The Connected Enterprise Podcast

Saied Omar is an AVP, Senior Commercial Credit Underwriter with over 10 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. Throughout his career, Saied has developed a reputation for being a highly analytical and detail-oriented professional with a proven track record of successfully evaluating and approving credit applications. After completing his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California – Irvine, Saied began his career as an analyst for a community bank. He quickly moved up the ranks, taking on various roles within the compliance and credit department and eventually becoming a commercial credit underwriter. Over the years, Saied has worked with a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to large corporations, across a variety of industries. Throughout his career, Saied has demonstrated a deep understanding of the underwriting process, including financial analysis, risk assessment, and credit decision-making. He is known for his ability to identify potential risks and make sound recommendations based on his analysis. In addition, Saied has developed strong relationships with his clients and colleagues, earning their trust and respect through his professionalism and expertise. Saied is committed to staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices. He regularly attends conferences and seminars to expand his knowledge and network with other professionals in the field. In his free time, Saied enjoys being the best husband and father he can be, coaching his kids basketball teams, and being a co-host on The Higher Standard Podcast

Thomas F. McInerney is Executive Director of the Rule of Law for Development Program at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He has taught and advised international organizations, governments, NGOs, and businesses on sustainability and rule of law for 25 years. An international lawyer and strategist, he has led numerous innovative initiatives to develop and improve the effectiveness of international law and regulation, advance rule of law, and further global development. He holds a BA in philosophy and government from the College of William and Mary, a MA in philosophy from Loyola University Chicago, a JD from DePaul University College of Law, and a PhD in development studies from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. He writes the Treaty Bytes newsletter on Substack and his website is thomasfmcinerney.com.

As an internationally recognized voice and thought leader for Business Innovation and Strategy, Chris Hood brings over 30 years of successful experience developing and implementing new transformation initiatives. He’s a highly efficient creator, host, and executive producer for over four years for Google Cloud's first business podcast, That Digital Show.

I spend my time building workflow solutions for companies that want to see massive improvements in ROI through better use of their data. Throughout my career, I've been lucky enough to work directly with great brands like OpenTable, Travelocity, Sephora, Cirque Du Soleil, Abercrombie & Fitch, and GAP Inc. to manage end-to-end data strategy that scales their omnichannel digital marketing efforts like crazy. I've also successfully built out data teams during hypergrowth and am constantly staying up-to-date with the latest trends in data operations. I thoroughly enjoy creating algorithms and automated processes with SQL & Python. If you need someone to synthesize some data, develop a great strategy, and then make the tactical execution 10x faster - I can help. When I'm off the clock, you'll find me hiking the trails in Austin, jamming out on the drumset, or playing board games with friends. --- I always want to meet new people, gain new experiences, and create something amazing. If you're interested in working together or just chatting about data and automation, email me at blakeburch@gmail.com!

Chuck Wachendorfer is President of Distribution at think2perform and executive coach. Chuck is tasked with diversifying distribution channels for the company’s products and services in this capacity. In servicing clients, Chuck provides executives and business owners who want to achieve top performance without sacrificing balance. He coaches on mission and vision development, leadership engagement, accelerated growth and improved profitability. As a result, he has developed leaders, high achievers, and cohesive teams to increase engagement and make a positive difference while building and enhancing market share, increasing client and employee retention, and improving the corporate bottom line.

Dan Straw is Director, HCM (Human Capital Management) Solutions of Vision33. At Vision33, we are all about disrupting the ways businesses operate through the power of technology. We believe that people are an organisations most valuable asset and as such, they deserve leading technology that allows them to focus on what matters most; getting things done. Established in 2020, Vision33's HCM Solutions team was created to bring together nearly 20 years of HR and HR technology experience and over 20 years of working with small and medium businesses to deliver technology change. Together, the founding parties have a vision to be the leading technology partner for small and medium businesses through providing best-in-class technology, support services and consultancy to drive business value and return on investment.

Product Tranquility is a consulting firm founded in Austin, TX, led by Dan Balcauski. As the principal consultant for Product Tranquility, Dan helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. He is a TopTal certified Top 3% Product Management Professional and helps teach the Kellogg Executive Education course on Product Strategy. Experience Over the last 15 years, Dan has managed multiple products throughout the product life-cycle from new concept incubation, product launch, product maintenance, platform transitions, and end of life. Dan has worked in both consumer and B2B companies, across consumer internet, mobile, IT software, and test and measurement hardware and software in addition to company sizes ranging from startups to publicly traded multi-national enterprises. Prior to founding Product Tranquility, Dan completed a solo round-the-world expedition to 21 countries, a lifelong dream that involved several life-changing volunteering experiences and a new collection of friends and good stories. Prior to that, he was Head of Product at LawnStarter, a two-sided marketplace bringing the best lawn care professionals to customers across the US. He joined LawnStarter after SolarWinds’ $4B acquisition by Silver Lake and Thoma Bravo. At SolarWinds, he was a Principal Product Strategist where he helped form and execute product growth strategies across new and existing products, both on-premises and SaaS-based. Dan has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Jonathan Chin is an experienced executive in product, strategy, and growth with a demonstrated history of working in FinTech, big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science. He’s the co-founder of Facteus, the largest provider of alternative data worldwide. Jonathan and Facteus are on a mission to democratize data insights by safely unlocking valuable data sets and increasing data literacy through technology. Jonathan holds a bachelor of arts degree in business economics and accounting from UC Santa Barbara.

With more than 20 years of recruiting experience, Vacare Group CEO and founder Nancy Drees was awarded the Smart CEO award from Brava in 2016 and was also recognized as one of the leading recruitment professionals in the Greater Boston area, consistently topping LinkedIn’s Recruiting List since 2015. She has assisted with the growth of many start-ups resulting in many of her clients winning prestigious technology industry awards (Best Places to Work, NEVY awards, Bostinno Tech Madness, 50 on Fire, and many others).

Matt Sitter is an experienced Project Manager at McChrystal Group, and has led two client engagements with global technology companies. In his role as manager of client engagements, Matt has advised senior leadership to improve internal communications and build organizational alignment. Matt joined McChrystal Group following a successful career in the healthcare industry, serving in management positions in multiple functional areas. Matt worked as the Product Marketing Manager for Elekta AB, the Director of Disease Management for Celera, Inc., and the Director of Reimbursement Analytics for Veracyte. In each of these positions, Matt utilized and personally developed new methodology, metrics, and analytics – demonstrating his innovative approach to project management. Matt completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University and received his MBA from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.

Joey Havens, CPA, is a partner at HORNE, where he passionately lives out his life’s calling to help others see and reach their full potential. Joey challenges leaders to bold transparency, calling on leaders to show their heart while working to connect everyone to the “why,” or the purpose, of the organization. Joey is a frequent presenter/teacher/facilitator on creating a culture of belonging, strategic planning, leadership development and loves to teach young professionals the ABCs to Outstanding. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: · American Institute of Certified Public Accountants · Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants · CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 30 Thought Leaders · 2017 Mississippi’s Top CEOs by the Mississippi Business Journal · Accounting Today’s 2016 Elite Managing Partner List · Top 40 Under 40 Leadership Award by the Mississippi Business Journal

Dan Steele is a highly accomplished entrepreneur, author, and business strategist with 25+ years of experience in tech. He co-founded the largest influencer marketing company and authored "The Book on ChatGPT." Dan is a sought-after speaker on various topics, including social media strategy and entrepreneurship. He is passionate about mentoring and coaching budding entrepreneurs, and his innovative approach to business has earned him a reputation as a trailblazer in the industry.

Meet Ganesh Krishnan, a cybersecurity superhero with over 25 years of experience protecting the digital world from cyber threats. As a two-time founder with a track record of success at some of the world's top tech companies, he's earned a reputation as a thought leader at the forefront of cybersecurity. Now at the helm of Anzenna, his latest security startup, he's out to revolutionize the industry by making cybersecurity accessible to every employee, not just the security team. Ganesh first realized his passion for digital security in college, working in the Purdue University cybersecurity lab. After earning his master's in Computer Science in 1997, he immediately got to work in the industry. Over the next two decades, he worked his way to top-level security and engineering roles at companies like Yahoo!, LinkedIn, Atlassian and landed a spot on the Forbes Technology Council. In 2017 Ganesh launched his first AI-powered cybersecurity startup, Avid Secure, which was acquired after only 18 months. But despite his success, he wasn't content to rest on his laurels. He realized that to meet the challenges that lie ahead in cybersecurity, the industry needed a paradigm shift. So he launched a new company, Anzenna, with a simple yet powerful goal: to reimagine cybersecurity by empowering every employee with simple and effective security tools. They may be just getting started, but if Ganesh's past performance is any indicator, the world of digital security is about to change forever.

Chris Malta has been a successful business owner for more than 47 years, starting at the age of 15. He’s spent more than 30 of those years in Ecommerce and online marketing. Chris developed the world’s most popular wholesale directory for online business owners, WorldwideBrands.com. He’s owned a wholesale supply company in western NY and built an Affiliate Program with over 27,000 members. Chris has also designed the most comprehensive Ecommerce Education in the world and has been teaching it for over a decade. He has taught over 800 live online Ecommerce workshops, totaling more than 6,000 hours of live Ecommerce mentoring. Chris is also a published business author whose paperbacks and eBooks have been read by at least 7 million people. Chris has spoken at national internet conventions, hosted two business talk radio shows for Entrepreneur Magazine, and worked personally with top level executives from Amazon, eBay, UPS and others.

Nate Sanders is the co-founder and CEO of Artifact, the CX forecasting company. Nate is passionate about leveraging human-centered design to make artificial intelligence products that are useful and accessible to everyone.

Alex Rooney Vice President, ERP Solutions, United States As Vice President of SAP Solutions in the US, Alex optimizes customer experience, drives sales and results, and develops strategic global partnerships. He sits on the prestigious Global Partner Executive Council (GPEC) for SAP. Alex co-founded Vision33 in 2004 and is instrumental in managing the SAP partnership.

Deb Muller is the founder and CEO of HR Acuity. Driven by an obsession to do things right, particularly in employee relations, she has spent her career championing excellence and effectively managing workplace investigations. After serving in executive HR roles at numerous Fortune 500 companies like Honeywell, Citibank, and Marsh & McLennan, Deb launched HR Acuity to create technology with built-in expertise and equip organizations to strategically manage employee relations.

Roselle Rogers is an accomplished HR executive with 30+ years of practical application. She joined Circa in 2006 and has been instrumental in the company’s growth from a local job board provider to its OFCCP compliance and diversity products launch. Roselle leads Circa’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, thought leadership, and the company’s OFCCP compliance and community partner relations.

Pankaj Srivastava is the CEO of MentorCloud, the world’s leading people development platform. A startup veteran, he is an entrepreneurial technology executive who pioneered popular revenue drivers such as Security-as-a-Subscription-Service and helped scale businesses worldwide. Pankaj has held roles as CEO, COO, GM, and CMO and has expertise in marketing, product, strategy, sales, M&A, and strategic alliances.

Enrique Alvarez is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Vector Global Logistics, a certified minority-owned supply chain and logistics company dedicated to world-class service, a results-only mindset, and social impact. He is proud to say that Vector’s success and growing impact has been built on their results-based culture, a passionate team, and their desire to truly partner with clients. Before co-founding Vector, he worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where his main focus was on the operations, sales, and supply chain processes. Prior to joining BCG, Enrique worked for Grupo Vitro, a Mexican glass manufacturer, for five years holding different positions from sales and logistics manager to supply chain project leader. He has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Technólogico de Monterrey in Mexico. Enrique’s passions are soccer and the ocean, and he also enjoys traveling, getting to know new people, and spending time with his wife and two kids, Emma and Enrique. Link to our Ukrainian coordination / support meetings – please invite anyone that might be interested even if they don’t necessarily manufacture or ship anything. Unfortunately, this conflict will go on for a longer time, people require a lot of support yet the news cycle seems to be passed the Ukraine war https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/ (link to sign up for the meeting is : https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvfu2uqTsuGNZtMwrBOhMgr3qhZr_Yrd1r