President and Chief Executive Officer

Sanjay Sathe conceived RiseSmart based on his experiences as an executive climbing the corporate ladder over a two-decade career in marketing and general management.

Sathe has led successful sales and marketing organizations both domestically and internationally. His management background encompasses product marketing, CRM, loyalty programs, branding, marketing communications, public relations and strategic alliance initiatives across the telecommunications, banking, airline and technology sectors.

Prior to founding RiseSmart, Sathe served as vice president for enterprise data management for Sabre Holdings, a $2.5 billion global leader in travel commerce and the parent company of Travelocity. Sathe led corporate efforts to leverage customer insight and business intelligence to create differentiated customer relationships and incremental revenue streams.

Before Sabre, Sathe was senior vice president of marketing for Brierley & Partners, a CRM and loyalty management company serving global brands such as Hilton HHonors, Hertz #1 Club Gold, BlockBuster Rewards, Sony and Nokia. In this role, Sathe drove the company's e-commerce, marketing and international new business development efforts. Sathe also has served in marketing management roles in Europe and Asia with major corporations including Lufthansa and HSBC.

He received a Master of Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, Philippines, and has completed an executive education program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

CFO & Vice President, Finance and Administration

Keith Jones is RiseSmart’s Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration.

Jones has held finance management roles at a variety of technology companies, including PDF Solutions, Inc, a leading provider of technology services in the semiconductor industry. At PDF Solutions, Jones most recently served as CFO and VP of Finance, and previously served as Director of Finance and SEC Compliance. Prior to PDF Solutions, Inc, Jones was the Assistant Corporate Controller for Interwoven, Inc., a provider of enterprise content management applications and services, and Corporate Controller for e-Time Capital, Inc., a financial software applications and services company. Prior to corporate finance management positions, Jones served as an Audit Manager for the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California.

Vice President, Operations & Finance

RiseSmart co-founder Dan Davenport leads the company's finance and accounting functions and is also responsible for global operations. Davenport heads the customer service and fulfillment organization, which includes the RiseSmart Career Concierge team and back offices in India.

Davenport has spent his career working with international technology-oriented companies. Prior to RiseSmart, Davenport served as senior director of global sales operations at Sabre Holdings, parent company of Travelocity. In his nearly decade-long tenure with Sabre, Davenport led global teams serving in a variety of senior roles spanning operations, finance and business development. Prior to Sabre, Davenport held finance and treasury roles at Electronic Data Systems, and served as a licensed investment advisor for Fidelity Investments.

Davenport has an MBA from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Science in economics from Southern Methodist University.

Vice President, Engineering

Hitesh Shah is vice president of engineering for RiseSmart, managing the company's development teams in India and Silicon Valley.

Shah is a veteran startup executive with significant experience in setting up and leading offshore operations for technology service companies. Immediately prior to RiseSmart, he served as co-founder and vice president of engineering for Qlip Media. In this role, he established the company's India operations and architected and delivered three product lines for the company in a period of six months.

Prior to Qlip Media, Shah was vice president of engineering and chief architect at Epiance, a provider of workplace productivity solutions. Previous, Shah has served as practice director for Aalayance, a systems integrator acquired by HCL Technologies; vice president of engineering for Boniva, acquired by SSA Global; and in senior software design roles for Compaq and IBM.

Shah received bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai.

Vice President, Sales

As Vice President of Sales, Jack Phillips leads RiseSmart’s direct sales and strategic partnerships operations.

Phillips brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic sales and business development operations. Most recently, Phillips was responsible for sales of Agile-1’s Human Capital Management and Talent Acquisition offerings. Prior to Agile-1, Phillips was the Vice President of Sales and Client Services for Accolo, a leader in the recruitment process outsourcing arena, where he led the growth of the organization in revenue and workforce. Other experience includes heading sales for the northwest region of Spherion’s Professional Services Organization, Alternative Resources Corporation, and Siemens Business Services.

Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Sanjay Sathe conceived RiseSmart based on his experiences as an executive climbing the corporate ladder over a two-decade career in marketing and general management.

Sathe has led successful sales and marketing organizations both domestically and internationally. His management background encompasses product marketing, CRM, loyalty programs, branding, marketing communications, public relations and strategic alliance initiatives across the telecommunications, banking, airline and technology sectors.

Prior to founding RiseSmart, Sathe served as vice president for enterprise data management for Sabre Holdings, a $2.5 billion global leader in travel commerce and the parent company of Travelocity. Sathe led corporate efforts to leverage customer insight and business intelligence to create differentiated customer relationships and incremental revenue streams.

Before Sabre, Sathe was senior vice president of marketing for Brierley & Partners, a CRM and loyalty management company serving global brands such as Hilton HHonors, Hertz #1 Club Gold, BlockBuster Rewards, Sony and Nokia. In this role, Sathe drove the company's e-commerce, marketing and international new business development efforts. Sathe also has served in marketing management roles in Europe and Asia with major corporations including Lufthansa and HSBC.

He received a Master of Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, Philippines, and has completed an executive education program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Venkat Mohan, general partner of Norwest Venture Partners, has more than 25 years of experience in marketing and general management, with a focus on Internet-based solutions for businesses and consumers.

Mohans recent investments and board seat appointments include The 41st Parameter, Clairmail, GXS, Kriyari, Picateers and Timebridge. He was formerly a member of the board of directors of Crossweave (acquired by AmberPoint), and Softface (acquired by Ariba). He was a strategic advisor to Arbortext (acquired by Parametric Technology). He joined Norwest Venture Partners in 2000.

Prior to Norwest, Mohan was president and chief operating officer at OnDisplay, a leading provider of Internet content management software, which he helped take public in 1999. OnDisplay was subsequently acquired by Vignette Corporation. Earlier Mohan was vice president of global marketing and e-commerce at GEIS, formerly one of GE's 11 operating businesses. He also served as president at Cadis, a software start-up; executive vice president of marketing at VMX, a pioneer in voice processing; and CEO of WIPRO Systems Ltd.

Mohan began his career as an advertising research analyst with Young & Rubicam in New York, where he built mathematical models to measure advertising effectiveness for Y&Rs major clients. He subsequently held marketing and management positions at several companies, including Hewlett Packard and McKinsey.

Mohan was awarded an MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School, where he was elected a Baker Scholar. He also holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a master's degree in industrial and system engineering from the University of Florida.

Prior to founding Storm Ventures in October 2000, Sanjay Subhedar was at E-TEK Dynamics, Inc. since December 1997, serving most recently as its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Subhedar played a key role in E-TEK's growth from 400 employees to over 5000 employees in less than three years, E-TEK's Initial Public Offering in 1998, as well as E-TEK's merger with JDS Uniphase in July 2000.

Prior to E-TEK, Subhedar was the Chief Financial Office for StrataCom, Inc. from its inception in January 1986 until its merger with Cisco Systems in July 1996. Following StrataCom's merger with Cisco Systems, he served as Vice President of Cisco's WAN business unit until October 1997.

Subhedar also serves on the Board of Trustees of Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Board of Directors of the Indiana University Foundation and the Governing board of the Indian School of Business. He earned a B.S. from the University of Bombay, India and an MBA from Indiana University.

As a Founder and Chief Executive Officer for GlobeRanger Corporation, George Brody is responsible for leading the company during its current growth phase including its overall strategy, growth and advancement in various markets and geographies. Prior to co-founding GlobeRanger in 1999, Brody served as Vice President and General Manager of Nortel Networks Wireless Network Solutions division where he managed a series of entrepreneurial start-ups including Satellite Network Solutions, Wireless Intelligent Networks and Wireless New Business Ventures, a business incubator. During his tenure at Nortel, as Vice President of Wireless Technology, Brody was responsible for its global wireless product development programs and the management of the Bell Northern Research Labs in Richardson, a world-class research and development organization that employed more than 2,500 professionals.

Brody holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He also earned masters degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. He is a member of the advisory council for the School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas and serves on the board of directors of the Texas based Metroplex Technology Business Council and the Richardson Hospital Authority Board. Brody is a holder of several patents in the area of Wireless Networks. Brody is also a Charter Member of TiE. His current professional interests lie in the areas of entrepreneurship and the creation of new ventures at the intersection of wireless technology with medical and enterprise applications.

Carol Maxwell is the assistant vice president of executive talent for Tenet Healthcare, a hospital operating company with 56 hospitals nationwide and revenue exceeding $8.9 billion. She teams with corporate, regional and hospital leadership to select and develop executives who will help the hospitals and organization meet their goals.

With more than 20 years of experience in the executive search industry, Maxwell has a strong background in the identification, assessment, and evaluation of key executives. Since 2004, she has led her team in the successful placement of more than 300 executives at Tenet.

Prior to Tenet, Maxwell was a principal in the Chicago office of Korn/Ferry International. She began her career as a research analyst at Ray & Berndtson, another international executive search firm.

Maxwell earned her Bachelor of Science in economics and urban studies from Texas Christian University. She is a member of the board of directors of the American Red Cross, Dallas Area Chapter.

Lou Ramery is senior vice president, relationship marketing, for Sears Holdings Corporation. In this newly created role, he is responsible for developing and directing CRM strategy across all brands, including Sears, Kmart and Lands End. Ramery is responsible for defining, building, managing, and institutionalizing a continuous relationship marketing process for Sears Holdings relationship marketing strategies and programs.

Prior to Sears, Ramery was executive vice president and relationship leader of Digitas, one of the countrys leading digital and direct marketing agencies. Ramery led Digitas global marketing capability, including integrated marketing, marketing operations, corporate marketing partnership and alliance development, live channel customer relationship management, and media strategy and planning. In addition, he has served as relationship leader on several accounts, including Delta Air Lines, Federal Express, Federated Department Stores, and InterContinental Hotels Group.

Before joining Digitas in 2000, Ramery was chief marketing officer for e-Rewards, the Internet-based customer rewards program. Previously, he was executive vice president of marketing and planning for Brierly & Partners, the Dallas-based CRM and loyalty management company. Ramery also has served in various senior marketing and strategic planning client-side positions including vice president of marketing for PepsiCo Food Systems and regional vice president, Latin America, for Continental Airlines. During his tenure at Continental, Lou served as a member of the board of directors of the Travel Industry Association of America.

Ramery holds a bachelors degree in marketing from Fordham University and an M.B.A. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Bill Rowe II is vice chairman and managing partner of the Dallas practice of Foster Partners, a global retained executive search firm. The practices former managing director, Rowe has conducted assignments for a broad range of industries including technology, energy, retail, consumer products, food manufacturing/food service, professional services, communications, entertainment, not-for-profit, financial services and both light and industrial manufacturing.

Prior to joining Foster Partners in 1993, Rowe gained broad retained search experience at a global level while working for Paul Ray Berndtson. Previously, he provided market research and competitive analysis information to determine market vibrancy for de novo bank formations for a banking services company in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rowe served on the board of directors of the Dallas chapter of YEO (Young Entrepreneurs Organization) and has coached and mentored the Southern Methodist University lacrosse program since 1991. He holds a bachelors degree in history from Southern Methodist University.

Deepak Sircar is an entrepreneurial senior executive with a 20-year track record in building and leading technology and services businesses. In May 2007, he was named global managing director of Accenture, with worldwide responsibility for Accenture Industry Services.

Prior to Accenture, Sircar was president and CEO of iSi Inc., where he mentored young entrepreneurs and technologists and invested in new ventures. Under Sircar, iSi Inc. helped launch businesses in systems security, voice automation, mortgage processing, and tax/financial reporting.

Previously, Sircar served as president and CEO of Dallas-based iSeva Inc., a successful BPO startup delivering CRM services, systems integration and consulting with a global delivery model. He has also served as group vice president and general manager of the eCRM group for The Reynolds & Reynolds Co., and in a variety of management roles with Cap Gemini.

Sircar holds a Master of Science from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dean Harris is the Managing Partner of Silvermine Marketing, a marketing advisory and new media consulting firm in Connecticut. Prior to this he held senior marketing roles as the CMO at Kayak; the CMO and Chief Brand Office at Vonage, the CMO at CarDay and the SVP-Marketing at HotJobs.

Dean was educated at The Horace Mann School, Carleton College, Columbia School of International Affairs, Columbia Business School and Deccan College.

He has lectured at Columbia, The Sloan School at MIT, The Kellogg School at Northwestern, the IAB, AdTech, iMedia, The Conference Board, The Conference On Marketing, The International Advertising Festival at Cannes, The CMO Council, The Ad Club of New York, The CMO Club of New York and The Harvard Business School Club of New York. In addition, he has served as an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Fairfield University and The University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.

In 2005, Dean was named a Brandweek Marketer of the Year. He won an EFFIE (for advertising effectiveness) in 2006.

Craig Stamm, CFO & VP Corporate Development, joined Authentix in 2002 and was instrumental in the development and execution of the company's acquisition growth strategy. He has led the capitalization efforts of the company including three rounds of private equity financing. Prior to joining the company, he served as CFO of Headhunter.net, a publicly-traded internet recruiting company. Stamm led Headhunter through several strategic acquisitions and ultimately, the company's sale to CareerBuilder, where he was named CFO post-acquisition. His experience also includes serving as Director of the Leveraged Finance Group of SG Cowen Securities Corp. and a Senior Associate at Citigroup. He was a founding member of the Atlanta Technology Angels, a technology incubator and joint venture between Georgia Tech and the city of Atlanta. He holds an MBA from Columbia University.

An accomplished entrepreneur and executive with more than 25 years of technology experience, Ashok Rao is chief executive officer of Excalibur Pictures, a Houston-based film production company.

Rao has created four highly successful companies and is currently an investor in several technology startups. In 1995, he became the first Indian American to take a company public. Today he is president of TIE Houston, the worlds largest organization of entrepreneurs.

From 2000 to 2003, Rao was chief executive officer of Prime Wave Communications, a wireless startup he grew to $50 million in revenues. Prior to Prime Wave, Rao founded Trex Communications Corp., a satellite communications startup he grew to $65 million in revenues before selling to the defense contractor L3. Before Trex, Rao founded Midcom Communications, which he built into nations ninth-largest long distance carrier with $250 million in annual revenues.

Rao has also held executive roles at Enron, Ameritech, Allnet, Extel and ITT Europe during his distinguished career.

Rao is a popular keynote and motivational speaker featured at universities, conferences and private sessions for Fortune 500 companies nationwide. He serves on the boards of several private and public companies.

Rao holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from IIT Delhi and a Master of Science from Marquette University. Additionally, he holds an Executive Diploma in financial management from the London School of Economics.

Peggy Taylor has been managing partner of B Cubed Ventures, LLC, an investment management firm, since 2000. From 2000 to 2005, Taylor also served as president of PeopleSoft Investments, Inc., a subsidiary of PeopleSoft, Inc., a provider of human resources management systems and other enterprise application systems.

Taylor originally joined PeopleSoft in 1989 and served on the company's management team for a decade. She served as senior vice president of operations, managing all corporate operations, including product development, customer services, professional services, and administration. Taylor also has served as CEO of Venture Builders, LLC, a consulting company for start-up businesses, and in various management positions for The Hibernia Bank of San Francisco, California and the Bank of California. She has a bachelor of arts from Lone Mountain College in San Francisco.

Patrick Pittard is the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSII). During his tenure, his leadership and vision were demonstrated through the firm's impressive financial growth and global expansion. He led the merger of the firm's U.S. and European operations, which had operated separately for 19 years, and also led the firm's initial public offering in April 1999, and nine months later its follow-on offering.

While enhancing global preeminence by spearheading the firm's expansion through internal growth, Pittard led several strategic mergers with established firms in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. He also led the firm into numerous strategic alliances, and into the creation and development of complementary businesses to add to the firm's core executive search product, offering clients solutions for their total human capital needs.

Since his retirement in 2002, Pittard has served as Distinguished Executive-in-Residence at the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business, teaching "Lessons in Leadership" to MBA students, law students and honor students. He graduated from the University of Georgia and has been honored by the Terry School of Business as its Distinguished Alumnus.