Meet Our Executive Team
Our staff is comprised of seasoned business and technical people. We all have between 10-20 years of experience with CRM and ERP systems, for a combined 100+ years of technology business experience. Our brain trust of expertise ensures your project deploys on time and on budget.
James Ward, President & CEO
 When Jim Ward founded BrainSell in 1994, his goal was to give businesses the insights and tools needed to thrive, even in challenging economies. A prominent turnaround specialist, Ward had spent more than 23 years helping small-to-medium businesses apply innovative sales and marketing techniques in order to improve performance. Having helped a variety of U.S. and Canadian companies transform into growing, profitable organizations, Ward determined that strategic CRM (customer relationship management) was key to each company's success.
Since then, Ward has built BrainSell into a dynamic business software reseller organization that is dedicated to helping customers achieve business success. His focus on hiring technology professionals with real-world experience, and making them an integral part of their customers' teams, has enabled BrainSell to develop a strong base of satisfied customers who rave about the company's ability to deliver bottom-line results. Having experienced year-over-year growth since its founding, BrainSell became a Top 10 Business Partner for Sage Software in North America under Ward's leadership.
Ward is a recognized expert in business software. He has addressed many organizations and published a variety of articles on how to use CRM to enhance sales and business prosperity.
Ward has served on Sage Software's CRM division Business Partner Advisory Council sub-committees.
An honors graduate from Bentley College, Ward is committed to giving back to the community. Driven by the belief that hard work and integrity pay dividends, Ward devotes time to a variety of civic projects.
Ross Jones, Senior Vice President of Sales Engineering
 With a background in science, the military, and industry, Ross has applied his sales, management, and interpersonal skills in a wide variety of environments. Ross has managed sales teams as well as customer service and technical support groups.
He has lived and worked in both the UK and Germany and brings to the BrainSell team valuable experience of building relationships with clients - especially those from different cultures and languages. In his previous company, he gained extensive experience by spearheading the deployment and use of SalesLogix as the company's key CRM application. Ross has been with BrainSell for eight years, and as VP Sales Engineering he has prime responsibility for North East regional sales.
Mike Fortier, Senior Vice President of Technology
 Mike Fortier graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Maine in 1981. He has been an application developer for 15 years. His first application, CAPS for Radio, a broadcast scheduling program, is still in use in 42 radio stations in over 16 markets across the East Coast.
Mike also has a strong sales skill set. He was a radio station sales manager for 8 years, supervising as many as 12 salespeople. Mike was featured in a Radio Advertising Bureau book in 1989 "Secrets of Successful Salespeople." He became a Certified Radio Marketing Consultant in 1990.
Through his work as a salesperson and sales manager, Mike started working with ACT! in 1990. He began his own business in 1987 and became an ACT! Certified Consultant in 2000. Mike joined BrainSell Technologies in 2001 as a Sales Engineer and Senior Trainer for ACT! and SalesLogix. Mike spends most of his time with custom development for SalesLogix, ACCPAC, ACT! and integrations of other applications that allow our CRM technologies to maximize client implementations.
Mike currently lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children.
Kevin Cook Senior Vice President of ERP & Open Source
 Kevin has degrees in physics and journalism and more than 10 years experience in media and high-tech. As our Vice President of Open Source Practice, Kevin has deep expertise in search engine marketing and optimization. He is an expert in database marketing and cross-function, multi-discipline work. Having worked as a web site programmer, Kevin is adept at developing work-flow within marketing departments and building the infrastructure necessary to make that work-flow efficient.
Sonja Fridell, Marketing and Social Media Manager
 Sonja leads BrainSell's marketing and social media operations. As an ex-journalist, she is adept at creating remarkable content for the BrainSell brand. She is passionate about social media and can be found on Twitter (@Brainsell) and other social networks habitually. She is an honors graduate of the University of New Hampshire and lives on the New Hampshire Seacoast.
Maureen K. Mclaughlin - CFO
 Maureen leads the consulting team as Senior Vice President ERP/Accounting Sales. With her experience in analyzing business processes, she is an expert in understanding complex business systems and providing end-to-end solutions to address client needs. Before joining BrainSell, Maureen was a founding member and COO of Open Environment Corporation. Maureen received her B.S. degree from Bentley College and her Master of Science degree in Business Administration from The Simon School at the University of Rochester. She is the mother of seven children and lives in Essex, Massachusetts with her husband.
Fred Wright - Vice President ERP Technology
 Fred has been supporting the SAGE MAS 500 product since the release of version 1.5 and has continuously worked to implement, train, customize and support all versions since then. He has over 20 years experience in the field of IT, with the majority of that specifically focused on ERP solutions. In addition the MAS 500 line, he has hands-on experience with a full range of small and large products from Quickbooks to Lawson, as well as peripheral systems that include Frx, Crystal, FAS, ABRA and SQL.
Fred provides value to clients by focusing on the business processes and hidden needs of each individual client. He has created and implemented solutions providing an effective solution for operational support, addressing reporting needs and identifying inefficiencies in existing processes. His experience spans many industries, including health care, manufacturing, mining and service industries, to name a few.
Fred has his BS degree in Political Science from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO and his MBA in Management of Technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA. He currently resides north of Atlanta with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Lily.
Tammy Hart - Senior Accounting Engineer
 Tammy has been in the accounting and bookkeeping profession for 35 years, 25 of which have been as accounting and payroll manager at the amusement park, Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco, Maine. She is a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, Peachtree certified and is currently finishing her MAS 90 certification.
Tammy developed a strong worth ethic during her seven years in the Navy as a systems analyst and data processing technician. She was stationed in Iceland, San Francisco and Brunswick, Maine during her tenure. Tammy attended The University of Southern Maine in Portland. She resides in Biddeford, Maine with her husband, where they are currently restoring their 1910 Victorian home.
Christianna Dorsey - Vice President ERP Engineering
 Christianna Dorsey brings an extensive ERP background to her role as Vice President ERP Engineering for BrainSell. Christianna has been in the ERP industry since 1992 working extensively with MAS 90/200, Peachtree, RealWorld and ACCPAC. She's an expert in distribution and manufacturing systems. And, after working in a family bookkeeping business for eight years, Christianna knows both the technical and the business side of accounting systems. Christianna is from a large Italian family where she acquired her love of cooking. Away from BrainSell you'll find her outside taking a hike, camping or boating.
Ron Buchanan Senior Technical Engineer and Mid-Atlantic Sales
 Ron Buchanan has been an application developer for 20+ years. His first application, PDQ, a rapid quoting system and CRM system (originally developed in 1985) for printers is still in use today. Ron has a strong financial background. He was CFO for a Virginia based screen printing company and has run his own technology related businesses in the past. Ron developed Financia$Logix for Brainsell. Financia$Logix delivers an add-on tool for SalesLogix that brings Portfolio Management and Investment Banking (Mergers and Acquisitions) information into one source.
Ron joined the BrainSell family in 2008 as a technical resource and presales engineer. Today he manages the Virginia offices of Brainsell with locations in Richmond and Reston (Northern VA). Ron holds certifications in Lan, Web, Mobile, Visual Analyzer and Microsoft SQL Server. Ron is a certified developer for Sage SalesLogix, and has held development certifications for NetSuite, FrontRange GoldMine, Sage TeleMagic and Champion Business Systems.
An avid sailor Ron enjoys one-design yacht racing and chartering the Caribbean. He has three children and resides in Glen Allen, Virginia.
Michelle Montgomery Senior ERP/Accounting Engineer
 Michelle Montgomery has been a SAGE Software MAS 90/200 certified trainer and consulting professional for over eight years and has more than 15 years of experience in accounting. She has played an intricate role in all aspects of MAS 90/200 solutions at BrainSell, from Project Leader for new implementations to upgrades to support and services including data conversion. Michelle is an expert in report writing services using FRx Financial Reporter and Crystal Reports. With a background in business accounting and past experience as a Controller for a small manufacturing/job shop, Michelle has working knowledge of how accounting systems should integrate to support a variety of real-life business processes.
Steve Sakoff Senior Business Consultant
 After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, GA with a BBA in Accounting and Finance, Steve went to work for Sears, Roebuck and Co. During the mid 1980s, Steve worked in the Sears home office at the Sears Tower in Chicago setting up financial systems for a joint venture between Sears and a Oriental Global Trading company, called Sears World Trade. In 1990, Steve joined Crawford & Company, the world's largest independent provider of claims management solutions to insurance companies and self-insured entities, as the Catastrophe Division Financial Manager.
In 1993, Steve became an owner/partner in Paradime Solutions Inc. This position enabled him to use his experience and expertise in accounting, financial system, personal management, problem solving, and interpersonal skills developed over a 23 year career.
As a Sage Accpac Authorized Business Partner and Certified Consultant, Steve has had the privilege of helping diverse companies implement business management solutions that have propelled them forward to continue their success. Steve is married to Candy and they have one daughter, Dana.
Curtis Lau Senior Business Consultant
 After graduating from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC with a B.S. in Business Administration, Curtis served active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and then went to work for Sears, Roebuck and Co. At the time, the retailer was just developing and rolling out computerized systems that replaced manual procedures for handling sales, inventory, credit, payroll, distribution, cash management, and accounting in stores and distribution centers. After serving in accountant and controller positions, Curtis was involved in the implementation and ultimately the design of these systems.
In 1991 Curtis founded the business which became Paradime Solutions, Inc., and began his relationship with Accpac software. Paradime Solutions is a Sage Accpac Authorized Business Partner providing software sales and consulting services to small to medium sized businesses in many industries, as well as to non-profits and government agencies.
Curtis has two daughters and two granddaughters. He is active in Rotary and was elected president of his Rotary club for the 2006-2007 year. He enjoys landscape photography, travel, reading, and a second home in the northeast Georgia mountains.
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