The Open Sky Group Appoints Four Key Personnel in Support of Growth and Expansion of Supply Chain Software Consulting Services

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) January 11, 2012

The Open Sky Group (Open Sky ? http://www.theopenskygroup.com), an independent consulting company specializing in services for Supply Chain Software Systems, is pleased to announce the appointment of four Directors to its Executive Management team; Brian Lindenmeyer for Engineering Consulting, Seth Patin for Technical & Support Services, Darcy Reeves Powell for Marketing, and Jason Yantiss for Implementation. These appointments are in support of Open Sky?s expansion of services and in response to its tremendous growth. The company has averaged year over year growth of at least 20% since its inception in 2006.

Each Director is responsible for a practice, including management of the members of each team. The newest practice, Engineering Consulting, will initially be focused on extending client strategy in the areas of Software Evaluation and Vendor Selection, Organization and Operational Readiness, Workforce Management and general Industrial Engineering services. ?We see a great need for labor and engineering expertise in our existing engagements and are excited about what we can bring to clients,? notes Curt Sardeson, Managing Principal for Open Sky. ?We are now uniquely positioned to provide complete support of the entire suite of products and consulting services necessary for highly effective supply chain execution systems. By combining industrial engineering services with our technical and functional expertise, Open Sky is increasing its capabilities for unleashing efficiencies in our clients? supply chains.?

Open Sky?s existing practices are Implementation & Integration and Technical & Support Services. Implementation Services, a more recent addition, is responsible for all supply chain software implementation and integration projects, from Warehouse, Labor and Transportation Management to integration of Material Handling Equipment and ERP Systems. The Technical and Support Services practice, a founding focus of the firm, is dedicated to support and maintenance involving RedPrairie? software products.

Brian, Seth, Darcy and Jason, along with Curt Sardeson, Managing Principal, will guide Open Sky as it continues on its trajectory of growth and expansion, while remaining committed to the founding principle that happy clients and happy employees make happy shareholders. ?We choose our people carefully to ensure a great cultural fit along with a commitment to teamwork and building the best possible customer relationships,? says Curt. ?I?m excited about what we will do with these four energetic, knowledgeable and highly respected individuals on our team.?

ABOUT THE OPEN SKY GROUP, LLC

The Open Sky Group (http://www.theopenskygroup.com) specializes in consulting services for warehouse, transportation and labor management systems. With three practices of highly experienced consultants, we strive every day to be the best consulting partner on the planet for implementing Supply Chain solutions. Open Sky Practices include Engineering Consulting, Implementation & Integration, and Technical & Support Services. Contact Darcy Reeves Powell for more information - 919.346.0601.

ABOUT THE OPEN SKY GROUP DIRECTORS

Open Sky?s four new Directors have deep supply chain experience:

Brian Lindenmeyer oversees Engineering Consulting and is responsible for building this new practice for Open Sky. He has over 16 years of experience in supply chain and manufacturing operations, strategy and process improvement and has worked as both a client and consultant. Brian has successfully created Operational Excellence practices at two other supply chain consulting firms and his initiatives and projects have documented over $ 35M in savings. Brian?s previous project work includes supply chain strategy development, network design/optimization, operations improvement, ERP and SCM software justification and vendor selection, as well as the implementation of these execution systems, in industries including: Automotive, CPG, Discrete & Process Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare and Retail.

Seth Patin oversees all Technical and Support Services projects for Open Sky. With over 11 years of supply chain experience, he has designed, developed and implemented numerous cost-effective solutions for over 20 companies drawing on his expertise in expertise in logistics, DLx/D WMS and big picture approach. Seth has held many roles on system implementations and enhancements, process improvements and complex integrations, including those for ERP, Automation and Parcel Manifesting Systems for clients in the industries of 3PL/4PL/LLP, Apparel, Automotive, Books/Learning Materials, Cold Storage, Consumer Goods, Cosmetics, Food Distribution, High-Tech & Electronics, Media and Tools & Hardware.

Darcy Reeves Powell oversees marketing and communications for Open Sky. With over 12 years of supply chain experience, she has worked in multiple roles driving and implementing both strategic and tactical initiatives for marketing programs. The marketing programs have included media relations, client and partner communications, industry events, collateral development, website redesign and maintenance, and more for several leading supply chain consulting companies whose clients have ranged from Food & Beverage, 3PL and Retail to Consumer Goods, Grocery and Electronics.

Jason Yantiss oversees all implementation and integration projects for Open Sky. With over 13 years of experience implementing supply chain execution systems and his operational roles in transportation, billing and warehousing, Jason?s project work includes over 40 supply chain software implementations. His integration experience includes SAP, WebMethods, Delfour, Oracle, Gentran, MARC, RedPrairie? and RFID systems. Jason has worked in and/or managed numerous roles, including: picking, dock management, customer service, development, inventory control, resource planning & scheduling, transportation, billing and business analysis and his industry experience spans 3PL/4PL/LLP, Apparel, Automotive, Books/Learning Materials, Building Materials, Cold Storage, Consumer Goods, Cosmetics, Food Distribution, High-Tech & Electronics, Media, Pharmaceutical and Tools & Hardware.

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Elite Meetings International (EMI) Appoints John Washko Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) January 25, 2012

Elite Meetings International, Inc. (EMI), announced that it appointed John Washko to the new position of Vice President, Sales & Marketing. Washko, who has served for four years as a member of the Elite Meetings Advisory Board (EMAB), will drive revenue generation by creating sales strategies and initiatives for Elite?s three products ? SpeedRFP, EliteMeetings.com, and FaceTime Appointment Scheduler ?. He will also supervise the sales and planner communications teams for Elite, which operate out of California, New York, Florida, Mexico and Spain.

Kelly Foy, Elite?s CEO, said, ?We are thrilled to welcome John Washko, a recognized hospitality sales and marketing executive, to the Elite team.? Foy concluded, ?We begin 2012 in the strongest place in the company?s history, with a proven business model; time-tested and widely used products that benefit planners as well as hotels; and with plans in place to introduce exciting new product offerings and upgrades in short order. With John at the helm of our sales and development efforts, we look forward to updating the industry on important milestones and announcements in the weeks ahead.?

Among other initiatives, Elite plans to roll out an updated version of its SpeedRFP product, which include several new features -- including a product version tailored to the wedding and social event market which lets hotels and event planners exchange information and negotiate business much more efficiently.

John Washko said, ?I am delighted to join Elite?s management team at this dynamic and promising moment in the company?s growth.? He concluded, ?Having worked closely with Kelly and his sales and communications teams for more than four years, I could not be more excited about the company?s vision, its direction, and its current and anticipated product offerings. I look forward to working aggressively to widen the sales pipelines for each of these offerings in my new role.?

About John Washko

John Washko is a dynamic executive, with a proven track record of helping hospitality enterprises streamline operations, improve productivity and enhance market share. He brings more than fifteen years as an experienced manager who has developed top-quality sales, marketing, and management teams.

Prior to joining Elite, Washko was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at The Broadmoor, a 744-room, world-class resort and the longest holder of the Forbes five-star, and AAA five-diamond ratings in the Unites States. At The Broadmoor, he oversaw sales, marketing, catering, conference services, reservations, public relations, and communications, with a total of 58 employees. His previous experience included executive sales management positions at Atlantis, a 2.317-room world-class resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas; and at the PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Washko is a graduate of James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and has long been active in many hospitality industry and civic organizations. He recently completed a four-year term on the Board of Americas of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). He continues as an advisory board member on the HSMAI resort marketing council, in which he has been involved for seven years. Washko has also served as the former Board Chair at Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB); was the recipient of the 2010 HSMAI Resort Marketer of the Year Award, and is active on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Springs El Pomar Youth Sports Park.

Washko can be reached at jwashko(at)elitemeetings(dot)com, or (719) 660-4628.

About Elite Meetings International

Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International (EMI) provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technology, direct sales support, customized marketing programs and face-to-face business-building events. Additionally, http://www.EliteMeetings.com serves as a commission-free RFP-generating tool and a comprehensive vehicle for sourcing luxury, upper-upscale and upscale properties. EMI?s innovations include FaceTimeTM Appointment Scheduler (http://www.FaceTimeScheduler.com) a sought after program for helping conference attendees identify synergies, manage appointments and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP? (http://www.SpeedRFP.com), a new time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit http://www.EliteMeetings.com or call 805-730-1000.

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