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CEO/CFO Partner Biographies

Steve Bachman, CEO Partner

Steve Bachman, (678) 367-6492 x701
CEO Partner
steveb@hitechpartners.com

Steve Bachman (CEO Partner, Hi Tech Partners) has thirty years experience in sales, marketing, operations, and corporate management in the technology industry with startup and fast growth technology products and service companies. Steve’s experience includes a successful track record with self funded and venture capital funded businesses, with multiple successes in creating shareholder value through profitable company growth and sale of businesses to McAfee, Xcelerate, Renaissance, NetIQ, and Computer Associates.

Steve’s recent activities include leading the redesign of the North American sales channel strategy and reseller programs for PestPatrol, a leading provider of Spyware security software. Upon its sale to Computer Associates (NYSE: CA), Steve then led Computer Associates' integration of the PestPatrol North American reseller channel into the CA sales channel. Prior to PestPatrol, Steve was Chairman Sellera, LLC, a field sales and marketing company which provided on-site sales and training services to technology products companies distributing products to resellers such as Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, and OfficeMax. Sellera clients included BellSouth, Dell. EarthLink, Klipsch Audio, and SimpleTech.

As CEO of Marshal Software LLC, an email and web content security company, Steve developed the organization's launch strategy, set up the US operations, and grew the America’s Group to 120+ Resellers and $455K per month in revenues in the 18 months before the company was sold to NetIQ Corp. (NASDAQ: NTIQ). Following the acquisition, Bachman led the integration of Marshal's North and South American operations, resellers, customers, and employees into the NetIQ organization.

Steve has also provided strategic insight and operational support to a number of product and services companies including CMHC Systems, Fidelis Security, Interlink Networks, Lifespan Technologies, the National Restaurant Association, Neurotic Media, Stratizon, and UK based Vigil Software.

As founder and CEO of Insight International, an Atlanta-based venture catalyst and consultancy, Steve assisted emerging software, hardware, professional service, and telecom technology companies in North America, Europe and Asia to develop and execute strategic programs that enhance shareholder value. Insights clients included Sophos (a UK based anti-virus security company), Apsylog (a French based network management company later sold to Peregrine), Kane Security Analyst (sold to Intrusion), and Opis (sold to Saleslogix).

Steve's first entrepreneurial venture was as co-founder and CEO of Automated Design Systems (ADS), a software products and custom-software developer. Venture capital backed ADS (one of Microsoft's first Windows developers) sold its Net TOOLS network management software products group to McAfee (NYSE: MFE) and its systems integration business to Launch Technology.

Steve has also advised companies such as Arcadus, Global Objects, and GLUE Communications in their mergers into larger, pre-IPO strategic partners and has worked with companies such as AirSage, Cincos, Norman Data Defense, and Sevista in a variety of strategy, operations, and channel development roles.

Steve is a Co-Founder and serves on the Board of Directors of the Wireless Technology Forum, is a founding director or the Institute for Enterprise & Innovation. TAG’s Southeastern Software Association (SSA) where he was President in 1999 and 2001. Steve was a founding director of TAG (Technology Association of Georgia) and the SSA’s Web Challenge, and a past director of SciTrek, The Business and Technology Alliance, the Interactive Media Alliance, the Windows / Presentation Managers Association and the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Association of Georgia.

Jeff Fisher, CEO Partner

Jeff Fisher, (678) 367-6492 x702
CEO Partner
jefff@hitechpartners.com

Jeff Fisher works as an investor, advisor, and Board of Directors member for several technology companies to support their efforts to compete, grow and prosper in today's highly competitive global economy.

Jeff was previously a Principal and Director of Sales Performance International (SPI) where he led the effort to grow SPI into a global marketing and sales consulting firm. During his tenure, SPI's revenues grew by more than 700 percent; and SPI’s consulting services and marketing and sales processes became the de facto standards within many high tech organizations. SPI's clients included corporate giants such as IBM, JP Morgan / American Century, Pitney Bowes, the Bank of America and Microsoft, and smaller firms such as Webex, Manpower, the University of Notre Dame, Lion Bioscience, US Oncology and Olympus America.

Earlier in his career as an Executive Vice President of Foresight Software, a Marcam company, Jeff initially led the global marketing, sales and customer service efforts for one Marcam’s three major product lines. Later, he was a member of the team tasked with the difficult but ultimately successful effort to “break up” an overly complex Marcam corporation into competitive Enterprise Resource Planning software and service firms.

Earlier still Jeff was a Senior Vice President of Sales for Management Science America (MSA), the software giant that eventually became Dun & Bradstreet Software.

Jeff began his MSA career in direct sales in the Southeastern United States; was promoted several times, and eventually became MSA’s head of Field Operations with responsibility for the company’s sales and customer service functions. He then joined MSA’s senior management committee where he made important contributions to a rapidly evolving strategic planning effort, while he and his team continued to lead the rapid growth of the firm’s sales and customer service functions.

Jeff was also instrumental in MSA’s highly successful corporate accounts program, and the strategic decision to support the early mini and personal computers and the resulting de-centralization of enterprise business and manufacturing computing in the late 1980’s. Jeff’s strategic planning and team building skills were a crucial factor in MSA’s revenue growth from $6 to more than $250 million dollars and the ultimate sale of the company to Dun & Bradstreet.

Jeff was born and raised in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Jeff is a graduate of Lycoming College, a former Marine Corps officer and highly decorated Vietnam combat veteran. Today he lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, Carole, and their two adult sons, James and Robert. They are active members of the Atlanta Athletic Club and attend Dunwoody Baptist Church in North Atlanta.

Steve Martin, CEO Partner

Steve Martin, (678) 367-6492 x703
CEO Partner
stevem@hitechpartners.com

Steve Martin founded CIBA VISION Optics in 1980 and CIBA Vision Ophthalmics in 1990. He and his team grew sales of the combined companies to over $1.2 Billion with more than 6,000 employees.

CIBA Vision is a world leader in research, development, manufacture and marketing of soft contact lenses, lens-care products and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. CIBA Vision markets in nearly 90 countries. Steve Martin was President of CIBA Vision Corporation USA until 1998.

Until his retirement in June 2001 Steve acted as a venture opportunity liaison on entrepreneurial life science projects for Swiss giant Novartis. He continues to help entrepreneurs find venture capital funding through Merritt Capital Services where he is a General Partner. Steve has successfully negotiated more than 70 licensing and acquisition deals with values ranging from $1 million to $320 million.

Steve’s worldwide business contacts include decision makers in organizations such as Alliance Technology Ventures, ALZA, Bank of America Ventures (now Scale Venture Partners), Cordova Ventures, Domain Associates, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, The FDA, Frazier Healthcare Ventures, InterSouth Partners, Johnson & Johnson, Kleiner-Perkins, Merck, MPM Capital, The Nobel Foundation, Noro-Moseley Partners, Polaris Ventures, and Solvay Pharmaceuticals. He has served on the boards of numerous public and private companies. Currently, he is on the board of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (LJPC-NASDAQ), NeoVista, Inc. (private) and OcuCure Therapeutics, Inc. (private).

Steve is a graduate of Wake Forest University and attended the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. He served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. Steve holds six U.S. Patents issued for his inventions and a number of European Patents. He and his wife Judy now live in the North Georgia mountains.

Frank Wingate, CEO Partner

Frank Wingate, (678) 367-6492 x704
CEO Partner
frankw@hitechpartners.com

Frank is the co-founder and former CEO of Industrial Computer Corporation (ICC). During his tenure, ICC developed, installed, and supported mission-critical, 7x24 computer software for real-time shop floor control used with manufacturing supply chain and customer order management solutions. ICC was recognized by AMR Research and the Gartner Group as the leading supplier of shop floor software in its market segments. GenRad, a New York Stock Exchange company specializing in electronic test equipment, purchased the company in 1998, and Frank served as GenRad’s Software Division President after the acquisition.

ICC’s clients were primarily Fortune 500 manufacturers and electronic assembly companies including Sun Microsystems, Cray Research, Motorola, Celestica, HP/Compaq, Raytheon, and Rolls Royce Aerospace. ICC’s software products have been responsible for controlling the manufacturing of hundreds of billions of dollars of high tech electronic and aerospace equipment including microprocessor modules, work stations, web servers, supercomputers, laser printers, aircraft engines, aircraft landing gear, satellites, cruise missiles, undersea fiber-optic cables, voice mail systems, and medical products. Virtually everyone who uses a computer, surfs the web, sees a weather forecast, makes an overseas phone call, or flies in a commercial airplane uses a product manufactured with ICC’s software.

Frank holds electrical engineering degrees from Auburn University (BS) and Stanford University (MS), and he holds a Professional Engineer’s License from the State of Georgia. Frank is a former U.S. Navy Officer who served both at sea and with the National Security Agency in Washington D.C. He was a key member of the 1997 trade mission to Canada for Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley. Today Frank serves on the Board of Directors of Entegreat, Inc and as a trusted advisor on business strategies, tactics and operations to several software companies and their senior management teams.

Dennis Carr, CFO Partner

Dennis Carr, (678) 367-6492 x705
CFO Partner
dennisc@hitechpartners.com

Dennis Carr has over twenty years of experience in corporate strategy and finance.  He has worked for well-known Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies such as BellSouth, Chrysler and Novartis.  Previous appointments include assignments as both Corporate Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  To date he has facilitated over $2 billion in corporate mergers and acquisitions, ranging in size from $100 thousand to $800 million.  As a founding member of Novartis Ophthalmics, Dennis acted as Vice President and CFO for the pharmaceutical concern that today consistently ranks in the top tier of its market segment. 

 In addition to his experience with large corporations, Dennis has worked with lesser capitalized ventures and private organizations.  He is frequently retained to assist with strategic and financial planning due to his high caliber experience with business plans, offering memorandums, due diligence, cash flow and valuation analysis.  His recent management consulting and advisory services includes appointments as Interim CFO for multiple emerging pharmaceutical companies.

 Most notably, Dennis has focused his expertise in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries.  His experience includes work with companies such as Novartis, CIBA Vision Corporation, UCB, Encompass Pharmaceutical Services and StoneBridge Pharma.  Past projects requiring capitalization have included high quality financial institutions such as First Boston and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

 Along with his strategic and financial planning experience, Dennis has overseen traditional corporate functions, including accounting, finance, treasury, business development, information technology and human resources.  Having served on multiple Executive Committees, he commands general management expertise and has held the title of Integration Officer for two major mergers.  He possesses an effective communication style characterized by many as “. . . not that of a typical finance executive, but one who actually has a personality”.

 Dennis holds Bachelor and Master Degrees in Economics from the Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia.  He is a graduate of the Financial Management Program at Stanford University.  Complementing his hands-on experience, he has formal executive training in leadership, mergers and acquisitions, negotiations and corporate strategy.  He and his wife reside in the North Atlanta area along with their three children.  Away from the office, his interests include reading, writing and jogging.  He also enjoys sailing and is an ASA certified sailor.