J. Michael Thompson, Chief Executive Officer
J. Michael Thompson is the Chief Executive Officer of Xap Corporation.
He has thirty-plus years experience in higher education and the software industry, where he is a nationally-recognized innovative leader in the use of technology to support services to students and their families.
During his work as Registrar and Director of Student Academic Information Systems at UC Irvine from 1991 to 1995, he was instrumental in developing Pathways, first used across the University of California system for the 1995 admission cycle, which was one of the first web-based university application processes implemented.
When he served as Associate Vice Chancellor of Outreach, Admission and Student Academic Services at UC Santa Cruz from 1995 to 2002, he led the UC-system-wide effort to develop the UC Gateways Project, which won an IBM Best Practices in Student Services award in 2001.
During J. Michael's tenure, the school increased enrollments, improved academic quality, and had a more diverse student body.
The campus had its greatest increase in prospective student interest in the school's history at the time and led all UC campuses in increased applications for 2001.
While serving as the Vice Provost of Enrollment Management and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at the University of Southern California from 2002 to 2005, he led the development and implementation of Preparing for College, a college preparation tool translated into seven different languages and used around the world.
He directed the university's enrollment efforts, including student recruitment, admission policies, student application processing, and student aid.
In addition, J. Michael previously served as Registrar at Loyola Law School and Associate Registrar at UCLA.
J. Michael served in a variety of roles including Western District Manager of Information Associates, which at the time was the world's largest provider of administrative systems and management services to higher education, where he worked from 1987 to 1991.
He has written articles and lectured around the world on the effective use of technology in admission and student services, and for several years he served as the WWW national resource person for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
His diverse experience and understanding of educational and industry needs – public and private colleges, small to large universities, and the private sector – make him a knowledgeable advocate in how technology can improve the lives of students and their families.
J. Michael holds a B.A. in literature from Loyola Marymount University and completed the Executive Education program at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management.
Paul W. Keys, Chief Client Operations Officer
Paul W. Keys is the Chief Client Operations Officer, bringing over 10 years of operational strategy experience with educational and nonprofit organizations.
Most recently, Mr. Keys worked as Regional Vice President, Operations for InsideTrack, an individualized academic coaching service designed to increase graduation rates in colleges across the United States.
Previously, he worked as Region Manager for SCORE! Learning, an organization that helps students, from Pre-K to the 10th grade, achieve academic success.
He earned his BA in Business with Honors from University of Ulster.
He is currently finishing his MA Economics of Education from the University of London.
Donald A. Phillips, Vice President of Product Strategy
Donald A. Phillips is the Vice President of Product Strategy, bringing over 25 years of experience in software development and information technology.
Mr. Phillips has held various positions within the Bridges Transitions company including roles as Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Product Development.
Formerly, he was the Manager of Software Development at Careerware from 1989 until the company was acquired by Bridges in March 2000.
Prior to 1989, Mr. Phillips worked as the Supervisor of Product Development at Careerware and as a Technical Systems Engineer for Canada Systems Group and STM Systems Corp.
He earned his Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo.
Judy Chappelear, Vice President of Xap Sales
Judy Chappelear is the Vice President of Xap Sales, joining the company in early 2005.
She has more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and business development for the higher education and learning markets.
Most recently, she held the position of Director of Business Development for infiNET Solutions providing electronic billing and payment solutions for higher education.
Formerly, Ms. Chappelear has held various positions for PeopleSoft's Higher Education practice over an eight year period, culminating with responsibilities for higher education world-wide marketing and business development.
In the 13 years prior to joining PeopleSoft, Ms Chappelear worked in sales and marketing for companies such as SCT, Information Associates, and Unisys, serving the higher education and K-12 communities.
She earned both her undergraduate and MBA degrees from the University of Akron.
Ramesh Sethuraman, Vice President and Controller
Ramesh Sethuraman is the Vice President and the Corporate Controller for Xap. He brings his extensive experience in Compliance, Financial Management, and Risk Management.
He is a CPA and is also an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Mr. Sethuraman has over 11 years of experience working in finance and accounting with Companies based in the U.S and in India.
Prior to joining Xap, he worked as an Audit Manager for Gumbiner Savett Inc, one of the largest public accounting firms in Southern California where he focused on working with middle market and growth companies.
Industries of practice include technology, real estate, construction, manufacturing and distribution.
He is a graduate of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India and holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from the University of Chennai, India.
Romualdo Teh, Vice President of Program Management and Client Services
Romualdo Teh is the Vice President of Program Management & Client Services. He has nearly 20 years of technology services and 10 years of project management experience.
He has been with Xap Corporation since 2001 and has served in various roles including Director of Program Management, Senior Program Manager, and Program Manager.
Prior to joining Xap, he worked for the State Bar of California, Office of Admissions for ten years as a Technology Services Analyst, where he implemented various special projects including their online application system that allowed individuals to apply to take the California Bar Examination.
He also served as a software engineer for Pact Group, Inc., a software development firm based in France.
He has an MBA from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and B.S. Computer Science degree from De La Salle University.
Ross W. Dickie, Vice President of Bridges Sales
Ross W. Dickie is the Vice President of Bridges Sales. He has over 20 years of business management experience.
Upon joining Bridges in June 2000, he has been instrumental in various key roles including Vice President of Marketing, Director of Marketing, Director of Sales, Manager of Business Development and Product Management.
Prior to joining Bridges, from 1982 until June 2000, he was a Director and Managing Partner with Northern Computer Inc., a privately owned computer reseller with seven locations, specializing in education and business solutions.
He was also a finalist for Kelowna Business of the Year 1999. Mr. Dickie studied computer science in college before pursuing a business career in the emerging computer industry.
William R.M. Spittle, Vice President of Corporate Integration
William R.M. Spittle is the Vice President of Corporate Integration.
He brings many years of experience in business development, marketing, economic and industry analysis, and risk assessment.
Since joining Bridges in 2000, Mr. Spittle has held various roles within the company including Vice President of Business Development, Vice President of Product Development & Technology, Vice President of Information Technology, and Director of Customer Service.
Formerly, he was the Treasurer of Western Star Trucks Holdings Ltd. from 1998 to 2000.
Prior to this, since 1986 Mr. Spittle had been a Corporate and Commercial Account Manager, specializing in term and acquisition financing with several large Canadian financial institutions.
He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University and his MBA from the University of Western Ontario.
Board of Directors
 |
Marilyn Firstenberg was appointed to the board in 2004.
In 1964, she married Allen Firstenberg, and together, they shared the founding of Xap Corporation.
Allen Firstenberg authored Xap's initial software and acted as its first President and Chief Executive Officer.
His background focused on successfully managing and implementing projects in both the aerospace and defense industries.
Prior to founding Xap, he was Director of Rockwell International's Science Center, in charge of advanced research and development in information sciences, including signal processing and artificial intelligence.
Mrs. Firstenberg received her Bachelor of Arts degree and a teaching credential in elementary education from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1963.
She taught with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Thereafter, she continued her work with children in tutoring and reading enrichment.
She is a founding member of LAXART in Culver City, a new non-profit organization for contemporary art, architecture, and design.
|
|
|
Gene Meyers, who lives in Los Angeles, has been an active real estate developer in California and throughout the country.
More recently he has been involved in the oil and gas business, being a major shareholder and serving on the board, formerly as Chairman, of an international company listed on the NASDAQ and Oslo exchanges.
Gene is now devoting considerable time and effort to the work of Xap.
He has served as a trustee of Westlake School (now Harvard-Westlake School) in Los Angeles; and he and his wife, who is an artist, have been actively involved in the Venice Art Walk, which benefits the Venice Family Clinic, providing services to needy families in the Venice, CA area.
Gene is a graduate of Indiana University.
|
