The HighPoint Associates team has expertise at all levels. From our partners and operational team, to our senior advisors and our consultants, clients can expect excellence throughout every engagement.
Partners and Operational Team
The partners and operational team at HighPoint Associates are integral to the HighPoint philosophy and the successes of our clients. Our team’s leadership and expertise allow us to forge meaningful relationships built on results and respect.

Sumeet Goel
Founder

Sumeet Goel
Founder
Sumeet is the Founder of HighPoint Associates and directs company strategy. He is dedicated to creating transformational change for HighPoint client partners. His focus on growth has resulted in measurable, positive outcomes, and high rates of client retention. Sumeet’s breadth of experience and keen sense of intuition allow him to partner with clients to identify the roots of their challenges and how best to tackle them.
Prior to founding HighPoint in 2001, Sumeet was the head of Strategy & Business Development at an early stage venture firm that operated at the intersection of technology, media and entertainment. Before that, he served dozens of clients across industry and functional sectors from McKinsey & Company’s New York and Los Angeles offices.
Sumeet holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from the Wharton School of Business.
Sumeet is based in Los Angeles, where he runs (and runs and runs) almost every morning. After a half-dozen attempts, he gave up on breaking a four-hour marathon and instead now focuses his attention on coaching his son’s sports teams, while cheering on his daughter in skating competitions – and avoiding cursing in front of either of them when his Philadelphia teams let him down…again (save for little blips of happiness in 2018 and 2009).

Richard Berger
Partner

Richard Berger
Partner
Richard is a Partner with HighPoint Associates and runs the firm’s East Coast office. He joined HighPoint in 2008 and has since been working with consultants across industries to solve problems, elevate conversations, and deliver breakthrough results.
Prior to joining HighPoint, Richard spent nearly 20 years in a variety of consulting, operating, and start-up leadership positions. Prior to joining HighPoint, he was a principal at Katzenbach Partners, a boutique management consulting firm, where he led client engagements and developed new business in the consumer, healthcare, telecommunications, and financial services sectors. Prior to that, Richard led acquisition and consumer marketing for the largest customer segment within AT&T Wireless. Earlier in his career, he was part of the leadership team at two venture-backed start-ups. He started his career serving in brand management and finance roles at Procter & Gamble.
Richard holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS from Washington University in St. Louis. He and his wife have two children with whom they enjoy exploring the world.

Justin Moser
Chief Operating Officer & Partner

Justin Moser
Chief Operating Officer & Partner
Justin is Chief Operating Officer and Partner at HighPoint Associates. He devotes much of his time to running internal operations, including HPA partner business development and client delivery support, HR, Finance, contracting, and IT, as well as serves several clients as lead partner.
Prior to joining HighPoint, Justin spent over 20 years in general management, finance, strategy, and marketing leadership roles, first as a senior consultant with Bain & Company, and then in progressive CPG-retail responsibilities at Mattel, Inc. Most recently, he served as Group CFO and Senior Vice President for Mattel’s Global FP&A, Investor Relations, Commercial Finance, Brand Finance, and Investment Finance organizations. Previously, Justin helped build out Mattel’s global e-retail and Amazon operations as General Manager of its North America Online business, and headed Mattel’s Corporate Strategy and Development capability.
Justin holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was an Austin Scholar, and a BA in Math-Economics from Pomona College.
Justin is based in Los Angeles with his wife and three children. He attempts to maintain a respectable athletic career in all high school / middle-school competitions, and enjoys making music with his family. When he is not chasing his children’s extracurriculars, you’ll find him cheering on his beloved UConn Huskies basketball teams…or returning to his liberal arts roots with philosophy and theology reading.

Stephen Ashford
Senior Project Leader

Stephen Ashford
Senior Project Leader
Stephen is a Senior Project Leader leading project teams delivering impact for clients. He has 20 years of strategy and operations experience driving large scale programs in transformation, post-merger integration, M&A, and change management across industry sectors.
He is a former McKinsey Associate Principal and leader in the firm’s Operations practice where he led strategy, Lean transformation, post-merger integration, and operations excellence efforts. Stephen then moved to United Technologies where he led strategy and M&A and managed a multibillion-dollar post-merger integration initiative. After United Technologies, Stephen joined Capital One leading a Process Excellence rollout. His more recent roles include VP of Program Management at CSC Service Works, a private equity owned consumer service business, and Chief Transformation Officer at Club Corp, a private equity-owned private clubs and lifestyle business, before taking on a number of transformational HPA leadership opportunities.
Stephen holds a PhD in Physics from University of California, Berkeley, and a BA and MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University.
Stephen is based in Dallas, where he enjoys sailing and serving with the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Chris Babineau
Associate, Finance & Operations

Chris Babineau
Associate, Finance & Operations
Chris is an Operations and Finance Associate at Highpoint Associates. In this role, Chris works closely with our Operations Director across a variety of functions to support business operations, including procurement, marketing, office administration, and business development. In addition, he also supports our Controller with financial and accounting matters.
Prior to joining HPA in April 2023, Chris served as a Client Partner Associate for a Los Angeles based agency delivering AR/VR solutions for Fortune 500 companies. Chris also managed day-to-day operations and sales for a premium swing set company in Massachusetts. Chris graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2020 and holds a BA in Finance and Management.
Chris grew up in a small town in Massachusetts and currently resides in Santa Monica, CA. Outside of work Chris enjoys exploring the city for new restaurants, going thrifting at flea markets, staying active, and listening to true crime podcasts.

Nolan Carroll
Associate, Business Development

Nolan Carroll
Associate, Business Development
Nolan is a Business Development Associate at HighPoint Associates. Nolan works with the business development team and HPA Partners to foster internal growth and manage client relationships. In addition, he provides support to HPA consultant teams to deliver strategy and execution acceleration solutions to clients.
Prior to joining HPA in July 2022, Nolan graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a BA in political science. At UCI, Nolan founded the Anteater Crypto Association, the largest blockchain-focused club on campus. Furthermore, Nolan was the head of fundraising for the University of California, Irvine Real Estate Association, and a Co-Founder of Sigma Eta Pi entrepreneurship society.
Nolan has a diverse background with internship experience in consulting, financial services, technology, law, and venture capital. His work at Marsh & McLennan included fostering client relationships and mitigating risk for technology and life science clients. During his undergraduate years, Nolan was also Co-Founder of a clean technology company that completed a large-scale commercial solar project in Orange County, California.
Nolan is a Southern California native growing up in San Diego, CA and now living in Orange County, CA. On weekends, Nolan enjoys keeping up to date on geopolitics, hitting the gym to lift weights or play basketball, and preparing meals with his family.

Khalil El-Khatib
Associate, Business Development

Khalil El-Khatib
Associate, Business Development
Khalil is a Business Development (BD) Associate at HighPoint Associates (HPA). As a member of the BD team, he works closely with HPA partners to develop client relationships. He supports efforts to implement the firm’s lead generation strategy to foster top line growth and assists consulting teams in providing client solutions.
Prior to joining HPA in July 2023, Khalil graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles with a BA in Political Science. At UCLA, Khalil was involved in the Regents Scholars Society and Alumni Scholar’s Club. Prior to transferring to UCLA, Khalil earned AAs in Economics and Political Science at West Valley College, where he was the Founder/President of the Chess Club.
During his undergraduate years, Khalil gained diverse work and internship experience in the retail, government, and political sectors. At the Department of Commerce, Khalil spearheaded a nationwide commercial diplomacy campaign and led a substantial Salesforce data cleansing initiative.
Khalil was born and raised near San Jose, California and now resides in Los Angeles. In his free time, he enjoys exploring Los Angeles, playing strategic boardgames, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.

Maria Gontea
Vice President, Business Development & Operations

Maria Gontea
Vice President, Business Development & Operations
Maria joined HighPoint Associates in 2021 as VP, Business Development & Operations. In this role, she works closely with our Partners to drive exceptional results for our clients and evolve HPA’s business development capabilities to support the firm’s tremendous growth.
Maria brings 10+ years of business strategy and execution acceleration experience. Prior to joining HighPoint Associates, Maria held business operations, strategy, and finance roles, first as a management consultant with Kearney and later in corporate roles with AstraZeneca and VRBO. Most recently she served as an independent consultant and business owner. In this capacity, she developed and executed integrated commercial strategies by leveraging technology and identifying new avenues for growth.
Maria holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) and a BBA from Goizueta Business School (Emory University). In her spare time, Maria enjoys going on hikes around Los Angeles and finding small moments of joy with her husband and two children.

Mackenzie Gruver
Associate, Business Development

Mackenzie Gruver
Associate, Business Development
Mackenzie Gruver is a Business Development Associate at HighPoint Associates. As a member of the Business Development (BD) team, she collaborates closely with her colleagues and HPA partners to foster robust client relationships. Mackenzie dedicates her efforts to nurturing client connections and plays a pivotal role in the firm’s growth through lead generation and cultivation initiatives. Additionally, she aids consultant teams in delivering strategic solutions and accelerating execution for clients.
Prior to her tenure at HighPoint Associates, Mackenzie earned her BA in Government and Psychology from Claremont McKenna College in July 2023. Her profound interest in Law and Public Policy steered her Senior Thesis, “Reforming Police in The Post-George Floyd Era: The Role of Public Opinion and Bureaucratic Police Community in Reform Outcomes,” which delves into diagnoses for the stagnated state of the Chicago Consent Decree. Beyond academics, she also served as the Director of Marketing for Claremont Marketing Group and a member of the D3 NCAA CMS Women’s Lacrosse team.
Mackenzie brings strong prior work experience to HPA, having worked in multiple roles across client services, Health Benefit consulting, project sales, product marketing, and academic research. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys surfing, pickleball, discovering new running trails, and testing out new restaurants around LA.

Earl Guill
Senior Director, Network Development

Earl Guill
Senior Director, Network Development
Earl is a Senior Director who works closely with HPA Partners and consultants to lead staffing for all HighPoint projects. He also drives network development initiatives to recruit top-tier independent consultants into the HighPoint Network.
In addition to his work within the HPA talent function, Earl continues to contribute across areas including contracting, proposals, business development / marketing, and operations. Earl has worked with HighPoint for over 6 years, initially joining the firm as a Business Development Associate before transitioning to the network development and staffing side of the firm.
Earl holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Southern California. Earl is based in Los Angeles and is originally from North Carolina, where he grew up a fan of and participant in all things sports, with an emphasis on baseball. Today, he is an avid cyclist, golfer, and surfer who also enjoys cooking (especially pizza), and playing music.

Tess Flanders
Senior Associate, Business Development

Tess Flanders
Senior Associate, Business Development
Tess is a Business Development Associate at HighPoint Associates. As a member of the BD team, she works closely among her team and with HPA partners to develop client relationships. She supports efforts to implement the firm’s lead generation strategy to foster topline growth and assists the consulting teams in providing solutions to clients.
Prior to joining HPA in July 2022, Tess was part of the Hospital Operations Project Management Office at NYU Langone Health in Manhattan, New York. She worked alongside hospital leadership to support and manage quality improvement projects in various departments, with a focus on General Medicine, Patient Experience, Infection Control, and Pharmacy. Additionally, she provided administrative oversight for three inpatient General Internal Medicine units, where she worked to advance and manage initiatives that translate high reliability organization (HRO) principles into practice.
Tess graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2021, with a BS in International Studies, and a focus on Global Health and the Environment. While at University of Michigan, Tess explored her interests in Public Health, and her research, “Barriers and Facilitators to Community Health Outreach and Engagement in Detroit, Michigan: A Qualitative Study,” was published in the Journal of Health Promotion Practice.
Tess is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and following her time in New York is now based in Los Angeles. In her free time, Tess enjoys exploring new hiking and running trails, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with her family on Douglas Lake in Northern Michigan during the summers.

Mary Haikin-Le
Senior Director, Operations & Business Development

Mary Haikin-Le
Senior Director, Operations & Business Development
Mary is a Senior Director of Operations and Business Development at HighPoint Associates. After initially joining HPA as a database management associate in 2017, her role has expanded over the years and she now manages much of the firm’s internal operations including marketing, IT security, CRM, and business development efforts.
Prior to joining HighPoint, Mary spent 4 years working in post-secondary education as an admissions recruiter and corporate education liaison in Indianapolis, Indiana, and also worked as a freelance Spanish to English legal translator for immigration law firms across the country.
Mary holds an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana, and a BA in Spanish-English translation from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, where she attended as a National Merit Scholar.
Mary is now based in her home state of Oklahoma with her husband and two children, after spending three years on the west coast. She is an avid reader always looking for the next interesting novel, and spends her free time with her husband, trying to keep up with their toddler, baby, and two French Bulldogs.

Camron Haynes
Associate, Business Development

Camron Haynes
Associate, Business Development
Camron is a Business Development at HighPoint Associates. With the Business Development team and HPA partners, Camron works to develop client relationships and supports the firm’s growth through lead generation and cultivation efforts. Additionally, Camron assists consultant teams in providing strategy and execution acceleration solutions to clients.
Camron graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration. At USC, he was a member of the nation’s first undergraduate blockchain program, and his studies focused on entrepreneurship and strategic management. Camron was also a student in drumming performance at USC Thornton and was a member of USC’s Trojans FC soccer team.
Prior to joining HPA in March 2023, Camron worked in finance, venture analysis, and business development. Most recently Camron worked at Electronic Arts in Business Development, where he was involved in contract sourcing, lead development, and market analysis that resulted in major partnership deals with industry leaders.
Camron grew up in San Jose, California, and spent some time in Florida in his early years. Following his time at USC, Camron now lives in Los Angeles. In his free time, Camron enjoys playing drums, watching an FC Barcelona game, and spending time with loved ones.

Daniel Hayon
Associate, Talent & Business Development

Daniel Hayon
Associate, Talent & Business Development
Daniel is a Talent and Business Development Associate at HighPoint Associates. In this hybrid role, he collaborates with the Business Development and Talent teams to assist the HPA partners in company growth, building out HPA’s consulting network and staffing client projects with top tier independent consultants, and contributing to the delivery of solutions and services to our clients.
Prior to joining HighPoint Associates in July 2022, Daniel graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Psychology. In college, Daniel was on the varsity Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Swim Team, led as Vice President of Student Activities in student government, participated as Head of Events in Class ‘22 Cabinet, and worked as a Senior Interviewer in CMC’s Admission Office. Daniel brings strong prior work experience to HPA, having worked in multiple prior roles across project sales, information services, event planning, marketing, project management, and research.
Daniel is a Los Angeles County native where he lives in an all former-varsity sport household. He is the second of four children raised in a first-generation Israeli-American household. Daniel enjoys traveling, cooking, concerts, fashion, drag culture, and holds a huge interest in Middle Eastern Diplomacy. On the weekends, you can find Daniel exploring new restaurants in LA, going to concerts and music festivals, bodysurfing at the beach, or watching a drag show in LA.

Aamir Jumani
Director of Business Development & Operations

Aamir Jumani
Director of Business Development & Operations
Aamir is a Director of Business Development and Operations at HighPoint Associates. In this role, Aamir is responsible for overseeing business operations including managing vendor relationships, office administration, marketing, and resource management for consultants. He is also responsible for onboarding and supporting consultant teams on projects, ensuring they have the resources and tools necessary to deliver on client engagements throughout their time staffed on projects with HPA.
Prior to joining HPA in November 2019, Aamir was a Business Risk Services Associate in Grant Thornton’s London office, where he worked on the Securities team to support audits at leading financial institutions. Aamir graduated from Occidental College in 2018 with a degree in Economics. While at Occidental, Aamir was President of the South Asian Students Association and President of his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi. He also was a member of The Occidental Newspaper and the Occidental College Men’s Rugby Football Club.
Outside of HPA, Aamir enjoys hiking, trying out new recipes, and supporting Arsenal FC.

Kobe Ly
Associate, Business Development

Kobe Ly
Associate, Business Development
As a Business Development at HighPoint Associates, Kobe works closely with the HPA Partners to develop client relationships and support topline growth. Kobe also provides support to HPA’s consultant teams, helping them to deliver strategy and execution acceleration solutions to clients.
Prior to joining HPA in April 2023, Kobe graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a BA in Business Administration. At UCI, Kobe served as Vice President of Corporate Relations for the Undergraduate Business Association, the largest and oldest business club on campus and as a Representative for the Merage Undergraduate Student Association, the student leadership council for the Merage School of Business.
During his undergraduate years, Kobe gained diverse internship experience in consulting, technology, venture capital, and virtual reality. At Cosm, an up-and-coming company delivering immersive experiences through virtual reality, his work included developing the go-to-market strategy, building out the 5-year strategic roadmap, and streamlining internal operations. At UCI, Kobe interned for the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where he led student and club outreach efforts and created a company sponsorship program, successfully securing partnerships with multiple F1000 companies in Orange County, CA.
Kobe was born and raised in the heart of Orange County, CA and continues to live there with his family. His hobbies include staying active with sports and outdoor activities, consuming NFL and NBA content, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.

Denise Miyasato
Senior Director, Operations & Finance

Denise Miyasato
Senior Director, Operations & Finance
Denise is a Senior Director of Operations and Finance at HighPoint Associates. She oversees the day-to-day internal operations with a focus on client contracting, insurance, forecasting, and partnering with the Controller on invoicing and consultant payroll processes. She also manages special projects and technology enablement, and leads PMO efforts.
Prior to joining HighPoint, Denise enjoyed a 25-year career with Mattel that spanned various functions such as corporate FP&A, financial reporting, treasury, brand finance, European finance, indirect procurement, and licensing finance. Most recently, she was a consultant at American Honda Finance Corporation leading an indirect procurement purchase-to-pay system implementation.
Denise holds an MBA from the University of Southern California Business School and a BA in Finance from California State University, Fullerton.
Denise is based in Los Angeles with her husband and three kids. She is the biggest cheerleader and videographer of her kids when they’re climbing hills on the dusty cross country trails, driving the basket on the basketball court and running 3,200 meters on the track. She enjoys her annual trips to Maui and Napa Valley.

Susan Shah
Senior Director, People & Human Resource Operations

Susan Shah
Senior Director, People & Human Resource Operations
Susan Shah is Senior Director of People and Human Resource Operations. In her People role, Susan is responsible for employee well-being and cultivating the HPA culture. In her role in Human Resource Operations, she is responsible for recruiting, training, and development. Susan also supports the consultant recruiting team.
Prior to joining HighPoint Associates, she had management, leadership, finance training and retention roles across Fortune 500, start-ups, and non-profit organizations.
Susan lives in Manhattan Beach, CA with her husband and two daughters. She is a certified health coach and yoga instructor. When she is not teaching her daughters how to do a handstand, she enjoys cooking healthy meals and outdoor adventures with the family.

Theo Song
Vice President, Talent

Theo Song
Vice President, Talent
Theo is the Vice President of Talent with HighPoint Associates. As the VP of Talent, he recruits top-tier independent consultants into the HighPoint network, identifying areas of expertise and determining relevant client opportunities. He also leads the project staffing function for the Firm, ensuring each project is set up for success from the start.
Prior to joining HighPoint, Theo worked in strategy consulting with Bain & Company, plus a variety of industries including consumer products, electronics, footwear and apparel. He has served private-equity clients in their portfolio companies and also worked directly for a Fortune 500 company. During his career, Theo has had the opportunity to work internationally in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Theo holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from the Wharton School of Business.
Theo is based in Los Angeles where he enjoys spending time with his daughters, volunteering as a coach and referee for their sports teams. On the weekends you can usually find him at the beach, or at the dog park trying to teach his puppy new tricks.

Dan Tan
Associate, Business Development

Dan Tan
Associate, Business Development
Dan joined HighPoint Associates as a Business Development (BD) Associate in July 2023. He works alongside the BD team and HPA partners to nurture client relationships and drive growth in the firm’s topline. Dan furthers efforts in developing lead generation strategies to achieve broader and more effective outreach.
Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he completed a double major in Physics and Sociology. During his time in college, Dan was the lead student researcher in a Physics laboratory developing custom low-cost fabrication techniques for cutting-edge solar technology; conducted sociology research in organizational teamwork and modern constructions of masculinity; and transformed two manufacturing firms through applying lean principles and concepts in engineering management. He was the engineering team lead for a mechanical design engagement with a local F&B equipment manufacturer, which led to the filing of a provisional patent for the team’s work in early 2023.
Born and raised on the sunny island of Singapore, Dan completed two years of military service prior to starting college and left the army a full lieutenant in 2019. He served a full year as a platoon commander in the 40th Battalion, Singapore Armored Regiment, where he fondly remembers working with the 31 soldiers under his command, travelling from Brunei to Northern Australia for peacetime training.
Outside of work, Dan was an avid baritone in the Pomona College Choir and enjoys a good jam session on the guitar and drums. When he’s not in the office, you can find him in the gym working on his powerbuilding routine; rock climbing on natural and indoor walls; or rallying on a badminton court. He loves all things mountaineering, hiking and camping, and having solo conquered the three tallest peaks in Southern California – Mount San Antonio (Baldy), San Jacinto and San Gorgonio – Dan’s now turning his attention to bigger and bolder climbs. Stay tuned for his next adventure!

Tom Wang
Controller

Tom Wang
Controller
Tom is the Controller at Highpoint Associates. He oversees the Accounting/Finance operations and manages the firm’s financial statements, payroll, budget, and tax compliance process.
Prior to joining HighPoint, Tom spent over 13 years in Public Accounting and industry accounting with internal audit consulting roles at Protiviti and RSM focusing on internal audit and SOX compliance consulting, and an external audit role focusing on Banking/Asset Management audit at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Tom most recently served as the Audit/Accounting Manager at MGM Resorts International, where he managed a team of eight accountants performing month-end closing and auditing work for MGM’s ten subsidiaries.
Tom holds an MS in Finance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a BS in Accounting from USC Leventhal School of Accounting, and a BS in Business Administration from USC Marshall School of Business.
Tom is based in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. Tom enjoys exploring nature with his kids on the weekend and having Chinese hotpot with his family at least twice a month, and KBBQ at least once a month.
Senior Advisors
HighPoint is distinguished by the strength and commitment of our Senior Advisors, a team comprised of former leaders from the world’s top consulting firms. With extensive industry experience and expertise, Senior Advisors are valuable resources for our clients, providing thoughtful collaboration and partnership on projects at all stages.
Phil Arrata
Phil Arrata
Phil is a proven advisor and executive with over 20 years of experience driving sustainable growth in rapidly changing industries.
He is the former CEO of MEC, Canada’s largest outdoor goods retailers. Under his leadership, MEC underwent a significant transformation focused on e-commerce, store experience, supply chain, merchandising, continuous improvement, and community impact. Prior to MEC, Phil was the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer for Best Buy Canada. At Best Buy, Phil was responsible for functions including finance, strategy, real-estate, technology Geek Squad, and Best Buy for Business. Phil played a key role in Best Buy’s transformation to a successful omni-channel retailer.
Phil began his career in management consulting with Deloitte. He joined McKinsey post-MBA and left the firm as an Associate Principal. His focus was supporting companies driving transformation programs in the industrial, telecommunications and financial services sectors.
Phil holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a B.Comm from McGill University.
Jim Bennett
Jim Bennett
Jim draws on over 40 years of experience as a consultant, senior executive, and Board leader in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Previously, Jim served as the CEO of two early stage internet companies and the Chair of a third. He also served as a Senior Executive Vice President at KeyCorp and 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.
Christian Frank
Christian Frank
Christian has over 20 years of consulting and operating leadership experience in the healthcare, business services, IT, and manufacturing industries.
He spent 8 years at McKinsey & Company, most recently as an Associate Partner leading operational turnaround, strategy development and implementation engagements for a wide range of clients across the healthcare, technology, and industrials sectors.
Post-McKinsey, Christian held roles at IBM in Strategy and as Vice President for Healthcare Business Process Services, where he oversaw software development and helped pilot patient-centered medical home, EHR, and a physician payment hub. He then went on to become Head of Corporate Strategy, Marketing, and Product Management for ADP, where he led the development and launch of ADP’s health and wellness strategy. Following his time at ADP, Christian launched an Employee Wellness Screening company.
Christian is a Fulbright scholar who holds a MS in Computer Science from the University of Oregon and a BS from the University of Dortmund, Germany.
Bob Kaplan
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 the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA from Yale University.
Katie Liebel
Katie Liebel
Katie is a financial services senior executive and strategy leader with more than 20 years of experience heading strategic planning, customer experience and large transformational change, in leading banking and insurance firms. She began her career at McKinsey & Company where she grew to the role of Engagement Manager, serving large banking clients globally in the firm’s Financial Services Practice. Following McKinsey, Katie held Senior Vice President roles at National City Bank and led various insurance product lines at Genworth Financial. She then moved to Nationwide Insurance for nearly six years as Chief Strategy Officer and SVP of Property & Casualty Transformation, heading the transformation of Nationwide’s largest business unit.
Subsequently, Katie served as Managing Director and Head of Strategy in Consumer Banking for JPMorgan Chase & Co. While at Chase, Katie drove a modernization of the service and sales model to capitalize on customer and technological trends. Most recently, Katie served as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Customer Experience Officer for Fifth Third Bank. There, she led customer experience strategy across multiple lines of business to position the company to compete in a more digital world. Katie now consults with organizations to define winning strategies and drive tangible change, while incorporating a customer focus.
Katie holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia, with Highest Distinction.
Alex Nesbitt
Alex Nesbitt
Alex draws on over 30 years of experience as a consultant and senior operating executive. He is a former Managing Director for The Boston Consulting Group and was one of the leaders of the firm’s North American Industrial Goods Practice.
At BCG and as an independent consultant, Alex has served clients across multiple sectors, including technology, financial services, automotive, industrial, and healthcare, and his work has spanned growth strategy, supply chain optimization, merger integration, and organizational restructuring. He also founded and served as CEO of Sameday Technologies, a provider of third party fulfillment services which was eventually sold to Ryder Logistics.
Alex holds a BS from Stanford University.
Pamela Thomas-Graham
Pamela Thomas-Graham
Pamela Thomas-Graham is the Founder and CEO of Dandelion Chandelier Digital Media, an enterprise focused on publishing luxury lifestyle content, and a former Partner with McKinsey & Company where she was a leader of the firm’s Consumer and Media & Entertainment practices. She was also the first black woman to be named Partner in the firm’s history and served as an expert on corporate strategy, marketing & sales. Pamela worked extensively with luxury apparel brands and retailers as a Partner at the firm, and also worked with a global luxury automotive company on a series of projects.
After leaving McKinsey, she was CEO of CNBC, providing programming to over 200mm homes worldwide, and led the creation and launch of CNBC.com during her tenure there. Subsequently, Pamela was Group President at Liz Claiborne, leading a global, $1.5B business unit responsible for 30 percent of the company’s global revenue, covering 18 apparel brands, including the flagship Liz Claiborne brand. Most recently, Pamela was the Chief Marketing and Talent Officer for Credit Suisse. As the first woman to ever serve on the bank’s Executive Board, she led the global talent function covering over 50,000 employees and global marketing function for the Global 50 bank.
Pamela has served on the Board of the Clorox Company since 2005 and currently serves as the Lead Independent Director. She recently joined the Board of N.T. Butterfield, the publicly-traded retail bank and wealth management company headquartered in Bermuda. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University, and holds a JD from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Kevin Ventrudo
Kevin Ventrudo
Kevin has more than thirty years of strategic management, finance and consulting experience. During an investment banking career that spanned 20 years, Kevin focused primarily on growth companies, with significant experience with clients in the retail, apparel, footwear and consumer sectors. He led clients through virtually every type of transaction, including IPO’s, secondary equity offerings, private placements, high yield offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He also served as Chief Financial Officer of a billion dollar NYSE-listed athletic apparel and footwear company and has been involved in a number of entrepreneurial and consulting activities, including serving as CEO of a consulting firm focused on human resource and organizational development issues. He has served as a Director on both public and private company boards.
Most recently Kevin was a member of the HighPoint Associates team, serving as Chief Operating Officer for six years with responsibility for all facets of HPA’s internal operations and for working with the firm’s Partners on strategic business development initiatives. Kevin holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA from Yale University.