Com Dev Ltd.
Roger Boivin - President

Roger Boivin has a stellar track record with some of the most successful telecommunications companies. As Vice President of Cellular Sales for Nortel, Boivin spearheaded the creation of Nortel’s cellular business. As Bell Cellular’s Director of Network Planning and Design, he helped create Canada's largest cellular network and as the Director of New Business Services at Ericsson, Boivin led the growth of cellular market share for the company. Currently President of COM DEV Wireless, Boivin has led the launch of M/ERGY, a revolutionary, broadband wireless data system.

Zachys Wine
Jeff Zacharia - President

Jeff Zacharia, a graduate of Kenyon College, joined his father Don in the family business at Zachys at the end of 1983. Jeff quickly saw the need to bring the store into the modern world of retailing and began the computerization of Zachys. He was instrumental in using personal computers as cash registers to streamline the vast inventory, making shopping at Zachys a more inviting and efficient experience. Jeff is the primary buyer of Bordeaux wine for the store and has expanded his knowledge by traveling extensively to France at least twice a year. Most recently Jeff oversaw the complete renovation and expansion of what we are now calling the "new" Zachys - a sharp new look with the same old-fashioned personalized service.

Founded in 1944 by Zachy Zacharia, East Parkway Wine and Liquor House, later to become Zachys, was just a small corner store where the locals of Scarsdale came to purchase their choice of beverage for the evening. It was a neighborhood store where everybody knew everybody else, a comfortable place to discuss politics and to find the general items that one desired. Little did Zachy know that all of this would change...dramatically. In 1961 Don Zacharia, Zachy's only son, would come into the business and change it forever. What was once the "wine and liquor business" now became the "fine wine industry." Zachys is now the largest retailer of Bordeaux in the U.S.A., and the largest retailer of California wines East of the Mississippi. Zacharia, a graduate of Kenyon College, joined his father Don in the family business at Zachys at the end of 1983. Jeff quickly saw the need to bring the store into the modern world of retailing and began the computerization of Zachys. He was instrumental in using personal computers as cash registers to streamline the vast inventory, making shopping at Zachys a more inviting and efficient experience. Jeff is the primary buyer of Bordeaux wine for the store and has expanded his knowledge by traveling extensively to France at least twice a year. Most recently Jeff oversaw the complete renovation and expansion of what we are now calling the "new" Zachys - a sharp new look with the same old-fashioned personalized service.

Maytag Corporation
Kenneth C. Boyle - Vice President and General Manager - e-Commerce

Ken Boyle leads Maytag's global e-commerce unit which explores and develops e-commerce opportunities and web enabled business models that support profitable growth across Maytag. He is responsible for all e-commerce efforts at the corporate level as well as business and brand specific activities at the operating unit level, inclusive of partnerships, investments, and strategy development. Prior to Maytag, Ken served as director of business development with iXL, a major global e-consulting firm, where was responsible for developing long-term, strategic relationships with Global 2000 companies. Ken began his career at Delta Air Lines, where he held management positions in sales, marketing and he created and lead Delta's e-commerce department. Ken is a graduate of the State University of West Georgia, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts.

Gemini Genomics
Paul Kelly - Executive Director, President & CEO

Dr. Kelly is a co-founder and has served as Gemini's Chief Executive Officer since January 1997. He originally trained in medicine at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, where he received his MBBS in 1983. He then trained as a physician, specializing in endocrinology, at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, and received his Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians in 1990. He was awarded a Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of South Wales in 1990, with his thesis on the genetics of osteoporosis. Dr. Kelly has held academic positions at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of New South Wales and has published over 80 scientific papers and has contributed to a number of books and other publications, particularly in the genetic epidemiology of osteoporosis, obesity and insulin resistance syndrome. He is the co-inventor of a patent relating to vitamin-D receptor alleles and osteoporosis susceptibility

ComoreTel
Charles Smith - Chief Executive Officer

Charles Smith manages the strategic direction of ComoreTel. Smith began his career as an advisor for IBM before becoming chief executive officer of TMI, Inc., a multi-million dollar data processing company. His achievements include founding and operating his own business, JBA, Inc., and growing it to $6 million in annual revenue before being acquired by Applied Communications, Inc., an international software developer where Smith served as division vice president of international operations. Smith expanded divisional sales from $500,000 to more than $21,000,000 annually. These accomplishments earned Smith and his team the prestigious “E” Award from the United States Department of Commerce. Most recently, Smith held the position of vice president and general manager of Prairie Systems, Inc., where he obtained experience in the international callback and enhanced services industries.

BeAtHOME
Dan Malmstrom - Executive VP of Business Strategy

Dan Malmstrom, Executive VP of Business Strategy One of the founders of BeAtHome, Dan has crafted the vision and business strategy for this product, the first of its kind on the U.S. market. He continues to drive the development of the company's vision as well as help shape the emerging Internet and home automation marketplace through national and industry speaking engagements. Dan joined BeAtHome from Providence Consulting, a high-tech executive consulting firm. Prior to Providence, Dan was an executive with Great Plains Software, the nation's leading financial software solution. Over 12 years with Great Plains, he served in a variety of positions, including executive roles for New Business Development, Global Sales and Marketing, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Development. During his leadership, the company experienced profound growth, completed a successful Initial Public Offering, and became distinguished as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America." Dan also spent six years with the IBM Corporation, compiling a sales record that led to his being named IBM's "National Rookie of the Year" in 1984. Dan graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota with degrees in communications and business administration.

Cognos Corporation
Ben Plummer - Vice President of Marketing

“More than ever, today’s managers need answers in order to make confident decisions about their business. At Cognos, our mission is to make our customers the best decision-makers in the world and we do so by giving them the answers to those key questions that drive their business. By providing an information infrastructure for organizing, processing, and delivering information; and by applying Business Intelligence to derive business value from that infrastructure, we help make our customers successful.”

Comptia
John Venator - President and CEO

John Venator is the president and CEO of CompTIA, the only industry-wide,not-for-profit trade group dedicated to serving the needs of the entire technology industry. John graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a B.A. in business administration/marketing. He was previously executive director of the Data Processing Management Association. He serves on five COMDEX Program Advisory Boards and speaks frequently at computer industry events in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Asia and the U.S.

HotDispatch, Inc.
Mike Kaul - CEO

HotDispatch is the first to deliver a Community Knowledge Marketplace to platform and application vendors that fosters the highest levels of innovation and productivity for technical communities. We are the only marketplace that unites knowledge, commerce and community, enabling members to exchange technical expertise through questions and answers, project outsourcing services and sales of software code, resulting in a dynamic, self-sustaining community with increased innovation and productivity.

NetFlix
Reed Hastings - Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder

Reed and his co-founders created NetFlix in 1997. Reed founded his first company, Pure Software, in 1991, after inventing the company's first product, Purify. As CEO, he led Pure Software to go public in 1995, completed several acquisitions and made it one of the 50 largest software companies in the world by 1997. At that point, Pure was acquired by Rational Software for approximately $700 million. In addition to business, Reed is active in Silicon Valley politics. In 1997, he led a business coalition that got California to pass a strong charter school law, which has already established hundreds of new charter schools. In 1998, he served for a year as CEO of TechNet, the high-tech industry's foremost political advocacy group. Governor Gray Davis appointed Reed to the State Board of Education in early 2000 and he currently serves as President of the Board. Reed received an M.S.C.S. degree from Stanford University in 1988 and a B.A. from Bowdoin College in 1983, and holds several patents, including those for Purify. Between Bowdoin and Stanford, Reed served in the Peace Corps at a rural high school in Swaziland.

Novadigm, Inc.
Albion Fitzgerald - CEO

In 1990, Albion Fitzgerald funded a start-up company to meet the growing desktop software management needs of the large enterprises he'd been intimately involved with for the previous quarter century. Two years later, he incorporated Novadigm and in 1993, he launched a new industry when Novadigm introduced Enterprise Desktop Manager, the first truly automated software management solution scaleable for the Enterprise. In 1997, Albion brought his vision of a complete end-to-end digital asset management solution to the Internet by releasing the Radia family of products. In July of 2000, Hewlett-Packard and Novadigm announced a strategic alliance to integrate, market, and sell Novadigm's digital asset management products with the HP OpenView systems management solution. And in January 2001, Novadigm announced its latest product, Radia Inventory Manager, a robust digital and hardware asset inventory reporting and tracking solution for the Enterprise.

Enterprise Desktop Manager is a trademark and Radia is a registered trademark of Novadigm, Inc.

Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Al Sisto - CEO

Phoenix Technologies is helping lead the way to digital convergence by developing software products for connected digital devices. The PhoenixNet division delivers to users of digital devices applications and services that simplify their use of the Internet while making it a richer, more secure, more private experience.

Sanctum, Inc.
Peggy Weigle - CEO

Peggy Weigle, Sanctum's Chief Executive Officer, brings significant management experience to the Company. Before joining Sanctum, Weigle held several senior management positions at Hyperion Solutions and (prior to the merger of the two companies) Arbor Software. She was Vice President and General Manager of Hyperion's Performance Management division after serving as Vice President Worldwide Field Operations. At Arbor Software, Weigle was Vice President North America Sales. Prior to that, she held various sales management positions at Pilot Software. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Philosophy, cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts.

World Wide Wood Network
Thomas J. Westbrook - CEO

World Wide Wood Network is a membership based electronic wood products exchange that provides the global wood products industry a one-stop shopping site for wood products at www.wwwood.net. In conjunction with its patent pending W3Net trading exchange, World Wide Wood Network brings functional tools to the industry in the form of eBusiness workshops and consulting, private eMarketplaces, International market access, management reports, pertinent industry news, product specifications, financial information, industry directories and classified ads.

Rosemount Estates
Andrew Koerner - Winemaker

Being raised in Adelaide ? the hub of the Australian wine industry ? is often all the inspiration a winemaker needs to choose a future career, such was the case for Rosemount Estate winemaker, Andrew Koerner. Andrew first encountered the wine industry while fruit picking in South Australia?s Riverland and was immediately attracted to the warmth and openness of the rural winemaking and wine drinking community. His first two vintages were with BRL Hardy?s Renmano (South Australian Riverland) and Tintara (McLaren Vale) wineries learning laboratory and cellar skills. This only whet his appetite for the industry and prompted him to attend Roseworthy Agricultural College to learn the art of winemaking. Graduating in Oenology in 1993 he became an assistant winemaker at St. Huberts winery in the Yarra Valley, part of the Len Evans Rothbury group. This group became part of Mildara Blass which provided Andrew with the opportunity to become a winemaker with the historical Saltram Wine Estates in the Barossa Valley late in 1995, participating in the great red vintage of 1996, one of Saltram?s finest years. Show judging with Philip Shaw during 1999 ? who at that time was Rosemount Estate Chief Winemaker ? became an introduction to Philip?s wine styles and winemaking philosophies. This was the driving force behind a transfer to Rosemount?s Denman winery as senior reserve winemaker late in 1999. The Southcorp merger of 2001 resulted in a move to winemaker/winery manager of the Rosemount Denman winery and Rosemount brand responsibilities.

Pacific Wine Partners
Tony Sharley - Banrock Station Property Manager and Environmental

If anyone was born to direct a program as environmentally significant as the Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Center in Australia?s Riverland, it was the infinitely enthusiastic Tony Sharley. Tony?s co-workers claim that his infectious energy could on its own power the city of Adelaide for three days. His love for the earth and his home region of Riverland started early, since he grew up fishing, camping and water skiing on the River Murray at Renmark in the state of South Australia. His schooling led him to graduate in 1982 with a bachelor?s degree in applied science, whereupon he received his first job, studying pollution on a river system in New South Wales. In 1984, Tony returned to Riverland in South Australia to work for a firm that developed water-saving irrigation systems. In 1989, Tony moved to Canberra as a catchment scientist, to join in the environmental management work on the Murray River System. Tony obtained his master?s degree in science in 1992, and in 1995, he and his family made their way back to Riverland. Tony came aboard Banrock Station in early1999 and under his guidance, Banrock Station?s wetland nature trails and guided-tour projects blossomed. With his expertise and vision, he is spreading the message of the Banrock Station Wetlands program to other endangered wetlands around the world. Today, Tony makes his home ? where else? ? on the River Murray.

Honeywell
Mark Simon - Vice President, Sales and Marketing

Mark Simon is the Vice President, Sales and Marketing of Honeywell Consumer Products. Mark has been promoting Honeywell enviracaire® air cleaner products since coming to Honeywell in 1997. Under his tutelage, Honeywell has expanded its product offerings to include odor removal, comfort/wellness and allergy/prescriptive type air cleaners. His previous experience includes positions as Director of Sales, National Accounts, at Pacific Bell Mobile Services and at Pepsi-Cola Company. Mark received a B.A. in Organizational Communications from the University of South Florida and completed Executive MBA courses at Pepperdine University.

Planet Java
Lynn H. Campbell - Business Manager

Beverage Partners Worldwide Lynn H. Campbell, Business Manager, Planet Java Lynn Campbell leads branding initiatives for Beverage Partners Worldwide's ready to drink coffee business which includes Planet Java Iced Coffee Plus. She creates and leads all marketing activities, as well as identifies consumer opportunities to capitalize on growth trends within North America. Lynn began her career with The Quaker Oats Company where she held various sales, planning and category management positions during her 11-year tenure. Lynn is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing.

Cisco Systems
Charles H. Giancarlo - Senior Vice-President and General Manager,

Charles Giancarlo leads five of the twelve core and emerging business groups in the Cisco development organization: Voice Technology, Mobile Wireless, Ethernet Access, Carrier Systems and Access Technology. Under his direction, Cisco continues its leadership in rapidly-moving markets, including Voice over IP, Wireless Networking and Gigabit Ethernet. The business groups he oversees represent the ways in which everyone connects to the Internet. As Internet usage grows globally, with increasing demand for ?anytime, anywhere? access, there is a corresponding demand for the technological advances and innovations being developed by Giancarlo?s teams. Previously at Cisco Systems, Giancarlo ran the Commercial Line of Business, developing leading-edge high volume networking products and driving Cisco brand awareness among companies of all sizes. During his tenure, Cisco switching and routing brand shares grew significantly and Cisco led the industry with award-winning wireless LAN and Long-Reach Ethernet technology introductions. Also introduced was the Cisco Mobile Office program, bringing secure broadband Internet access to mobile professionals in public spaces and on corporate campuses, and to teleworkers at home.

Giancarlo joined Cisco in February 1995 as Vice President of Business Development, successfully developing Cisco?s merger and acquisition strategy and practice. In this position he played an instrumental role in Cisco?s first 18 acquisitions and 20 investments. He then moved on to become Senior Vice President of Global Alliances, building the organization responsible for developing an ecosystem of strategic alliances with companies such as IBM, KPMG, Microsoft and Sprint to enable the Internet industry worldwide. Giancarlo came to Cisco through the acquisition of Kalpana, Inc., the pioneer in Ethernet switching, where he was Vice President of Marketing. He was also a cofounder and Vice President of Marketing for Adaptive Corporation, which developed the industry?s first Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) product for the LAN market. While with Adaptive, Giancarlo founded the ATM Forum, a successful alliance of over 600 companies focused on the development of ATM technology. He also holds multiple patents in the areas of ATM and other communications technologies. A recognized team builder and leader, Giancarlo possesses a visionary style of management essential to long-term success. In January 1998, Giancarlo was voted one of the 25 most powerful people in networking by Network World magazine. Giancarlo holds an M.B.A. from Harvard and M.S. and B.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and Brown University, respectively. Married with two daughters, Giancarlo enjoys sailing, home electronics and contemporary jazz and blues.

The Sharper Image
Richard Thalheimer - Chairman and CEO

Richard Thalheimer, founder, chairman, and CEO of The Sharper Image, was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. After attending public school there, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1970, and graduated from Hastings Law School in San Francisco, California in 1974. Mr. Thalheimer practiced law for a number of years while pursuing his own mail-order business. He established The Sharper Image in 1977, inspired by a $29 jogging stopwatch that he owned and other runners admired. After Mr. Thalheimer received the manufacturer's permission to sell the watch by mail order, he purchased a $200 advertisement in Runner?s World. The advertisement?s success made him realize the unlimited potential of a well-organized mail-order business and led to the inaugural distribution of The Sharper Image catalog in 1979. The San Francisco, California-based company began with only six employees and initial sales of $250,000. Currently The Sharper Image employs 1600, operates about 125 stores throughout the United States, has annual revenues exceeding $420,000,000 and mails more than 60 million of its award-winning catalogs annually. It also offers consumers the opportunity to purchase products and bid for auction items at www.sharperimage.com.

The first Sharper Image retail store opened during the Christmas season in San Francisco in 1981. The company became a public corporation in 1987 when its stock was offered on Nasdaq under the symbol SHRP. Thalheimer serves on the Board of Trustees for the San Francisco Ballet, Dominican University of California and the Marin Girls Softball League. His outside interests include running, bicycle touring, and skiing. He has two children and greatly values family time.

Barilla America, Inc.
Paul D. Davis - President

Mr. Paul D. Davis is President of Barilla America, Inc. Barilla is best known for its top selling brand of pasta, which commands 15% of the U.S. market. Mr. Davis is responsible for all activities of the Company’s U.S. operations. Mr. Davis has over twenty years of broad general management, sales and marketing leadership experience within highly competitive organizations, and has earned himself a reputation as a strong change agent and an exceptional leader. He has produced outstanding results by setting strategic vision and developing world-class organizations that consistently delivered superior market-place execution.

Prior to joining Barilla America in October 2001, Mr. Davis was President North America for Starbucks Coffee Company, where he led the company through a major simplification process that enabled exponential growth. He doubled the number of new store locations per year and grew industry average sales by 200% while improving operating margins. He also co-authored a consolidated distribution model that enabled a centralized procurement program saving Starbucks $25 million (US) per year. Previously, Mr. Davis was the President Hostess Frito-Lay Canada where he led the $1 billion (US) retail sales division growing profits over 20% and cash flow by 70% through new product introductions, product and channel mix management and eliminating unprofitable business. He launched the first ever “born-on” dating campaign and product roll-out, which resulted in record high market share levels. Mr. Davis graduated Magna Cum Laude from Central Missouri State University. He is a board member of the North American Coffee Partnership, Starbucks Ice Cream Partnership and ACT (A Contemporary Theatre).

Psion Teklogix
Patricio Berstein - Vice President Mobile Computing

Currently Vice President Mobile Computing and Managing Director for South America of Psion Teklogix Americas, Patricio Berstein has been with the company for six years. Prior to joining Psion Teklogix, Mr. Berstein was running his own POS and Data Capture distribution business in Chile.

Prior to that he was President of a subsidiary of a major Canadian oil company in the electronic payment and point of sale business. Mr. Berstein has a degree in Electronics Engineering and Post Graduate studies in the Netherlands. He holds a number of US and Canadian patents in the area of wireless communications and electronic payment systems.

A. Jaffe Jewelry
Sam Sandberg - President

Sam Sandberg received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1968 and Master of Arts Degree in 1972 from the City College of New York. Sam was a member of the faculty of the New School for Social Research, in New York, from 1972 to 1976. During this time he was also a salesman for the Pan American Corp. In 1975, Sam and his partner, Stanley Sikorski, founded the Sandberg & Sikorski Diamond Corporation. Then in 1991, they acquired the A.Jaffe Company. Sam Sandberg is a member of the American Gem Society, the Plumb Club, Carat Club U.S.A., Twenty Four Karat Club of New York, and on the board of The Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths of America.

Hewlett Packard
Ted Clark - Vice President New Notebook Business

Ted Clark manages New Notebook Markets for PSG's Notebook Global Business Unit. In this role, Ted is responsible for defining, developing and delivering products and solutions to address new market opportunities within the worldwide Notebook PC market, including Tablet PC.

Prior to this new role at HP, Ted was Vice President of Compaq's Tablet PC, where he held general management responsibilities related to delivery of Tablet PC products into the emerging Tablet PC market, including product planning, product development and product marketing. Prior to his work with Tablet PC, Ted served as Vice President and General Manager of iPAQ handheld PC business. In that position, he was responsible for delivery of the industry leading iPAQ Pocket PC. In all, Ted has 20 years of mobile computing experience, 12 of which were spent with Compaq. Before Compaq, Ted also worked in mobile computing for GRiD Systems. Ted received his BSEE from Rice University and his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Korbel Champagne
Gary B. Heck - President and Chairman

Gary Heck, the owner of Korbel Champagne Cellars, has served as its president since 1982 and later became Chairman of the Board in 1984. In 1965 he began his full-time career at Korbel occupying many positions spanning all areas of winery operations including: Assistant Office Manager, Purchasing Agent, Traffic Manager, Sales Representative, Office Manager, Vice President, Executive Vice President, President and Chairman of the Board. Over the years, Heck’s increased involvement with the company resulted in remarkably strong brand performance. Since his appointment to Executive Vice President in 1974, Korbel’s annual depletions increased from 150,000 cases to consistently over 1.3 million cases of champagne and 400,000 cases of brandy sold today. And since 1995, with Korbel’s acquisitions, vineyard operations have grown from 200 acres to over 2,000.

Heck Cellars, in DiGiorgio, acts primarily as Korbel’s brandy production plant. It is one of the largest and most progressive, multi-use crush and bottling facilities in California. The plant has the versatility and capacity to accommodate beverage marketers of all sizes — from small boutique producers to large scale operators. Lake Sonoma Winery, nestled in the hills of the picturesque Dry Creek Valley, produces 16,000 cases of award winning wines. Specializing in Dry Creek Zinfandels, the winery also produces Cabernet from the Alexander Valley and Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley. Kenwood Vineyards is widely respected for its award winning wines earning the reputation for consistent quality. The winery produces close to 550,000 cases of Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Merlot. Ideally located in Sonoma Valley, the winery is committed to producing premium varietal wines that reflect Sonoma County’s finest vineyards in their character and style.

Silverado
Garry L. Anselmo - Chairman, CEO and President

Garry L. Anselmo was born in Vancouver, B.C., Canada in 1944. He studied geology and geochemistry at the University of British Columbia and graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Before joining Silverado he worked in exploration at American Metals Climax, Anaconda American Brass, and Kennecott Copper where he learned geochemical and geophysical field exploration techniques. Mr. Anselmo has been Chairman, CEO and President of Silverado Gold Mines Ltd. for 30 years. He has guided Silverado from a junior exploration and development company into a fully developed, operating and profitable mining company with valuable gold claim holdings in Alaska.

Allergan
Mitchell F. Brin, M.D. - Vice President of Development

Mitchell F. Brin, M.D. joined Allergan, Inc. in January 2001 as Vice President of Development and Therapeutic Area Head, BOTOX®/Neurology and oversees the Global Development program for therapeutic neuromodulator and neurology research.

He was one of the first to recognize the clinical potential of botulinum toxin and has contributed enormously to the research of these therapeutic neuromodulators. He pioneered the use of the protein for the treatment of dystonia, spasticity, migraine headache and cosmetic conditions.

Freightliner Vans
Tim A. Reuss - President and CEO, DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC

A native of Bremen, Germany, Tim Reuss was appointed President and CEO of DaimlerChrysler Vans (DC Vans) LLC in August 2001. A new DCX subsidiary, DC Vans was formed only two months earlier to oversee product introduction of the Sprinter to the United States commercial van market.

Charged with the exclusive role of setting up the U.S. dealer network and developing all sales, marketing and after-market support for the Sprinter, in short order, Reuss and his team have successfully met their launch goals, while maintaining a steady and focused strategy in development, outreach to new audiences, and expanding brand awareness. He began his career in 1987 as an intern at Mercedes-Benz North America. Rising quickly up the corporate ladder, from 1988 to 1990 he held positions of increasing responsibility in sales, planning and controlling, and in 1991 was named assistant to the President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Mexico. Moving further ahead, he became Marketing and Dealer Development Manager in 1993 and in 1995, he assumed expanded responsibilities as Senior Manager of the Mercedes-Benz Passenger Car Division in Mexico. Reuss returned to his native Germany in 1997 to assume management responsibilities for marketing Mercedes-Benz Vans in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. From 1999 to 2001, he was responsible for Sales Planning and Controlling for North America, Central America, South America, and Japan within the Mercedes-Benz Passenger Car Business Unit. Married and residing in Huntersville, North Carolina, he graduated from Stanford University in 1987 where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

Watson Pharmaceuticals
Norman A. Mazer, M.D, Ph.D. - Senior Medical Research Fellow

Dr. Norm Mazer is presently a Senior Medical Research Fellow at Watson Laboratories in Salt Lake City and an Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah. A native of Philadelphia and graduate of Central High School, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973, an M.D. from the Harvard – M.I.T. program in Health Sciences in 1978 and a Ph.D. in Physics from M.I.T. the same year. From 1978 – 80 he was an intern and junior resident in medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He later did post-graduate work in biophysics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the University of Lund, Sweden, the Brigham, and at M.I.T. Dr. Mazer began his pharmaceutical career in 1983 at the Sandoz Corporation in Basle, Switzerland and joined Watson Labs (formerly TheraTech, Inc.) in 1987. There he has played a leading role in the clinical research and development of testosterone transdermal systems for men and women. Dr. Mazer has authored over 100 publications in the fields of drug delivery, endocrinology, and biophysics. He and his wife, Marion, are the proud parents of three wonderful daughters.

Weber Distribution
MICHAEL STARK - President & COO

As President and COO of Weber Distribution, one of the largest providers of third party logistics services, Michael L. Stark is responsible for overseeing transportation and warehouse operations, in addition to business development for the company. Stark joined Weber Distribution in 2002 with more than 35 years of industry experience, the last 21 spent in upper management. Stark’s previous experience includes more than 14 years with Exel, a UK based global supply chain management company. Most recently, he worked as Vice President, Western Region responsible for overseeing operations, including 32 locations with 1800 associates and 9.2MM square feet of warehousing space. In this role he provided leadership to a cross-sector management team, leading to new business growth in the region and improved profitability to the company. During his tenure with Exel, Stark held senior executive roles in sector operations for the Consumer Sector, Chemical Sector, Electronics Sector, and the Paper Group, as well as in Corporate Administration and Exel’s global Human Resources organization.

Prior to Exel, Stark worked in various management roles in store operations and human resources over a 23-year period for the VONS Companies, Inc., a Southern California-based retail food chain. Two of his positions included District Operations Manager, overseeing store operations for 24 supermarkets and 2100 employees, and Director, Labor Relations. Weber Distribution is a third party logistics provider, offering comprehensive warehousing, distribution and transportation services. They have been in business for more than 75 years and operate nearly 2,500,000 square feet of modern warehouse facilities, coupled with their own fleet of trucks. Weber Distribution also provides a variety of value added services, including order assembly, pick pack, just-in-time inventory management and e-commerce fulfillment, to name a few. For more information, please visit www.weberdistribution.com.

Paragon Luggage
Ron Davis - Executive Vice President

Ron Davis has an extensive background in luggage dating back to 1987. Ron's introduction to luggage was through American Tourister luggage where he continually out paced the rest of the company in sales and % increases. While employed at American Tourister Ron received numerous awards including Rookie of the Year, President's Club and Salesman of the Year. Ron then went into the men's sportswear industry helping niche market companies expand their brand to the mainstream market. After a number of years in successfully developing the western region of the United States for particular men's wear companies he found himself drawn back into the luggage industry through an offer to become a principle partner in Paragon Luggage, Inc. Ron's first project on the agenda was to help take a small start-up luggage company to become a force in the industry. Together Ron and the other partners crafted a business plan that focused on quality vs. pricing. The feeling was that quality is the hardest to accomplish and compete against. In pricing there is always somebody cheaper. To achieve the level of quality that is unbeatable took building a state-of-the-art factory and one of the only factories in Asia owned by a U.S. luggage corporation. Once the factory was built and started manufacturing the rest fell into place. It is much easier to implement the highest specifications in the world and deliver the highest quality when you own and operate your own production facility. In Fall 2002 our factory was ISO certified, a feat unheard of as far as luggage factories go.

Next goal was to develop a brand-name to hang our hats on. After a tremendous amount of research and feedback we felt the name "Pathfinder" was the perfect name to deliver our quality story through. We then came up with the slogan "Quality is Everything". Pathfinder can now be found in every respectable luggage retailer across the United States. The reputation for quality is unsurpassed. At the beginning of 2003 Paragon Luggage merged with Andiamo Inc., one of the only other luggage companies in the world with the same reputation for quality that Pathfinder has. Andiamo Inc. has 25 years of catering to the premium end of the luggage market and again has the reputation of flawless quality. Many retailers have said that "it was a match made in heaven" that gives Paragon Luggage the full spectrum of product and pricing from moderate priced up to the premium priced segments of the luggage market. We equate this strategy to Daimler Chrysler having the Chrysler products for the masses and the Mercedes for the more affluent market. Although travel is down, Paragon Luggage is still trending up and that can be attributed to a business plan developed eight years ago coming to fruition. "Quality is Everything".

Yellow Book
Joe Walsh - President and CEO Yellow Book USA

Joe Walsh is the President and CEO of Yellow Book USA, the nation's oldest and largest independent publisher of yellow pages. Joe entered the yellow pages business in 1982 when he co-founded IYP Publishing, a company he later sold to DataNational. He served as Vice President of Sales for DataNational until joining Yellow Book in 1987. Under his leadership and vision, Yellow Book USA has experienced unprecedented growth, making it one of the fastest growing companies in America.

Joe was awarded Ernst and Young's "Master Entrepreneur of the Year" award in New York, was featured in Forbes Magazine's "Entrepreneurs - Up and Comers" and has served as Chairman of the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP).

Energizer
LaVerne Roberts - Senior Technology Engineer

LaVerne Roberts is a Senior Technology Engineer at Energizer’s research and development facility which has been the birthplace of battery innovation for almost fifty years. It was at Energizer that the first alkaline cell was developed more than 40 years ago and where advancements like those found in Energizer® e2® continue to enhance performance levels.

In her 27 years with the company, LaVerne has worked across all chemistries including Carbon Zinc, Alkaline, Lithium, Miniature and Lithium Ion. She has been involved in fundamental research, concept development and advanced technologies. Currently LaVerne serves as the link between technology and marketing, to help communicate the many advantages of emerging technologies.

Trane
Robert W. Helt - Manager for Electronics Development Engineering

Robert W. Helt is Manager for Electronics Development Engineering for the Trane’s Residential Systems in Tyler, Texas. Robert also serves as Technical Director of the Trane Home Comfort Institute. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Helt is a recognized leader in the design and development of electronic heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) controls. His role in the Air-conditioning Industry for the past 29 years include managerial responsibilities for development of microprocessor and integrated electronic thermostats, variable speed motors and motor controls, heat pump controls and furnace controls. He is also responsible for qualifying, maintaining and improving the quality of components and systems used in residential air conditioning, heating and heat pump products.

The Trane Home Comfort Institute is a consumer information service that educates homeowners about heating and cooling. For the last several years, Robert has been the spokesperson providing information and tips for homeowners through Radio, TV, Newspapers and the Internet. As Technical Director of the Trane Home Comfort Institute, Robert combines his knowledge of high-tech electronics with his knowledge of HVAC systems to explain complex technical aspects of residential applications in easy-to-understand language homeowners can understand.

Schwan Food Company
Michael Ziebell - Chief marketing officer and executive VP

Chief marketing officer and executive vice president for corporate marketing and The Schwan Food Company Michael joined The Schwan Food Company in 1982. After a stint with Tony’s Pizza Service, he was named Red Baron brand manager in 1984. He was part of the team that started Schwan’s Europe in 1989, became the Tony’s Group brand manager in 1990, and was named the company’s first quality director in 1991. He became marketing director of Schwan’s Home Service in 1995 and vice president for strategic development in 1998. Before assuming his current role, Michael served as executive vice president of Schwan’s Home Service, the company’s direct-to-home delivery business. He received the Marvin M. Schwan Heritage of Quality Award – The Schwan Food Company’s highest employee honor – in 1997. Michael holds a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (1974) and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas (1994). He currently serves as adjunct professor at Southwest State University in Marshall, Minn.

Wilson Sporting Goods
John R. Embree - Vice President/General Manager, Racquet Sports Div

John R. Embree was appointed Vice President/General Manager for the Racquet Sports division of Wilson Sporting Goods in September 1996. During his tenure, Wilson Racquet Sports has witnessed record years in sales and gross profits in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Long known in the industry as a technology leader, as well as #1 in customer service and #1 in grassroots commitment to grow the game, under Embree’s leadership Wilson has continued their dedication to these three key values. Embree’s passion for the game has been the driving force behind Wilson’s successful grassroots campaign. Embree has made grassroots spending the cornerstone of the Racquet Sports marketing efforts and has made it a priority to build relationships with key people in the industry who are essential for growing the game. Throughout the country, Wilson conducts clinics, holds demo days, hosts tennis festivals and donates balls and equipment for charities and tournaments. And Wilson’s Grow the Game Racket Donation Program donates thousands of recycled rackets to worthwhile youth programs. In order to keep his organization’s title as the best customer service company in the industry, Wilson became the first to invite dealers to use a business-to-business website. WIN (Wilson Interactive Network), introduced in 2000, is designed to enhance services for dealers and offer the ease of the internet for conducting business. Retailers will be able to order directly, adjust orders, trace orders and check availability of products without calling their sales representatives or customer service department. With Embree at the helm, Wilson has continued to unveil advanced racket technology. In 1998, Wilson Racquet Sports launched their most successful racket line to date. The Hyper Carbon launch catapulted Wilson into the top of the sales charts where they remain today. Hyper Carbon has been the #1 selling racket in America since it’s introduction. Most recently, Wilson Racquet Sports unveiled TRIAD, the newest revolution in tennis racket technology. TRIAD is the first racket designed to offer the most comfortable feel without sacrificing power and control. Wilson “broke the mold” by studying the individual components of the racket - and learned how to isolate the shock in the head and stop it from reaching the handle. TRIAD is made up of three parts; the head, the handle and the material that joins them together called Iso.Zorb, a precision tuned polymer that isolates shock and absorbs all the force from impact.

Embree first joined Wilson in May 1986 as director of Racquet Sports Promotion Department. Four years later, Embree became the business manager for Tennis Balls. While managing the Tennis Ball category, Embree introduced Wilson’s premium US Open tennis ball, the official ball of the US Open tennis tournament and the cornerstone of the company’s tennis ball line. From 1994 until 1996, Embree was the business director for Performance Racquets. During this time, Embree helped to introduce a line of longer tennis rackets called Stretch for the company’s Sledge Hammer, Hammer and Pro Staff families, three of which quickly ranked in the top five best-selling racquets in the U.S. Prior to joining Wilson, Embree spent four years in New Orleans as general manager/director of tennis at the River Center Tennis Club where he oversaw all club operations, including membership, sales, promotions, marketing and tennis programming. Immediately preceding his work in New Orleans, Embree worked for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in New York as the first National League Administrator. In this position, Embree implemented policies and determined the direction of USTA Adult League Tennis, which is a grassroots program for over 250,000 adult recreational players and the largest USTA program for adults. Embree’s additional involvement in the tennis industry includes former positions with numerous organizations, including the Lynchburg (VA) Tennis Patrons, the Virginia Tennis Association and the Louisiana Tennis Association. He also was a member of the USTA Clinicians Service/Speakers bureau (1982-1995), and served as the Chairman of the Tennis Committee for the Glen View Club (Glenview, IL, 1993-1995). He has volunteered and served on several standing committees of the USTA, including USTA Junior Team Tennis, USTA Adult Leagues and the USTA Schools Program. Currently, he serves as 1st Vice President for Chicago Tennis Partners Association, an organization committed to helping fund underprivileged programs and give children the opportunity to pursue tennis. Embree is also member of the USTA Professional Circuits Committee. After serving as Class Agent for his prep school, Deerfield Academy, Embree received his BA from Washington & Lee University in 1975 where he was captain of the tennis team his junior and senior years. Embree is a three-time MVP and four-year letterman, and was awarded the Preston R. Brown Trophy in 1975 as the most valuable athlete at the university. He is the most winning singles player in the university’s history. ###

Celebrity Cruises
Dietmar Wertanzl - SeniorVice President, Fleet Operations

Dietmar Wertanzl was appointed Senior Vice President of Celebrity’s Fleet Operations in 2002, placing him at the helm of the top-rated premium cruise line’s entire hotel and marine operations departments. Wertanzl joined Celebrity from Crystal Cruises, where he was senior vice president of Hotel Operations, and was widely credited with both elevating and cementing Crystal’s luxury standing. Wertanzl’s appointment with Celebrity followed a 25-year career in high-end lodgings and travel, which included nine years at Crystal and six years at Royal Viking Line, where he once served as a shipboard hotel manager. Wertanzl was involved in the initial start-up phase of Celebrity, having been recruited in 1991 to develop the hotel product for the Chandris family’s then-fledgling premium cruise line, which ultimately led to his serving as vice president of hotel operations for both Celebrity Cruises and Fantasy Cruises. In his current role with Celebrity, Wertanzl oversees the breadth of technical and maritime issues involved in marine operations, as well as all aspects of hotel operations, including food and beverage operations, the Elemis Spa facilities, retail operations, entertainment, shore excursions and pre- and post-guest operations. Wertanzl serves on the Industry Affairs Advisory Board for Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration; is a member of Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, among other organizations; has lectured with other luxury brand leaders, including Chef Wolfgang Puck and executives from Peninsula Hotels and Four Seasons Hotel chains, and has studied at both Cornell and Harvard Business School. Wertanzl and his wife, Lise-Marie, have two children and reside in the Coconut Grove area of Miami, Florida.

ABEC
Steve Miller - President and CEO

Steve Miller is President and CEO of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices – a national, non-profit group of community leaders who are discussing energy and environmental policies in America. When Miller helped to form ABEC in 2000, he brought a dynamic understanding of how politics and public opinion shape public policy. A veteran with over 20 years experience in the arenas of politics, government, and social policy, Miller has positioned ABEC to play a key role in helping to secure America’s energy future while still maintaining environmental progress. Mr. Miller resides in Northern Virginia with his wife, Pat, and their two sons.