Luke Montoya, Strategic Sourcing Senior Director

Luke Montoya leads the Strategic Sourcing group at RSM US LLP (fifth largest accounting/consulting firm) as Strategic Sourcing Senior Director.  Prior to joining the sourcing team, Luke worked in RSM’s legal department as an attorney, negotiating a variety of contracts, including vendor agreements.  In addition, Luke has advised RSM with respect to vendor disputes, contract compliance, terminating vendor contracts, and software audits.  Before joining RSM in 2012, Luke was a corporate attorney at Winston & Strawn LLP, a national law firm headquartered in Chicago.  Luke is currently working on his MBA (part time) at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Luke obtained his law degree from Vanderbilt University, earning a Law and Business Certificate in addition to his J.D., and is licensed to practice law in Illinois.  Luke earned his B.A. degree from Bradley University.  Luke has also been a member and chairman of the CAUCUS Executive Advisory Committee, an advisory board to CAUCUS (a leading IT procurement professionals’ association).

Brad Veech, Sr. Director IT Sourcing at Walmart

Brad has over 20 years of IT Sourcing experience in multiple industries: Manufacturing, Printing, Medical, Aerospace and Defense, and Big Box Retail. He has been responsible for creating and leading world-class technology Sourcing teams with experts that deliver cost savings, lower risk, and improved process to each project and client - always focusing on creating the best strategies possible to meet customers' desired outcomes He also built several Technology, Indirect, and Direct spend sourcing teams by recruiting the best possible talent, building procurement/sourcing processes, and creating teams that exceed expectations. Through the years, Brad has always maintained ownership of a few supplier relationships and negotiated thousands of IT (Perpetual license, ULA’s, SaaS, Hardware, Telcom and Professional Service) Agreements with Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, Apple, HP, Cisco, and many other suppliers saving hundreds of millions of dollars.

• Managed up to $2B in Spend
• Designed global sourcing strategies for multiple Fortune 500 IT procurement departments.
• Skills in strategy development, people management, team building, and cost reductions that have enabled company growth by leveraging people, process, and technology.
• Proven track record of improved business outcomes through the use of effective negotiations, supplier development and partner
  
  

Sarepta reviews and offers guidance regarding contracts for the purchase of goods and services for all RSM lines of business.  Prior to joining the RSM team, Sarepta worked with CenterPoint Energy helping to implement and grow their strategic sourcing and category management team.  She has vast indirect procurement experience, including category management, strategic sourcing, process development and improvement, talent management, risk mitigation, contracts drafting and negotiations, value engineering, and achieving substantial cost avoidance and cost savings, with long-standing expertise in technology purchasing and spend.  Sarepta earned an MBA through LeTourneau University, a BS through University of Houston, and an AA through San Jacinto College.  She has earned a C.P.M.  (Certified Purchasing Manager) through the Institute for Supply Management; CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management) through the Institute for Supply Management; PMP (Project Management Professional) through the Project Management Institute: and CTPE (Certified Technology Procurement Executive) through International Computer Negotiations.  Sarepta has also been a member and chairman of the CAUCUS Executive Advisory Committee, an advisory board to CAUCUS (a leading IT procurement professionals’ association) and has presented at prior CAUCUS events, at Supplier Diversity events, taught on a collegiate level, and promotes knowledge-sharing with her colleagues and peers.

Yvette serves as the Associate Director, Purchasing and Contracts for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Information Technology (VUMC IT) in Nashville, Tennessee. Overseeing the Purchasing and Contracts, Software Store, and Software Asset Management section in support of the research, teaching, patient care, and business operations, by delivering enterprise-wide, flexible, and adaptive information technology service.

Yvette was Manager of Supplier Diversity for a Fortune 1000 Restaurant company Store and developed a strategic approach to engage diverse suppliers for a variety of lines of business including Restaurant, Retail Facilities, Construction, and the Corporate Office. She increased diverse spend approximately 400% in a 3-year period by aligning strategic sourcing decisions with corporate policies. She also developed the company's diversity, inclusion, and outreach strategies to align with business goals.

She also worked in the health insurance industry as a Commodity Manager/Small Business Liaison Officer. She teamed with procurement and legal to develop processes and procedures that made the inclusion of diverse suppliers a part of all procurement.

Yvette has a BA in Organizational Management from Eastern University in St Davids, Pennsylvania. She is also a graduate of the Women's Senior Leadership Program at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

Yvette previously served on the board of Directors for the Institute of Supply Management of Nashville Tennessee as well as the Middle IN Workforce Development Board. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Purchasing Managers - Central PA (Affiliate of ISM) as well as the Western Pennsylvania Minority Supplier Development Council, the PA, NJ & DE Minority Supplier Development Council and the Diversity Committee of Institute of Supply Management (ISM). Porter has served on many boards, Shalom House, Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, Harrisburg University, Central PA African American Chamber of Commerce and YMCA Teen Achievers.

In 2015 Yvette was named one of America's Top 30 Leaders in Corporate Supplier Diversity. In 2014 she was named one of America's top 100 Leaders in Corporate Supplier Diversity, as well as Champion of the Year by the Tri-State Minority Supplier Development Council.

Joani Scott, Procurement Director, Operations First Advantage

Joani Scott is responsible for partnering with the Operations teams in all Strategic Global Procurement activities reporting to the VP of Global Procurement.   Joani brings 25 years of Global Strategic Sourcing, Vendor Management and Procurement Transformation experience in technology, manufacturing, and mining industries.   She has successfully led teams who have implemented category-specific best practices and tips for cost reduction, spend management, and budget optimization.   She enjoys sharing her experiences and valuable know-how that she’s gained through leading collaborative spend management initiatives for technical projects, corporate strategy, procurement transformation initiatives and organizational development.   Joani serves as Co-Chair on this Year’s CEAC Advisory Board as well as having held a recent board leadership role in her local Women in Business chapter.

Melanie Berry, Strategic Sourcing Management Director, Synovus Bank

Melanie Berry is a Sourcing professional who has worked in the Financial Services industry for nearly 20 years. She has spent much of her career supporting IT category spend inclusive of hardware, software and services contracts. Currently she serves as Sourcing Director at Synovus Bank in Columbus Georgia. Her direct responsibilities include leading the Sourcing process for critical and high value contracts with a strong focus in the IT category.  

Melanie got an up-close look at software audits when a jaw dropping number caused significant changes in how Sourcing and IT partner in the inquiry, engagement and resolution of vendor audit inquiries.

Jennifer Gardiner, Technical Supplier Manager

Jenni Gardiner is the Technical Supplier Manager in the Shared IT Procurement Services department at Assurant, Inc. Gardiner is a highly effective Global Information Technology Sourcing expert & Vendor Manager with over 21 years of experience in Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, Project Management and Vendor Management/Governance.

She has demonstrated mastery of developing and successful execution of complex Category Management including: IT (hardware, telecommunications, mobility, networking, software, hosting), Outsourcing (ITO, BPO, etc.) and Services.  In addition she has successfully implemented formalized corporate-wide Vendor Management Programs, Partnership Improvement Plans, Spend Analytics and IT Sourcing Policies and Procedures.

Her latest position is at Assurant, Inc. where she is a Senior Procurement Manager with sourcing responsibilities for the IT Software Category.

Elgin Ward, Attorney and ICN Senior Consultant

F. Elgin Ward is both an attorney and ICN Senior Consultant. A skilled negotiator, contracts manager, and educator, Mr. Ward has extensive experience in technology deals. In addition to working in Asia for more than 5 years and his lengthy experience as a technology consultant in multiple cities in North America and also in Europe, Elgin has been teaching fundamental and advanced purchasing seminars to management professionals for over 20 years. He has both developed and taught a Contract Management Seminar for the American Management Association, as well as co-developed and taught an ICN SLA Lab course and an ICN Cloud Contracting seminar for purchasing professionals in a wide variety of industries including public utilities, insurance, financial institutions, semiconductors and other manufacturing, transportation and telecommunications.

Prior to joining ICN, Elgin was Corporate Counsel for Deseret Generation & Transmission Co-operative, where he successfully prepared and issued documentation for hundreds of RFPs for outsourcing, maintenance, diagnostics, and security for the construction of power generation, electric power transmission and distribution lines, microwave and other telecommunication facilities.   Elgin has successfully established and maintained purchasing and contracting documentation systems, and he is superbly experienced in negotiating and drafting purchase agreements for raw materials, equipment, computer hardware and software, transportation, engineering services and maintenance.

Elgin also supervised the preparation and issuing of bid documentation for hundreds of RFPs, which totaled millions of dollars, for major industrial equipment. He also has developed and presented seminars on the legal aspects of buying and selling and on how to avoid legal pitfalls in contract administration.

Mr. Ward holds a Juris Doctor degree from Brigham Young University – J. Reuben Clark Law School, and a BA from the University of MA.

Catherine Anderson-Johnson,  Sr. Manager, Indirect Sourcing Team Leader, Technology Sourcing

Sleep Number.

Kevin Francis, Vice President of Sales

Kevin is the Vice President of Sales for CCI Network Services, headquarter in downtown Salt Lake City, UT.  Kevin begun his technology career starting at Boston in 1993; where he has held numerous titles and positions within other organizations. Since that time, he has gained knowledge in IT such as: Network Engineer, IT Manager, Director of Operations and Sales Engineer. He joined the CCI family on August 16, 2021 and has brought vast experiences of over 27 years of Telecom professionalism. Continuing his understanding in the world of IT and technology, he also completed the Rutgers University Cybersecurity Certification program. 

In addition to his impressive resume and history; Kevin has also held the title of Sr. Sales Engineer. With this role he designed complicated MPLS & VoIP networks for customers. During this time, he was the Subject Matter Expert on the HPBX product for the West region. 

Robert Wright is a Principal at ICN with nearly twenty years’ experience managing real risk and maximizing financial savings opportunities for his clients. Well-versed in drafting and negotiating a wide-variety of technology-related agreements, Robert particularly enjoys negotiating deals for the purchase of emerging technologies with starts-ups and young companies. Robert began his career negotiating sponsored research agreements for the University of Louisville. Prior to joining ICN as a Principal, Robert was a senior-level technology contracts manager for Humana, a Fortune 50 company and one of the country’s largest health insurers.

Robert is a regular instructor for ICN and played a significant role in developing one of the company’s most popular workshops, the IT Contracting Boot Camp. When he’s not teaching for ICN, you’re likely to find Robert at a local college or university teaching business law, intellectual property, or American government. Robert also regularly develops curriculum for academic institutions and has published in numerous law journals including the Howard Law Journal, the Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy, and the Pittsburgh Journal of Law and Technology.

Robert is a licensed attorney having received his JD from the University of Louisville and LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Intellectual Property, Commerce, and Technology from the Franklin Pierce Law Center.