Conference Chair:
Randy Wimmer, IT Portfolio Manager, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Accomplished, results driven leader with over 25 years of IT and business experience. Developer of strategies as well as tactical solutions enabling IT Portfolio Management and PMO capabilities within various companies such as Allstate Insurance, MillerCoors and currently Walgreens. Successfully and consistently demonstrates an ability to deliver seamless, cost effective solutions leveraging critical thinking and established frameworks (e.g. PMBOK, CMM, ITIL, etc.). Enjoys working in a team setting that utilizes common goal/objectives definition, collaboration, joint problem solving, and knowledge sharing. Develops fellow professionals (internally/externally) by providing coaching, mentoring, and serving as a volunteer conference chairman for CAMP IT Conferences. He is an avid craft beer fan and is planning to take the Certified Cicerone exam.
Bob Beler, AVP Enterprise for North America and Canada, Allot
Bob Beler has more than 25 years of experience in IT Leadership and sales.
Bob recently was a Director for a billion dollar VAR in North America called CompuCom where he was responsible for the Business Development and Sales strategy for the financial vertical. Prior to that, Bob was the Vice President of Sales for North America for Axiomatic who is an identity and access management software security company. Bob was the founder and President of ISG for more than sixteen years selling data center, security, application performance and wireless solutions to the Enterprise, government, and Higher Educational markets. He has consulted and advised hundreds of organizations with regards to various IT solutions and associated strategies. Bob has spoken at numerous technical conferences and seminars during his career and has sat on several manufacturing VAR councils i.e. Intel, BlueCoat, Packeteer, Exinda, and more. Bob holds a Bachelor’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago and is currently the AVP for Enterprise Sales for Allot where he is responsible for North America and Canada.
Tom Behnke, Chief Enterprise Architect, Kellogg Company
Tom Behnke is the Chief Enterprise Architect for Kellogg Company. He is accountable for IT’s Enterprise Architecture function along with strategic IT platform ownership. As part of this, Tom is leading the work around the future ERP platform strategy for Kellogg Company’s global needs to overseeing Kellogg’s approach to next generation collaboration capabilities. Previously, Mr. Behnke lead the company’s infrastructure and service management functions that span global network/data communications, IT service management solutions, IT financial governance and software asset management. Mr. Behnke is has helped set the vision and lead thinking around how the company’s charge to transform its legacy infrastructure services to the cloud, while deploying next generation technology solutions along the way. Tom joined the Kellogg Company in 2015 with over 15 years of IT leadership experience in both consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical sectors. Prior to joining the Kellogg Company, Mr. Behnke served as the associate director IT for Kraft Heinz, overseeing all aspects of information technology, including network and communications infrastructure. In addition, Mr. Behnke serves as a board member for the Chicago chapter of the Society of Information Management. Mr. Behnke has a proven track record of pushing past the status quo to deliver outstanding business outcomes by reshaping what is possible with both his direct and indirect teams.
Patrick Carnathan, Director, IT, Carthage Vet Service
Patrick is a 6 year Veteran of the United States Navy serving on Submarines as an Electronics Technician and Reactor Operator. This is where he found his love for computers and High tech working on 8086 computers. Working in the IT industry for 25+ years from Help desk to his current position as Director of Information Technology at Carthage Veterinary Service in Carthage IL. He has an AS in computer Science, BA in Organizational Management and a Master’s in Business from Concordia University Chicago. He is currently moving CVS into a more digital footprint and has worked with large IT companies moving dozens of clients to the cloud.
Marina Dolinko, Enterprise Architect, National Restaurant Association
Marina is an Enterprise Architect at the National Restaurant Association. Previously, she was an Enterprise Architect at Volkswagen Credit, Inc. (VCI), a financial services firm providing quality products and expert customer support to the Volkswagen Group for over thirty years.
Marina is a key member of the Enterprise Architecture team, building the Enterprise Architecture (EA) program from the ground up. Her achievements include establishing the current Architecture Governance Framework and introducing new architecture practices. She defined a role of the EA during the initial rollout of the Scaled Agile Framework to significantly change the delivery model and advance modernization. Marina constantly promotes EA services, collaborating on multiple business and technology strategies and roadmaps. This includes enterprise cloud strategy, collaboration strategy and guidelines for using open source software. Quantifiable benefits are evidenced via the transformation of the contact center, optimization of the loan origination process and full digitization of the customer experience. Marina’s technical leadership enables the team to conduct enterprise analysis, design, planning, and implementation of technical solutions aligned with business strategies.
Marina designed an IT Innovation Program which has been in place for two years. This program yields many great ideas and initiatives by tapping into concepts and designs from all areas of the organization. The best ideas from the IT Innovation Program have been recognized as winners Enterprise-wide.
Prior to VCI, Marina was a Solution Architect with Allstate Insurance Company for 14 years supporting various domains including Marketing, Customer Care, Insurance Claims and Medical Bills management, as well as Customer Relationship Management.
Marina holds Master’s Degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics.
Dan Hebda, Chief Strategy Officer, Mega
For nearly 20 years, Daniel Hebda has been at the forefront of technology innovation that helps businesses meet their strategic goals. In his current position as Chief Strategy Officer for MEGA International, he drives the company’s strategy, focusing on formulating product direction that meets evolving market needs for business transformation software solutions and delivers a high level of customer satisfaction. Dan coordinates a multi-disciplinary strategy team across the company, tracking market trends and developing a road map for future products. He has worked closely with Fortune 100 companies for many years, providing advice and direction on business transformation and innovation.
In previous positions at MEGA, Dan was Vice President of Operations at MEGA, managing the company’s business throughout the U.S. and Canada, and Vice President of Technology. Before joining MEGA, he was owner and principal consultant at Adestin, Inc., a technology consulting firm, and systems analyst/developer at Houghton Mifflin Company. Dan has a B.S. in computer science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Dan has led many complex programs in business transformation, from the perspective of enterprise architecture and change management. Through his expertise, he helps customers begin projects faster and deliver ROI sooner. His background in business architecture, process analysis, technical architecture, application integration, and product customization has helped him guide companies in their strategic initiatives.
Brian Hoffman, Chief Enterprise Architect, Grainger
Experienced Chief Enterprise Architect and Technology Vendor Management leader with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods and retail industries. Skilled in Architecture, Business Process Transformation, Vendor Management, Software Asset Management, Negotiations, Analytics, Product Management, and Agile across the breadth of enterprise domains.
Victor Hsiang, CISO, GATX
Victor Hsiang is an accomplished Information Security, Risk and IT Professional with over 19 years of experience working within the Financial Services and Healthcare sectors. He has an established track record of delivering successful IT and Information Security solutions that manages risk while supporting business requirements. His experience includes implementation of technology, security audits, risk assessments, information records management, privacy concerns, compliance and legal issues related to security, forensics, security practices and policy development. He currently leads the Information Security program at GATX Corporation.
Fred Kwong, CISO, Delta Dental of Illinois
Dr. Fred Kwong has been in the information technology field for the past 15 years in working in education, financial, and telecommunication sectors. Fred currently works at a Farmers Insurance where he currently is the Global Head of Privileged Access Control. Fred is currently building a new program seeking to govern, control, and profile privileged identities throughout the enterprise.
Fred’s work includes the creation of security and privacy policies, standards, and procedures. He is a subject matter expert in PCI, leading organizations to pass their report on compliance. With an extensive background in IT technologies, Fred continues to challenge the status quo by providing guidance in security and network architecture creating holistic designs that align to todays’ threat vector for organizations.
Fred has a passion of combining IT skills with organization development values. His broad range of IT skills has allowed him to view IT from many different paradigms and present them to the business partners in an easy to understand language. Fred servers as an adjunct professor at Benedictine and Roosevelt University teaching courses in international business, organization behavior, project management, and information systems. He holds a Ph.D. from Benedictine University and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Roosevelt University. Fred is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a Certified Information Systems Manager (CISM), and a PCI Professional (PCIP).
Jonathan Martone, VP of Interconnection and Network Solutions, Netrality
Jonathan Martone is the Vice President of Interconnection and Network Solutions at Netrality Data Centers. He leads all strategic and technical conversations relative to network services within Netrality’s data centers. His responsibilities include building out product strategy, business development, network design/planning, and providing the sales and sales engineering teams with complex technical and engineering support.
Having held various leadership roles in the data center and telecommunications industries for over 25 years, Jonathan has accrued a wealth of experience in neutral data centers, metro fiber, long haul fiber, dark fiber, IP transit, and designing network interconnectivity and ecosystem solutions. Prior to joining Netrality, Jonathan served as Director of Solutions Engineering for Cyxtera, and Area Vice President of Sales Engineering for Savvis and CenturyLink. Jonathan is also an active public member of the Arizona State Bar Board of Governors.
Michelle Niedernhuber, Product Marketing Manager, LeanIX
As a Product Marketing Manager Michelle focusses on building the Go-to-market strategy for the LeanIX Cloud Native Suite as well as bringing new product features of the Enterprise Architecture Suite to market. Prior to joining LeanIX, she worked in a variety of roles ranging from project management to controlling at Deutsche Telekom AG. Michelle holds a Master’s degree in Management from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and gained international working experience during her times abroad in Montenegro and South Africa.
Nick Quach, VP Solutions, Veriday
Over the span of my 15+ year career, I have had the opportunity to work with a myriad of technologies, from firmware device level application development to large complex integrated systems. I have been an eyewitness to seeing how technology can improve culture and business. I am passionate about technology, process efficiency, and obsessed with working with my team and our clients to deliver solutions to complex business problems.
As VP Technology at Veriday, I lead all areas of our technology team and work closely with our clients to meet their needs. This work ranges from small-scale implementations to large ($100M+) transformation initiatives.
When I’m not managing digital transformation projects, you can find me rooting for my Calgary Flames or at the Calgary Stampede. Even though I’m in Toronto, I have my home city of Calgary at heart.
Brian Sherman, Application Engineering Specialist, Zurich Insurance Group
With 30+ years in IT, Brian is a member of the Application Engineering team in Zurich’s Global IT Services organization.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University, Brian spent many years with the Donnelley yellow pages companies of the Dun and Bradstreet corporation (DnB), ultimately moving to Chicago to build and manage an IT team for DonTech, a publishing partnership between Ameritech and DnB. Brian came to Zurich Insurance Group in time to help roll their first Windows NT Client/Server application into production. Over 20+ years at Zurich, Brian has held several management and technical roles, including serving as a lead Windows Server engineer through significant growth and consolidation / optimization periods for distributed servers, the development and maturation of Zurich’s disaster recovery preparedness in North America, datacenter relocations and consolidations, and the outsourcing of Zurich’s IT infrastructure. A global resource since the start of the infrastructure outsource program, Brian’s current team is focused on easing the path to public cloud for applications through a best practice-based application migration framework.
Nathan Shaw, Principal Director, N.A. Solution Architecture, Entando Inc.
Nathan has been developing enterprise applications for almost two decades and has worked with clients in many industries as a technical architect, professional services practice lead, and currently as Principal Director of Solution Architecture for North America at Entando. He enjoys figuring out each client’s particular business model and finding ways to use technology to help clients meet their goals. His education includes a Ph.D. in Experimental Nuclear Physics and he applies that logical, data-driven training to the real world problems clients face every day.
Nathan is based in Columbus, Ohio where he lives with his wife, six kids, and two small dogs. In theory his hobbies include reading and jogging but in practice there’s a lot more parenting and home maintenance.
Michael Sisto, Sr. Infrastructure Architect, Enterprise Architecture, U.S. Cellular
Mr. Sisto is a Sr. Infrastructure Architect within the Enterprise Architecture IS practice at U.S. Cellular where he designs compute, storage and networking infrastructures that support 4G LTE, 5G, IoT and Fixed Wireless Broadband services. He has extensive IT Architecture expertise including “Big 5” consulting across the transform, run and grow elements of enterprise cloud environments. Mr. Sisto is a strategic thinker who works with CxO level executives as a trusted technical advisor. He is able to structure and deliver innovative IT projects across the full life cycle of solution delivery from strategy and architecture to complex delivery of integrated software solutions built on new economic business models. Mr. Sisto brings 30+ years of IT, consulting, architecture and operations experience including NCR, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, HP EDS, IBM and Lemko Corporation. His education includes a B.S. from the University of Illinois in Marketing, M.S. from DePaul University in Telecommunications and a M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Mr. Sisto was also a Senior Faculty Member at the Keller Graduate School of Management for 17 years, having taught Wireless Communications, Network Security, Telecom Law and the Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation.
Annur Sumar, Chief Technology Officer, MaeTech
Annur Sumar is a Microsoft Cloud and Datacenter MVP and technology consultant in the areas of Infrastructure Design, Enterprise Content Management, CRM, Microsoft Azure, System Center and Cloud Technologies. Annur is an industry recognized leader and independent speaker around strategic service automation, technology driven process improvements, IT service alignment, engineering best practices and operations management. All of which are targeted in his presentations to helping businesses with complex IT environments lower Total Cost of Ownership and raising Return On Investments.
Prior to joining a Microsoft Partner Consulting firm, Annur served as a Vice President of Technology for Duff & Phelps. One of the world’s leading independent financial advisory firms serving client needs in the areas of valuation, investment banking, transaction advice, and dispute consulting. During his tenure at Duff & Phelps, Annur worked closely with Microsoft product teams and case study managers in providing invaluable feedback around how businesses such as his were able to benefit from cloud technologies that were molded into business solutions. As a Microsoft MVP and industry expert, Annur brings 10 years of experience to work actively with other MVPs and Microsoft Partners to provide industry insight and strategic direction.
Joe Valha, Director Sales, West, Opengear
Joe Valha has been an integral member of the Opengear sales team since 2016. A senior level sales and marketing leader with broad global experience in the high-technology industry, he has a deep understanding of network management solutions which has helped grow his proven record of building market presence.
Joe’s wide range of technology expertise has helped him capitalize on market opportunities, drive revenue growth and provide the best customer experience.
Al Zieba, Director, Network & Security, IDEX Corporation
Al Zieba joined IDEX Corporation in June 2017 as the Director of Network and Security to lead their global network, voice and security teams. IDEX is a global organization that manufactures highly engineered niche products in Health and Science, Fire and Rescue, Fluidics and Metering and a portfolio of other Diversified Products. Prior to that he had spent 20 years working in the Financial Software and Services industry as a IT and Security Professional at Eze Software Group and The Options Clearing Corporation. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science and a Masters in Telecommunications from DePaul University.