Bernie Wolford, Founder & President Buckingham Associates, LLC

In 1999 Mr. Wolford founded Buckingham Associates, LLC and serves as President. Mr. Wolford has over 30 years of experience in the manufacture, distribution and retail of consumer goods and services.  Additionally, Mr. Wolford’s experience and skill sets have been provided to the healthcare market:  employers, employees, providers and payors, as an extension of productivity improvement and cost reduction services. Also, since 1999, and in joint-venture with a private equity investment firm, Bernie has performed advisory services for numerous privately-owned emerging growth companies.  This has included periods of time as “acting COO” and “Part-Time COO”, the subject of today’s discussions. Bernie’s clients have included major domestic manufacturers and retailers plus leading companies in Germany, Chile, Columbia and Brazil.Prior to founding Buckingham Associates he was Director of Strategic Business Development/Growth Initiatives for the Home Depot. Before joining The Home Depot, Mr. Wolford was with Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA), the leading full-service management consulting firm providing specialization in the manufacture, distribution and retail of consumer goods and services. In 1988, Mr. Wolford was appointed Regional Manager of KSA’s Northeast and Canadian Operations. While the sale and delivery of consulting services continued during this time, the internal management task was added to Bernie’s responsibilities. Mr. Wolford holds a B.S. degree in industrial engineering from West Virginia University where he serves on the faculty advisory committee.

Peter Rosen, J.D., SPHR, Founder HRSAS, Inc.

Peter uses a practical, business-focused approach to HR issues based on both theory and experience. He has built HR capability and the infrastructure to support it in a variety of environments, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies in the financial services, consumer products, technology, healthcare, and staffing industries. He has held strategic HR roles in established companies like The Coca Cola Company, SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories, Norrell Corporation, Alexander and Alexander, and Capital One Financial Services. As the founder and owner of a boutique HR consulting firm, www.hrsas.comhe now focuses on helping growing companies establish and implement HR infrastructure and works with their CEOs and senior executives on strategic HR issues. Peter has also taken on selective coaching assignments as a consultant with Marshall Goldsmith Partners.

Alan Urech, Managing Partner & Principal, Stoney River Capital Partners, LLC

Mr. Urech is Managing Partner and Principal at Stoney River Capital Partners LLC, an Angel-backed consultancy with over 17 direct partners. Mr. Urech is a Senior Executive with over 25 years experience successfully developing and commercializing entrepreneurial businesses. He supports the growth of businesses by using his strong strategic, tactical and operational leadership skills, proven methodologies and best practice expertise.His support enables Stoney River Capital Partner’s (SRCP) client organizations to understand and methodically implement resource and team strategies during different business growth stages.

His background includes HBO & Company where he was part of a team that saw the organization’s expansion from an initial start-up of under $3 million to over $180 million dollars in revenue within 12 years.During this period, Mr. Urech was instrumental in developing very successful healthcare product lines which significantly expanded the Company’s overall profitability.He provides senior level management consulting on investment funding strategies, corporate growth planning and plan implementation, business directions and exit strategies to young viable entrepreneurial seed, start-up and expanding companies.His goal is to help them successfully communicate and transition the company’s business proposition from successful product/service commercialization through harvest. SRCP cultivated over 200 capital sources that places investments into high growth companies.Mr. Urech is an Instructor in Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. He instructs Graduate and Undergraduate level programs in entrepreneurship at the Herman J. Russell, Sr.International Center for Entrepreneurship.Mr. Urech is currently on numerous Boards including Blank Stage Productions, NuVision Pharmaceuticals, TAG Health, MIT Forum (Atlanta) Programs, Georgia State University Health Advisory Board, Digitainment Georgia and the Stage2 Business Accelerator. He has written a column entitled “Entrepreneurs’ Corner” for the Business Post, an Appen Newspaper.He is a frequent judge in numerous Business Plan competitions including the Georgia Bowl and the international Moot Bowl in Austin,TX, where 40 countries compete. Mr. Urech worked with the Vatican in Vatican City for five years in Information Technology while being the volunteer president of the council in the Saint Vincent de Paul Society of North Georgia.