Leadership Team
The Parago Executive Team is comprised of innovative thinkers and opinion leaders from promotional marketing, customer relationship management, financial management, fulfillment services, technology, and channel marketing. They built their credentials at innovative and relevant companies such as Carlson Marketing, Maritz, Green Dot, Excel Communications, Palm, Compaq, SAP, Intel, JP Morgan Chase, and Young America.
Juli Spottiswood
President and CEO
Ms. Spottiswood helped form Parago in early 1999 as the company's CFO and was promoted to President and CEO in 2007. She is responsible for strategic expansion of the company's incentive services offerings and driving innovation within the rebate processing and incentives industry. Ms. Spottiswood, a Director of Parago, also serves as a board member and Treasurer of the Network Branded Prepaid Card Association (NBPCA), an association formed to promote the use of prepaid rebate cards as an alternative payment vehicle. In 2009, Ms. Spottiswood was the recipient of the Ersnt & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Southwest region, as well as the Best Entrepreneur by the Stevie® Awards for Women in Business. Prior to joining Parago, Ms. Spottiswood served as Vice President of Corporate Financial Planning at Excel Communications where she worked directly on the company's IPO and played a key role in the $1.2 billion acquisition of Telco Communications and $7 billion merger with Teleglobe, Inc. Ms. Spottiswood began her career at Arthur Andersen LLP.
Mae Reeves
Chief Financial
Officer
Ms. Reeves joined Parago as Chief Financial Officer in 2007. As CFO, Ms. Reeves not only manages the traditional Finance responsibilities but has also been instrumental in bringing Parago’s prepaid card product to market and manages the group which is responsible for delivering millions of prepaid cards annually. In 2009, Ms. Reeves was named the Dallas CFO of the Year by the Dallas Business Journal. Prior to joining Parago, Ms. Reeves spent 14 years at JPMorgan and predecessor firms where she served as Managing Director within JPMorgan's Technology Corporate Banking Group. Ms. Reeves led a group responsible for providing commercial banking and investment banking services to mid-cap and small-cap technology companies, primarily focused in the software, services, and transaction processing segments.
Bob Freeburg
Executive Vice President of Client Delivery & Technology
Mr. Freeburg joined Parago in 2000 as the Vice President of Technology and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2007. He has over 15 years experience in technology delivery with management consulting and industry expertise. He served as Vice President of Technology and Operations for Up2 Technologies, a BCE (Bell Canada Enterprises, formerly Teleglobe) subsidiary, prior to joining Parago.
Glen Holbert
Executive Vice President of Sales
Mr. Holbert joined Parago in 2008 with over 20 years of sales and leadership experience in the incentives industry. He is responsible for the revenue growth of the organization, building and maintaining a solutions sales organization, and expanding the company’s reach into new industry segments and programs. Prior to joining Parago, Mr. Holbert worked with some of the nation’s leading incentive companies including MotivAction, LLC, BI Performance, Maritz Inc., and Marketing Innovators International.
Michael Larson
Executive Vice President of Operations
Before joining Parago in 2000, Mr. Larson served as Vice President, Consumer Affairs at Young America Corporation, a consumer rebate processing and fulfillment company that services many large companies. Previously, he was Vice President, Direct Response Sales and Service for NordicTrack, Inc., a direct response and direct mail marketer of home fitness equipment. Mr. Larson has participated on the national COPC-2000 Certification Standards board that seeks continuous improvement for call centers and fulfillment services.
Mike Reynolds
Executive Vice President of Market Development and Strategy
Mr. Reynolds has served as an Executive Vice President since 1999 and is responsible for driving the company's strategic direction, expansion into new market segments, product marketing, and acquisitions. Prior to joining Parago, Mr. Reynolds spent over 14 years with Intel Corporation, the world's largest chip maker and leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products, where he was responsible for management of a strategic business unit including full P&L responsibility as well as the development of new distribution channels. Mr. Reynolds has over 20 years experience in sales, marketing, and product development of technology-based solutions.
Matt Kerper
Vice President of Reward Strategy and Innovation
Mr. Kerper joined Parago in 2007 from Trycera Financial, a premier Stored Value Program Management firm, where he was president and CEO. With over 10 years in the prepaid market, Mr. Kerper brings solid, first-hand experience in the development, deployment, and management of major network-branded prepaid programs from both Trycera Financial and Green Dot, a leading provider of retail- based financial services for the underserved community.
Cy Moore
Vice President of Client Solutions
Mr. Moore joined Parago in 2008 from Carlson Marketing and brings with him over 20 years of experience in the design, development, implementation, and management of strategic marketing services programs for Fortune and Global 1000 companies worldwide. He is responsible for the unique solution development of promotions and incentives for Parago's existing and prospective clients.
Bill Warshauer
Vice President of Sales
Mr. Warshauer joined Parago in 2002 as a Senior Account Executive and received recognition year after year as a multi-million dollar producer. He was promoted to Vice President of Sales in 2007. Mr. Warshauer has over 15 years experience as an enterprise solutions sales executive and has delivered over $50MM in sales for the companies he has represented, which include Parago,, Palm, Inc. and CompuCom Systems, Inc.
Ed Woodson
General Counsel
Mr. Woodson has over 10 years experience in providing legal representation to technology companies. He is responsible for the review and negotiation of all Parago contracts, management of intellectual property portfolio, and litigation management. Mr. Woodson joined Parago in 1999 from Locke Liddell & Sapp, LLP.
Franz Zemen
Vice President of TechnologyMr. Zemen joined Parago in 2002 as Chief Architect and later became Director of Development and Director of Technology. He was promoted to Vice President of Technology in 2009. He is responsible for all aspects of technology operations and delivery of enhancements and other technology projects. Mr. Zemen possesses 18 years of technology experience in the areas of promotion management systems, operational support systems and workflow management systems. Prior to joining Parago, Mr. Zemen worked for Viewlocity, Trilogy, Sequel Systems and Sabre Decision Technologies leading mission critical technology projects.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Renny Smith
Chairman
Specializing in marketing services and information
technology solutions for retail and consumer products, Mr. Smith manages
several active investments, including Aspen Marketing Services, 4R Systems and
Parago. He joined Thomas H. Lee Partners in 1990 and was one of the partners
responsible for investing Thomas H. Lee Equity Funds II, III and IV. Some of
the investments he was responsible for include Finlay Fine Jewelry, Thermoscan,
Rayovac and Eye Care Centers of America. Prior to joining Thomas H. Lee
Partners, he was a corporate finance generalist in the Investment Banking
Division of Merrill Lynch & Co. Renny is a member of the Board of
Trustees of Wesleyan University, from which he graduated cum laude with a BA in
Economics. He received his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at
Dartmouth College and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Advisors
for Tuck’s Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship.
Bernie Andrews
Director
Mr. Andrews served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Eyecare Centers of America (“ECCA”), a retail optical chain of 380 stores, from March 1996 until July 2001, and continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until December 2003. Prior to ECCA, he held roles at several of the nation’s most recognizable retail brands, including President and Chief Operating Officer of Montgomery Ward, and Executive Vice President of Store Operations and Marketing of Circuit City Stores, Inc. Mr. Andrews spent 20 years with Sears, Roebuck & Co. in a number of merchandising, marketing, and operating positions. In addition to serving as a Parago Director, He is on the board of Sunflower Farmer’s Market, Sentient Medical Systems and B&M Racing.
Jeff Jackson
Director and Audit Committee Chair
Mr. Jackson is Executive Vice President, Corporate Business Development of Sabre Holdings and is responsible for developing and sustaining Sabre’s global alliances and for identifying strategic growth opportunities. Prior to assuming this post in July 2009, Jeff served for 11 years as executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) for Sabre Holdings. As CFO, Jeff played an integral role in the company’s largest mergers and acquisitions, most recently the 2007 sale of Sabre to private-equity firms TPG and Silver Lake and the 2005 acquisition of lastminute.com. Earlier deals include the sale of the outsourcing business to EDS, and the IPO – later followed by the buyback – of Travelocity, where he served on the board while it was a public company.
David Lundeen
Director
Mr. Lundeen has been a director at Parago since 1999. From 1999 through 2002, Mr. Lundeen was a partner with Watershed Capital, a private equity firm based in Mountain View, California. Prior to Watershed Capital, he served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of BSG and was President of Blockbuster Technology and Vice President of Finance of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation. Prior to that time, Mr. Lundeen was an investment banker with Drexel Burnham Lambert in New York City.
Phillip Riese
Director
Mr. Riese is President of RIESE & OTHERS, which provides advisory services to CEOs in developing and executing market share and revenue growth strategies. Prior to forming the company, he spent 18 years at American Express, ultimately as President of the Consumer Card Group leading the teams that turned around American Express’ core business. Before his tenure American Express, Mr. Riese was a Division Executive at Chase Bank and a partner at M.C. Geffen, a consulting firm in South Africa. He has also served as CEO of two early stage companies, is an Operating Partner of a private equity firm, and serves on a number of boards of private and public companies.
Juli Spottiswood
Director (reference bio above)
INVESTORS
TH Lee Putnam Ventures is a technology-focused private equity firm affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, a leading buyout firm, and Putnam Investments, a leading global money management firm. TH Lee Putnam Ventures manages $1.1 billion in capital commitments and has invested approximately $760 million in more than 41 companies since the firm's formation in 1999.
For more information, please visit TH Lee Putnam Ventures on the web at www.thlpv.com.
