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Narsi is a Co-Founder and the CEO of Paalam, Inc., an Atlanta based offshore outsourcing firm that specializes in Software Services (software programming, applications maintenance, QA and testing), and Call Center/Business Process Outsourcing, using partners in India and other countries.
Narsi serves as the Chairman of Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (GIACC). He also serves on the Leadership Team of Kettering Executive Network, a networking group of more than 700 executives who meet certain criteria.

Narsi has served on the advisory boards of Add2Home (an online retailer), Buildspan (an ecommerce engine), Axiom Sales Force Development, SoftQuiz (online skills assessment) and Dilato (AI for process industry). He used to serve as Director on the Boards of BOSS, Inc. and Proalgen Biotech Limited (formerly ACL Chemicals Ltd.) in Chennai, India.

He obtained his Ph.D. (Management Science) degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1988. His undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering is from the Indian Institute of Technology (IT-BHU), Varanasi, India. Before becoming a consultant for major corporations such as MCI, Southwire, SynQuest and Edwards Baking Company, he served on the faculty of the School of Management, Georgia Tech for five years.

As a faculty member of Georgia Tech, in addition to teaching various courses in Management Science, Management Information Systems, and Systems Analysis & Design, he has published several research articles in scholarly journals such as Pattern Recognition, Opsearch, Social Choice and Welfare, and Manufacturing Review. He also co-advised a doctoral dissertation at Georgia Tech. In 1992, he was conferred the Full Member status by the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA). In addition, he has taught (as visiting professor of management) at University of Texas at Dallas and Rutgers University at Camden.

Narsi is very active in community service. He is the founder of the Indian Professionals Network (IPN), an informal networking group of over 3000 professionals in and around Metro Atlanta area.

http://paalam.com/

Jay Tramonte is the founder of Savida Sangria which launched in Atlanta in July 2009.  Savida Sangria is an all natural sangria that blends premium California wine with specialty fruits and no added sugar.  The brand is available in GA, TN and NC with an additional 8-15 states scheduled for launch in 2011.

Jay is an experienced entrepreneur in the wine and spirits industry that has been interviewed by and featured in the New York Times, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and Forbes.com.  Previously, he founded Excelsior Imports, which grew its Água Luca product into the nation’s leading brand of premium Brazilian rum within 18 months.  In 2007 he sold Água Luca to Heaven Hill Distilleries, the largest privately held U.S. spirits company.

Before Jay entered the beverage industry he worked in investment management at JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley.  He graduated summa cum laude from Georgia Tech with at B.S. in Management and a certificate in Finance.

http://www.savidasangria.com/

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Lisa Owen is the founding partner of CORE Benefit Solutions and has over 15 years of experience in employee benefits brokerage and consultation for both corporations and individuals. Lisa started her career with Northwestern Mutual in Tallahassee, Florida and moved to Atlanta in 1995 where she gained valuable experience working under a General Agency umbrella. She became a partner in 2003 and was promoted to Vice President of Sales & Marketing in 2005. Her business knowledge and industry expertise, paired with her innovative ideas and commitment to client satisfaction, have earned her notable credibility in the insurance industry.
Lisa is licensed in various states for Health, Life & Accident insurance and is a member of business and industry focused organizations, such as the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), Vistage International, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), North Buckhead Civic Association, Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Buckhead Club, and Assurant Most Valuable Producer (MVP) program. She is a Board Member of the National Association of Women’s Business Owners (NAWBO) and founding member and chair of the Benefit Resource Council. Lisa has also served on numerous broker advisory boards for carriers such as Blue Cross, Kaiser, and Assurant and spoken to numerous industry associations such as but not exclusive to SHRM, Chamber Programs, and IMA

www.corebenefitsga.com

Alex Membrillo is a co-founder of Cardinal Web Solutions, one of Atlanta’s leading Internet marketing agencies.  Cardinal Web Solutions’ services include Search Engine Optimization and Pay per Click Advertising.  Cardinal Web Solutions measures their success by their client’s results.  They always maintain ethical Internet marketing practices and transparency, while focusing strategies on meeting the client’s bottom line.
Cardinal Web Solutions works with businesses in all types of industries which are primarily located throughout the southeast.  From national hotel chains such as Hilton Garden Inn, Sheraton, and Hampton Inn, to Atlanta area doctors, lawyers, and consumer service companies, Cardinal Web Solutions provides customized full service turn-key Internet marketing solutions.
Recently featured in the Wall Street Journal, Alex’s extensive knowledge base makes him a valued asset to brands of all sizes. He draws on many years of Internet marketing experience where he has worked to refine industry best practices.
Alex grew up in Johns Creek, GA, a northern suburb of Atlanta, where he attended elementary through high school.  Alex is a graduate of Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business where, after putting himself through college, Alex earned a Bachelors of Business Administration in Managerial Sciences, with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship.
Born in San Antonio, TX, as the son of a travel agency owner Alex had the good fortune of living abroad in Spain and Cyprus before returning to the United States in 1990.  While on holiday, Alex enjoys visiting his family’s ancestral home in Madrid, Spain.

www.cardinalwebsolutions.com

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SHRM-Atlanta, the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, was founded in 1965 and currently enjoys a membership of over 2300+ members.  While affiliated with SHRM National, the Chapter operates independently to provide a wide variety of professional development and networking opportunities for Atlanta area HR professionals.  The Chapter’s diverse membership represents more than 1,300 large and small organizations in the metro area, ranges in experience from entry to senior level, and varies in practice from specialist to generalist roles.  Now, the Chapter celebrates over 46 years as Atlanta’s Most Active Resource for Advancing HR Professionals, proudly serving and advancing the HR profession for over four decades!

Mike Grindell, Board Chair

Tamara O’Neill, President

Jenny DeVaughn, EVP of Marketing and PR

http://shrmatlanta.org/

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Charles Green worked in his parents’ small business by age 8, often listening in on “board meetings” around the dinner table. Today he is an eminent authority on small businesses with over 30 years of advising, financing, and investing in small business owners and entrepreneurs.

His experience includes years as a commercial banker, venture capitalist, business advisor and business owner. He founded and served as President and CEO of Sunrise Bank of Atlanta. Charles has advised clients from 30 countries and served as corporate director for several businesses in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe including a NASDAQ-listed company.

Charles wrote several popular books and articles on business financing and has been interviewed by CNN, CNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, Bloomberg, Business Week, Entrepreneur, Inc., Success, Essence, Crain’s Business, Fortune Small Business, Reuters, AP Radio, Business Radio, and others.

He earned a B.S. in Finance from the University of Alabama and completed the Stonier National Graduate School of Banking at the Wharton School of Business. In 2005 he was named the Financial Services Champion by the Georgia District of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

His volunteer work focuses on strengthening Atlanta’s arts community by serving as chair of the Fulton County Arts Council. He’s also on the board of the Atlanta Medical Center.
www.charlesgreenco.com
For clients wanting the edge of having the very best talent possible, Pat Turner provides the solution. With more than two decades of recruiting and search experience in Information Technology in the Atlanta market, Pat Turner has developed sharp insights on helping companies achieve their mission through hiring A+ employees and temporary professionals. As an entrepreneur who with three other partners launched Visionaire Partners in early 2008, Pat helps other businesses find motivated professionals who supply jet fuel for his clients’ success. Visionaire Partners has grown from the original four founders to a company of nineteen sales and recruiting professionals in under three years.
Pat’s clients have ranged from Fortune 500 giants to high growth technology firms of under 50 employees. So he understands the challenges of both entrepreneurs and corporate executives. He thrives when teaching others the staffing business.
Before entering the staffing arena, Pat was an Information Technology consultant with the national firm Booz Allen Hamilton. He earned his BS in Engineering and his MS in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee.
Outside of work, Pat has a passion for riding his road bicycle, shooting weddings with his camera, and introducing his friends to the relaxing benefits of yoga. An energetic risk taker, he has jumped from a plane three times, went on a SCUBA dive in a dark cave in Mexican waters, and has ridden his bicycle over 100 miles in a single day.
http://www.visionairepartners.com/

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NEW SHOW Launched January 19, 2011 . . .

F&D Internet Radio Show: Client Matters ^TM – January 19, 2011

Mobility – Forecast to be the hottest business capability investment area for 2011

Are you considering extending access to your business through mobile devices to employees, customers, and/or suppliers? Mobility is forecast to be the hottest business capability investment area of 2011 and beyond. As with all “hot” topics, the frenzy to so something, and not get left behind, can drive actions and outcomes that may not have been taken, had cooler minds prevailed.

In this production of Client Matters ^TM you will find informed perspectives, emerging trends, and commonsense direction on Mobility products and the Mobility industry in general.

In addition to the content of this production of Client Matters ^TM, FD Consulting is helping clients set their business-case-based mobility strategies, using FD’s proprietary Strategic Mobility Assessment methodology (SMA). In the course of a few short weeks, the SMA can help your company set their mobility strategy and value realization roadmap and tying them to strategy, financial performance, and measurable outcomes.

Click here to download our one-page overview of the Strategic Mobility Assessment.

Client Matters ^TM is sponsored by Frazier & Deeter, LLC. Frazier & Deeter has a 30 year commitment to helping businesses and individuals manage their money in an ever-changing economic landscape. That tradition of service is more important than ever. As one of the largest certified public accounting and advisory firms in the Southeast, Frazier & Deeter makes it our goal each day to offer clients sound advice, personal attention, and solutions designed to protect and grow their financial futures. Learn more at www.frazierdeeter.com.

Client Matters ^TM focuses on issues of importance to business, either because of their scale, intrigue, timeliness, or the unique challenges they present to growing, maintaining, and changing businesses.

We feature people who are making a difference within the business community: executives, subject matter experts, regulatory officials, trade representatives, media moguls, and premier providers of business products and services.

Client Matters ^TM provides the business community – our listeners- a basis in facts, insight, analyses, and sources which they can use to improve performance, and make a difference in their business, as well as their own careers.

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Alan Urech is a Senior Executive with 30 years experience in successfully developing and commercializing companies. He develops businesses by using strong strategic, tactical and operational leadership skills to help them understand and implement appropriate business aspects of a company’s growth. These organizations include HBO & Company where he was part of a team that saw the organization’s expansion from initial start-up to about $350 million dollars in revenue within 12 years. During this period, he was instrumental in developing very successful healthcare product lines which significantly grew the Company’s overall profitability. HBOC was sold in 1998 for US$13.8 billion to McKesson Corporation.

Michael Robertson is an accomplished leader in Human Resources, known for building high performing organizations and transforming cultures to achieve success for employees and customers alike.

During his 16-year tenure at EMS Technologies, Inc., Michael provided strategic oversight and direction as that company grew from 400 to 2,000 employees.  His scope of contributions included employee training and high potential development; corporate communications and public relations; facilities and maintenance operations; safety and environmental health; administration; and security.  Michael was instrumental in shaping the company’s culture and under his direction, EMS was named a “Great Place To Work” and the “Employer of Choice.”

Prior to joining EMS, Michael worked for both large and small high-tech corporations in human resources management.  He is skilled in several areas that are highly relevant to today’s business environment:

http://www.stage2ba.com/

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Ed Rader is a Senior Partner and founder of the firm specializing in Supply Chain Strategy, and currently serves as the firm’s Secretary/Treasurer. His areas of expertise include vendor management and alliances, strategic sourcing and procurement, demand planning, collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR), logistics strategy, distribution operations improvement, new facility design and implementation, WMS selection and implementation, inventory management, manufacturing strategy, fulfillment and transportation strategy across the Consumer Products and Retail industries.

Mr. Rader is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), a Senior Member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, and a member of the Council of Logistics Management (CLM). He is a frequent speaker and contributor on the subjects of Supply Chain Management and Optimization, eProcurement, eFulfillment and Integrated Change Management. He has published articles in numerous journals and was a contributing editor to the recent book Strategic Supply Chain Alignment.

Mr. Fee is a Senior Partner and founder of the firm. He currently serves as the firm’s Managing Partner and heads the firm’s Health Care practice. He is co-author of several pieces of intellectual property employed by Verity Partners including the VerityView solution and FastTrac change management. Tom’s extensive consulting career includes:
•Strategy: Strategic planning, Scenario-based planning, Master planning, Market/ product alignment

•Operations: Operations design, Organization design, Services deployment, and Facility planning

•Business Process: Business process alignment, design and development

•Information Systems: IS Strategy, Systems Design

•Industries: Healthcare, Public Sector, Retail, Distribution and Service industries.

•Business functions: Organization Strategy, Product design/ pricing, Mergers/ acquisitions, Financial planning, Management controls/ balanced scorecard, Technology innovation, Business unit planning, Organization design, Facility master planning, Operations management, Supply chain management, Human resource initiatives, Team building, Performance management , Customer relationship management and Business improvement initiatives.
http://veritypartnersllc.com/

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Prior to founding Altera Law Group, Michael was an attorney practicing intellectual property law at Merchant and Gould for 22 years. He is one of a few attorneys who has continuously practiced in patent, trademark and copyright (including advertising law) for his entire career. In that period he has become a recognized international speaker on strategic use of intellectual property. In addition, he has experience in a multitude of specialty areas, including:

•Infringement analysis and opinions of patents, trademarks and copyrights
•Trademark and copyright protection in the United States and abroad (having approximately 700 filings in his career)
•Brand name creation, name clearance and strategies for world marketing of company and product names
•Advertising and Internet law
•Patent drafting and prosecution (approximately 1,000 patents)
•Worldwide corporate intelligent/monitoring of competitors’ technological and branding developments
•Domestic and international licensing of know-how and IP rights
•Due diligence clearance for mergers, acquisitions and IPOs
•Technology transfers including international transfers between the United States and Europe
•Patent litigation strategy and support
•Preparation of commercial agreements including license agreements and employee non-disclosure/non-compete agreements
In addition to his intellectual property law practice, Michael has extensive experience in marketing-related issues, including strategic positioning, brand management, brand creation and licensing. He is the founder of Aktia Corporation, a brand name creation and marketing consulting firm that specializes in developing integrated brand strategies for companies.

Michael is a frequent university lecturer on integration of intellectual property into business strategies and is internationally recognized as a speaker on branding strategy and intellectual property topics. He has addressed audiences at INTA; European Trademark Owners Association; the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA); The Trademark Institute of Sweden; The Canadian I.P. Association; McGill University, and International Licensing Executive Society (LES).

Michael is a registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Attorney. In addition, he is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, several federal appeals courts, the states of Minnesota and Georgia, and the Canadian Patent Office.

Michael received his Juris Doctor (cum laude) from Syracuse University School of Law in New York. He also holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (with honors) from the University of Minnesota.

http://alteralaw.com

Michael Lasky can be reached at mlasky@alteralaw.com. There is a PDF handout companion for this show which can be sent to you by email.

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Ms. Nancy Glube

Nancy Glube has a 20+ year career in Human Resources. She currently serves as VP Business Solutions for Dale Carnegie of Georgia. Nancy’s  prior background includes leadership HR positions in a variety of industries- wireless communications (Cingular Wireless), healthcare, international shipping and transportation, consumer goods manufacturing. She has the versatility to excel in small, medium and large organizations. She also has experience as a HR consultant.
Nancy’s focus has been   translating HR strategy into winning business results. Functional areas of strength include: leadership development, talent assessment, mentoring, employee engagement and retention. She has strong experience delivery HR services to large and diversified client bases. Also she has an excellent track record developing high performing HR teams.
Nancy is a speaker at previous SHRM conferences, and she has also been a member of several SHRM Special Expertise Panels. Nancy is also actively taking interviews and fielding media questions for SHRM.
 
One of Nancy’s areas of specialization includes the grooming and development of HR practitioners. A program she developed at ATT has been adopted company wide. She presented at the 2008 national convention on the topic of “Spa Treatment For Your HR Career!!”
Nancy holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees from Binghamton University. Nancy graduated from a study abroad program in Salamanca, Spain and has knowledge of Spanish. Nancy’s first career was in education where she taught in secondary schools and adults

Ricky shares his experiences with accelerating growth companies on the Accelerator Avenue show with hosts Bernie and Stone.

See Dec 10 info, below for Ricky Steele Bio.

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Mr. Ricky Steele

Ricky Steele is the ultimate Rainmaker. Steele has a long history of developing new business, expanding the brand, marketing, public relations, and community engagement for clients across many industries. Today, Ricky is the Chief Development Officer for Hunter Technical Resources, one of Atlanta’s premier staffing and recruiting companies.

Ricky is also a published author with the release of his first book, The Heart of Networking, in September 2004. He frequently conducts seminars and speaks on the subject of his book, “successful networking through servant leadership and living the Golden Rule”.

Previously, Steele served as a Client Partner with Korn/Ferry International in Atlanta, concentrating on senior executive search services. He has a broad base of knowledge about early stage companies in all segments of the technology industry.

Steele is a native of Atlanta and served as Director, Emerging Growth Technology Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was instrumental in helping PwC take the dominate position among the Big 5 within emerging growth companies.
Mr. Steele has been profiled and cited in numerous local business publications and several national technology publications including The Wall Street Journal. The Atlanta Business Chronicle has named Mr. Steele one of the “Who’s Who in Technology” during his employment at both PwC and Korn/Ferry International.

A life long entrepreneur, Steele received the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year Award in 1986. He was hired as a consultant by BETA, SSA, and WIT to study the various technology associations in Georgia which produced the original business plan for The Technology Association of Georgia.

Mr. Steele has had a passion for serving the needs of his community throughout his career. Steele was a Founder and the first Chairman for both Atlanta’s Table, part of The Atlanta Community Food Bank and Hospitality Helping Hands. Steele serves on the Board of Trustees for Leadership Atlanta and The Ron Clark Academy. He is the immediate past Chairman of The Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Southeast, and is also active with High Tech Ministries.  Additionally, Mr. Steele is an Alumnus of Leadership Atlanta (1986) and Leadership Georgia (1987).