Mark Towfiq, Chief Executive Officer
Following twenty years of entrepreneurial experience in technology companies, Mark Towfiq founded NextFort Ventures in 2008 with the goal of seeking out, funding and supporting innovative entrepreneurs and technologies.
Mr. Towfiq owned and served as President and CEO of InteleNet Communications, Inc., a regional Internet data center and managed service provider ("InteleNet"). Mr. Towfiq acquired a struggling InteleNet in February 2002. Over the course of the next five years, Mr. Towfiq guided InteleNet through significant growth, ultimately to a customer base of several hundred companies, including a number of Fortune 500 firms. In October of 2007, substantially all of the assets of InteleNet were acquired in a multi-million dollar transaction by Managed Data Holdings, LLC, a data center operator.
Prior to InteleNet, Mr. Towfiq founded a regional ISP managed hosting company. By 1999, he had grown the company into a major regional company with nationwide operations based in Irvine, California and Chicago, Illinois. In July 1999, Firstworld Communications, Inc., a Denver-based Internet solutions and telecommunications company, acquired the company in a multi-million dollar transaction.
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Carlos H. Oliveira, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer
Following twenty-five years of managerial experience in technology companies, Carlos Oliveira, Ph.D. joined NextFort Ventures with the goal of reviewing and analyzing business plans and recommending investments in areas of internet technology, cloud computing, media and entertainment, and biotechnology.
Prior to serving as Chief Operating Officer for NextFort Ventures, Dr. Oliveira was Vice President/General Manager of Latisys-Irvine LLC (formed from the acquisition of InteleNet Communications, Inc. in 2007), a nationwide Internet data center and managed service provider ("Latisys"). Over the course of the last four years of his tenure at Latisys-Irvine, Dr. Oliveira managed the west coast operations of Latisys. He was responsible for significant growth in new customers and generated over $30 million in annual sales. Dr. Oliveira also managed the entire Latisys engineering team, developing a number of new products and solutions while providing unparalleled customer service and reliability.
Previously, Dr. Oliveira held the position of Senior Engineering Manager at Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. For over ten years he managed an engineering team that developed, implemented and supported nationwide network products such as DSL and cable modems. Dr. Oliveira is an advisory board member at the University of California, Irvine Extension, where he teaches a number of Computer Science classes. Dr. Oliveira holds a Ph.D. in Information and Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine and has published a number of technical papers and articles on Internet and communications technology.
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Randall Gusikoski, Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. Gusikoski has been involved in both private and public companies over the last 25 years, serving in the capacity of CFO and CEO in a variety of industries.
In 2001, Mr. Gusikoski, along with a partner, purchased out of bankruptcy an education company based in Phoenix, Arizona. During the last 10 years the business has grown from 16 to 27 locations, making it the largest company of its type in the greater Phoenix area. Currently the company employs over 500 people and serves over 4,000 students. In 1998, Mr. Gusikoski joined a Norwegian public company to create and run a new entity on the west coast of the United States. Over the next three years through a number of acquisitions the business grew from one to over 400 employees, with locations in five states and revenues in excess of $60 million.
In 1988, Mr. Gusikoski was transferred to a subsidiary of Agra Industries based in California. Mr. Gusikoski assumed the role of CFO. Over the next 10 years Mr. Gusikoski became President and with the help of his management team, grew the business to profitability with over $40 million in revenue.
Mr. Gusikoski has an accounting degree from Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, Alberta. He was also a member of the Certified Management Accountants Institute of Alberta. |
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Monica Burick, General
Counsel
Monica Burick is responsible for strategic counsel in all areas of the company's business. Ms. Burick has practiced law for 15 years. Prior to joining NextFort, she served as General Counsel to InteleNet Communications, Inc., a regional data center, and practiced law at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where she was a member of the firm's Corporate Department from 1998 to 2003, focusing on business transactions. Ms. Burick earned her Juris Doctor with honors from the University of California Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where she was a member of the California Law Review. She received her undergraduate degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated summa cum laude. |
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