi-billion-dollar Chemicals and Building Products manufacturing company. His past global executive and CIO roles also include CHEP, Serologicals-Millipore, and Lanier Worldwide. Dwain is a graduate of Florida State University and enjoys his outdoor time preferably on the water, playing golf or spending time with his family.

John B. Wilson is the Vice-President of Technology Services and Chief Information Officer at Spelman College.  John joined Spelman in August of 2019 and brought over 23 years of higher education IT experience with him. Prior to joining Spelman, John was a senior manager of information technology at Emory University where he oversaw the business systems team that provided IT services to Emory University and Emory Healthcare.   After Emory, John directed the enterprise information systems group at Georgia Institute of Technology where he was responsible for strategic planning and operational oversight for a staff of 50 developers, analysts and administrators.

Prior to his move into the higher education IT space, John held technical sales and marketing positions with Xerox, Johnson & Johnson, and Polaroid Corporations.

A native of Los Angeles, California John received a bachelor’s degree in information systems from San Diego State University and a Master of Business Administration from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University.  John is currently pursuing a Masters of Cybersecurity at Georgia Tech.

John and his wife, Sharon, have 3 daughters and live in Fayetteville, GA

CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF ZUZU, INC. AND MANAGING PARTNER OF ZAKAS & LEONARD LLP

Dennis Zakas is a technology lawyer and entrepreneur.  After practicing law as a partner with three AmLaw 100 law firms, Zakas founded Zakas & Leonard, LLP, a boutique law firm focused on the tech sector. He has represented technology companies and investors in a wide variety of transactions. On many occasions, Zakas has been listed in Best Lawyers in America and as a Mergers & Acquisitions Super Lawyer.

In addition to practicing law, Zakas is the Chairman and CEO of Zuzu Inc., an Atlanta technology company. Their Trusted Sources platform enables a network of invited members to share recommendations of local services providers. The platform also facilitates member-to-member communications and member-to-provider communications. Previously Zakas was the founder and CEO of Group Office Buys, LLC (GOB), an e-commerce office products company, which was sold to a competitor in 2016.

Zakas applies his experience as a “tech lawyer” and as a tech company founder in counseling startup, early-stage and venture-backed technology companies, as well as investors in tech companies. He has served as a mentor for companies in The Farm (powered by Boomtown) accelerator and the Global Good Fund.

Zakas has been a member of the Board of Directors of TAG since 1999.  He was named a 2005 TAG Volunteer of the Year for his role as the founder and initial chair of the Georgia Technology Summit. At several subsequent Summits, TAG recognized Zakas for his contributions. He also founded TAG’s Top 40/10 Innovative Companies Competition and chairs the Top 40/10 Committee.  Zakas has served as Counsel and Georgia Co-chair of the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF). He is also a member of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). Zakas represented Heritage Growth Partners in its investment in East West MFG, a transaction selected by ACG in November of 2017 as a Deal of the Year.

Dennis has three degrees from the University of Virginia: B.A. (High Honors, Economics), M.A. (Economics) and J.D.