Dr. Jim Metzler is widely recognized as an authority on both network technology and its business applications. In over 28 years of professional experience, Jim has assisted numerous vendors refine their product and service strategies, and helped tens of enterprises evolve their network infrastructure.
Jim’s recent assignments include:
Dr. Metzler has worked in many positions in the IT industry. This includes being a compiler writer for a branch of the US intelligence community; creating software tools to design customer networks for a major IXC; being an Engineering Manager for high speed data services for a major Telco; being a Product Manager for network hardware; managing networks at two Fortune 500 companies; directing and performing market research at a major industry analyst firm; and running a consulting organization.
Jim holds a Ph.D. in Numerical Analysis from Boston University. He has co-authored a book, published by Prentice Hall, entitled “Layer 3 Switching: A Guide for IT Professionals”. Jim teaches a course at Interop entitled “Running IT as a Business”. He has been the keynote speaker on seminar tours produced by Network World, Cisco, Nortel, DEC, Cabletron, and NetScout.
Jim can be reached at jim@ashtonmetzler.com or at 617.969.8286
Sarah S. Ashton
Sarah’s specialty is in attracting, developing and retaining talent to meet organizational goals. Her expertise lies in developing and implementing programs in these three critical areas, that can be easily and effectively implemented in organizations.
She has developed competency models that allow managers to identify necessary skills for future business success as well as evaluate current employee skills. The gap analysis, which follows, identifies employee staffing, development and training goals. Sarah has developed and implemented a 5 Step Talent Assessment Plan that combines competency modeling with staffing and training solutions. This provides the foundation for the development of efficient and effective recruitment and talent management programs, which in turn saves, time and money.
Sarah has developed and delivered an array of developmental programs to all levels of the organization. Offerings have included performance management, negotiation techniques, behavioral interviewing, coaching and team building. These programs focus on achieving behaviors on the job that will improve organizational performance. Through customized, one-on-one coaching, she has also addressed specific performance areas and reinforced desired employee behaviors, such as giving and receiving feedback, and communicating and presenting information to management.
A recent focus has been in the area of employee retention through the use of Real Time Recognition and Rewards. This approach involves the creation of a reward system that acknowledges employee contribution now versus waiting for annual salary review or bonus payment. This has proven to be a highly effective way of improving employee satisfaction and morale. With one of her clients, employee turnover was reduced by 50% in one year through the implementation of a Real Time Recognition and Rewards program.
Sarah brings twenty years of experience to Ashton, Metzler & Associates having worked with E.F. Hutton, Shearson Lehman Brothers, Fidelity Investments and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. She received her BA from Drew University and her MBA from Northeastern University. She is a member of the Human Resources Management Group, American Compensation Association and affiliated with Coach University.
Sarah can be reached at sarah@ashtonmetzler.com or at 617.559.0161
Cheryl Caron
Cheryl has over fourteen years experience in Telecommunications and Information Technology, both as a consultant and as a group manager. She is experienced in the design, implementation and cost analysis of international Voice, Video and Data network services. Cheryl is also skilled in vendor and program management, as well as the analysis and quantification of business requirements. Ms. Caron possesses direct industry consulting experience in banking, telecommunications and state government.
Ms. Caron has worked for large institutions, such as Bank of Boston where she was a programmer/analyst responsible for building an interest rate risk management system. At Digital Equipment Corporation, she progressed from an international telecommunications consultant, to international IT business operations manager, and finally to Asia-Pacific and Americas telecommunications manager.
As an independent consultant, Ms. Caron has helped customers select frame relay vendors and Internet providers. She has consulted in the telecommunications industry providing recommendations for Internet services and products and has done extensive business analysis for several Fortune 500 companies. She has helped a manufacturer of medical imaging equipment to understand both the network services industry as well as the major network management platforms. Cheryl has assisted a State Government to choose a transmission strategy as well as assisted a major consumer electronics company to migrate from a TDM based network to a Frame Relay network,
Ms. Caron received a bachelor of arts degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Boston College.
Dr. Lynn DeNoia
Lynn is a Principal Consultant with OnSource Consulting, Inc. She is well known for matching appropriate network and computing technology to the current and future business needs of enterprises. Over more than 27 years in the IT industry, she has facilitated development of strategies, architectures, and implementation plans for end-users, as well as business, product, and marketing plans for equipment vendors. As an academic, a CIO, and a consultant, Lynn has always been interested in making technology accessible to people who can use it to solve business problems. Her recent book with Jim Metzler, Layer 3 Switching, A Guide for IT Professionals, exemplifies this commitment.
Prior to her current position, Lynn was Vice President for Consulting at Strategic Networks, where she was responsible for the quality and delivery of enterprise consulting projects. She has taught for Networld+Interop, presented numerous seminars for networking vendors, and has been Visiting Associate Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor at Bryant College, Boston University, and Bentley College respectively. Lynn earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Brown University.
Marcia Felth
Marcia specializes in programs for retaining and developing IT and telecommunications professionals. Her expertise includes career development, coaching and mentoring, performance management, leadership development, workforce planning, and high potential programs.
She has designed, developed, and implemented career management, mentoring, performance management, and high potential programs for IT professionals, ranging from new college hires to senior executives. She is proficient in strategic needs assessment, program development, workshop design and delivery, career counseling, coaching, and competency modeling. Marcia has delivered workshops and consulted to corporations, health care organizations, and universities, including Boston College, Wellesley College, Tufts Health Plan, Marcam Corporation, Compaq, and Bell Atlantic.
Marcia has worked for twenty years in the telecommunications/IT field. Her experience includes ten years in senior telecommunications technical and management roles at Honeywell and Digital. As a business program manager, she also led Digital’s corporate planning for IT infrastructure integration, which resulted in savings of $160 million. Most recently, she designed, developed, and program managed Achieving Your Potential, a worldwide IS development program which contributed to greatly improved retention and employee satisfaction levels.
Marcia received her BA from Barnard College, Columbia University, and her M.Ed in Counseling and HRD from the University of Vermont. She is a certified consultant for Benchmarks, a 360 degree executive coaching tool from the Center for Creative Leadership
Rolf McClellan
Mr. McClellan has nearly twenty years of experience in the network and computer industry. The central thrust of his work has been in analyzing the impact of emerging technologies on the evolution of enterprise networked computing environments.
Prior to founding McClellan Consulting in the fall of 1997, Mr. McClellan was a Principal Consultant at Strategic Networks Consulting, Inc. Mr. McClellan managed the testing program at Strategic Networks from its inception in March 1995 until July 1997. During this period, Mr. McClellan worked closely with Scott Bradner and the staff of Harvard's Network Device Test Lab in analyzing test results as part of an evaluation of over 100 internetworking products including Ethernet/Fast Ethernet/gigabit Ethernet switches and routers, Ethernet-ATM LANE switches, Ethernet-ATM MPOA solutions, and ATM switches. The Switch Evaluation reports provide the primary content of the SNC web site, which has recorded as many as 250,000 hits/month.
Also at Strategic Networks, Mr. McClellan was responsible for a wide range of client projects. On the end user side, Mr. McClellan has worked with a number of senior information/networking managers in the Fortune 1000 to develop Enterprise Network Architectures for corporate networks that can both support and enable information-centric corporate strategies. Network architecture clients included Eastman Kodak, John Hancock, City of Calgary, St. Petersburg Times, Boots Pharmacy, Nova Scotia Power, and others.
Prior to joining Strategic Networks, Mr. McClellan was the Manager of Networks Market Analysis in the Networks Engineering group in the Digital Equipment Corporation. In this capacity, Mr. McClellan led a group of analysts working with engineering and product management to identify opportunities for new products and product enhancements.
Mr. McClellan holds degrees in electrical engineering, applied mathematics, and business administration from Yale University, the University of Michigan, and Babson College.
Debra Mielke
Debra Mielke is the President of Treillage Network Strategies, Inc. She has more than fifteen years of experience at the leading edge of data communications technologies and services. Mielke formed Treillage Network Strategies, Inc. in 1997, and works with providers of communications services, and software and hardware vendors worldwide to develop unique market and differentiation strategies as well as implement new products and services.
Prior to forming Treillage Network Strategies, Inc., Mielke was Director of Consulting for TeleChoice, Inc. While at TeleChoice, Mielke performed market research and developed market and product strategies for such companies as Compaq Computer Corporation, Ascend Communications, Inc., GTE, Bay Networks, Ennovate Networks, Inc., and Visual Networks, Inc. Mielke has also worked for MCI Systemhouse, MCI Data Marketing and Professional Services Organization (PSO), BT North America, BT Tymnet, and Tymnet McDonnell Douglas.
In her three years with MCI data marketing, Mielke worked in the internetMCI group and the Professional Services Organization. She helped to develop, scope, and define the initial Internet service offerings. She was a major contributor to the strategies, service definition, positioning, and pricing of MCI’s suite of managed network services. Mielke defined the industry’s first multi-protocol, LAN dial service solution. She also ran the network consulting group for MCI PSO and worked extensively with end users to understand their current and future networking needs.
Mielke’s work at BT included defining and launching the company’s international frame relay service, encompassing service definition, pricing structure and rates, competitive positioning, sales strategy and materials and sales training.
Mielke has significant experience in nearly all aspects of data networking, from strategic planning to marketing, to implementation, to end user consulting. She has experience with customer LAN and WAN networking, as well as significant experience with network security, groupware, messaging, and network operations systems. Much of her work in developing data networking, Internet, and intranet services draws upon her extensive knowledge in these areas.
Lisa Phifer
Lisa is the Vice President of Core Competence, Inc. She designs and develops open network management and operations systems solutions for data and multi-services networks. A Bellcore President's Recognition Award recipient for her contributions to the North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH) and the Bell South Broadband (ATM) operations system. Ms. Phifer has been involved in the implementation and deployment of network management software, protocols, information models, operations systems and data communications products for over 15 years.
Lisa’s current interests include the design, development, and deployment of network management software solutions, protocols, information models, operations systems, and data communications products. She has an in-depth knowledge of OSI and Internet protocols, with emphasis on network management (i.e., CMIP/GDMO, SNMP, CORBA) and emerging data networks and services, such as ISDN, ATM, SONET. Lisa also has hands-on experience with popular management platforms, including OSI NetExpert, SunNet Manager, HP OpenView, and DSET GDMO Agent Toolkit.
David M.Piscitello
Dave is the President of Core Competence, Inc., and specializes in Internet, fast packet, network management, and security technology. David has been involved in the development of internetworking technology for 20 years. He has authored books on internetworking and remote access, and publishes regularly to InfoWorld, Internet World, Computer World, and Windows Sources magazines on a variety of subjects including wireless data networking, switched internetworking, ATM and Gigabit Ethernet, Internet security and virtual private networking.
Dave has been involved in the design, development, and deployment of network protocols, routing protocols, network interfaces, public switched services, and data communications products. He has an in-depth knowledge of NOS, OSI and Internet protocols, public switched data networks and services, such as ISDN, ATM, and Frame Relay. Dave also has hands-on experience with VPN and firewall security products, 3Com Ethernet and VLAN switching, as well as router configuration and routing system software, including Cisco IOS, Proteon OpenRoute, Livingston ComOS, and ACC router software.