Executive Team

Tom Kelly, President and CEO

Tom is a veteran of the technology industry, with more than 25 years of experience working in numerous executive leadership roles.  From software start-ups to billion-dollar technology companies, he has an established reputation of leadership in a wide range of executive management roles including strategic business development, sales, finance and operations. Tom’s experience includes a special emphasis on high-growth organizations.

Tom was CEO of Epicor Software (Nasdaq:EPIC), where he also served on its board of directors for eight years.  He has been the CEO of MontaVista Software (acquired by Cavium Networks, Nasdaq:CAVM), Bluestar Solutions (acquired by Affiliated Computer Services, NYSE:ACS) and Blaze Software (Nasdaq:BLZE, acquired by Brokat Systems).   He has led companies through rapid growth, successful IPOs and strategic acquisitions.

Previously Tom held executive positions at Cirrus Logic (COO), Frame Technology (EVP) and Cadence Design Systems (CFO). Tom holds a B.S. degree in economics from Santa Clara University. He serves on the Board of Directors of FEI Company (Nasdaq:FEIC) and the Santa Clara University Board of Regents.

Steve Papermaster, Executive Chairman

Since founding the company, Steve Papermaster has guided nGenera’s vision to transform its customers into Collaborative Enterprises. His other entrepreneurial experiences include serving as Chairman, CEO and/or board member for several public and private companies. They include: Powershift Ventures L.P., Perficient, Inc.(Nasdaq: PRFT), Vignette Corporation (Nasdaq: VIGN), Per Se Technologies/acquired by McKesson (Nasdaq: PSTI/NYSE: MCK); Tipping Point Technologies/acquired by 3Com (Nasdaq: TPTI/COMS), BSG Corp., LabNow Inc., and ROME Corp. Mr. Papermaster's leadership roles in these companies have spanned start-up stages through revenues of over $500 million/yr and/or market caps of over several billion dollars.

Mr. Papermaster has also provided innovative, constructive leadership to several public sector initiatives which impact United States and international policies for science, technology, and economic development. Primary among these is his role on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), which he was appointed to by President George W. Bush in 2001. He has worked closely with the White House and Administration of President George W. Bush, Congress, federal and state agencies, international counterparts and the private sector to help PCAST formulate and deliver their recommendations and provide selected oversight functions.

Mr. Papermaster is a recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and has served as a national judge and represented the United States as the judge for the World Entrepreneur of the Year awards. He is active as a community leader with organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Innovation Alliance, and 360 Summits.

Brian K. Magierski, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer

Brian is an experienced entrepreneur and startup executive in the area of software and Web services targeted at global enterprises. As SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Brian is responsible for nGenera's strategy, partnerships & alliances, and mergers & acquisitions activity. He also has responsibility for nGenera's Customer Interaction Management (CIM) business. He co-founded Kalivo, an Enterprise 2.0 collaboration Software-as-a-Service provider, and served as its President and CEO before nGenera acquired the company. Brian was also the co-founder, Chairman and CEO of iMark.com, Inc., a business-to-business Web marketplace for trading surplus goods that sold to FreeMarkets for $340 million. In 2000, he placed as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Austin, TX and is currently a member of the advisory council for Cornell University's entrepreneurship program, Entrepreneurship@Cornell. Brian blogs at http://brian.magierski.com and can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmagierski. Brian has a BS from Cornell University and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

Brian Blond, SVP, Global Sales

Brian is a veteran software sales executive who has consistently been both a leader and a top performer in high growth sales organizations.  Brian joins us from BMC Software (NASDAQ: BMC) where he was an Area Director.  Prior to BMC, Brian was a Regional Director at BladeLogic (NASDAQ: BLOG), which was acquired by BMC.  During his tenure at BladeLogic, Brian was instrumental in building a team that helped make BladeLogic one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies of the past decade culminating with a successful IPO in 2007.  Prior to BladeLogic, Brian held sales and leadership positions at Oracle, 170 Systems, and Inktomi.  Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri.

Cydney Berry, SVP, Customer Delivery

Prior to joining nGenera, Cydney was Vice President, Services and Customer Support for TransactTools, a software company acquired by the New York Stock Exchange in 2007. Cydney has been in the technology business for over 20 years and held executive leadership positions at both software and services companies, including Atos Origin and Parametric Technology. Cydney has extensive global experience, having held leadership positions with responsibilities for operations in Europe, South America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Cydney has an MBA from the University of Houston and a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Sanjay Uppal, SVP, Chief Financial Officer

Sanjay Uppal brings 30 years of experience in financial and accounting management to his role as CFO for nGenera, with significant experience in the software and services sector.

He most recently served as the CFO for Montavista Software Inc, a privately held embedded linux company that was sold to Cavium Networks.  Prior to Montavista, Sanjay served as the CFO/Vice President of Finance for KSR, Continuent, Bluestar Solutions, Extensil, and Challenger Systems, where he was responsible for financial and accounting functions, developing strategic plans and leading several rounds of funding efforts.

Prior to that, Sanjay spent over 10 years at Amdahl Corporation, where he held a variety of senior finance roles. Early in his career, Sanjay was an analyst in the M&A group of Coopers & Lybrand and an auditor with KPMG.

Sanjay is a Chartered Accountant and has an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BA from the University of Bombay. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Susie Buehler, SVP, People

Susie has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources Management, Recruiting, and Organizational Development in high-growth entrepreneurial ventures and  established technology companies. Prior to joining nGenera, Susie led human resources and recruiting at several venture-funded start-up companies including Dazel, acquired by Hewlett-Packard, Surgient Networks, and Mirage Networks. She has prior experience with BSG, Ernst & Young, Compaq, and EDS, specializing in recruiting, training and developing effective teams. Susie has a MA degree from Rice University and a BA degree from Texas Tech.

Nikhil Govindaraj, VP Products

Nikhil Govindaraj is Vice President of Products at nGenera. In this role Nikhil is responsible for all aspects of Product Management and Engineering including strategy, design, development and quality assurance. Nikhil brings nGenera more than 13 years of experience in contact center management. Nikhil joined nGenera, then Talisma, in 2000 and has served in several key roles within the organization including Product Management and Sales Engineering. Nikhil earned his MBA in Systems and Marketing from Symbiosis, India.

Denise Fitzgerald, VP Customer Support

As Vice President of Customer Support for nGenera, Denise is responsible for creating a world-class customer support experience. Denise brings over 18 years of experience in building strong, quality-focused customer support teams in a wide range of environments—from small startups to Fortune 100 organizations including the Department of Defense, Caterpillar, and Accenture. Prior to her work at nGenera, she was Director of Product Support at Talisma Corporation. Additionally, Denise was the Senior Manager of Systems and Quality at Classmates.com where she was responsible for the quality of the support experience delivered to the site’s 50 million members.

Tara Sporrer, VP Marketing and Sales Operations

Tara brings over 15 years of business experience as a customer operations and marketing professional in the enterprise software industry. In her role with nGenera, Tara is responsible for delivering corporate communications and marketing programs to positively impact the company’s market presence, revenue achievement, and profitability.

Prior to joining nGenera, Tara served as Director of Worldwide Customer Operations, Alliance Management, and Web Marketing at Talisma Corporation. Here she was responsible for the company’s customer experience, partner development, and Web presence. Prior to her work at Talisma, Tara was responsible for Customer and Sales Operations at eAssist Global Solutions where she provided enterprise-wide development and support for critical sales and marketing functions. Additionally, Tara managed several key retail accounts including Deal Time, Esprit, and Estee Lauder as Account Director of Web marketing companies Epidemic Marketing and Double-Click.

Don Tapscott, Chairman, nGenera Insight

Don is one of the world’s leading authorities on business strategy and how information technology changes business, government and society. Don is Chairman of nGenera Insight and directs several of Insight’s research and education programs, serving a marquee list of Global 2000 customers. He served as founder and chairman of the international think tank New Paradigm before its acquisition by nGenera. Don was recently named one of the 50 most influential living management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50. He is an internationally sought writer, consultant and speaker. His clients include top executives of many of the world’s largest corporations and government leaders from many countries. He is a fellow of the World Economic Forum and Adjunct Professor at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Tapscott is the author of 13 widely-read books about information technology in business and society, including 2007’s bestselling business book in the US, Wikinomics (co-authored with Anthony Williams), as well as Paradigm Shift, The Digital Economy, and The Naked Corporation. His most recent book, Grown Up Digital, is a sequel to his 1997 bestseller Growing Up Digital. Coming in September 2010, Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World. Don holds a B.Sc. In Psychology and Statistics, an M.Ed. specializing in Research Methodology, and three Doctor of Laws (Hon) granted from the University of Alberta in 2001,from Trent University in 2006 and from McMaster University in 2010.

Joan Bigham, SVP, nGenera Insight

Joan Bigham is EVP nGenera Insight and is responsible for the success of nGenera Insight research programs and Onsite collaboration services.  At nGenera, Joan has led the Collaborative Enterprise Management sales organization and been Program Director for Marketing and Sales 2.0 – Enabling the New Customer Experience, now called Marketing Insight.   As EVP Strategy and Business Development for New Paradigm, Joan launched the landmark research programs Information Technology & Competitive Advantage and The Net Generation Strategic Investigation which have evolved to become nGenera Enterprise Insight and Talent Insight.  Joan spent over a decade at Xerox in sales and marketing positions culminating in VP Sales and Marketing for Xerox Computer Services.  An experienced technology consultant and educator, Joan concentrates on the transfer and application of nGenera strategic insights and technologies to large organizations.   Joan graduated from Vassar College, holds an MBA from Boston University and recently completed her Doctoral degree in Organizational Learning and Leadership at Columbia University.