Vip Members

Eric Whipps is CIO/EVP of Surangel and Sons Company, a family-run and multi-faceted company carrying a wide range of products for wholesale and retail distribution. Eric has been with the company since 1998 and has extensive knowledge in budgeting, operations management, project management, project consulting, marketing strategy, strategic planning, management, and logistics. Eric is hoping to expand the business on an international level and launch an online retail store for international shoppers. Eric received his Masters of Business Administration in Information Technology from Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies. He is affiliated with Palau Chamber of Commerce, Palau Badminton Association Inc., Palau Chess Federation, and Palau Islanders Path Finder Club. He credits his parents for his success having imbued in him strong values and a strong work ethic. In his spare time, Eric enjoys scuba diving, chess, basketball, snowboarding, photography, culture, and more.

William C. Brown was nominated to take on the role of President of D-Link Systems Inc. in January 2015. He has been with the company for the past 24 years. He is currently responsible for carrying out sales strategies for the U.S. The product management, sales and marketing teams all report to him. William works closely with the marketing department and frequents a lot of customer engagements where he presents on behalf of D-Link Systems. William is, effectively, the face of the organization. He was inspired to get involved in this profession due to his technical background in the early 90’s. William believes that innovations are made through "polishing the box" and not necessarily thinking outside of the box. He credits this as his key to success and relays this message to the college graduates that he mentors. Over the next 4-5 years he see's himself taking more classes and becoming certified in the health field. Eventually he would like to help people as a physical therapist. Outside of work he enjoys music production and software programming.

David Phillyaw is an Aircraft Consultant, Professional Pilot, and Business Owner for MatAire, Inc. The company provides aircraft services and provides pilots with travel management, as well as personalized services for clients. David spent 7 years as a regional pilot, but wanted to get into the corporate aspect of the business. He partnered with a Delta international pilot and started building contacts. He attributes his success to experience and knowledge, providing quality service to clients. client satisfaction oriented. In the future David would like to expand business on an international level. He has a number of certificates and degrees including a Commercial Pilot's License SEL, Instrument Rating, Multi-engine Pilot's License, a SEL- Certified Flight Instructor Certificate (CFI)- Certified Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII)- Certified Multi-engine Flight Instructor (MEI)- Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician; Bachelor of Science (BS)- Aviation Management- Administration- Purdue University, 2004. Outside of work he enjoys running, exercise, and golfing.

Adrian Theriault has been CEO & President of MRM Consulting Inc. for 15 years. The company started with one employee and grew to thirsty five. MRM maintains two proprietary web-based SQL server systems, a resident, fully staffed Processing Center, and its own Data Center managed by three senior IT professionals. Currently, MRM provides comprehensive administrative management services for both OCIPs and CCIPs. The company’s administrative services manage all operational, financial, reporting and related activities for contractor's consolidated insurance program. MRM consulting manages projects with a combined construction value of approximately $25 billion. This experience covers the full spectrum of industry sectors throughout the U.S. Adrian received his BA in Economics from Catholic University of America. Outside of work he is an avid reader, and enjoys swimming and golf.

Roger Aston is Director and Chairman of Oncosil Ltd and one of the most experienced and commercially astute people in drug commercialisation in Australia. Roger brings more than 20 years of experience witinin the pharmaceutical and health care industries in senior roles of the United Kingdom, Asia-Pacific, and Australia. He is Director and Chairman of five public stock exchange listed companies in Australia and on the Board of two private UK companies; he is currently a director and Executive Chairman of PharmAust Ltd, Chairman of Immuron Ltd, and Chairman of Oncosil Medical Ltd. Roger earned his PhD in Biochemistry- Immunology and a BSc in Biochemistry- Immunology from the University of Manchester. In his free time, he enjoys reading, spending time with family, and mentoring emerging professionals. Roger started his career at major pharmaceutical company, Wellcome (now Glaxo Smith Kline) and has also worked for QinetiQ Ltd. Roger also served on the federal government's IRD board sub-committee for biologicals. He has been CEO of many successfull companies, i.e. Mayne Pharma Group Ltd. Roger has held executive, non-executive director or chairman positions on a number of boards including Peptech (Arana), Cambridge Antibody Technology, Clinuvel, Halcygen, Cambridge Drug Discovery, and pSivida. During his career, Roger Aston has been closely involved in start-up companies and major pharmaceutical companies. He has had a hands-on role in company restructuring, improving effectiveness and productivity in both small and significant businesses.

Bradley Gramm is President of Mass Mutual Greater Richmond where he handles the day-to-day operations and focuses on growing the organization, training, coaching, and managing 90 agents and 20 staff members. Bradley inspiration comes from his father who has been in the financial services industry for 50 years and is still managing his own business. In 1994, Bradley graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelors degree in Finance. The key to his success has been hard work, extensive training, and strong connections. In the next few years, Bradley wants to grow his business substantially; in the next 17 years, before he retires, he plans to have tripled the company in size. His company donates money to The United Way. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing golf and coaching middle school lacrosse.

Warwick Smith is the founding Director of Sandrick Project Directions, a unique and agile Project Management and Development Management consultancy service provider established in Sydney Australia in 2000. Warwick has practiced as a successful Development Management and Project Management consultant for more than 20 years. He combines a collaborative and "hands-on" approach to each and every project combined with over 30 years of experience in the property and construction industry spanning the Eastern States of Australia and Singapore. Warwick graduated from RMIT University with a degree in Building and spent the early part of his career managing multi-million dollar construction projects for some of Australia's premier contracting organisations. He and his dedicated team now specialize in contract management, construction management, contract negotiation, cost management, procurement, project management, project planning, design management, commercial management, negotiation, change management, master planning, business strategy, asset management & re-positioning, value engineering, business development and consulting. In his spare time, Warwick enjoys sports, music, and mentoring. Sandrick Project Directions has developed a unique body of work across the Retail, Commercial and Educational sectors of the Australian property industry. Sandrick continues to assemble, lead and collaborate with project teams for some of Australia's leading and most progressive organizations.

Terry Grace is Founder and Director of Pinnacle Business, a practice that provides public accounting, taxation, and management services for small businesses and corporations. He provides services to all Australian tax payers including those who are oversees but have businesses in Australia. Terry is a Fellow of CPA and a CTA with The Tax Institute. Not only is Terry knowledgeable but he also has extensive experience. He has had his business for over 30 years and has 40 years of experience as an accountant. In 1976, Terry started working as a junior accountant. After eight years he decided to take the initiative and start his own practice. On October 3rd, 1984 he started his own accounting practice. Terry speaks at conferences held by CPA Australia and other engagements yearly. He discusses tax administration, taxation, management, and accounting related topics. He is proud of the team that he has working around him and is proud of his management style. Terry has won two CPA President’s awards for his excellence.

Jennifer Andricopulos is the Director of User Support for Clark County School District. She oversees a department of 70 employees made up of both contracted and full time employees. She decided to pursue this career path because a job working in a computer lab in college sparked her interest. Jennifer is proud of herself, her department, and her team for managing to convert 120,000 computers from XP to Windows 7 in under a year. Jennifer received her Bachelors in Management Information Systems from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. In the future she would like to make a positive impact on the community and continue making a difference in people's lives.

Craig Humphreys is the Founder and Owner at TransPac Systems, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada Area. As an International Executive Professional and CTO with over 25 years of experience in the Information Technology and Services industry Craig has created a management and technology consultancy focused on solving high-value business problems. His most notable Professional Accomplishments include scaling up Facebook database architecture from University to Universal. Craig is responsible for creating a key algorithm for high volume quote processing for OPRA/eSignal. He also Created the largest IBM Value Added Distributor in China and was awarded recognition as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Craig is an innovative and motivational speaker who is much sought after for his quick wit and ability to engage his audiences. His visionary interests include transforming worldwide import/export processes to drive efficiency and dramatically reduce consumer prices, starting with China, US, and South Africa. He is particularly interested in organizations that operate or interact with China.

Frank M. Kea is a landscape architect with 30 years of experience in Land Planning, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate Development, and Home Building. Almost six years ago, he founded Solutions, Integrated Planning, Engineering & Management (IPEM,) LLC and serves as their CEO and Managing Member. His key responsibilities involve overseeing HR, billing, collections, insurance, and running the business. Frank is a Licensed Landscape Architect in both Delaware and Virginia, and he also excels in land planning and acquisition, development consultation, and operations. In addition, he is a successful developer of high-quality residential communities. His approach centers on providing strong leadership and utilizing keen insight and superior interpersonal skills to both solve multiple complex issues and achieve results for his clients. During his career, he has been involved with the American Society of Landscape Architects, ULI (Urban Land Institute) and was a board member of Urban Salisbury Inc., whose main purpose was to revitalize Downtown Salisibury, Maryland. Frank received a BA in Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University in 1980. Originally, he knew he wanted to be an architect when he was a kid growing up in Louisiana. In college, he was exposed to landscape architecture and realized that this was a more holistic approach to how and where people live, and provided a more varied application. He was inspired from that point on to go into that field. He attributes his success in this profession to having diverse industry experience, always looking for the next opportunity, and making sure things are well-run and successful. Frank has managed all phases of projects and assets, served in key operations roles for residential communities both small and large, worked on commercial developments ranging from 35,000 to 320,000 sq. ft., and oversaw construction of 18 to 36-hole championship golf courses with big-name designers. His has served as Director of Acquisitions and Development for a regional private builder as well as a national public builder, and he successfully identified and acquired community development projects through the complex process of regional market analysis, business planning, regional political involvement, contract negotiation, and management of due diligence/closing. Furthermore, Frank has established and maintained extensive political relations at both the state and local level including both county and town governments. He has written and promoted state legislation, and served on government advisory committees representing the interests of the private development industry. Going forward, Frank is keen to network and further grow his business, as well as capitalize on his desire to have a more varied set of projects and achieve more diversification.

Peter G. Kehoe is a dedicated, accomplished consultant with 45 years of experience in management and business. He spent 31 years at DuPont, starting in 1973, during which time he served in many key roles: Technical Manager, Product Manager, Technical Director, and Managing Director. He also ran several businesses at DuPont, and formed his own consultancy, The Blasket Group, Ltd, in 2004, where he serves as President. Peter is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Yale University, and both a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University College Dublin in 1966. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Cambridge University focusing on Chemical Reaction Engineering, as well as a one year fellowship at The National University of Ireland, Dublin. While at Yale, Peter was Captain of the Yale Rugby Club. Originally, he was drawn to this field because he was interested in mathematics, chemistry, and making things work. Peter hails from County Kerry in Ireland, and following his studies at Yale, he was offered a position at DuPont where he initially focused on research, then shifted into management, and eventually to business. When he was younger, Peter was quite a serious rugby player and still follows the sport today. In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling and spending time with family and his grandkids. Peter has two children who are both lawyers, one in California, one in Australia. He and his wife enjoy traveling to visit them, as well as their family in Ireland.

Terry Burleson is Senior Vice President at Nalco Champion Downstream, an Ecolab company, where he has a global responsibility for its downstream business, which operates in 160 countries. Terry began his career with the company 26 years ago as a technical representative in West Texas. Throughout his career, he has held positions in sales, marketing, and management. In 2003, Terry transferred to the downstream business and led the merger of Nalco’s water and process business units to better serve the downstream customer base. In January of 2009, he was promoted to his current position. Terry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University. He was presented with the ML100 Turnaround Award for overseeing a division transformation that resulted in a significant increase in Nalco’s share of the global downstream market. A hard worker, Terry has a strong work ethic and is dedicated to upholding high moral standards. He is supporter of his local church.

Mary-Ellen Sullivan Barrett has been Deputy District Attorney at the San Diego District Attorney's Office for 25 years, and has extensive experience in sexual assault cases, drug-endangered children investigations and border-related drug enforcement, informant management, search warrants, 4th Amendment issues, Miranda Issues, litigations and trials. Currently, Mary-Ellen has been assigned to the Human Trafficking Task Force, working in concert with federal, state, and local agents. She received the State Prosecutor of the Year Award from the California Narcotics Officers' Association in 2011 and received a Human Trafficking Angel Award. She is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, the National District Attorneys Association, California Women Lawyers, the San Diego Women Prosecutors' Association, San Diego Law Enforcement Emerald Society, Lawyers Club of San Diego, the Irish American Bar Association, Law Enforcement Emerald Society, and is also Lifetime Member of the California Narcotics Officers' Association. In addition, Mary-Ellen serves on the Board of Directors as Second Vice President of The San Diego Downtown Lions Club and is the Vice Chair of the San Diego County Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Board. Growing up in a family of law enforcement professionals, she was naturally drawn to this field. Mary-Ellen received a Juris Doctorate from The University of Connecticut School of Law in 1988; she received a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and International Politics from Georgetown University in 1985. She attributes her success in this field to taking on new challenges and always remembering that victims didn't ask to be where they are. Going forward, she wants to see human trafficking as an issue at the forefront of political conversation in all 50 states. Mary-Ellen does a tremendous amount of public speaking on human trafficking and recently addressed a state-wide conference on this topic. She is dedicated to driving the conversation into a national level.

Andrew Wells is Senior Corporate Consultant for Lai Sun Development Company Ltd., a major listed company in the property and media sectors, Chief Adviser (Group Hotel and Resort Development) for Furama Hotels and Resorts, Executive Director and Corporate Affairs Manager of Por Yen Charitable Foundation Limited and CEO of Por Yen King Yin Lei Foundation Limited. Andrew received a scholarship to Oriental Studies at King’s College Cambridge, where he received a Masters Degree in 1980. After working in Palestine, India and Iran, he joined the Hong Kong Government as an Administrative Officer in 1978. In his first posting, he was responsible for the development of the New Town of Sha Tin. Subsequent jobs included Deputy Clerk to the Executive and the Legislative Councils; Clerk to the Select Committee on Complex Commercial Crime, Secretary to the Education Commission; founder director of the Hong Kong Open University; Member of the Central Policy Unit; District Officer of Kwai Tsing and senior positions in the Finance and Trade and Industry Bureaux. From 1995, Andrew was the first Deputy Secretary of Housing, serving on both the Housing Authority and Town Planning Board. After retiring from the HKSARG in 2003, Andrew took up the position of Chairman in China Golden Bridge Travel Services Limited, a Mainland travel company, of which he remains Chairman, and subsequently worked for both Wharf Limited and Lai Sun Development Company Limited. Between 2008 and 2011, Andrew served as Chief Secretary of St. Helena, one of the oldest British Overseas Territories. He was the Acting Governor of both St. Helena and its Associated Territories of Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Island, of which he was the last Commander-in-Chief. Three times a Justice of the Peace, Mr. Wells is a Member of Real Estate Developers Association (REDA) of Hong Kong and Corporate Representative on REDA’s Executive Committee; a Member of the Executive and Best Practice Committees of the Hong Kong Harbour Business Forum; a Member of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce Real Estate and Infrastructure Committee and Chairman of its Asia and Africa Committee; Corporate Representative on the Hong Kong Business Environment Council and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors. Mr. Wells also serves as Member of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association; Patron of the British Museum; Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society; Member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs; and Council Member of the Royal Commonwealth Society (Hong Kong). Mr. Wells is married with one daughter. He speaks several languages, including Italian, French, Farsi, Arabic, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Frank Penna is Manager of Business Development at Jacobs. He has always excelled in science, so going into mining was a natural progression for him, which is why onsite management at Jacobs was appealing to Frank. His progression into Manager of Business Development was lead at the request of management urging him into the position. The new position allowed Frank to showcase other talents that were not required before. Frank will continue to grow within the company, fine tune his skills, and move up to more senior roles in the future. He received his BSc in Metallurgy and Chemistry from Murdoch University in 1992. He is a member of Mining and Metals Professionals Globally, Mining Industry Professionals, and the Business Development Manager Club. He is thrilled to join the Bristol community and looks forward to networking with other business professionals.

Javier Targhetta is Senior Vice President Freeport-McMoRan and President of Atlantic Copper, Europe's second largest copper producer and supporter of environment health and preservation. He has been with Arizona, US based Freeport-McMoRan for over 20 years; he has been with Atlantic Copper, located in the Madrid area of Spain for close to 25 years. Javier speaks Spanish, English, German, French, and Italian. He enjoys supporting youth educational initiatives and environmental activism. His favorite pastimes are skiing, playing golf, and spending time with his wife and two daughters. Javier has been Associate Professor Técinica Superior School of Mines and Energy of Madrid, Chairman of Eurometaux (the European Non-Ferrous Metals Association,) President of AEGE Association of Enterprises with high energy consumption, Chairman and CEO of Transatlantic Spanish Company (Spain’s largest containerized shipping company,) and Chairman and CEO of Empresa Naviera Elcano, SA (Spain’s largest bulk shipping company.) He studied at IESE Business School University of Navarra and Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Sally Wawn is Senior Manager of Workforce Projects with the Department of Education in New South Wales. Her role with the company is mainly focused on strengthening and improving business outcomes through developing strategies that create a business culture of quality staff. She ensures the design and implementation of operational plans are both compliant and in line with all department and government priorities. Sally serves as Treasurer of the Penrith Anglican College Parents and Friends Association. She is looking to continue to expand her career within the industry and have the opportunity to have a positive impact on people through government work. She has worked with several other government departments including the Department of Finance and Services, Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the Department of Justice and Attorney General. Sally received her Bachelor of Business degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Western Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Wollongong. After graduation, Sally decided to further expand her education and earned her Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the College of Law, as well as her Graduate Certificate in Project Management from Charles Sturt University.

Ralph Ahlgren is the Founder, President and Chief Technical Officer at Soleeva Energy. He has been in the Solar Energy Industry since 2008, with expertise in engineering, manufacturing and executive management of technology and product design. Soleeva Energy produces the most advanced solar modules in in the world, using 2 kilowatts of power for residential and commercial properties. He has spoken at the State Department Trade Mission Conference and has 2 patents published(PV/Thermal modules, Solar Agricultural Products). Ralph received his Bachelors in Analytical Organic Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis from Brigham Young University (1977), Masters in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University (1978), Advanced Graduate of Chemical and Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University (1978-1979), Business Certification in Manufacturing Operations Management from University of Virginia (1988), and Certified on Home Energy from Building Professionals Institute (2015), Real Estate License (2008). Ralph attributes the keys to his success to being extremely knowledgeable in a problem to come up with the proper solution and his expertise in applied engineering. He hopes to use his solar panels and company to gain more power to help all of mankind. Outside of work Ralph enjoys personal fitness, (Working on certification as NASM certified personal trainer) scuba diving (Certified Open-water diver, working on DiveMaster Certification), competitive soccer, backpacking, hiking, fishing, among others.

Yukiko Okawa Omura is a dynamic, accomplished senior executive with tremendous international experience spanning more than 30 years, working with multilateral development agencies and leading investment banks, and highlighted by travel to 86 different countries. With a strong multicultural background and thorough experience in management of global, regional and country operations, Ms. Omura has cultivated a strong ability to form a clear vision, innovate and market new business. Her areas of expertise include financial markets, investment banking, risk management, and she has substantial experience in global fixed income and derivatives, combined with project finance in emerging markets. Ms. Omura sits on several boards and is leveraging her very deep knowledge of financial markets, 18 years of investment banking, and her developed knowledge of the world to create inroads and business projects in Africa, focusing on infrastructure and agricultural projects. She is a Member of the Board of Directors, a Member of the Finance and Risk Oversight Committees for Assured Guaranty; Director of the Board, Chair of the ALCO committee, and a Member of the Audit Committee for GuarantCo Ltd, Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG); Member of the Board of Directors, a Member of Audit Committee and Supervisory Committee for Nishimoto Wismettac Trading Group. In addition, she is both a Member of the Supervisory Board and a Member of the Advisory Board of Amatheon Agri Holding N.V. and finally, Advisory Board Member for CG/LA Infrastructure, LLC. Yukiko received both an M.A.P.E. (Master of Arts in Political Economics) and a Master of Arts in Development Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Monetary Economics from Boston University in 1980, a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Queen Mary University of London in 1977, and an International Baccalaureate from International School of Geneva in 1974. Ms. Omura is keen to continue closing good deals, adding value, and continue to use her experience to help in whatever way she can globally. One highlight of Yukiko's career was being called back to the world of development at World Bank, which allowed her to broaden horizons for private-public partnerships. Yukiko now lives in London, and when she's not busy working, enjoys tennis, swimming, and reading.