Our Team
The HighPoint Team brings together strong and diverse backgrounds in consulting, executive search and line management.
Sumeet Goel
Sumeet is the founder of HighPoint Associates. Prior to founding HPA in 2001, he was Vice President of Strategy & Business Development for Digital Media Campus, an early stage venture firm for the media & entertainment industries. Before that, he served dozens of clients across industry and functional sectors as an engagement manager with McKinsey & Company, both in their New York and Los Angeles offices. Sumeet holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from the Wharton School of Business.
Peter Balbus
Peter leads HighPoint Associates' central region. His background includes over 25 years of strategic business and management consulting experience. Before joining HPA, Peter founded and for ten years served as Managing Director of Pragmaxis LLC, a consulting firm specializing in corporate growth and strategic innovation management services. Prior to that, he served as Vice President & General Manager at Booz Allen Hamilton where he led the Chicago Regional Innovation Management Center. Prior to this, he was a Principal at CSC Index and a Senior Manager in KPMG's Strategic Services Practice in Chicago. Early in his career, he worked in the Business & Technology Strategy Practice at Advanced Technology, Inc. He completed the Executive Program in Corporate Strategy at University of Chicago and holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Jim Bennett
Jim is a Senior Advisor with HighPoint Associates who draws on over 40 years of experience as a consultant, senior executive, and Board leader in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Jim serves as the CEO of two early stage internet companies and the Chair of a third. He previously served as a Senior Executive Vice President at KeyCorp and was a member of their Executive Committee and Chair of Retail Banking. Before this, Jim spent 30 years with McKinsey & Company where his work spanned strategy, operations and organizational effectiveness. As a Director with the firm, he ran the Cleveland office and held several leadership positions including the managing partnership of the Canadian and Midwest practices, membership on the Firm's worldwide Executive Committee, and membership on the firm's Shareholders Committee. Jim holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Cornell University.
Richard Berger
Richard runs HighPoint Associates' New York office. Before joining HPA, he was a Principal at Katzenbach Partners, a boutique management consulting firm, where he led client engagements and developed new business in the telecommunications, health care and financial services sectors. Prior to that, Richard led acquisition and consumer marketing for AT&T Wireless. His professional experience also includes senior management positions at two successful high tech start-ups, and brand management and finance roles at Procter & Gamble. He holds an MBA from Stanford Business School and a BS from Washington University in St. Louis.
Wendy Bremen
Wendy serves as Director of HPA's advisor network, leading all recruiting, network, and staffing efforts across the company. Prior to joining HighPoint Associates, she held consulting positions for almost a decade, including stints at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and the Wharton Small Business Development Center. Earlier in her career she worked in the publishing industry, holding positions at the Hearst Book Group and Food & Wine Magazine. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and an AB from Washington University.
Henry DeNero
Henry serves as a Senior Advisor with HighPoint Associates. His background includes over 30 years of consulting and broad industry experience, focused on corporate strategy. Henry is a current and former director of several publicly traded technology companies. Prior to joining HPA, Henry served as a consultant to various public and private companies and as the Chairman and CEO of Homespace, Inc., an internet real estate, mortgage and homeowner services provider. Before this, he held senior executive positions as Executive Vice President of First Data Corporation and CFO of Dayton Hudson Corporation, where he led profit improvement efforts. As a Director of McKinsey & Company, Henry was a member of the firm's Strategy, Energy and Healthcare practices and advised clients across various functional sectors from the firm's Los Angeles office. Henry holds an MBA from Stanford Business School and a BA from Amherst College.
Bob Kaplan
Bob has over 30 years of experience as a senior executive and management consultant. He currently counsels CEOs and other senior executives on strategy and organizational issues, primarily within the technology, media, financial services and utility sectors. Bob has held senior executive positions such as acting CEO and acting CTO for multiple companies, including: Motif Inc., ITM Software, Silicon Valley Bank, Netliant, and Alibris. Before this, Bob spent 11 years at McKinsey & Company, where he was a Director in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices and a Leader of the Information Technology and Systems Practice. Prior to joining McKinsey, Bob was the Managing Partner of the San Francisco office of the Boston Consulting Group. He also worked at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG) as a Systems Consultant. Bob holds an MBA from Stanford Business School and a BA from Yale University.