Management Team

Gerry Smith
President & CEO

Gerry Smith assumed the role of president and CEO of CiRBA in November 2005. Prior to joining CiRBA, he served as executive vice president of IT Governance solutions at Compuware Corporation, a publicly traded company.

Smith was previously CEO and a founder of Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company acquired by Compuware in 2004 for $100 million. During his tenure at Changepoint, Smith raised over $40 million in venture capital and grew the business from $0 to over $30 million in revenue. He is a member of the Young Presidents Association (YPO) and was honored in 2002 as one of Canada's Top 40 under 40™.

Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Toronto and a Masters of Business Administration from McMaster University.

Riyaz Somani
Co-founder & SVP Product Strategy

Riyaz Somani has over 20 years of experience in information technology software & services, including more than 15 years in executive management positions. A co-founder of CiRBA, Somani plays an instrumental role in setting strategic direction for the company. In his role as SVP of Product Strategy, Somani is responsible for the technology and solution strategies that drive product development and establish CiRBA's position as an industry leader of data center analytics. He is also responsible for overseeing CiRBA's strategic customer opportunities and ensuring the continued success of CiRBA's largest customers.

Prior to CiRBA, Somani was president and co-founder of Opensoft Inc., a services company delivering IT consulting and technology staffing solutions to Fortune 1000 clients. He has held key management and engineering lead roles on major technology initiatives for IBM, Sun, digital, Citigroup and Scotia Bank.

Somani is a Certified Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from The University of Waterloo.

Andrew Hillier
Co-founder & CTO

Andrew Hillier has over 20 years of experience in the creation and implementation of mission-critical software for the world's largest financial institutions and utilities. A co-founder of CiRBA, he leads product strategy and defines the overall technology roadmap for the company.

Prior to CiRBA, Hillier pioneered a state of the art systems management solution which was acquired by Sun Microsystems and now serves as the foundation of their flagship systems management product, Sun Management Center. Hillier has also led the development of solutions for major financial institutions, including fixed income, equity, futures & options and interest rate derivatives trading systems, as well as in the fields of covert military surveillance, advanced traffic and train control, and the robotic inspection and repair of nuclear reactors.

Hillier holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from The University of New Brunswick.

Chuck Tatham
Senior Vice President, Operations & Business Development

Chuck Tatham has 20 years of experience in enterprise software marketing, sales and corporate management. As senior vice president of operations & business development for CiRBA, he is responsible for professional services & support, training, as well as strategic business development initiatives and CiRBA’s partner channel.

Prior to CiRBA, Tatham was vice president of IT Governance marketing at Compuware Corporation, responsible for global marketing of the IT Governance product. He previously served as vice president of marketing and business development for Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company. As a member of Changepoint’s executive team, Tatham helped grow revenue from $1 million to over $30 million, resulting in the company’s 2004 acquisition by Compuware. Tatham has also held senior roles in sales and channel sales at Lotus Development Canada.

Tatham holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from The University of Toronto.

Tom Yuyitung
Chief Architect

Tom Yuyitung serves as chief architect for CiRBA and is one of the primary designers of the company's flagship technology. Yuyitung has over 15 years of experience in the innovation, design, implementation and management of software products and solutions being used by major financial institutions, utilities and other Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to joining CiRBA, Yuyitung led the development of advanced systems management solutions at Halcyon Monitoring Solutions, and served as the senior team lead alongside Andrew Hillier in the development and delivery of the intelligent agent technology later acquired by Sun Microsystems.

In addition to his R&D responsibilities, he also led the teams that provided systems management and application-level solutions for clients in e-services, stock exchanges, utilities, and financial services organizations. Over the past several years, Yuyitung has played prominent roles in the ongoing advancement of state-of-the-art systems management products, including Sun Management Center.

Yuyitung holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree in chemical engineering from The University of Waterloo, where he specialized in advanced process control systems.

Jeff Pauze
Vice President, Engineering

Jeff Pauze has nearly two decades of experience in software development and engineering. As vice president of engineering for CiRBA, he is responsible for driving engineering, product development and technology strategy, to deliver additional business value to customers.

Prior to CiRBA, Pauze spent eight years at Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company, before joining Compuware Corporation following the company’s acquisition. As director of software development, he was responsible for architectural design and implementation of the Changepoint solution. Pauze also spent 10 years in software development and engineering at American Express.

Ayman Gabarin
Vice President, Europe, Middle East & Africa

Ayman Gabarin has 20 years of experience in various business sectors including enterprise software and industrial services. As vice president, he is responsible for sales and delivery of CiRBA in the EMEA region. Prior to CiRBA, Gabarin was the EMEA Vice President of IT Governance at Compuware Corporation and previously, he launched the EMEA business as Vice President for Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company. As a member of Changepoint’s executive team, Gabarin grew revenues to 30% of Changepoint’s global sales resulting in the company’s 2004 acquisition by Compuware.

Gabarin holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and Engineering degree from the University of Toronto.

Max Staines
Vice President, Sales

Max Staines has two decades of global technology sales and executive management experience, including a successful track record of introducing new products to market and expanding sales channels. At CiRBA, he leads the company's sales team.

Prior to CiRBA, Staines was president of Compass North America, a provider of benchmarking and performance improvement services to corporate IT departments, where he worked closely with senior IT executives of Fortune 1000 companies to define operational priorities. Before this, Staines was the vice president of sales for Changepoint, a leader in Professional Services Automation software, where he played an instrumental role in growing the company, leading to its acquisition in 2004 by Compuware Corp. Staines began his career at IBM where worked in sales and services management to help clients to develop innovative technology-based solutions to key business problems.

Cynthia Bliss
CFO

Cynthia Bliss has over 27 years of experience as a financial executive focusing on growth, start-up and restructuring situations with large and small companies. She is skilled at balancing competing stakeholder interests in multi-jurisdictional environments.

Prior to joining CiRBA in 2008, she was CFO of Executive Risk Group in Toronto, a casualty insurer supported by Lloyd's of London, where she assisted in launching the company and implementing numerous mission critical systems, as well as helping raise private equity funding. Additionally, she was managing director of global corporate services for Proponix, an independent in-sourcing company where she managed corporate services and infrastructure throughout Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and the U.S.

Bliss is a chartered accountant who graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Helen Tsantsoulas
Vice President, Training & Documentation

Helen Tsantsoulas brings over 20 years of experience in enterprise technology. At CiRBA, Tsantsoulas is responsible for the customer and partner education programs and product documentation. Prior to joining CiRBA, Tsantsoulas was COO for InHealth Solutions, where she led corporate and product development strategy and oversaw business operations. Prior to InHealth, Tsantsoulas was responsible for product management for IT Governance and PSA solutions at Compuware Corporation and Changepoint Corporation.

Tsantsoulas holds a Bachelor of Business Management degree (with honors) from Ryerson University.

Pamela Mugford
Vice President, Marketing & Partner Solutions

Pamela Mugford is responsible for CiRBA's global marketing effort and solutions supporting its channel partners. Mugford has 15 years of experience in brand development and enterprise software marketing having held senior marketing roles at Compuware and Hummingbird Communications Ltd. Prior to CiRBA, Mugford worked as a marketing and brand consultant specializing in the branding and launch of new technology solutions and services.

Mugford holds an MBA from York University and an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Brian E. Higgins
Vice President, Contracts and Risk Management

Brian Higgins has over 25 years of experience in the information technology sector, the last 20 years of which have been spent providing leadership in the areas of contract negotiation & management, risk management and other areas of corporate governance. Higgins joined CiRBA in 2008. Prior to CiRBA, Higgins spent 15 years with Castek Software Inc. as director of contracts and risk management. At Castek, Higgins was responsible for the implementation of a standard and integrated set of contracts to deal with customers, suppliers and partners, as well as the implementation of various corporate governance policies, including policies to deal with privacy and the handling of confidential information. Higgins was also responsible for the negotiation and successful conclusion of key contracts with the organizations customers and partners.

Higgins holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) degree from Memorial University.

Board of Directors

Gerry Smith
President & CEO
CiRBA, Inc.

Gerry Smith assumed the role of president and CEO of CiRBA in November 2005. Prior to joining CiRBA, he served as executive vice president of IT Governance solutions at Compuware Corporation, a publicly traded company.

Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Toronto and a Masters of Business Administration from McMaster University.

Riyaz Somani
Co-founder & Vice President Strategic Accounts

Riyaz Somani has over 20 years of experience in information technology software & services, including more than 15 years in executive management positions. A co-founder of CiRBA, Somani plays an instrumental role in setting strategic direction for the company. In his role as SVP of Product Strategy, Somani is responsible for the technology and solution strategies that drive product development and establish CiRBA's position as an industry leader of data center analytics. He is also responsible for overseeing CiRBA's strategic customer opportunities and ensuring the continued success of CiRBA's largest customers.

Somani is a Certified Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from The University of Waterloo.

Andrew Hillier
Co-founder & CTO, CiRBA

Andrew Hillier has over 15 years of experience in the creation and implementation of mission-critical software for the world's largest financial institutions and utilities. A co-founder of CiRBA, he leads product strategy and defines the overall technology roadmap for the company.

Prior to CiRBA, Hillier pioneered a state of the art systems management solution which was acquired by Sun Microsystems and now serves as the foundation of their flagship systems management product, Sun Management Center. Hillier has also led the development of solutions for major financial institutions, including fixed income, equity, futures & options and interest rate derivatives trading systems, as well as in the fields of covert military surveillance, advanced traffic and train control, and the robotic inspection and repair of nuclear reactors.

Hillier holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from The University of New Brunswick.

Howard Gwin
Consultant

Howard Gwin is a Managing Partner with Bridgescale Partners, a growth equity venture capital firm based in Menlo Park California and Toronto Canada. Howard has more than 25 years of senior executive operating experience in the technology industry. Before joining Bridgescale in 2010, Howard spent the past decade helping more than 20 software, SAAS and Digital Media companies build, scale and drive positive outcomes; serving as a Corporate Director, Chairman, and Operating Chairman. He has experience in all major software industry segments, and has focused on both the large enterprise and SMB marketplaces. Howard has been involved, at a senior level, with three software/saas companies that scaled from <$100M in revenues to >$1Billion valuation outcomes.

In 2000, Gwin was President of Solect Technology Group, a global provider of billing, customer care and service management software for the telecommunications industry. Solect was sold to Amdocs Inc. for US$1.2B. Prior to Solect, Howard was EVP World Wide Operations at Peoplesoft Inc., responsible for all company revenue streams and field employees. During his tenure, the company grew from less than $100M in revenues to $1.3B. Howard began his career spending 13 years in senior sales, marketing and operations roles with IBM and Xerox.

Gwin has a Bachelor of Business degree from Simon Fraser University.

Derek Smyth
Partner, Venture Fund, EdgeStone Capital Partners

Derek Smyth joined EdgeStone Capital Partners as Partner in February 2004. Prior to joining EdgeStone, he was president and CEO of Bridgewater Systems Corporation.

Before joining Bridgewater Systems, Smyth held the position of COO at Ironside Technologies, where he was responsible for the overall direction of global business development, marketing, sales operations and product development. As COO, Smyth grew the business from start-up phase to a multi-national organization, and a team of 14 to 240, while raising $72 million in private equity. Previously, he also held positions with Bay Networks Canada and Radius Inc.

Smyth serves on the boards of Maximum Throughput, pVelocity, Shoplogix, Solace Systems and CiRBA. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in commerce and economics from The University of Toronto and completed the Enterprise Program for Growing Companies (EPGC) at Stanford University.

Michael Woeller

Michael Woeller most recently served as Chief Information Officer and EVP of CIGNA Corporation. Prior to that, he held senior executive roles at three of Canada's financial services organizations including Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Toronto-Dominion Bank, and Canada Trust.

Woeller was vice chairman and CIO at CIBC, responsible for information technology, banking operations, and investment banking operations worldwide, as well as CIBC's market leading Visa credit card business. Prior to CIBC, Woeller was an executive vice-president for Toronto-Dominion Bank, where he developed the merger integration plan for TD Canada Trust, at the time Canada's largest financial services merger. Previously, he held a number of senior executive positions at Canada Trust, including executive vice-president of direct banking and information services.

Woeller has served on a number of industry boards, including the Interac Association of Canada and MasterCard Canada. He is past chairman of the board of directors of Intria Items Incorporated, a joint venture between CIBC and Fiserv Solutions. Currently he sits on the board of directors for Prinova Inc. and CiRBA.

John Mandile
Managing Director, Sigma Partners

John Mandile is a Managing Director with Sigma Partners. With over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, a business unit manager, and an investor, John uses motivation, enthusiasm, and his own technology and operational expertise to support Sigma’s portfolio companies.

Prior to Sigma, Mandile was the President & CEO of Vermeer Technologies, Inc., the developers of FrontPage, the leading Web authoring tool. Vermeer was acquired by Microsoft, providing Sigma and the other venture investors a very successful return. Previously, he was an early principal at SQL Solutions, where he created and led an engineering organization chartered to build heterogeneous database tools. Following an acquisition of SQL Solutions by Sybase, he took responsibility for the new Systems Management Product unit, which he grew to $55 million in sales in 30 months. Early in his career, Mandile was recruited to Honeywell, where he worked on a variety of engineering projects in the areas of communications, operating systems, and unix co-processor design.

Mandile is a graduate of Tufts (BSE in Engineering Science and Mathematics) and Worcester Polytechnic University (MS in Computer Science).

Christopher Legg
Managing Partner, Tandem Expansion Fund

Christopher Legg has 20 years of experience working with growth companies having spent eleven years in the investment banking industry and the past nine years working as a venture capitalist. During his career, Mr. Legg has helped drive over 35 liquidity events, both as advisor and investor. He spent a significant portion of his career focused on growth companies in the communications software and infrastructure, digital media and wireless applications industries.

Mr. Legg has extensive international experience having spent considerable stages of his career or made investments in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

Mr. Legg received a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours with Distinction) from Queen's University in 1988 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1994.