The Software Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Software Leaders of Connecticut for 2022. This year’s awardee list is comprised of a wide range of professionals known for their expertise, prominence, and success in the industry.
With software as a major part of our economy, enterprises big and small depend on it for automation and solutions for accounting, marketing, sales, and more — and these 25 leaders help ensure they’re working with the best. Joseph Zarb of SAP provides expertise and guidance as Global Vice President of Business Development, while Kyle Morehouse of Adobe is passionate about his work as Director of Solutions Consulting.
Flora Kidani of Bottomline Technologies ensures their clients’ automation processes are flawless as Vice President of Product Development, and Sudhi Balan, Senior Director of Product Development for ASG Technologies, uses his years of experience with software and engineering to help his team support their clients through IT Systems Management solutions.
This year’s awardees have only one thing in common, and it’s the industry they work in. From there, these software leaders each impart their wisdom and follow their passions to provide their teams and clients with the best solutions and support possible. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Software Leaders of Connecticut for 2022.
1. Joseph Zarb
Company: SAP
Title: Global Vice President, Business Development
Joseph Zarb is the Global Vice President of Business Development of SAP. He first joined the company in 2016. SAP Process Automation combines capabilities from SAP Workflow Management and SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation with a powerful, yet intuitive no-code development experience. It increases the capacity to drive process automation by empowering business experts to become citizen developers.
Previously, Zarb was a CEO at Smaarts, Inc. and before that, a Vice President of Marketing at ThingWorx, a PTC Business. Earlier in his career, he worked with NBC as a programmer and analyst. Zarb earned an undergraduate degree in computer science and business administration from Marist College.
2. Erin Benvegnu
Company: Salesforce
Title: VP, Business Planning & Technology Operations
Erin Benvegnu is the VP of Business Planning and Technology Operations of Salesforce, which unites marketing, sales, commerce, service, and IT teams from anywhere with Customer 360, an integrated CRM platform that powers an entire suite of connected apps. With Customer 360, one can focus their employees on what’s important right now: stabilizing business, reopening, and getting back to delivering exceptional customer experiences. Salesforce helps marketing, sales, commerce, service, and IT teams work as one from anywhere, so customers are happy everywhere. Benvegnu has 25 years of experience in the technology, information, and internet industry.
Before joining Salesforce, Benvegnu was a Senior Director of North American Sales Operations at Oracle. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with an MBA and from Southern Connecticut State University with an undergraduate degree in arts.
3. Kyle Morehouse
Company: Adobe
Title: Director of Solutions Consulting
Kyle Morehouse began his professional career 20 years ago. Today, he is the Director of Solutions Consulting at Adobe, the global leader in digital media and digital marketing solutions. Their creative, marketing, and document solutions empower everyone from emerging artists to global brands to bring digital creations to life and deliver immersive, compelling experiences to the right person, at the right moment, for the best results.
In short, Adobe is everywhere, and they are changing the world through digital experiences. Morehouse first got his start in 2000 as an Associate Director of Project Management at Euro RSCG 4D. From there, he went on to Acxiom Digital, before eventually rising to Senior Manager of Global Technology Solutions at Acxiom Digital, his most recent position before joining Adobe. Morehouse graduated from Western Connecticut State University with an undergraduate degree in marketing.
4. Bill Vellante
Company: Infor
Title: Vice President & General Manager
Bill Vellante is the Vice President and General Manager of Infor. He first joined the company in 2016. Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. With 17,000 employees and over 60,000 customers in more than 175 countries, Infor software is designed for progress.
Previously, Vellante was a Vice President of Sales at Axonify, and before that, a Vice President of Northeast Sales at Workday. Earlier in his career, he worked with PeopleSoft as a VP Managing Director. Vellante earned an undergraduate degree in marketing and accounting from Bentley University.
5. Umberto Zaffanella
Company: SS&C Technologies
Title: Vice President
Umberto Zaffanella is the Vice President of SS&C Technologies, a leading global provider of mission-critical, cloud-based software and solutions for the financial and healthcare industries. Built upon a foundation of expertise, innovation, and excellent customer service, SS&C powers some of the largest financial and healthcare firms in the world. Zaffanella has 16 years of experience in the software development industry.
6. Ron Poserina
Company: Proofpoint
Title: Vice President, Americas Systems Engineering
Ron Poserina began his professional career 25 years ago. Today, he is the Vice President of Americas Systems Engineering of Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity company that protects organizations' greatest assets and biggest risks: people. Proofpoint provides the most effective cybersecurity and compliance solutions to protect people on every channel including email, the web, the cloud, and social media.
Poserina first got his start in 1997 as an Implementation Manager at Instinet. From there, he went on to Prism Communication Services, before eventually rising to Senior Manager of Cyber Security Sales Engineering and Strategic Accounts at Symantec, his most recent position before joining Proofpoint. Poserina graduated from University at Albany, SUNY, with an undergraduate degree in communications and business administration.
7. Flora Kidani
Company: Bottomline Technologies
Title: Vice President of Product and Development
Flora Kidani is the Vice President of Product and Development at Bottomline Technologies. She first joined the company in 2017. Bottomline Technologies makes complex business payments simple, smart, and secure.
Corporations and banks rely on Bottomline for domestic and international payments, efficient cash management, automated workflows for payment processing and bill review, state-of-the-art fraud detection, behavioral analytics, and regulatory compliance solutions.
Previously, Kidani was an Expert Consultant of Product Strategy and Product Management at Quovant, and before that, an Expert Consultant at Channel Media Solutions Inc. Earlier in her career, she worked with Oracle as a Senior Product Manager. Kidani earned an MS in mathematics from Claremont Graduate University and an MS in psychology from Tashkent State University.
8. Michael Cheng
Company: FactSet
Title: Vice President, Director
Michael Cheng is the Vice President and Director of FactSet, which creates flexible, open data, and software solutions for tens of thousands of investment professionals around the world, and provides instant access to financial data and analytics that investors use to make crucial decisions. FactSet works together toward the goal of creating value for clients.
Cheng has 27 years of experience in the IT services and IT consulting industry. He graduated from the University of Michigan with an undergraduate degree in political science and government.
9. Raymond Umerley
Company: Pitney Bowes
Title: Vice President, Chief Information Risk Officer
Raymond Umerley began his professional career 22 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Information Risk Officer and Vice President of Pitney Bowes, a global shipping and mailing company that provides technology, logistics, and financial services to more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500. Small business, retail, enterprise, and government clients around the world rely on Pitney Bowes to remove the complexity of sending mail and parcels.
Umerley first got his start in 2000 as Manager of Network Operations at Antenna Software. From there, he went on to DGA Security Systems, before eventually rising to Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Innovest Systems, his most recent position before joining Pitney Bowes.
Umerley graduated from Boston University with an MS in computer information systems and information security, and from East Tennessee State University with an undergraduate degree in history and English.
10. Jeff Reichard
Company: Veeam Software
Title: Vice President, Public Sector & Compliance Strategy
Jeff Reichard is the Vice President of Public Sector & Compliance Strategy at Veeam Software. He first joined the company in 2019 as Senior Director of Enterprise Strategy. Veeam provides a single platform for modernizing backup, accelerating hybrid cloud, and securing data.
Veeam has 400,000+ customers worldwide, including 82% of the Fortune 500 and 69% of the Global 2,000. Veeam’s 100% channel ecosystem includes global partners, as well as HPE, NetApp, Cisco, and Lenovo as exclusive resellers, and boasts more than 35K transacting partners worldwide. With offices in more than 30 countries and over 200 industry awards, Veeam is unquestionably the leader in data protection across all environments.
Previously, Reichard was a Systems Engineering Manager at Commvault, and before that, a Solutions Architect at Vision Solutions. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Systems Engineer at Double-Take Software. Reichard earned an undergraduate degree in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
11. Anne Milley
Company: JMP
Title: Sr. Director Analytics Strategy
Anne Milley is the Senior Director of Analytics Strategy of JMP, a SAS company that produces interactive software for desktop statistical discovery. Pronounced “jump,” its name suggests a leap in interactivity and a move in a new direction.
Introduced in 1989, JMP has grown into a family of statistical discovery products used worldwide in almost every industry. From its beginnings, JMP software has empowered its users by enabling interactive analytics on the desktop. JMP is the data analysis tool of choice for hundreds of thousands of scientists, engineers, and other data explorers worldwide. Milley has 27 years of experience in the software development industry. Before joining JMP, Milley was a director at SAS Institute Inc. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with an MA in economics.
12. Al Subbloie
Company: Budderfly
Title: President & CEO
Al Subbloie began his professional career over 20 years ago. Today, he is the President and CEO of Budderfly, an energy management solution firm that provides its clients with energy efficiency improvements and usage reductions through 24/7/365 monitoring and analytics, ongoing maintenance, and technology upgrades.
Before rising to President and CEO at Budderfly, Subbloie was a Board Member at Zippy Yum, and earlier in his career, he was CEO of Tangoe. He graduated from Trinity College-Hartford with an undergraduate degree in economics.
13. Robert Powers
Company: OneStream Software
Title: Co-founder and CTO
Robert Powers is Co-founder and CTO of OneStream Software. He first joined the company in 2011. OneStream Software provides a market-leading intelligent finance platform that reduces the complexity of financial operations.
OneStream unleashes the power of finance by unifying corporate performance management (CPM) processes such as planning, financial close & consolidation, reporting, and analytics through a single, extensible solution. It empowers the enterprise with financial and operational insights to support faster and more informed decision-making, all in a cloud platform designed to continually evolve and scale with organizations.
Previously, Powers was a CTO at Allegient Systems, and before that, a Vice President of Software Development at Hyperion Solutions. Earlier in his career, he worked with SAIC as a Senior Systems Engineer. Powers earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
14. Larry Ubaldi
Company: Tangoe
Title: Vice President Tangoe Advisory Solutions
Larry Ubaldi is the Vice President of Tangoe Advisory Solutions, which offers the best order, invoice, inventory, and expense management solution on the market for telecom, mobile, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G.
Through one complete solution, the Tangoe Platform simplifies complex technology environments. The Tangoe Platform includes Telecom Expense Management (TEM), Managed Mobility Services (MMS), and Cloud Expense Management (CEM) solutions. Ubaldi has 20 years of experience in the IT services and IT consulting industry.
15. Chuck Sheriff
Company: YM Careers
Title: Director, Career Center Software
Chuck Sheriff began his professional career 26 years ago. Today, he is the Director of Career Center Software at YM Careers, the industry leader and most trusted career center platform for more than 20 years, bringing innovation to the niche career center industry and association market.
Associations leverage YM Careers to provide a valuable member service, acquire and engage new members, and generate non-dues revenue by helping their industry employers find talent. It is part of the Community Brands association software suite, a complete set of software solutions that helps member-based organizations increase revenue, improve efficiency, and engage members.
Sheriff first got his start in 1996 as a Vice President of Software Sales at Hardball Software, before eventually rising to Director of Job Board Software at JobTarget, his most recent position before joining YM Careers. Sheriff graduated from Northeastern University with an undergraduate degree.
16. Adam Laflamme
Company: Insurity
Title: Vice President, Development
Adam Laflamme is the Vice President of Development at Insurity. He first joined the company in 2007 as Lead Programmer and Analyst. Insurity is a leading provider of cloud-based software and analytics for insurance carriers, brokers, and MGAs. It is trusted by 15 of the top 25 P&C carriers in the US and has over 250 cloud-based deployments.
Through its best-in-class digital platform and with unrivaled industry experience and thoughtful leadership, Insurity is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional value, empowering customers to focus on their core businesses, optimize their operations, and provide superior policyholder experiences. Previously, Laflamme was a Software Engineer at James McGuinness & Associates, Inc. He earned an undergraduate degree in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
17. Salman Javaid
Company: Duck Creek Technologies
Title: Director of SaaS Technical Solution Architecture
Salman Javaid is the Director of SaaS Technical Solution Architecture at Duck Creek Technologies, which provides P&C insurers a genuine path to the future with advanced technology grounded in decades of industry expertise, responsive to the unique challenges of each carrier, and shaped by the day-to-day of human behavior.
Duck Creek Technologies is sustained by a persistent curiosity that isn’t afraid to challenge the norms of the property & casualty industry, that believes the vision for tomorrow need not be tied to the legacy of today, and the job to get there sooner. Javaid has nearly 17 years of experience in the software development industry.
Before joining Duck Creek Technologies, Javaid was an Assistant Vice President of Engineering Management at Chubb, and before that, Principal Engineer at 1insurer. Earlier in his career, he worked with Information Architects as a Software Engineer. Javaid graduated from Imperial College London with a Ph.D. in enterprise systems architecture, from Brunel University London with an MSc in enterprise and distributed systems development, and from COMSATS University Islamabad with an undergraduate degree in software engineering, and design.
18. Kevin Vliet
Company: HelpSystems, LLC
Title: Director of Product Management
Kevin Vliet began his professional career 9 years ago. Today, he is the Director of Product Management at HelpSystems, a leading provider of systems and network management, business intelligence, and security and compliance solutions. HelpSystems’ software reduces data center costs by improving operational control and delivery of IT services. Its mission is to be an expert provider of data center software that solves real business problems.
Vliet first got his start in 2009 as a Project Engineer at VHB before eventually rising to VP of Customer Success at MVP Systems Software, Inc — his most recent position before joining HelpSystems. Vliet graduated from the University of Connecticut with an undergraduate degree in civil engineering.
19. Todd Brodie
Company: Collibra
Title: Director Of Security
Todd Brodie is the Director Of Security at Collibra. He first joined the company in 2019. Collibra has been uniting organizations by delivering trusted data for every use, for every user, and across every source. Its Data Intelligence Cloud brings flexible governance, continuous quality, and built-in privacy to all types of data. Collibra offers solutions such as risk mitigation and data analytics for industries including healthcare, retail, and finance.
Previously, Brodie was a Solutions Architect at Optiv Inc, and before that, Director of Information Security at Alexion Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in his career, he worked with Amnesty International USA as an IT Director. Brodie earned an MS in information assurance from Capitol Technology University and an undergraduate degree in information technology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
20. Jim Kress
Company: Bentley Systems
Title: Director, Digital Acceleration - iTwin Ventures
Jim Kress is the Director of Digital Acceleration of iTwin Ventures of Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company that provides innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure sustaining both the global economy and environment. Its industry-leading software solutions are used by professionals and organizations of every size, for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater, public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, and industrial facilities.
Its offerings include MicroStation-based applications for modeling and simulation, ProjectWise for project delivery, AssetWise for asset and network performance, Seequent’s leading geoprofessional software portfolio, and the iTwin platform for infrastructure digital twins. Kress has 19 years of experience in the software development industry. Before joining Bentley Systems, Kress was a Project Manager at Dun & Bradstreet. He earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
21. Christopher Putnam
Company: Workday
Title: Sr. Director, North American Sales Strategy & Operations
Christopher Putnam began his professional career 21 years ago. Today, he is the Senior Director of North American Sales Strategy & Operations at Workday, a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance, HR, and planning. Founded in 2005, Workday delivers financial management, human capital management, and analytics applications designed for the world’s largest companies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Putnam first got his start in 2001 as a Retail Sales Associate at EXPRESS. From there, he went on to Wells Fargo Bank, before eventually rising to Enterprise Account Executive at Percolate Inc, his most recent position before joining Workday. Putnam earned an undergraduate degree in business management, marketing, math, and science from Northwood University.
22. Chris Lynch
Company: Veeam Software
Title: Director of Cloud and Service Providers
Chris Lynch is the Director of Cloud and Service Providers at Veeam Software. He first joined the company in 2019. Veeam provides a single cloud platform for modernizing backup, ransomware protection, accelerating hybrid cloud, and securing data.
Previously, Lynch was a Vice President of Sales East at SkOUT Secure Intelligence, and before that, a Vice President of Sales North America East at Worksoft. Earlier in his career, he worked with Net-Tel as a general manager. Lynch earned an undergraduate degree in history from Hofstra University.
23. Sudhi Balan
Company: ASG Technologies
Title: Sr. Director, Product Development
Sudhi Balan is the Senior Director of Product Development at ASG Technologies, a provider for global organizations with a modern approach to digital transformation to succeed in the Information Economy. ASG is the only solutions provider for both Information Management and IT Systems.
ASG’s Information Management solutions enable companies to find, understand, govern and deliver information of any kind, from any source whether structured or unstructured — through its lifecycle from capture to analysis to consumption. The IT Systems Management solutions empower companies to support traditional and modern digital initiatives, operate their IT infrastructure more efficiently and effectively, and reduce the cost of managing and running their internal IT systems landscape.
Balan has 28 years of experience in the software development industry. Before joining ASG Technologies, Balan was a Development Manager at Mobius Management Systems, and before that, a Project Lead at CMC Ltd. Balan graduated from Walchand Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s in engineering, electronics.
24. Dick Pace
Company: InMoment
Title: Senior Vice President
Dick Pace began his professional career 19 years ago. Today, he is the Senior Vice President of InMoment, a company that helps clients improve experiences at the intersection of value where customer, employee, and business needs come together. The heart of what it does is connecting clients with what matters most through a unique combination of comprehensive data, modern technology, and human expertise that helps executives — and the companies they lead — recognize the power and value of customer and employee experiences.
With years of Experience Improvement (XI) Solutions and expertise, and leading-edge Experience Intelligence (XI) Platform, it ensures businesses understand and own the moments that matter--to transform experiences today that deliver the highest business value tomorrow. Pace first got his start in 2003 as a Director at MaritzCX. He earned an undergraduate degree in business administration and management from Bucknell University.
25. Bob Hart
Company: Inspirage
Title: Senior Vice President, Logistics Management
Bob Hart is the Senior Vice President of Logistics Management of Inspirage. He first joined the company in 2012 as Senior Practice Director. Inspirage shows clients how to achieve a higher standard of excellence by integrating and optimizing enterprise.
Working end-to-end across the organization, Inspirage partners with companies to break down barriers and identify opportunities to continuously improve performance. With digital enterprise optimization, clients achieve the business agility and responsiveness they need to unleash innovation and fuel growth.
Previously, Hart was a Senior Practice Director at Oracle Corporation, and before that, Vice President of Industry Consulting at G-Log. Earlier in his career, he worked with McHugh Software Intl as a Practice Director. Hart earned an undergraduate degree in transportation and distribution management, and marketing from Syracuse University.
