BIDDING FOR LUNCH WITH GEORGIA CFOs GOES LIVE MARCH 7th!
Have you ever wanted to go to a lunch with a key executive but just could not find a way? Now you can, while at the same time supporting TAG's economic gardening program. You now have a great opportunity to bid and potentially win a one-on-one lunch with one of a number of Georgia CFOs, including:
Alan Bond
Bob Fugate
Bradley Ferguson
Dallas Clement
Daniel H. Bauer
David Buckel
Dennis Story
Gary Shell
Harry Cynkus
Jamie Walker
Jim Lipham
Jim Morgan
Marie Roberts
Mark Chapman
Mark Haidet
Paul Ilse
Peter Vlerick
Randall Mertz
Ray Winborne
Steve Vernon
Steven Voorhees
McKesson
Cbeyond
Earthlink
AutoTrader.com
CardioMEMS
ANTs
Manhattan Associates
EMS
Rollins
Elavon
TSYS
nuBridges
Georgia Ports Authority
Vendormate
Radiant Systems
RedPrarie
Servigistics
ORACAL
First Data
JCB
RockTenn
Create an account by clicking on “Register as First Time User” (scroll mouse over “Log In” in the upper right hand corner)
Fill in the requested information then click next
Agree to the terms and conditions of the site by clicking on “Yes”
Log in with your email and password
View all the CFOs available by going to "Auctions" in upper left-hand corner and then click on “more auctions”
To place a bid, choose a CFO and then click on “More Info & Submit Bid”
To place a bid:
click on “submit bid” box
starting bid for each CFO is $500: each incremental bid must be in $200 increments or more
enter your bid in the box next to “Bid Amount”
click on “confirm bid” box
You will be notified by email confirming your bid
After bidding closes, TAG will release the winning bidders and successful bid amounts to the public
Key Dates:
>Bidding goes live Monday, March 7, 1:00 a.m. EST
>Bidding Goes Silent on Thursday, March 9, 1:00 a.m. EST (learn what Silent Bidding is about on the site)
>Bidding ends Friday night (technically Saturday morning), March 12, 1:00 a.m. EST
Proceeds go to fund the economic gardening program of the Technology Association of Georgia, whose goal is to grow second-stage growth companies in Georgia. For more information on rules of bidding visit www.executiveconnect.org.
Technology Association of Georgia Announces Online CFO Auction Benefiting Economic Gardening Initiative
Bids to have lunch with Georgia’s leading CFOs grow small businesses and add jobs
SAVANNAH - February 15, 2011 – The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is holding an online auction to benefit its Economic Gardening initiative, which provides targeted market research, competitive analysis, and consultative services to high-growth potential businesses in the coastal region. From March 7 through midnight on March 11th, bidders will have to opportunity to vie for personal introductions followed by lunch meetings with some of Georgia’s top CFOs. Participants include JCB, Georgia Ports Authority, First Data, McKesson, Manhattan Associates, Cbeyond, RockTenn Company, VendorMate, and others. The opportunity to take one of these CFOs to lunch could be the catalyst to building key business relationships for the winning bidding company.
“The Georgia business community has once again stepped up in support of a great program,” said Tino Mantella, president of TAG. “This is an important fundraiser for a great cause – the success of this auction will enable us to further our investment in growing companies in Coastal Georgia.”
TAG ultimately plans on having at least twenty CFOs participating as a part of the auction and has found the CFO community to be very responsive to the request to participate, particularly as they learn more about the entrepreneurial activities the auction is supporting.
“Cbeyond is excited to participate in the CFO Auction,” stated Bob Fugate, CFO of Cbeyond and TAG board member. “This is a creative way to raise awareness and support for an important initiative.”
About TAG’s Economic Gardening Program
Economic Gardening is an innovative economic development methodology which provides cutting-edge research tools and technical assistance to small business leaders. The unique approach yields stronger companies, more jobs, and stimulation of overall economic growth. Participants take a major step towards scalability and do so with the right resources to make that growth sustainable. TAG’s Economic Gardening program was created via a one year grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and has been supported by the Enterprise Innovation Institute and Georgia Tech and the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA.) It focuses on providing resources such as market research to high-tech and tech-enabled companies in the Georgia coastal region, and the targeted services have been accompanied by monthly networking events in Savannah featuring executives from The Coca-Cola Company, The Weather Channel, Turner, and Verizon Wireless.TAG is currently planning their second year of the program, which is dependent on continued support and fundraising success.
About the Technology Association of Georgia:
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a leading technology industry association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of the state’s technology industry. TAG provides leadership in driving initiatives in the areas of policy, capital, education and giving, and also brings the technology community together through events, initiative programs and networking opportunities. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 28 affinity groups, or societies, including Women in Technology (WIT). Additionally, TAG’s charitable arm, the TAG Education Collaborative, is focused on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com.
Past Events
Monday, February 7, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Monthly Seminar: Irvin Bishop, Jr, Director of Global Interactive Marketing - IT at The Coca-Cola Company Location: ThincSavannah, 35 Barnard St., 3rd Floor, Savannah, GA
Irvin has worked in the Technology and Digital space for over 20 years. He has a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Alabama A&M University and a Masters Certification in Project Management from George Washington University. He is also a Certified Project Manager with (PMI) The Project Management Institute. The early portions of his career were spent with AT&T, and he has worked with numerous industry leaders in the Digital & Interactive Marketing space. During his career, he has held positions as a Developer, Sr. Project Manager, Sr. Product Manager, Program Manager, Director of Project Management and VP, Client Services. In addition, he has been featured as a notional speaker on Loyalty and Loyalty best practices. Irvin has had an impressive client list including Home Depot, Cox Communications, Georgia Power, BellSouth, Georgia Pacific, Ritz Carlton, and many others. Currently, Irvin serves as Director, Global Interactive Marketing – IT at The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC). Irvin led the launch of TCCC’s first 3 global interactive web sites for Germany, Turkey & France and is currently leading local consumer marketing efforts supporting Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa/Eurasia. In addition, he has worked to develop and launch TCCC’s first Global Rewards and Loyalty program as well as the Great Britain CokeZone loyalty program and Japan’s Coca-Cola Park Loyalty program.
Thursday, November 18, 2011 5:30 p.m.
Monthly Seminar: Andrew B. Drooker, Senior Director of Emerging Platforms at The Weather Channel Location: ThincSavannah, 35 Barnard St., 3rd Floor, Savannah, GA
As the senior director of emerging platforms, Drooker is responsible for the research and development of TWC products on new platforms, devices and appliances. Weather is one of the most searched for and requested categories by digital consumers. Drooker helps to ensure the most accurate and reliable weather information from TWC is available on any new platform ranging from mobile devices to in-house products, and to more effective means of running TWC’s business.
At TWC since 2006, he previously served as Chief Technology Officer of insurance company Strickland General Agency and as Vice President of network systems at Turner Broadcasting, focusing on architecture and research and development.
A self-proclaimed “geek,” Drooker started working on a computer at a young age, writing video games with his brother on the TRS-80 in the BASIC programming language. Now with more than 20 years in the technology field, his “geeky” interests still serve him well. Drooker constantly looks for advances or improvements in TWC’s technological capabilities, and he was awarded the Innovation Award at The Weather Channel for this passion.
Monday, August 30, 2010 @ 5:30p.m.
Monthly Seminar: Todd Bell, CIO for Verizon Wireless Location: Meddin Studios 2315 Louisville Rd. Savannah, GA 31415
“At Verizon Wireless we have evolved our Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence platform to go beyond a reporting mill and analytical engine. We have seen the absolute need to link Business Intelligence with our 92 million customers’ experience. By building a ‘single version of the truth’ and numerous ways to touch our customers, we can enhance our customers’ experience with making relevant suggestions and offers that fit their needs. I plan to speak about how we have evolved our BI platform and where I see the future of BI at Verizon Wireless going.”
Todd Bell is the South Area Vice President / CIO for Verizon Wireless. Todd is responsible for overseeing all IT operations for the South Area and holds national application and operational responsibility for Verizon Wireless in the areas of: Data Warehousing, Customer Relationship Management, Wide Area Networking and Call Center Technologies. He is based at the South Area headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Monday, August 30, 2010 @ 5:30p.m.
Monthly Seminar: Paul Hernacki, CTO of Definition 6 Location: Meddin Studios 2315 Louisville Rd. Savannah, GA 31415
Paul addressed harnessing the power of technology and marketing to create immersive brand experiences – experiences that deepen relationships between brands and the people that use them. The pace of innovation in technology is staggering. It can sometimes seem slow compared to the pace of marketing any products or services, let alone those that are truly innovative. Small and large companies alike can make a tremendous impact in today’s continuously and exponentially connected world. The rules have all but been erased, and they are being rewritten almost every moment. Definition 6 is one of the nation’s fastest-growing interactive marketing agencies. Paul’s recent work has included support for the agencies campaigns for Coca-Cola, Verifone, Cinnabon, Gables and Mitsubishi Electric.
Monthly Seminar: Paul Miller, Sr. VP Information Technology, Turner Broadcasting System Location: Meddin Studios 2315 Louisville Rd. Savannah, GA 31415
Paul D. Miller currently holds the position of Sr. Vice President, Information Technology within Turner Broadcasting System, Inc, a division of Time Warner Inc. In this senior management role he provides strategic and tactical oversight for the planning, investment and support operations of the company’s global technology infrastructure environment and services. Paul’s topic will be Disruptive Technologies: How to Maximize the Opportunity of New Technologies.
Featured Company: Music Intelligence Solutions, Inc.
Music Intelligence Solutions, Inc. (www.uPlaya.com) uses patent-approved technology to transform the Music Artist experience globally so that no great song goes unheard again. uPlaya services such as Hit Song Science™ and Music Universe™ enable proprietary discovery, automated programming, commercial market prediction, and community networking capabilities.
The New York Times Magazine previously included Hit Song Science™ in its annual “Year in Ideas: Bright Notions, Bold Inventions” issue and the Harvard Business School profiled Hit Song Science™ in a full case study that remains popular at top universities around the world.
Irvin has worked in the Technology and Digital space for over 20 years. He has a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Alabama A&M University and a Masters Certification in Project Management from George Washington University. He is also a Certified Project Manager with (PMI) The Project Management Institute. The early portions of his career were spent with AT&T, and he has worked with numerous industry leaders in the Digital & Interactive Marketing space. During his career, he has held positions as a Developer, Sr. Project Manager, Sr. Product Manager, Program Manager, Director of Project Management and VP, Client Services. In addition, he has been featured as a notional speaker on Loyalty and Loyalty best practices. Irvin has had an impressive client list including Home Depot, Cox Communications, Georgia Power, BellSouth, Georgia Pacific, Ritz Carlton, and many others. Currently, Irvin serves as Director, Global Interactive Marketing – IT at The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC). Irvin led the launch of TCCC’s first 3 global interactive web sites for Germany, Turkey & France and is currently leading local consumer marketing efforts supporting Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa/Eurasia. In addition, he has worked to develop and launch TCCC’s first Global Rewards and Loyalty program as well as the Great Britain CokeZone loyalty program and Japan’s Coca-Cola Park Loyalty program.
As the senior director of emerging platforms, Drooker is responsible for the research and development of TWC products on new platforms, devices and appliances. Weather is one of the most searched for and requested categories by digital consumers. Drooker helps to ensure the most accurate and reliable weather information from TWC is available on any new platform ranging from mobile devices to in-house products, and to more effective means of running TWC’s business.
At TWC since 2006, he previously served as Chief Technology Officer of insurance company Strickland General Agency and as Vice President of network systems at Turner Broadcasting, focusing on architecture and research and development.
A self-proclaimed “geek,” Drooker started working on a computer at a young age, writing video games with his brother on the TRS-80 in the BASIC programming language. Now with more than 20 years in the technology field, his “geeky” interests still serve him well. Drooker constantly looks for advances or improvements in TWC’s technological capabilities, and he was awarded the Innovation Award at The Weather Channel for this passion.
“At Verizon Wireless we have evolved our Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence platform to go beyond a reporting mill and analytical engine. We have seen the absolute need to link Business Intelligence with our 92 million customers’ experience. By building a ‘single version of the truth’ and numerous ways to touch our customers, we can enhance our customers’ experience with making relevant suggestions and offers that fit their needs. I plan to speak about how we have evolved our BI platform and where I see the future of BI at Verizon Wireless going.”
Todd Bell is the South Area Vice President / CIO for Verizon Wireless. Todd is responsible for overseeing all IT operations for the South Area and holds national application and operational responsibility for Verizon Wireless in the areas of: Data Warehousing, Customer Relationship Management, Wide Area Networking and Call Center Technologies. He is based at the South Area headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Paul addressed harnessing the power of technology and marketing to create immersive brand experiences – experiences that deepen relationships between brands and the people that use them. The pace of innovation in technology is staggering. It can sometimes seem slow compared to the pace of marketing any products or services, let alone those that are truly innovative. Small and large companies alike can make a tremendous impact in today’s continuously and exponentially connected world. The rules have all but been erased, and they are being rewritten almost every moment. Definition 6 is one of the nation’s fastest-growing interactive marketing agencies. Paul’s recent work has included support for the agencies campaigns for Coca-Cola, Verifone, Cinnabon, Gables and Mitsubishi Electric.
Paul D. Miller currently holds the position of Sr. Vice President, Information Technology within Turner Broadcasting System, Inc, a division of Time Warner Inc. In this senior management role he provides strategic and tactical oversight for the planning, investment and support operations of the company’s global technology infrastructure environment and services. Paul’s topic will be Disruptive Technologies: How to Maximize the Opportunity of New Technologies.