FOUNDERS
Dianne Gubin
Sometimes in the business world you meet a "Natural", a business person that loves it, that loves what they're doing. That's Dianne Gubin. With energy in abundance, enthusiasm and huge smile, Dianne is a natural connector, a networker extraordinaire.
Dianne’s career includes over 20 years of B2B sales and account management with Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, and fast-growth companies. Her work includes selling staffing and consulting services across industries.
Currently, Dianne works with Amplify Professional Services providing retained, direct hire and staff augmentation services for IT related projects. Prior to this, Dianne was responsible for business development at a billion dollar staffing agency, as well as a project management company. Earlier, she was the founder and president of Tech Exec Partners, an IT consulting services firm.
Dianne is a frequent speaker for professional organizations, as well as a media guest expert and TV show host. Her specialties include issues related to career, business, and women entrepreneurship.
An avid blogger and consummate networker, Dianne’s speaking programs for Pens-to-Pumps, Lets Keep America Working, and Job Hunting Game Strategies, along with her Spiral Up Coaching program have helped many with their professional development and entrepreneurial pursuits. Dianne volunteers as Director of Amplify Roundtables, invitation only executive networking events for peer professionals from Fortune 1000 and fast growth companies. She is the former founder and president of Women in Technology International, LA Chapter (WITI-LA).
Dianne’s latest project is a television pilot, “So What’s It Take To Work There” which features online retailer Zappos. In addition to staffing, she is currently creating reality shows in the career space.
Dianne lives with her family in the Los Angeles area where she enjoys hiking, the beaches and oh yes, more networking.
Lee Schwing
Lee Schwing, entrepreneur and social media specialist, draws upon her extensive technology experience and Web 2.0 projects, to guide small and medium-sized business clients to optimize their websites and navigate the world of social media. Schwing and her leading edge marketing team create cutting edge strategies to leverage all of the Internet and social media tools (SEO, SEM, PPC, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp, City Search, YouTube, blogs, expert articles, email/auto responders, press releases, traditional PR and more) to drive traffic to your website.
Lee’s move into the higher echelons of the technology consultancy world originated in a series of explorations in higher thinking, emotional evolution and deep spiritual pursuits. After her education at Antioch and Goddard, the attainment of a Management Development for Entrepreneurs degree earned at Anderson School of Business at UCLA led to her to create and establish four companies within a three year period.
Currently Lee is also the CIO of MomLifeTV and recently performed a re-branding of the Hardlight Center of Awakening, which grew this spiritual organization into an international entity.
As Chief Technology Officer at the nation’s foremost entertainment law firm, Ziffren & Brittenham LLP for 17 years, she created and oversaw the information infrastructure that supported some of the biggest deals in Hollywood history. Multi-billion dollar deals that range from the sale of the Beatles library to Michael Jackson – to the creation of DirectTV and Dreamworks. Lee created a contract management software program that could track the backend of the firm’s major Hollywood deals. This represented a significant bump in their revenue stream and for the first time archived the famed A-list legal entity’s deals into a highly accessible database.
For the World Shoe Association, the largest B-B trade show producer, Lee created information systems supporting more than $50M in annual sales
Lee sits on the executive boards of Caltech/MIT Business Enterprise Forum and The Impact Roundtable.
To find out more about Lee, please visit: www.LeeSchwing.com
ADVISORY BOARD
JoAnn Ashman
JoAnn Warcholic Ashman has held executive level positions at Johnson & Johnson, Apple Computer, Time Warner, and Kellwood where her innovative ideas set the stage for positive change. Her Fortune 500 expertise spans eCommerce, information technology, marketing, and operations. Today, as principal of Ashman Enterprises, JoAnn challenges clients to include people, processes and technology in new business solutions.
In addition to serving as a charter member of Apple’s mentor program, JoAnn’s background includes staffing, promoting, and restructuring teams, with a focus on developing and mentoring future leaders. Her work includes career development and sponsorship of numerous direct reports to VP, CIO and general management positions.
JoAnn served on the boards of Women in Technology International (WITI-LA) chairing their Mentor Program, as well as Introplus, Tech Exec Partners, Inc., and EDCC, Inc.
She is a widely sought public speaker and has participated as a keynote for WITI National, the Acordia/Royal, and Sun Alliance Distinguished Lecture Series at the College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University, as well as university panels, industry conferences and professional association events.
JoAnn was named one of the top 100 Women in Technology by McGraw-Hill. She holds a B.S. degree from West Virginia University and an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She completed advanced management programs at Harvard University and INSEAD.
JoAnn lives in Pasadena, California with her husband. Now that both of her daughters are in college, JoAnn successfully completed three marathons.
Steve Catt
"Through every encounter with those I come in contact with, my clients, my candidates my employees, my business associates and acquaintances, I am committed to add value. I will add this value by making them more productive, more marketable, more knowledgeable and will enhance the personal and/or professional lives of people I deal with to the very best of my ability-every time, all the time"
This mantra has been the driving force and one of the keys to the success of Steve Catt, who has over almost 20 years built the reputation as one of the most respected and effective players in the high end IT and Business Recruiting Space in all of Southern California. Steve has worked with literally hundreds of companies and thousands of professionals, utilizing his boundless energy, industry knowledge and keen sense of humor to bring together professionals who can provide specific desired outcomes with the organizations that desperate need those outcomes, in essence-the perfect win/win scenario. A graduate of USC, Steve has always been involved in high technology and providing solutions, working for such firms as NCR, Storage Tech and IBM Systems prior to entering the people business.
Steve is serial entrepreneur, founding two companies and is always open to a new crazy idea. He also lectures on business and career development at The Cal State Fullerton School of Business, presents to civic and business organizations and mentors college graduates on personal branding and career guidance.
Steve lives in Whittier with his wonderful wife Amy where both are enjoying life as “empty nesters.” Steve is involved in numerous charitable organizations, including the Interfaith Food Center and St. Bruno’ Catholic Church. Steve’s passions include walking his three dogs, tennis, biking and rooting for his beloved Indianapolis Colts.
Alyson Dutch
From the moment she left high school, Alyson Dutch knew she’d be in the marketing business and it only was due to her family’s arm twisting that she landed an education in advertising before setting out into the wild world of public relations. Today, the product launch PR specialist has an uncanny knack for extracting the most newsworthy aspects of any product immediately. And oddly enough, she sees everything from personalities, pet acupuncture, high tech services to eco-luxury hotel properties as “products.” Her superhero level x-ray vision for this was developed by a high flying and adventurous career that started in her native Los Angeles at the famed Rogers & Cowan Agency. Somewhere along the way, she arrived on the Paramount lot where she scandalously absconded with job requisitions that led to providing the publicity for the Miss Universe, USA and Teen USA Pageants for CBS-TV, several trips around the world (and a few to Wichita). Dutch became an international specialist working in cities from Taiwan to Bangkok, a highlight of which was in South Africa representing Sun City during the fall of apartheid. When the internet was still young, she was the first to book talent for online “celebrity chat rooms” for AOL, and Oldsmobile. Since then, she has touted the newsworthy attributes of clients such as Mrs. Fields Cookies, Tokyo Coca Cola’s Green Tea Terrace, Perrier Jouet, Taittinger and Mumm Champagnes, Metabolife, Swatch, the legendary Beach Boys, an actress who designed a bra to eliminate back fat and even fingertip toothbrushes.
At the helm of Brown + Dutch Public Relations since 1996, Dutch authored the ‘PR Handbook for Entrepreneurs’ in 2008 and launched Consumer Product Events the following year. Just for fun, she wrote a book called ‘The Pageant Diaries: Confessions of a Beauty Pageant Publicist,’ and more seriously is also working on the story of her father’s life, “Poopsie,” a Hungarian Holocaust survivor.
Dutch is as straightforward, genuine, and savvy as they come. She is just as adept at handling snowboarders as dignitaries, CEO’s and stars. She possesses an innate knowledge of how to position companies, people, and products to gain a specific objective, whether it be to attract economic investment, to find distribution, or to handle a public relations crisis. Her passion for her work drives her to apply her knowledge in a creative, yet methodical manner. In addition, she has a keen understanding of the cultural sensitivities that rule the marketplace and knows how to command the media’s attention.
In her spare time, she can be found skiing on the steepest terrain that scares her friends, while balancing a glass of French Bordeaux in a proper Riedel glass, of course. She has a penchant for fast cars, yellow Labradors and being outside when the sun is shining.
Michelle Elkins
Michelle is Director of Information Technology for Global Technology Services, a shared services organization within Honeywell International. In this role she provides overall leadership for implementation of global information technology (IT) projects. Joining Honeywell in 1997, Michelle has held various IT positions with increasing responsibility in several Honeywell business units where she was responsible for operation of IT systems, new technology, infrastructure, application development, and support.
Michelle earned her degree in Business Management from Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. She is ITIL and Greenbelt certified.
In addition to her work with Honeywell, Michelle sits on several boards, including California State University, Los Angeles – IT Advisory Board, Network of Women in Technology and Southern California Society of Information Management.
Cheryl Forbes
Throughout a 26 year progressive career of strategic planning, global program management, building Project Management Organizations, and leading organizational change, Cheryl specializes in turning around distressed projects and architecting programs that bring new strategic initiatives to life. She has a natural flair for breaking down complex problems and removing barriers, thus enabling global and domestic teams to deliver exceptional business results.
As an executive, Cheryl drives strategic execution to realize organizational vision and goals. She provides both the leadership and direction needed to execute the successful delivery of both domestic and global enterprise-wide corporate initiatives.
Cheryl is an expert in advancing organizational change. She is known for her exceptional ability to facilitate lively, energetic, and highly engaged work sessions which foster a safe environment where people are respected and heard as they creatively participate in developing unique solutions. Her passion is bringing people together, removing barriers, and creating engaged and productive global and domestic teams which deliver high performance products and services.
Cheryl’s extensive hands-on experience and client work encompasses a wide spectrum of industries, including, healthcare, medical instruments, hospitality, manufacturing, management consulting and financial services. She has worked with companies including Florida Hospital, Karl Storz, Marriott International, Kraft Foods, PwC, Fleet Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank
A frequent guest speaker at various CIO Forums, Cheryl presents on topics including “Project Milestone Retrospectives for Large Projects” and “Piloting Through Internal Organizational Barriers.” Cheryl authored a white paper, “Change Management – How It Affects Project Outcomes.”
Cheryl is a co-founding member of the professional woman’s networking group, “POWER” (Professional Orlando Women Expanding Relationships). She also created and facilitated a workshop, “Me & My Community” which teamed high school Junior Achievement students with locally influential female executives in exploring solutions for Central Florida’s biggest community problems.
Having spent much of her career travelling the world for consulting and business, Cheryl is now happily putting down roots in Southern California, where she and her husband are having fun exploring for their new home, as well as walking on the beach with their dog.
Cheryl received her MBA from Wake Forest University and is Prosci (ADKAR) Change Management certified.
Nikki HM Jackson
Entrepreneur, Algorithmic Search Engine Optimization Expert, Inventor
Founder of Goldranking Website Marketing Agency, the leading Orange County SEO eCommerce and lead generating firm, Nikki HM Jackson, entrepreneur, has been involved with a wide variety of clients and projects from international charities to academic institutions to public companies notably Kiwanis International, Saddleback College, UC Irvine Extension, New Century Mortgage, The Brown Shoe Corporation and Cedars Sinai Hospital~Dept. of Neurology.
Jackson's experience as a technology expert, entrepreneur, and business owner led her to create and trademark a software technology system that helps businesses decrease their acquisition costs by at least 80% and increase their online advertising return on investment (ROI) by 60%.
Exceptionally hard working, Ms. Jackson carved out successes for her web marketing company increasing yearly sales and profits consistently since 1999. She has been certified through Google's Adwords Professional program and is certified through Microsoft's adExcellence programs.
Jackson has helped hundreds of Orange County business owners and executives by authoring and conducting monthly web marketing training classes and seminars for the Irvine Chamber of Commerce's 1,000+ company membership.
Nikki has been a guest speaker to numerous organizations including 200 businesswomen at WomenSage Re-Invent Yourself! founded by Jane Glenn Haas, NAWBO
(National Association Of Women Business Owners), and the Association Of Internet Professionals.
She has been interviewed on Business Talk Radio with Dianne Gubin and by Small Business Journalist Jan Norman of the Orange County Register.
In 2012 Ms. Jackson was honored as an Orange County Business Journal "Women In Business" Awards Nominee and an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of The Year Nominee.
Nikki has served on the Board of Directors for numerous non-profit organizations including as Executive Vice President for the Forum For Women Entrepreneurs representing the Los Angeles and Orange County areas and as Corporate Relations Director for the University of California Irvine Womens Opportunities Center where she additionally taught quarterly classes on "Starting and Marketing A Successful Website Business". She has also served on the Board of Advisors for the Orange Coast College Business Department, Costa Mesa California.
In 2007 Nikki was honored as an Irvine Chamber of Commerce Member Of The Year Nominee as well as serving the Chamber's constituency by volunteering on the Marketing Committee, Seminar Committee, and Technology Committee simultaneously.
In 2003 Nikki served as Public Relations Director on the Board of Directors of the World Organization of Webmasters, an organization for web professionals offering education, mentorship, online training, technical support, employment information, and Internet legal guidance.
Roberta Jacobs
Founding CEO, and Chief Operating Officer, BetterWorks
Cobaltcard from American Express and GreenWare Technologies
Founding CEO of Cobaltcard from American Express and GreenWare Technologies, Roberta Jacobs is a strategic business leader and C-suite executive who helped build some of world's most successful consumer brands including Alf, Cabbage Patch, Crayola, Hot Wheels, Mission Impossible, Popples, Rainbow Brite, Rugrats, Sega, Spongebob, and Star Trek.
Over the past 10 years, Roberta has been a successful consultant and interim executive writing business, strategic and turnaround plans for American Express, Craigslist, Hewlett Packard and First Data Corporation among others. While residing in the Bay Area she wrote business and fund raising documents for seven start-up companies two of which she founded. Roberta was the Founding CEO of Cobaltcard from American Express and GreenWare Technologies. She also taught the class “Entrepreneurship” at the University of California at Berkeley, Haas School of Business MBA Program. Most recently she was instrumental in the sale of two companies, a start-up to First Data Corporation and a re-start to Forstmann Little. Roberta has been on several boards including Craigslist Foundation. Roberta is currently writing business plans for and working with start-ups in Los Angeles, CA.
Tommie E. Joe
Mr. Joe is a business executive who has built a highly successful career in such diverse industries as telecommunications, banking, healthcare, information technology, software development, and petroleum. Throughout his career he has demonstrated his ability to build and grow businesses by articulating vision, creating strategic plans, streamlining operations and removing silos. He is respected by his peers and colleagues for his insistence on adherence to corporate values that create cohesive teams that deliver better bottom line results.
In January of 2012, Mr. Joe became the President and COO of ISD Corporation a leader in the Justice Software industry.
Prior to ISD, Mr. Joe served as President and COO of Public Communications Services, a telecommunications and software application enterprise for law enforcement. In this role, he grew the business from $5 million to more than $85 million. He increased revenues 250% and net profit 170% within a four year timeframe. In addition, he designed and created operational efficiencies that grew gross profit from 24% to 34% in three years. In 2010, PCS was sold to the market leader after receiving an unsolicited all cash offer from the company. Mr. Joe was blessed in having an equity piece in the company and began “giving back” by mentoring at the post graduate MBA level at USC, UCLA and Pepperdine.
Previously in his career, Mr. Joe was the Vice President of Operations for North Communications. Here, he managed a team of more than 50 software engineers and support personnel that developed Internet-based, banking kiosk applications. Mr. Joe began his career as an engineer for Exxon Company, USA, where he progressed up the management ranks to manage multi-million dollar offshore oil and gas exploration and development projects in the Gulf of Mexico and California. Mr. Joe then became Chief Operating Officer for CyberOptions, Inc., a consulting and product development firm specializing in the healthcare industry.
Mr. Joe received his MBA in Information Technology Management from California Lutheran University and his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is active in several community and professional groups, including Vistage International and the Forum for Corporate Directors. He is a Certified Director and a Board Member for the Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts.
Karina Klever
Ms. Karina Klever brings over 25 years of IT experience to Amplify. Ms. Klever’s specialty is identifying operational gaps in infrastructure organizations, and developing mitigating strategies to mature efficiencies not only in IT groups, but cross-departmentally. Ms. Klever guides organizations through necessary change and structures controls which provide growth opportunities.
Ms. Klever started her technology career as a computer operator/programmer, which has engrained an appreciation for technology capabilities and an understanding of how technology enables business objectives. This experience was broadened when Ms. Klever moved onto project management where she deployed many infrastructure solutions. While project managing, Ms. Klever witnessed gaps outside of the project management scope that if addressed, would provide greater continuity for operations amongst departments – Which is how the Program Management portion of Ms. Klever’s career started.
Ms. Klever integrates common-sense controls and processes which identify and address operational deficiencies, while aligning with maturity objectives. Companies that have benefitted from Ms. Klever’s “change agent” approach were in various industries such as banking, mortgage, eComm, retail, and biotech. Ms. Klever’s experience with processes reengineering addresses core technology competencies, workload measurement/streamlining, financial controls, audit best-practices and establishing continual improvement. Ms. Klever’s understanding of Project Management methodologies either enhance established methodology at companies, or result in right-sized recommendations for companies that do not have methodologies in place.
Ms. Klever lives in Thousand Oaks, CA and has a B.S., in Management and an AA in Computer Programming.
Michele Lando
In 1994, Michele Lando co-founded Skilset Communications with the purpose of helping companies such as Akamai Technologies, Bosley Medical, Cisco Systems, Cedars-Sinai, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Forest Lawn, Kaiser Permanente, Metropolitan Water District, National Water and Power, Prudential, Wells Fargo and X-drive, to name a few, reach their full potential in developing their brand, communicating integrated messages, and effectively creating competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Michele serves as a lead strategist on all accounts and looks for ways to enhance the perception of her clients in the marketplace, ways to align internal and external philosophies and messages to create strength in the brand through congruency and always looks at the full picture – meaning beyond marketing to sales revenue and how all efforts lead to a measurable return on the client’s investment.
Michele believes that treating clients as business partners brings a level of accountability and joy to the working relationship that is essential to creating the best outcomes for our clients.
Prior to launching Skilset Communications Inc., Michele was a highly successful sales strategist (among the top 2% of female earners nationally before age 28). She developed and delivered a global marketing training program to thousands of worldwide sales associates for a fortune 500 firm. She has been and continues to be a well-received public speaker.
Recognizing a gap between sales implementation and marketing efforts, Michele used her sales and presentation knowledge to develop a training division at Skilset Communications. The training is customized to each client and takes various forms to ensure marketing expenditures are executed through the sales process to yield a return on investments.
Michele is a standing board advisor of the National Museum of Women’s History, as well as an active board member of Amplify Roundtable and Big Thinking Women. She grew up in LA, was educated at UCLA and continues to reside in Los Angeles today with her husband of 26 years. They own what they fondly refer to as the original money pit, a vintage 1926 Spanish Revival home. When they are REALLY relaxing they are travelling – favoring Portugal!
Sue Simone
Sponsorship & Partnership Executive
Sue Simone specializes in connecting well-aligned partners and sponsors through strategic planning and compelling marketing communications to achieve maximum results.
Sue’s business development, technology and marketing career grew from five years as VP, Business Development at DZN GROUP and 15 years as National VP of Sales & Marketing for DMI/ Quixote/ Myriad Entertainment where she introduced hundreds of entertainment, education and corporate executives and artists to evolving digital technologies and managed a wide array of interactive productions.
Sue’s passion to make a difference sparked her interest in creating unique partnerships with causes in engaging and authentic ways: to competitively position brands, raise awareness, strengthen reputations, increase revenues, client and stakeholder loyalty and volunteerism including: Urban Farming; Delivering Happiness© at Work (Zappos spin-off); Academy of Business Leadership; Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship; Grameen Research; CauseCast; Big Brothers Big Sisters; California Institute of Mental Health; LA County Education Foundation; SoCal American Marketing Association and Kidsave.
Sue received her B.A. in Social Ecology and Teaching Credential from UC Irvine where she managed KUCI FM radio station for five years and produced public affairs, news, music and cultural programs, coordinated UCI’s Interactive Television and also served as President of the University of California Radio Network.
Sue enjoys applying her combined expertise in business development, sales, marketing, social responsibility, employee engagement, partnerships and sponsorships to ensuring win/win solutions for all involved.
Sue Stebbins
Sue Stebbins is best known as the “New Brain for Success” leadership results expert. For the past 19 years, Sue and her company Successwaves (a brain-based coaching and consulting firm) have become the ‘go to’ resource for a global clientele of high impact leaders – those who are focused on solving the world’s greatest challenges and building breakthrough value through innovative business development.
Coming from a highly successful background in selling to the C-and Executive Suites of the Fortune 100, Sue helps executives, leaders and sales teams to harness the power of the new brain-based research in order to overcome obstacles, implement clear leadership, and ultimately, achieve exponential growth and performance. Clients refer to her consulting experts as the “New Leader’s Future” -- for their trend knowledge, futurist insights and brain-based leadership.
Having worked with teams on several continents, Sue and her staff create the ideal environment for your leaders to experience accelerated skill building, with programs such as: 21st Century Influencing for Growth, The New Trust-Based Influencer, Selling to The C-Suite, Building Trust and Value, and Leading Decisions in a Low Trust Environment.
Sue lives in Norwalk CT with her partner David, a brain-based internet marketing consultant. They love hiking in nature and passionately partnering with people whose success metric is defined by how they can add value to and change the world. To find out more about Successwaves, please visit http://successwaves.com.
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