Ed Boclair - QAD, Inc.

ED BOCLAIR has an extensive background in the ERP industry and has worked with manufacturing and distribution companies for over 20 years. Ed’s relationship with QAD began in 2000 when he joined Precision Software, a division of QAD, and later served as company President. He is now responsible for global sales and ensuring that all customers receive the highest level of service and value from QAD. Ed received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Mississippi State University and his MBA from Texas Christian University.

Tim McGhee - Logan Consulting

TIM McGHEE is the leader for the M&A and Strategy Practice for Logan Consulting. He has spent more than a decade in information technology leadership leading numerous acquisitions, divestiture events and manufacturing and technology projects.  In addition, Tim has extensive experience leading complex enterprise software engagements. His past work experience includes executive management leadership in both Information Technology and Operations Management fields, including CIO for a large international food manufacturing company. Tim has a deep understanding of both the business integration issues and risks associated with mergers and acquisitions and the separation activities associated with divestitures. He is well-experienced in guiding companies through successful Transition Services Agreements (TSA) exits, such as those associated with system migrations, data center moves and headcount/HR realignment. Tim has degrees in Operations and Production Control Management from Western Carolina University and DePaul University.

Daine Shanahan - GHSP

DAINE SHANAHAN currently services as Director of Business Applications for GHSP where he is responsible for 11 IT professionals in supporting a portfolio of business ranging from automotive parts to industrial equipment. Prior to his current role, he served as GHSP’s Global Manager of Business and Information Systems where he led and managed teams for application development, infrastructure requirements, and end point management. As an Advanced Process Engineer Daine also lead teams and participated in the implementation of World-Class Manufacturing techniques, such as single-piece-flow, line balancing, standard work, visual workplace, and waste elimination. He has a Bachelors in Engineering from Western Michigan University and received his MBA from Michigan State.

Mike Furgal - Progress

MIKE FURGAL started his career at Progress in 1989 in development.  He has held many different roles during the time including working on the OpenEdge database product and managing different development teams working on the OpenEdge database.  In 2012 he joined Bravepoint as Director of Database Services where he and his team are responsible for managing over 2,000 distinct databases and over 100 Terabytes of data and 165,000 connected users.  As a former developer of the OpenEdge database, Mike brings a unique perspective as both a consumer of the OpenEdge technology, but also a developer of the same technology.  Mike has presented highly technical topics around the world at nearly all of the Progress conferences and PUGs.

Gyles Garber - Excel Industries

GYLES GARBER serves as Systems Administration Manager for Excel Industries, Inc, and acts as the primary Systems Architect for the Information Technology systems.  His teams are responsible for the management and longevity of approximately 350 network users. Excel Industries is a private manufacturer of residential and commercial zero-turn mowers for the Hustler Turf Equipment and BigDog Mower brands. Gyles’ expertise is in UNIX systems administration, system and network protocol and security, and disaster recovery with maintained business workflow. His accomplishments since joining Excel in 2012 include the implementation and modernization of the wireless network and, most recently, an upgrade to Excel’s QAD environment. In addition to his experience at Excel Industries, he has managed and maintained a diverse set of systems, from wired/wireless service provider networks, to private branch exchange systems.

Cathy Fisher - Quistem, LLC

CATHY FISHER is founder and President of Quistem, LLC. With over 35 years of respected expertise in the Quality field, Cathy helps manufacturers in multiple industry sectors “find hidden money” in their operations, eliminate customer complaints permanently and develop a proactive Quality culture to achieve rapid business growth. Cathy has worked extensively in automotive manufacturing, starting her engineering career at General Motors AC Spark Plug Division in Flint, Michigan.  She was involved in several plant start-ups including BMW Manufacturing in Greer, South Carolina.  Over the past two decades, Cathy has helped over 500 manufacturing organizations implement integrated management systems to achieve international certification to ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. She is recognized as a global thought-leader in Operational Excellence through the practical application of management systems standards and quality tools.

Terry Onica - QAD, Inc.

TERRY ONICA is responsible for QAD product strategy and global market activities in the automotive sector, working in closely with customers and industry associations worldwide. She has focused her career on supply chain and technology in the automotive industry working prior at GM, Ford and Johnson Controls. Additionally, Terry has held several leadership positions in global automotive industry standards associations over the past 25 years. She currently serves as a steering committee member Supply Chain Steering Committee at Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG).  Terry is also one of the authors of the Materials Management Operations Guideline/ Logistics Evaluation (MMOG/LE).  She has been awarded outstanding achievement awards from both AIAG and Odette for being an ambassador and leader in driving the development and implementation of  global industry initiatives to advance materials management and  technology standards within automotive supply chains.

Ray Greenwood - Strategic Information Group

RAY GREENWOOD, Senior Vice President Consulting Services, currently leads Strategic’s nationwide consulting team. He has over 30 years of experience in Manufacturing Operations, QAD Consulting and Project Management. During his extensive career Ray has successfully led and managed dozens of QAD implementations encompassing all manufacturing verticals and company sizes. Ray has extensive experience with life sciences companies, their regulatory requirements, and is an expert in all aspects of enterprise software validation.

Isaac Stockwell - Outset Medical

Nectar Daloglou - OmegaServe

NECTAR DALOGLOU has been helping QAD customers achieve success with their QAD implementations for more than 10 years. He started his I.T. career with Progress and QAD software in 2000 at Access Commerce, integrating configurator solutions with QAD's MFG/PRO. He later joined QAD in 2003 where he has performed numerous successful installations, upgrades and technical audits of QAD products. Combining his QAD technical expertise and OpenEdge/Progress DBA skills, Nectar now works as an independent consultant where he is currently helping a large global automotive parts manufacturer roll out new MFG/PRO sites worldwide with QAD products including .NET UI, Qxtend and other add-ons.  He has also helped them achieve business continuity with their QAD products through performance tuning, on-going database and system administration and disaster recovery strategies.

Kelly Andrews - QAD, Inc.

KELLY ANDREWS is a product manager for Customer Management solutions at QAD, including Trade Activity Management, and has been at QAD for 20 years. She loves trying out all of the latest mobile apps to help keep her organized and entertained. An avid gardener and photographer, she spends as much time as possible outdoors. She loves living at the Jersey Shore and enjoys long walks shelling on the beach.

Marta Losada - QAD, Inc.

MARTA LOSADA has a Computer Science degree, a master in Business Informatics and she is a CSCP professional certified by APICS. She has worked in several IT companies in different roles until she joined QAD 10 years ago. She first joined as a business consultant and worked in implementation projects for several QAD customers; after 5 years working in this position, she started working in R&D as a Product Manager specialized in Supply Chain.

James Blankenship - Logan Consulting

JAMES BLANKENSHIP is a Partner with Logan Consulting and has over 25 years of consulting experience. His focus is in developing and implementing ERP software including Progress and QAD Enterprise Applications. He has experience managing and leading technical projects including project planning, technical supervision, system installation and administration, disaster recovery, contingency planning, system upgrades and conversions, and training of end users and technical resources. His QAD experience includes six global implementations in various capacities. James has a long history of Open Edge database tuning and ABL development. He has worked in the automotive, industrial chemicals, electronics, food and beverage, medical, and consumer products verticals.

Nicole Parker - QAD, Inc.

NICOLE PARKER is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in pre-sales consulting  for both hardware and software companies. She joined QAD as a business consultant in 2018 where she consults with organizations in several industry verticals including Life Sciences, Food and Beverage and Automotive, to improve the effectiveness of their business processes and maximize the ROI from QAD software. Before joining QAD, Parker spent 22 years at IBM were she was a Team Leader and Senior IT Sizing Architect for both the SAP and Oracle Sizing groups. Nicole Parker has a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration with a concentration on Operations Management and a minor in Management Information Systems from the University of Delaware.

Tim Lovely - Logan Consulting

TIM LOVELY joined Logan Consulting in 1995 where he has focused on helping companies in a variety of industries with complex operations and systems projects. Much of his focus has been in the ERP space working with QAD and its software offerings. He has a history of driving process re-engineering, strategic IT direction and business change as well as managing and delivering on all varieties of projects, from standard full life cycle ERP implementations to complex integrations, custom development efforts, and strategic assessments. Tim has extensive experience leading complex ERP projects, including projects associated with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and greenfield plants. His experience at the executive level in managing projects of all sizes has helped clients in the automotive, consumer, retail, food and beverage, and industrial/electronics verticals. Prior to Logan, Tim worked at PPG Industries, Fresenius Sistemi Terapeutici S.p.A, and at Borg-Warner Chemicals. He holds a Master of International Business from the University of South Carolina and a BA in Political Science from Emory University.

Scott Finkhouse - NN, Inc.

SCOTT FINKHOUSE is an IT executive at NN, Inc. with distinguished management experience leading technologies, resources, information systems deployment, and development divisions for high-growth organizations. He has repeated success guiding sizeable, cross-functional teams in the launch of leading-edge solutions driving record-setting optimizations while maximizing the bottom line. Scott successfully led the migration of Brazil’s QAD environment from on premise to the cloud ahead of schedule with zero production interruptions. Currently he is leading a team to centralize global QAD on-premise implementations to help increase uptime while reducing costs.

Alex Oliveri - Progress

ALEX OLIVERI, Senior Director of Professional Services for Progress has been a valued leader primarily focused on using the right technology to solve customer’s business problems through professional services, training, and technical management. Having worked at both a Progress direct customer and partner, Alex brings a complete view of the Progress ecosystem to his current position. With over 30 years of experience in application solutions, Alex is passionate about solving business problems and directing the Progress service delivery model in the America’s.

Glenn Graney - QAD, Inc.

GLENN GRANEY is currently the Director – Industrial & High Tech for QAD.  Glenn has 35+ years of leadership experience in advanced manufacturing and the associated supporting automation, business and information systems. He has contributed to the successful design and implementation of solutions across an entire range of the most demanding of industrial environments. Most recently, Glenn has been engaging with manufacturers on the exciting journey associated with digital transformation and the promise of Industry 4.0. He is a core member of the steering committee for QAD Labs initiatives and never tires of collaborating with QAD’s manufacturing customers. Glenn is an active member of both APICS and MESA and is a trained Six-Sigma Black Belt and a leader of Lean Manufacturing initiatives.  Glenn has both a BS & MS in Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering from Penn State.

John Polich - Logan Consulting

JOHN POLICH is a Senior Program/Project Manager within Logan Consulting’s QAD practice. Over the past ten years, John has successfully led global, multi-site, and international implementations of ERP systems like QAD, Epicor, SAP, and Infor. As a result of past project management and consulting roles, John has a deep understanding of various software and hardware solutions, inventory management, and enterprise asset management. Before transitioning into project management and consulting, John began his career managing various manufacturing facilities. He has extensive knowledge of the full “quote to cash” experience, as well as supply chain management and materials management. John holds a BA from the University of Michigan, Dearborn, and is PMI PMP certified.

Carlos Colmenares - Sungate Solutions

CARLOS COLMENARES has been involved with QAD for over 20 years. His experience includes management of international teams; management and execution of upgrades, implementation and development projects with local and remote teams; application consulting; business process review and improvement; business requirement gathering, development of functional and technical specifications, code development and testing; database administration; IT and end-user training.  He has an undergraduate degree in Systems Engineering from Universidad ICESI in Colombia and an MBA from Illinois State University. Carlos joined Sungate Solutions Inc. in 2016 as a principal consultant.

Don Lindsey - 32 Soft Inc.

DON LINDSEY is a knowledgeable Implementation Project Manager, Trainer and Business Analyst for all areas of QAD, having managed several large, complex projects since he started working with QAD systems in 1999. He has a diverse background in Manufacturing, Systems Management, Service & Support and Finance and has served in a wide variety of manufacturing industries from Medical to Electronics to Industrial to Consumer Products. An MRP expert, Don is a trainer for all QAD processes. He currently conducts monthly webinars and is a blog contributor on a variety of topics related to QAD and has presented at Explore and at regional QAD User conferences. He has spoken for many years at the APICS Conferences, having taught in the APICS Certification program at California State University at Fullerton for more than 20 years.

Kristin Valentyn - Phocas Software

John Sefton - Phocas Software

Walter Little - Bioness

WALTER LITTLE at Bioness, currently responsible for IT applications projects in the Finance, Clinical, Quality and Operations areas.  Over the last two decades, Walter has worked both in a diverse array of medical device industry roles in IT, R&D and Quality, primarily at Second Sight Medical Products.  From 2016 to 2019, Walter worked as a consultant at Strategic Information Group, assisting QAD customers with upgrades, QMS implementations, and business analyst/project management services, including an 18-month engagement with Nevro Corp.

Gary Yang - Roundview Technologies

GARY YANG is a veteran QAD consultant, being in the QAD consulting business since 1997.  He has worked as a senior consultant / solution architect at RCM Technologies before starting his own consulting business, Roundview Technologies in 2010.  Gary has worked with many QAD products and is well recognized in the QAD Community in advanced technologies such as QAD .Net UI, Dell Boomi, QXtend, Customer Self-Service and automotive sequencing.  Gary earned his Bachelor of Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and came to US in 1993 to attend graduate school at University of Michigan.

Soumak Dutta - CoorsTek

SOUMAK DUTTA has been working with QAD since 2008. He has worked with all versions of QAD from EB2 to QAD 2012 EE. His primary experience is within the manufacturing industry and has held titles from developer to QAD ERP Manager. Currently Soumak is working for Coorstek in Golden, CO as an ERP Development Manager leading a team of 5 individuals to support multiple versions of QAD spread across 20+ sites around the world. Within Coorstek, Soumak has helped bring in Dell Boomi as the primary integration/EDI software into and out of QAD. In this MWUG he will present the strength of Boomi and the type of integrations that it is capable of when working in conjunction with QXTEND.

Michael Solomon -  Solomon Consulting Inc.

MICHAEL G. SOLOMON, PhD, CISSP, PMP, CISM, PenTest+ is an author, educator, and consultant focusing on privacy, security, blockchain, and identity management. As an IT professional and consultant since 1987, Dr. Solomon has led project teams for many Fortune 500 companies and has authored and contributed to more than 25 books and numerous training courses. Dr. Solomon is a Professor of Cyber Security and Global Business with Blockchain Technology at the University of the Cumberlands, and holds a PhD in Computer Science and Informatics from Emory University.

Brent Shooltz - QAD, Inc.

BRENT SHOOLTZ started his career early, working throughout his college years at a Tier-1 automotive supplier, performing procurement and engineering functions. Joining QAD in 1997, he has worked in Sales, Customer Account Management, Global Support Services, and currently Product Manager for QAD’s Shop Floor Automation Solutions. Brent specializes in MFG/PRO distribution and manufacturing, specifically the Planning & Scheduling Workbenches and Internal Supply Chain Synchronization tool sets. He has provided services ranging from implementation PM support, troubleshooting and business process analysis at more than 100 customer sites. Brent has a bachelor's degree in Integrated Supply Chain Management from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. He is certified in both APICS CPIM and SSCP programs.

John Schmidt - Strategic Information Group

JOHN SCHMIDT is a key member of Strategic Information Group’s Managed Services Management team and helps oversee the Managed Database Administration services. John has several years of experience in Information Technology, Quality, Consulting, Management and Manufacturing. He has a track record of helping companies achieve their objectives from a systems and business process perspective. John joined Strategic in 2013 as the Manager of Managed Services and previously served as a System Architect with IMRIS, a QAD customer and engineer-to-order, Medical Device manufacturer. At IMRIS John was instrumental in driving projects forward including Currency Conversions, QAD upgrades, Eagle Barcoding, Mobile Field Services, Business Process Management, Service and Support Management and much more. Prior to IMRIS John held System Analyst, Project Management, Performance and Load Test Manager and Computer Analyst/Programmer roles.

Jagadish Perumal - SI-Bone Inc.

JAGADISH PERUMAL is currently working as Associate Director, IT Applications at SI-BONE. Prior to that he was at Nevro for 4+ Years leading their IT Applications Department. Jagadish is technically sophisticated and business savvy management professional with a career reflecting strong leadership qualifications coupled with hands-on IT and networking expertise. Jagadish has been in the Medical Device space since 2006 and worked at large companies (Acclarent, a J&J Division) as well mid-size companies (OSI Systems, Nevro). Jagadish has extensive experience in Applications at all levels with QAD ERP being the primary platform. Jagadish has managed and executed several QAD Implementations and Upgrades, and currently using QAD 2018 EE. He has been a SIG Client since 2012.

Naresh Babu - Arista Consulting

NARESH BABU currently works as Delivery Manager with Arista Consulting. He has 24 Years of IT industry experience with over 15 years of QAD consulting experience.  Naresh has implemented QAD across various industries namely Automotive, Industrial Manufacturing and trading. While he has implementation knowledge on all QAD modules, his core strength is as a functional consultant in the QAD finance module. Naresh is thoroughly versed in various implementation phases such as business process mapping, Gap analysis, application integration, process automation, and user training.

Dave Keeney - Kronos Foods

Ron Racine - Strategic Information Group

RON RACINE, Senior Technical Consultant for Strategic is an expert in designing, developing and implementing advanced QAD functionality particularly in QAD Financials.  He has in-depth technical and functional knowledge in QAD Financials and developed many tool sets like Enterprise Banking Solution (EBS) to improve financial management efficiency for our customers.  He had been with Strategic Information Group for over 23 years. He earned B.ASc in Engineering from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.

Mike Furgal - Progress

MIKE FURGAL started his career at Progress in 1989 in development.  He has held many different roles during the time including working on the OpenEdge database product and managing different development teams working on the OpenEdge database.  In 2012 he joined Bravepoint as Director of Database Services where he and his team are responsible for managing over 2,000 distinct databases and over 100 Terabytes of data and 165,000 connected users.  As a former developer of the OpenEdge database, Mike brings a unique perspective as both a consumer of the OpenEdge technology, but also a developer of the same technology.  Mike has presented highly technical topics around the world at nearly all of the Progress conferences and PUGs.

Joel Schneider - Liberty Technology Advisors

JOEL SCHNEIDER founded Liberty Technology Advisors in 1995 with the goal of helping manufacturers improve their business operations through better use of technology. Since then, LTA has grown into a respected independent advisory firm, helping hundreds of businesses succeed through Business Process Reengineering, Organizational Change Management, Software Evaluation and Selection, Program and Project Management, Digital Security, IT Infrastructure, and E-commerce and Digital Transformation. LTA’s first project involved the evaluation, selection and implementation of QAD for a client in the Chicago Suburbs.  They remain a happy and very successful QAD customer today.

Andrew Weinstein - ISS Group

ANDY WEINSTEIN is the CEO of Integrated Systems and Services Group (ISS Group), a Business Process Improvement software solutions developer headquartered in New Jersey. Andrew founded ISS Group in 1986 and leads the company in delivering BPI solutions to Fortune 1000 and mid-market manufacturing and distribution organizations throughout the U.S. Andy's strategic responsibilities include determining the vision, policies, business direction and growth objectives of ISS Group’s market focus, performing business development activities, and determining the composition of the company's product and services solutions portfolio. Prior to founding ISS Group, Andy worked in the Management Consulting Services department of a mid-sized Accounting Firm in NYC from 1981 - 1986. He has a BA in Computer Science from Rutgers University and has achieved over 40 credits toward an MBA in Information Systems Technology from Pace University. Andy also teaches Business Intelligence for Supply Chain and Marketing at the Rutgers Business School and has also sat on the Industry Advisory Board at Rutgers University’s Computer Science Department.

Lori Braun - ISS Group

LORI BRAUN has worked in the QAD space for 20 years, supporting companies such as Modular Assembly Innovations, American Trim, and Continental Structural Plastics.  She has functional expertise across the master data, inventory, manufacturing, sales, purchasing, and scheduling modules, both as a user and support consultant. She also is skilled in some of the QAD administrative functions, such as browse and operational metric creation and menu security.  Her educational background includes finance, computer programming and general business.

Tom Oldham - Cyberscience

TOM OLDHAM has worked with Progress since 1992, QAD since 1993 and Cyberquery since 2004. He spent 27 years with Mueller Industries in varying roles from Finance to I.T. Tom has managed and participated in numerous ERP and Business Analytics projects. He was largely responsible for building a robust Data Warehouse using SQL, Progress and Cyberquery to help drive Mueller’s business analytics from ad hoc reports to Sales Force CRM tools to Executive Scorecards and Dashboards.   He left Mueller in 2019 as a Director in I.T. to pursue a career and passion at Cyberscience in helping clients with their reporting and analysis needs. Tom has a B.S. in Finance from Kansas State University and is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) as well as Certified in Financial Management (CFM).  

Minela Covic, CPA - Logan Consulting

MINELA COVIC is cross-practice ERP delivery consultant, with an emphasis on implementing Enterprise Resource Planning applications for manufacturing, distribution and service companies. Minela has a deep understanding of best practice business processes related to finance and how to effectively report and track financial data related to a company’s key performance indicators and EBITDA drivers. Minela has demonstrated capabilities in project management, financial process design, training, data migration, financial report writing, and master data related ERP configuration. She supports multiple clients and issues at a given time and is well-versed in business analysis and troubleshooting in the financial workstream, as well as ‘quote to cash’ and ‘procure to pay’. Minela has a Bachelor of Science degree from DePaul University and is a licensed CPA in the State of Illinois.

Dane Gardner - Carlisle Brake & Friction

DANE GARDNER, Director of Business Intelligence & Analytics is using self-service analytics to digitally transform Carlisle and establish the medium for one single source of truth. Over the past two years, with QAD being the main driver, Dane has utilized Alteryx and Power BI to create and automate cross-functional reporting for the Brake and Friction division. Going forward, he will be tasked with establishing a COE for Carlisle and focus on implementing similar functionality across the remaining divisions. Prior to Carlisle, Dane worked at GE Lighting for 8 years, where he completed the Plant Finance Leadership program, led the implementation of the COPC (SAP) module and became the subject matter expert in Controlling and Product Costing. Dane has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Lake Erie College.

Scott Dulecki - Sungate Solutions

SCOTT DULECKI has been helping companies better utilize QAD and Progress since 1994. He is a frequent and popular presenter at many regional QAD and Progress User Groups, as well as at QAD's annual Explore conference. He is the author of Safe Haven: Archiving in MFG/PRO, Safe Haven: MFG/PRO Basics, and Back to Basics: Dump and Load. He serves on the Midwest MFG/PRO User Group board as the technical track manager. He founded and serves as President of the West Michigan Progress Users Group, as well as being past President of the Michigan Progress Users Group. Scott received an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA from the University of Detroit. He has been recognized as Certified in Production and Inventory Management by APICS, as a Distinguished Toastmaster by Toastmasters International, and as PEGger of the Year by the Progress Email Group (PEG), and is also an avid CRPG player.

Gunnar Shelton - Sun-Maid

GUNNAR SHELTON has worked at Sun-Maid for six years, with the past 2 ½ years in the role of Demand Planning Manager. Previous experiences within Sun-Maid include Shipping Manager and Demand Planning Analyst. Prior to SunMaid, he worked as a Quality Improvement Analyst for FQHC and as a Consultant in the Cosmetics industry. Gunnar holds an MBA with a Focus on Business Intelligence from Cal State Fullerton, and Undergraduate degree from University of California, Santa Barbara in Business/Economics and History.