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Jim Cook

June 11, 2025 by Megan Esposito

Jim doesn’t approach HR as a department: he sees it as an operating system.

After 35 years building, optimizing, and re-architecting that system, he knows exactly what it takes to connect culture with capability and strategy with structure.

Part CHRO, part enterprise architect, Jim has spent his career working both sides of the HR equation: as a people-first leader who’s rebuilt teams from the ground up, and as a certified Microsoft Dynamics 365 FO HR expert trusted to implement enterprise-grade systems. That rare blend of strategic vision and technical depth makes him a uniquely effective advisor.

Across roles in tech, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and professional services, Jim has led HR transformations post-IPO, guided ERP rollouts, and coached executive teams through growth, restructuring, and modernization.

Some career highlights include:

Principal Consultant & Senior Architect – Hitachi Solutions
Leads HCM strategy and deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365 FO HR for enterprise clients. Advises on digital transformation projects that integrate HRIS, payroll, and business operations into a unified, scalable platform. Aligns systems with human capital goals to build resilient, future-ready organizations.

Chief Human Resources Officer – Bob Jones University
Reorganized and modernized HR, recruiting, and leadership development across campus. Led employee health and safety programs, supported large-scale institutional shifts, and positioned HR as a driver of organizational change.

Vice President, Human Resources – Ortec Inc.
Member of the leadership team during a period of FDA-regulated plant expansion and global growth. Designed and implemented Microsoft AX2012 ERP for the entire organization, while restructuring the HR function to support cGMP operations.

CHRO & VP roles at Manhattan Associates, Intellinet, The Cliffs Communities, PaySys
Built global HR and recruiting teams during periods of hypergrowth and transition. Hired thousands of employees across North America and Europe, designed OD programs, and played key roles in ERP and business systems modernization.

At TechCXO, Jim serves as a fractional CHRO and strategic advisor, helping leadership teams design human capital strategies that scale, as well as the systems that support them. He’s certified in Microsoft Dynamics 365 FO HR and brings a deep commitment to organizations that put people first and culture at the center.

Jim earned his BS in Accounting from Bob Jones University, and continued his Executive Education in Market Sustainability at Harvard University.

Joe Fenten

November 21, 2024 by Megan Esposito

Scaling Vision. Driving Execution. Delivering Results.

Joe Fenten is a battle-tested founder, disciplined operator, and strategic CEO who fixes execution at its core—eliminating bottlenecks, structuring leadership for scale, and designing execution systems that drive results.

As a Partner in TechCXO’s Executive Operations practice, Joe works alongside CEOs and investors to turn vision into action, align leadership teams, and build execution engines that create long-term scalability. Unlike many COOs who simply optimize, Joe is both the glue and the driver—aligning teams, executing strategy, and stepping into the CEO seat when needed.

Why CEOs & Investors Bring Joe In
* Scaling Without Breaking – Structuring operations to sustain rapid growth while protecting profitability
* Leadership That Executes – Aligning CEOs, teams, and decision-making to accelerate execution speed
* Investor & Exit Readiness – Strengthening operations to drive higher valuations and smoother transitions
* More Than Strategy—Execution That Sticks – Implementing scalable systems that continue delivering long after engagement

Proven Results Across Industries
Joe has helped companies across SaaS, luxury e-commerce, construction, staffing, professional services, manufacturing, hospitality, and tourism achieve:
* 25% improvement in operational efficiency without adding headcount
* 40% faster decision-making by implementing structured execution frameworks
* 83% ARR growth and 50% CAC reduction through scalable execution systems
* $2M+ in incremental revenue unlocked through operational optimization

Entrepreneurial Leadership Track Record
As the founder & CEO of South Carolina’s first craft distillery, Joe built an award-winning business and led it to a private equity exit. During COVID-19, he pivoted operations to sanitizer production, securing partnerships with BMW, Boeing, and Ace Hardware while driving record-breaking profitability.
* 200% increase in cash flow and 50%+ revenue growth (2021-2022)
* 80%+ production efficiency (OEE) and 90%+ employee retention
* Navigated a complex operational pivot that preserved jobs and sustained high profitability

Core Offerings
* Fractional COO & Interim CEO Leadership – Aligning operations and leadership to drive scalable execution and long-term growth
* Execution Optimization & Leadership Alignment – Helping CEOs build high-performance teams, decision-making structures, and accountability systems
* Process & Systems Architecture – Designing operational frameworks, performance metrics, and automation strategies for efficiency and scale
* Strategic Readiness & Exit Planning – Preparing companies for funding, acquisitions, and leadership transitions
* Execution Readiness Index (ERI) – Identifying execution gaps and measuring operational maturity
* Execution Readiness Index – A diagnostic assessment Identifying execution gaps and measuring execution maturity across People (leadership, accountability), Process (operational flow, efficiency), and Performance (KPIs, financials)

Credentials & Leadership
* B.S. Electrical Engineering, Clemson University | Certified Professional Engineer (PE)
* EOS Integrator | Fractional COO & Execution Coach
* Active mentor in South Carolina’s startup ecosystem

Beyond Business
Joe thrives on solving complex operational challenges, turning vision into execution, and scaling companies without the chaos. He’s just as comfortable in the boardroom as he is in the trenches, working alongside CEOs to build what’s next.
Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his wife and two children—values that shape his pragmatic, people-first leadership style.

Amanda Sparks

May 9, 2024 by Megan Esposito

Amanda has a diverse background inside of multiple Fortune 500 companies, including Ahold Delhaize, Amazon, and ABB, leading procurement, cost modeling and reduction, contract negotiation, logistics, supply chain, marketing, media, and revenue growth strategy projects.  Her work has resulted in well over $1B in cost savings over her 12-year career, but more importantly, she has injected innovation and simplicity into each business challenge she has tackled, leading to her being hired by her stakeholders on multiple occasions to manage the new paradigm she created.

After many years in large enterprise organizations, Amanda wanted to reverse engineer the sales and marketing process and apply many things she had learned being on the prospect side of “the deal.” She excelled in the world of Revenue Operations, applying technology and data and process engineering to create a best-in-class system that resulted in a 224% increase in open pipeline valuation and a 300% increase in a number of open deals year over year at her first company.  

Now, she is working with multiple other companies applying the same system to scale their revenue strategies in a similar way.  Amanda has found that RevOps is the most valuable and easily applied distillation of everything she learned in her corporate career; it is also fun to implement and tune and watch a great RevOps strategy take off like a rocket.

Amanda still has passion, though, and continues to work on projects in cost modeling (especially around raw commodity management), supply chain / logistics, risk management (workers’ comp, actuarial modeling), and all types of contract negotiation with vendors for services and products from her time in corporate procurement (she is a fierce negotiator). 

Terry Ziemniak

February 12, 2024 by greenmellen

Terry Ziemniak is a Partner in TechCXO’s Product and technology practice. He is a cybersecurity leader who is called on by Boards, investors, and senior management teams to support healthcare, service organizations, retail, finance, and manufacturing companies—along with government agencies and contractors—as a fractional CiSO. Throughout his career, Terry has successfully overseen security programs in companies of varied industries, sizes, and cultures. He excels in building solutions and programs that are scalable, pragmatic, and risk-based.

Terry’s areas of expertise include:

  • Cybersecurity Executive Planning and Strategy
  • HIPAA/SOC2/PCI Audit Prep
  • IT Governance
  • Risk Management
  • Vulnerability Assessment and Management
  • Identity and Access Management
  • Security Awareness & Operations
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Threat Intelligence
  • Incident Management

During his distinguished career, Terry has held the following key roles:

Chief Information Security Officer (CiSO) & AVP, Carolinas HealthCare System – Terry served as the executive leader responsible for the development and delivery of comprehensive cybersecurity programs ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information owned, controlled, or processed by Carolinas Healthcare, an 18 hospital system with annual revenues of $5.9B. Terry created a multi-year security roadmap incorporating input from executive leadership, external consultancy, and internal and external stakeholders. He also implemented and led a CISO collaborative that included 20 partner hospitals. By leveraging partnerships, he drove down costs for licensing and services for members. He also designed a comprehensive, multi-channel outreach program to provide role-specific, timely security education and awareness for the enterprise, which decreased risky behavior by 56%.

Director, IT Security and Compliance, Presence Health – As corporate Information Security Officer, Terry provided strategic, tactical, and operational leadership in all aspects of cybersecurity. He ensured information systems adhere to corporate and governmental mandates. He also partnered with IS and business leaders to implement a risk-based approach to corporate cybersecurity. He built out or expanded many programs such as risk assessments, data loss prevention, vulnerability management, auditing, incident management, and security training.

Team Lead Security Operations, Sears – Terry managed a team of security engineers with responsibility for vulnerability management, intrusion detection and computer incident response for this Fortune 100 organization. He worked with corporate audit and compliance, and implemented programs helping SHC maintain compliance to PCI, HIPAA, SOX and other internal corporate standards. He also led efforts to redesign corporate vulnerability management. The resulting program supported a 70-fold increase in the number of devices, automated reporting, and advanced remediation tracking.  Terry also oversaw a major expansion of the corporate intrusion detection program resulting in a 10-fold increase in monitored traffic and implementation of proactive intrusion prevention and automated blocking.

Terry also held leadership positions with Healthcare Information Systems and Subject, Wills and Co. He began his career with iFulfillment.

As a fractional security executive, Terry has driven key, high-impact initiatives, including:

$3B Revenue Healthcare Organization – For this long-term engagement Terry was tasked with a complete reorganization of their cybersecurity organization.  During the engagement, he created a new CISO Office, reporting up to Legal, that pulled cybersecurity out of IT.  Key work efforts included enhanced business leadership engagement, cyber security strategy, and roadmap documents approved by senior leadership, department staffing and budgeting, security operational improvement programs, and design of organizational risk management program.

$1B Revenue Healthcare Organization – Terry was brought in to create a new cybersecurity organization based on the merger of two legacy health systems.  He worked with business leaders, IT staff, and organizational partners to buy-in and support a new strategic security roadmap.  Key work efforts include assessment of incident response plans, review of prior assessments, and delivery of prioritized roadmap.

$10M Revenue Data Analytics Organization – As the fractional CISO, Terry provided security expertise for this fast-growing startup. Key initiatives included the creation of a cybersecurity steering committee, cloud controls assessment, third-party risk management process, cyber insurance policy assessment, and user awareness program.

 

Debbie Schleicher

October 6, 2023 by Megan Esposito

Debbie Schleicher is a Partner in TechCXO’s Finance and Operations practice. Debbie is a strategic executive and CPA with a diverse operations and industry background that includes expertise in Marketplace, SaaS, Generative AI, Fintech, Proptech, Indoor Vertical Farming, eCommerce, and Business Products and Services.

Debbie has offered fractional CFO services and consulting to companies including Student First Technologies (EdTech/Fintech), Scale to Win (SaaS), Beanstalk (Vertical Farming), STAR EV (Vehicle OEM), Fetcher (SaaS AI staffing); RentCheck (SaaS proptech with property management); LePrix (online luxury goods marketplace); ACV Auctions (online used vehicle auction); Aucto (B2B industrial asset auction); iGAM (robotic equipment marketplace); Hypori (SaaS B2B BYOD security); and Idea4Industry (SaaS MDM platform).

Debbie’s core proficiencies include:

  • Financial Modeling and Forecasting (FP&A)
  • Budget and Cash Management
  • GAAP/SEC Reporting
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Capital Raise/Debt Structuring
  • Team Development and Outsourced Function Management
  • Procurement, Vendor, and Contract Management
  • Banking Relations
  • Systems Implementations
  • Tax Management

Debbie’s career highlights include:

CFO, EasyKnock, Inc. – Debbie led strategic finance, capital markets, underwriting, accounting, treasury, tax, and FP&A functions for this Series C/D proptech company that helps homeowners unlock equity in their homes. She also established an organizational structure, completed the first independent financial statement audit, and rebuilt the company’s financial forecast model.

CFO, Greenlight Financial Technology – At this fintech venture, Debbie led the finance and accounting department, negotiated large vendor contracts to improve unit economics, and joined the founders to successfully complete a $54M Series B capital raise.

CFO, IronPlanet – Debbie led a finance team of over 35 direct reports and led IPO readiness efforts. She developed an infrastructure to scale the marketplace GMV from $0.5 billion to $1.3 billion over a two-year period, doubling revenues over that period. She also completed a $20 million equity raise and structured a $55 million credit facility to support two M&A transactions. Debbie was a key team member in executing the largest strategic partnership for the company, which positioned the company for an IPO and subsequent sale to a public company for $758M.

Debbie has also served in leadership roles in global public accounting firms where she crossed multiple service areas, including audit, tax and systems implementations. She served as a Partner with Grant Thornton where she was the Partner in charge of the Tax and Finance Optimization and Global Compliance service lines for the firm. She also served as Partner, SC&H Group, and Managing Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she led the tax compliance service line for the McLean, VA office. Debbie began her career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen before becoming a partner in the tax division, specializing in M&A, Tax Function Outsourcing, and Accounting Methods.

Debbie is a Certified Public Accountant and a distinguished graduate of the University of Delaware, holding a BS in Accounting.

Joe Johnston

August 17, 2023 by greenmellen

Joe Johnston is a Partner in TechCXO’s Finance and Accounting practice. He is called on by entreprenuers, investors, and senior leadership teams to assist them as an interim and fractional Chief Financial Officer, with a particular focus on Real Estate and Construction.

Joe has a track record of driving profitable growth, identifying gaps, and streamlining processes to nurture startups to middle-market companies. His specific areas of expertise include:

  • M&A, Due Diligence & Sell-Side Preparation
  • Long-term forecasting models
  • New investment decisions
  • Financial reporting process improvement
  • Accounting department restructure
  • Capital raise efforts
  • Evaluation of potential new ERP systems for implementation
  • Gross-to-net revenue deduction analysis

Joe’s career highlights include:

Vice President of Finance, PulteGroup (PHM), Southeast Area – Joe was responsible for the growth and profitability of the 5 markets within the  Southeast region, aligning with the objectives of this nationally recognized homebuilder.

CFO, GWTanks (Private) – Joe worked closely with the founder to double revenues to $20M by capitalizing on ancillary transport and logistics revenue streams and skillfully negotiating a Private Equity-backed acquisition.

Vice President of Finance, Lennar (LEN), Coastal Carolinas – Joe steered finance initiatives for the Coastal Carolinas region, emphasizing real estate finance and informed business strategies.

Vice President and CFO, The Jackson Companies (Private) – Joe oversaw a diverse real estate portfolio spanning commercial, residential, and resort sectors with this Family Office. He was pivotal in identifying and capitalizing on new business ventures, including acquisitions and developments.

Director of Finance and Accounting, WestRock Company (WRK) – Joe was instrumental in the strategic transition of WestRock’s forestry division into a dedicated real estate development entity as he led a team responsible for $500M – $1B in assets.

Division Controller, Centex Homes (PHM) – Joe spearheaded teams across multiple departments, managing assets up to $130M and overseeing the annual closure of 500-900 housing units.

Vice President and CFO, Tadian Homes (Private) – Joe led a 13-member team across several departments in a dynamic, expanding environment. He managed assets totaling $150MM, encompassing various ventures such as homebuilding, land development, and joint initiatives.

Joe is a proud alumnus of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, where he earned his BBA. He also holds an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Babcock School of Business at Wake Forest University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Scott Gregory

June 12, 2023 by Megan Esposito

Scott is a software architect with over 15 years of experience in the information security industry. He has deep knowledge of operating systems and cloud platforms with programming experience in more than 10 languages. Scott is adept at building resilient systems that can scale with high availability and performance. He has significant experience with the software development lifecycle, including implementation to ensure that end customers realize the value of newly released features and functionality. Scott has a passion for architecture and engineering leadership, along with developing new code that helps to grow business. Scott is a mentor at heart and has successfully built engineering organizations and products that grew companies tenfold.

Samantha Starling

February 13, 2023 by Megan Esposito

Samantha Starling joined TechCXO more than a decade ago as its first Director in the Revenue Growth group. She quickly advanced and became the first Principal for the group, providing a wide range of martech solutions services. Throughout these years with the firm, she has been engaged with hundreds of clients in dozens of verticals. Samantha has designed business process blueprints that create, track, update, and analyze data from start to finish. She and her team have used those blueprints, coupled with the client’s needs, to build efficient, cost-effective solution sets. These solution sets successfully capture and manage data from the point of entry through the entire customer journey, whether it ends in churn or attrition. All of this results in clean, accurate, reportable data from which reports and dashboards are built in order to effectively manage and analyze the business.

Having exposure to a multitude of companies, Samantha configured systems for a wide range of business processes, including:

  • Board and C-level reporting and dashboards
  • Lead generation, capture and qualification
  • Marketing automation and sales qualification
  • Sales processes: new business, upsells/expansions and recurring revenue renewals
  • Products and services, pricing models
  • Contracting, billing and revenue recognition
  • Implementation of client services and issue tracking
  • Customer onboarding and success

An expert in multiple solutions, Samantha has been engaged by clients for new, out-of-the-box implementations; one-time projects for specific business needs; a complete overhaul of existing processes; hazmat clean-up of existing instances; and retained admin services.

The list includes Salesforce.com, Insightly, Hubspot, Account Engagement (Pardot), CPQ, QuickBooks, Maxio (SaaS Optics), Stripe, DocuSign, PandaDoc, Formstack, DBSync, Zapier, Netsuite, Zendesk, Intacct, Sales Navigator, JIRA, Outreach, Salesloft and dozens of others.

Prior to joining TechCXO, Samantha was a Director of Marketing for an EBPP, print and digital mail solutions firm based in Charlotte. During that tenure, she managed all marketing efforts, including the launch of a mobile utility payment app and her first implementation of Salesforce.com across six departments. She managed that implementation without outside consultancy assistance, which led her career to where it is now.

Prior to that position, Samantha owned and managed a local weekly newspaper outside Charlotte.

Brian Lora

January 12, 2023 by greenmellen

Brian Lora is a Product & Technology Partner based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Brian’s exceptional track record as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for high-growth start-ups and mid-market commercial software companies includes more than 18 successful buy-side and sell-side acquisitions to private equity and strategic firms.

Brian balances his deep tech, analytical, and software engineering capabilities with innovative product creation, leadership management, and lifecycle insights to modernize and accelerate SaaS companies’ growth.

His specialties include:

  • Commercial Product Development & Product Strategy
  • Technology Strategy
  • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
  • Public/Private Cloud
  • Software/Web/Mobile Development
  • Agile Practices
  • SoftwareArchitecture & Platform design
  • Data Analytics
  • New Product Introduction
  • Technology Due Diligence
  • Acquisitions  & Integrations.

During his distinguished career, Brian’s leadership roles have included:

CTO & CIO, Live Oak (NASDAQ: LOB) – Brian created and executed a strategic technology plan to create 2nd generation, API-based cloud services platform to enable innovative, next-generation online and mobile banking solutions. He modernized online banking solutions and stabilized and replaced legacy online capabilities, enabling consistent growth and business performance to bring more value to the small/midsize banking clients of Live Oak. Tripled the size of the customer base with new modern product offerings, which enabled the stock price to grow from $13 per share to over $80.

CIO & Chief Architect, Sageworks (Acquired by AKKR) – Brian was hired by the company founder after numerous successful technology consulting projects to modernize product development & technology organization capabilities, prepare for successful exit and lead all technical due diligence & future integration planning with the new PE owner.

CTO & CIO, Dude Solutions (PE-backed by Warburg Pincus) – Brian led all commercial operating aspects of Product Management, Product Development/Software Engineering, Architecture, IT/Infrastructure/Security to create a modern portfolio of SaaS (Browser & Native Mobile) products focusing on facilities operations management, innovative IT solutions, events, energy, safety, and data analytics across four major industry verticals (Education, Government, Healthcare, Manufacturing). More than 12 major product introductions and major product releases created more than $1.2B in SAM through organic and product roadmaps. New bookings increased by 70+%, and subscription revenue/ARR of 30+% year-over-year.

CTO & CIO, RegEd/StoneRiver SRC (PE-backed by Stone Point Capital) – Brian led all aspects of technology, product development/software engineering, IT/Infrastructure/Security for StoneRiver SRC (a technology holding company composed of RegEd, Emerald Connect, and F&C). He was recruited by the private equity firm to bring comprehensive technology leadership and execution, including the digital transformation of aged technology platforms & fueling new growth through organic & inorganic product development and integration. He led initiatives that scaled growth to more than 4M+ end users and enabled revenue (ARR) growth from $ 21M to $80M.

In addition, Brian has held leadership positions with IBM’s Information Protection Services, Arsenal Digital Solutions (acquired by IBM), Storability (acquired by Sun/Oracle), and Tivoli Systems (acquired by IBM). Brian has been honored as a CIO of the Year – Innovation & Transformation by the Triangle Business Journal and holds multiple US and international patents as lead inventor for innovative “S3” SaaS architecture. He also served as an Outside Board Member for North Carolina State’s College of Engineering and Computer Science and is a frequent speaker at key industry and technical conferences.

Brian received his BS in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Jeff Fitzharris

September 20, 2022 by Megan Esposito

Jeff Fitzharris is an accounting and finance professional with over 15 years of experience working in public accounting and private industry. He specializes in technical accounting, financial reporting and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, tax compliance, audit oversight, and 401(k) administration. His career spans numerous industries, including transportation, manufacturing, and technology.

Prior to joining TechCXO, Jeff was a Director for BoomTown, a Software as a Service (SAAS) company based in Charleston, SC. His special project work for BoomTown included M&A integration, ERP migration, sales tax nexus, and KPI tracking. He’s passionate about helping businesses grow using actionable data and loves the progressive, dynamic nature of the technology sector.

In addition to being a licensed CPA in the state of SC, Jeff earned a BA from the College of Charleston, an MBA from The Citadel, and a MACC from the University of South Carolina.

Emmett Ferri

June 13, 2022 by Megan Esposito

Emmett Ferri is a well-rounded strategic finance leader and Fractional CFO with broad-based experience across commercial finance and accounting, along with proven expertise in M&A.

Since joining TechCXO, Emmett has served as the CFO to a number of businesses across Technology, Software (SaaS), and Services, often with a focus on helping businesses prepare for and execute on M&A and capital raises, in addition to assisting with ongoing operational and strategic needs. Emmett also provides consulting services related to transaction support, quality of earnings, financial modeling, and other finance or accounting matters.

Emmett has partnered with early & growth-stage, VC & PE-backed, and corporate businesses with a focus on the Technology, Software (SaaS), and Services across a range of verticals including AI, Cybersecurity, Healthcare, Supply Chain, Education, and more.

His background includes:

  • M&A guidance, due diligence & sell-side preparation
  • Capital raising
  • Financial planning & analysis (FP&A)
  • Financial modeling & forecasting
  • KPI development & analytics
  • Financial reporting
  • Business partnering
  • Corporate development

In addition, he has significant expertise in GAAP & technical accounting, audit support, corporate strategy, project management, and data-driven operational improvement.

Prior to joining TechCXO, Emmett held a strategic finance leadership role with Telstra Health, the leading Australian-based provider of health software (SaaS) products, where Emmett served as the head of finance for multiple business segments as well as held a leadership role in driving the M&A strategy and execution during a period of accelerated, “step change” organic and inorganic growth.

Emmett began his career spending more than 11 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers across M&A Transaction Services, Corporate Finance, and Assurance in the Carolinas market and based internationally in Sydney, Australia, where he primarily focused on supporting privately held businesses and provided advisory services on more than $10B of M&A transactions.

Emmett is a CPA and graduated with honors from the College of Charleston.

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David Johnston

February 15, 2022 by greenmellen

A transformative technology executive with over 25 years of experience, David Johnston specializes in leading complex IT transformations to drive strategic business growth. He seamlessly aligns technology with enterprise strategy, optimizing operations, accelerating innovation, and maximizing ROI. A catalyst for change, David excels at delivering cost efficiencies, enhancing operational resilience, and turning IT into a competitive advantage that fuels long-term success.

Katie Reilly

February 15, 2022 by Megan Esposito

Katie Reilly is an experienced product executive specializing in early and growth-stage B2B and B2B2C SaaS companies. She partners with founders, boards, and C-level leaders to guide startups and scaleups through critical growth phases, driving new product launches, optimizing go-to-market (GTM) strategies, and scaling high-performing teams. Katie often serves in interim and fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO), Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), and Chief Customer Officer (CCO) roles.

Before joining TechCXO, Katie led product strategy and executive operations for venture-backed and privately held organizations across healthcare, life sciences, eCommerce, and fin-tech. She has successfully scaled international teams, delivered software solutions, and launched innovative products that created value and drove revenue growth.

At TechCXO, Katie has guided multiple companies through successful 0-to-1 product launches, product-led growth (PLG) strategies, and agile transformations. As the Product Practice Lead at TechCXO, she ensures high-caliber product and design resources execute effectively across client engagements.

Katie leads with expertise in the following areas:
* Strategic Roadmap Development
* Product Planning & Prioritization Workshops
* Go-to-Market Strategy & Pricing
* Product Marketing & Customer Success Programs
* Competitive, Market, and Customer Research
* Product Design Best Practices
* Agile Software Development

During her distinguished career, Katie has served as:
* Executive Product Leader & Board Director, SellerLabs: Drove growth of an eCommerce platform with 8+ product lines, optimizing revenue through M&A and new product launches.
* Head of Customer Success, SellerLabs: Built a Customer Success team that improved lifetime value by +1.4 years and increased customer satisfaction by +32% through data-driven PLG engagement strategies.
* Ecommerce Marketplace Executive: Launched multiple digitally native brands on platforms like Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, and eBay, specializing in multi-channel brand management and Amazon advertising and conversion strategies.
* Product Leader, Pokitdok: Led product strategy for a Series B health-tech startup, specializing in clearinghouse services, blockchain identity management, and drug cost transparency tools.

Katie has also held key leadership roles at Medical University of South Carolina, Health Sciences South Carolina, and Bank of America.

Katie holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Clemson University and an MBA with a focus in Leadership & Entrepreneurship from The Citadel. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®).

Bryan Dennstedt

January 22, 2022 by Megan Esposito

Bryan Dennstedt is an accomplished Fractional CTO or Fractional CIO with TechCXO in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he has focused his efforts as a hands-on Fractional CTO and Interim CIO with numerous clients. He is an expert in mobile application development, healthcare integrations, and all aspects of telemedicine and has worked on over 40 engagements in a fractional capacity for the firm. His experience includes managing all information technology operations, from fractional CTO product development to Interim CIO large-scale technology migrations. Bryan works to ensure that his clients’ high-level Information Technology roadmaps are well-defined and then digs into the details to ensure that established metrics, accountability, and results are being delivered by the team he leads. Once a client is up and running with his methodologies, the Fractional CIO capacity can be leveraged in an ongoing model, and it can be ramped up to Part-Time CIO as needed throughout a project.

He has worked with numerous clients, including a healthcare patient engagement platform, a telemedicine therapy offering, and a medical device company during security audits and FDA approvals.

Bryan’s experience as a technology executive includes serving as the CTO/CIO of iPic Entertainment, where he directed teams in the management and continuous improvement of technology for iPic theaters, encompassing mobile applications, websites, intranet, projectors, and infrastructure. He was also the CTO/CIO of MDLIVE, where he grew the team from 7 to 80+ members and established a highly available 99.99% uptime production environment. He provided critical leadership in the launch of the first version of the MDLIVE patient mobile telemedicine application.

In addition, Bryan was the Fractional CTO of ProMed Clinical Systems, where he directed the migration of the entire platform from client-server architecture to a SaaS model in the cloud. He was also the CTO/CIO of City Power Marketing, where he designed a flagship product suite, a web-based platform that grew to encompass all trading tools, including bid submissions, business intelligence, and financial dashboards used daily by the trading team.

If you are looking for a Fractional CTO or Fractional Chief Technology Officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bryan Dennstedt is the ideal candidate to help your business grow and thrive. Contact him today to learn more about his expertise and how he can help your company succeed.

He received his BS in Information Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Please reach out to Bryan for all your Interim CTO, and Fractional CIO needs.

Lori Parro

January 21, 2022 by Megan Esposito

Lori is currently a Raleigh, NC and Carolinas CFO / Finance and Operations Partner with TechCXO LLC, a national fractional C-Suite contracting firm based in Atlanta, GA. Lori brings more than 25 years of financial and operational leadership with a proven track record of execution, having served as CFO in life sciences (pharma / drug development / medical device / CRO) and the SaaS software technology sectors. Many of Lori’s client companies have been long-term engagements, saving clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in finance and operations overhead costs.

Lori has extensive strategic experience in emerging market and accelerated growth environments,.helping clients with

  • Capital formation
  • GAAP/IFRS accounting incl ASC606
  • Corporate funding and capital raise
  • KPI/growth metrics
  • Gross margin analysis and growth
  • Product design and pricing
  • Sales ops and operations oversight
  • Human capital and benefits mgmt
  • Business modeling & strategic planning
  • Cash flow strategies and cash burn mgmt
  • M&A
  • Unique experience with management and compliance of federal funding (Federal contracts & SBIR/STTR grants)

In 2018, Lori successfully led the exit side of the $220m acquisition by Stryker of HyperBranch Medical Technology, a VC-backed company that she has helped grow since joining in 2006.

Personally, Lori lives in Raleigh, NC, with her family and loves to attend NCSU and Hurricanes NHL games, exercise, and travel (particularly to places where snow skiing is a challenge). She is highly active in the youth hockey community, where she serves as a coach and VP of Finance for the Carolina Junior Hurricanes Hockey Association, the NHL youth affiliate, and a 680-member 501(c)(3) organization.  Lori holds a BA in Accounting and MBA from North Carolina State University and is a North Carolina Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

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