The Flywheel Group's professionals reflect rich experience in complex technology program management. We have helped clients solve critical problems by evaluating and assessing their unique needs, creating a baseline and benchmarks, and then developing and implementing a custom tailored solution to fit their organization's ongoing needs. Allow us to introduce you to some of the key members of the Flywheel Group who will work with you to achieve those same benefits and goals.
- Marian Sabety, President and CEO
- Joanne Shepherd, Vice President and CMO
- Lee Hamilton, CTO
- Greg Price, Associate
- Tim Kiehl, Associate
- Pierre Kacha, Associate
- Tom McKnight, Associate
Marian Sabety, President and CEO
Marian has worked in the high technology sector for over 25 years, leading technology solutions practices for top-tier and new economy systems integration consulting firms. Focusing on mission critical systems performance, Marian has a track record of implementing successful technical projects. She possesses rich experience in managing the design and implementation of streaming media applications, enterprise applications, large-scale data storage, and e-commerce platforms. Marian reflects strong expertise in web-based data mining, online customer care, and commercial software installation, with particular focus on incorporating user needs for easy-to-use software design & business management objectives for meeting budget performance. Marian's success in online community program design & implementation has resulted in effective customer acquisition, e-commerce & online fundraising, as well as complex community outreach.
Marian has particular experience in implementing comprehensive risk management systems for Fortune 50 companies. Marian has implemented risk management systems that reduce financial risk, lessen network vulnerability, limit business operations risk, and minimize corporate exposure by facilitating optimal decisions during crisis management.
Marian is a guest lecturer at the Columbia University School of Business and is a mentor for the Lang Fund - a fund that supports and incubates Harlem students' business initiatives. She is active in, and often speaks to, the Association of Continuity Professionals (ACP), American Nuclear Society (ANS), The Association of Public Communications Officers (APCO), Homeland First Response (HFR), United Telecom Council (UTC), and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Marian holds a B.S. from Barnard College-Columbia University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California.
Joanne Shepherd, Vice President and CMO
Joanne joins the Flywheel Group with over twenty years of executive sales, management and business development expertise. Combining a strong background in telecommunications and ERP software, Joanne brings a unique ability to resolve strategic and operational issues in order to achieve optimal resource planning and integrated cross-unit coordination. Joanne's experience includes serving as Acting President of IDB Mobile during the sale and restructuring under Stratos Mobile Networks, working closely with the FCC to dissolve the last monopoly in the telecom industry, and advising COMPTEL on competitiveness issues within the telecom industry. She also held a board position for SSPI. Negotiating with companies such as AT&T Sprint, MCI/WorldCom, Verizon, and SNET, Joanne has established a proven track record for customer satisfaction with ROI's that create a high level of professional credibility and the rewards of solid, mutually rewarding relationships. Joanne leads the Business Development and Sales initiatives for Flywheel Group.
Lee Hamilton, CTO
Lee's 20 years of experience represents a highly technical software engineering, systems analysis and network architecture background that is complemented by his strong expertise in market analysis, business modeling and venture finance. As Director of Wireless and Network Technology at the venture consulting subsidiary of SRI International, Lee lead technology and market analysis engagements, to provide C-level decision support on new initiatives, for clients ranging from Sprint to start-ups based on emerging Web related technologies. Prior to SRI Lee served in key roles as engineering manager, product manager and senior architect in the development of many successful commercial applications in the communications, financial, medical and scientific fields. He also co-authored a recent IEEE wireless standard. Lee also serves on the technical board of a Silicon Valley venture firm where he evaluates new opportunities and provides CTO leadership in early stage venture launch.
Greg Price, Associate
Greg brings a rich work history and corresponding skills to the Flywheel Group. He was most recently with NCR's Teradata division where he led a data warehouse product management and marketing organization focused on vertical industry solutions enabled complex data mining, measurement of critical business operations performance, and risk management analysis and prediction. He has held positions in client management, project management, process improvement, and strategic vendor/alliance management. Prior to NCR, he held various consulting positions with Cap Gemini, focused on the Fortune 500 firms; as well as Marketing and management positions with AT&T and Sprint. Greg has a proven track record of client solution delivery for key clients in consumer products, finance, and telecommunications. He has also worked in the Real Estate industry where he consulted with commercial building owners, residential building owners, and small to medium business owners. Greg leads the Program Management and Client Engagement Delivery initiatives for the Flywheel Group.
Pierre Kacha, Associate
With the benefit of two decades of management consulting and program management experience, Pierre is skilled in analyzing business processes and creating opportunities to maximize their yield by judiciously applying information technology solutions. Pierre has cultivated rich experience in portal development and e-business strategy. In particular, he has recently designed a Net Marketplace for a major health association for which he developed the underlying business model, preliminary revenue projections and technology costs, and the detailed design requirements. He also managed the system integrator selection process. For a prior employer, Pierre defined requirements for a residential construction industry portal. He worked with a leading manufacturer of construction supplies to define the business functions of the portal and to develop a plan for implementation.
Mark Mays, Vice President and CTO
Mark Mays represents decided expertise in building and hosting complex enterprise data management systems to support Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries so that executives could view of operations at both a summary level, while also providing drill-down information analysis for stronger issue analysis and decision-making. Mark's first program of this kind was built for MCI. Mark ran his own IT consulting company for over 10 years, specializing in Data Warehousing and Storage Area Networks. He served banner clients such as AT&T, WorldCom, Qwest, Lucent, the Pentagon, and Gates Rubber Company. He developed risk mitigation and disaster recovery plans for technical and non-technical resources for clients, including a Fortune 50 Corporation. More recently, Mark has developed high-speed Internet-based systems that support automated ETL, multi-tiered data warehouse architectures, and economical web-based on-line transaction systems and reporting of data warehouse information. In his career, Mr. Mays has architected, developed and implemented unique applications for PC-based, Sun OS, Solaris, mainframe, and Unix client server systems that have become products resold by reseller channels. Many of these became highly successful products that earned or saved the owners millions of dollars.
Tim Kiehl, Associate
Tim is an expert in disaster planning, preparedness & mitigation and bio-surveillance technologies. Projects he has conducted include a disaster preparedness review for the city of Seattle; a Bio-surveillance analysis for the city of Houston; an overall threat-readiness assessment for the state of Florida, and assessed bio threat preparedness plans and led the fire/EMS services redesign initiative for Washington, DC. Tim is also has expertise in Fire/EMS integrations, EMS systems & organizational design, and Cost-effective services consolidations. He has conducted Fire/EMS integration projects for the city of Fort Worth; Daytona & Broward County, FL; Clarkston & Bellingham, WA; Brookline, MA; Greenville, NC; and other cities across the U.S. Tim's re-design of the Houston Fire Department's EMS System showcased award-winning results, in terms of reduced response times and increased save rates. While at DARPA, Tim was responsible for commercializing counterintelligence tools for use in the civilian sector. Tim was N.C. State Disaster Commander for Hurricanes Gloria & Diana, as well as a toxic cleanup for a train derailment.
Pierre Kacha, Associate
With the benefit of two decades of management consulting and program management experience, Pierre is skilled in analyzing business processes and creating opportunities to maximize their yield by judiciously applying information technology solutions. Pierre has cultivated rich experience in portal development and e-business strategy. In particular, he has recently designed a Net Marketplace for a major health association for which he developed the underlying business model, preliminary revenue projections and technology costs, and the detailed design requirements. He also managed the system integrator selection process. For a prior employer, Pierre defined requirements for a residential construction industry portal. He worked with a leading manufacturer of construction supplies to define the business functions of the portal and to develop a plan for implementation.
Tom McKnight, Associate
With over 30 years of experience, Tom is a skilled business development professional in telecommunications and electronic media with experience in both large, small and start-up organizations. Key accomplishments include co-founding Orion Network Systems, Inc. (acquired by Loral), managing and executing the sale of PTAT (a private transatlantic fiber optic submarine cable) to Sprint, and consulting on complex technical programs for Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kuwait (immediately after Gulf War), Russia and Poland. Tom helps build value in young high technology businesses by means of creating customers, crafting strategic partnerships, finding capital, and creating and exploiting inherent sustainable advantages. Tom effectively launches new businesses by leveraging his extensive contacts with leaders in venture capital, investment banking, legal, technology, strategic/economic development, and key domestic and international market makers. Successful recent launches have included undersea cable in Baltic Ocean, a patented superconductor platform, web-based technical re-skilling program, wireless video streaming, CLEC, telemedicine enterprise, and a new internet service in Turkey.
Tom McKnight, Associate
With over 30 years of experience, Tom is a skilled business development professional in telecommunications and electronic media with experience in both large, small and start-up organizations. Key accomplishments include co-founding Orion Network Systems, Inc. (acquired by Loral), managing and executing the sale of PTAT (a private transatlantic fiber optic submarine cable) to Sprint, and consulting on complex technical programs for Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kuwait (immediately after Gulf War), Russia and Poland. Tom helps build value in young high technology businesses by means of creating customers, crafting strategic partnerships, finding capital, and creating and exploiting inherent sustainable advantages. Tom effectively launches new businesses by leveraging his extensive contacts with leaders in venture capital, investment banking, legal, technology, strategic/economic development, and key domestic and international market makers. Successful recent launches have included undersea cable in Baltic Ocean, a patented superconductor platform, web-based technical re-skilling program, wireless video streaming, CLEC, telemedicine enterprise, and a new internet service in Turkey.