Shea Group Members

David Barnes

David is CEO and founder of Result Resources LLC, a technology consulting, business automation, and managed I.T. services firm in Phoenix AZ. Prior to Result Resources David had been involved at a leadership level with organizations such as Cultural Experiences Abroad, GE Capital, Franchise Finance Corporation of America, ADVO, Unisea Inc., Domino’s Pizza, U Haul, and others. In these organizations he held positions of Chief Operations Officer, VP of Computer Operations, and VP of Information Systems, as well as other managerial roles.

David is active in the community supporting childrens organizations and other community groups. He is an active member of the Pinnacle Peak Rotary and serves on the board of directors for All Star Kids Tutoring helping to to promotie children and family literacy programs and provide 1 on 1 tutoring programs to elementary school students.

David lives in Anthem Arizona with his wife of 14 years and their two children. He enjoys motorcycles, golf, camping, and an occasional game of poker.

Karen Cawley

Karen Cawley is a health care executive with extensive leadership experience in large, urban teaching hospitals in Texas and Arizona.  Her experience spans both hospital and ambulatory clinical services, including all professional and support service departments.  Additionally, she has done turnaround management and has extensive experience in capital project planning and completion.  Karen holds a M.S. in Health Care Administration from Trinity University, is published in The New England Journal of Medicine and has completed a Leadership Foundation Fellowship sponsored by the International Women’s Forum.  In addition to health care, Karen has a passion for animal welfare and commits over 400 hours annually as a volunteer adoption counselor for the Arizona Animal Welfare League.  She resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.      

Michael D’Hoostelaere Michael D’Hoostelaere has extensive leadership experience in healthcare consulting, especially in insurance and employee benefits. He has also done a significant amount of consulting for entrepreneurs/start-ups.  His most recent large company experience was as a Principal for William Mercer where he led a team of consultants developing provider-owned heath insurance companies.  Michael and his wife own a Montessori school in Phoenix, where he commits the majority of his time as COO/VP of Operations.  He has recently started a Montessori management consulting practice.  He holds a B.S. in Management from Jacksonville University and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Harvard.  His avocation is upgrading education, starting at the pre-school level, for economically disadvantaged children.

Tom Freeze

Tom Freeze is an articulate leader and general manager with a strong financial background and extensive experience in high growth, dynamic public and privately-owned businesses.  His work experience includes executive leadership positions in consumer goods, high technology, printing and professional services industries.  Most recently Tom was President/CEO of a $75M snack food company serving the grocery, mass, drug, club, vending and convenience store channels.  Tom received his undergraduate degree in Business from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and is a licensed CPA in Arizona.  Tom enjoys golf and lives in Phoenix with his wife and their three sons.

Andy Gritti

Andy Gritti has extensive leadership in corporations and start-up environments. He has served in a variety of operations, sales, and marketing positions for a national pharmacy chain. Most recently Andy served as President/COO of a 3,500 employee start-up providing marketing and merchandising service to the consumer goods industry. Clients included; Albertsons, Staples, Home Depot, Circuit City, Hallmark, SuperValu, Kraft, Proctor & Gamble, and Hewlett Packard. He holds a B.S. in Business from Eastern Illinois University. An avid basketball and tennis player with a love for being outdoors. He and his wife live in Scottsdale, Arizona with their son and daughter.

Lynn Gruenig

Lynn is a veteran of several of Fortune 500 companies, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin and Honeywell. She has progressive executive experience in global financial and operations management, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and is a Six Sigma Black Belt.

Randy Gustafson

Randy Gustafson is a senior executive leader able to achieve hallmark results with skills shaped by the best practices of multiple industries, including: U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarines, hi-tech Government and Defense contracting, consumer brand and product marketing, and investment management financial services.  He is defined by his leadership, teamwork, integrity, energy, and passion.

Randy began his career as a Navy Officer, serving aboard the top “fast-attack” nuclear submarine in the Atlantic Fleet and as a Master Training Specialist instructor in digital weapon systems employment.  He then worked as a marketer and engineering analyst for an entrepreneurial, hi-tech Government contractor.  After earning his MBA, Randy became a brand marketer for S.C. Johnson Wax and then Lykes Brothers in Tampa.  At Lykes, he was responsible for a P&L over $100 Million and led the company’s most important initiative by launching new Sunkist Orange Juice products into the U.S. and Canada.  Most recently, Randy served as the COO of Dolphin Capital Management, a boutique investment hedge fund whose customers were among the most sophisticated investors in the world.  He still has a consulting relationship with the firm since relocating from Florida in 2006. 

Originally raised here over 26 years ago, Randy returned to The Valley for family reasons.  He holds a BSEE from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Michigan.  Randy lives with his wife and three sons in the Paradise Valley area, collects Southwest Native American artwork, and enjoys basketball, swimming, and walking.

Michael Ludgate

Michael Ludgate is a dynamic marketing and sales executive with a passion for driving new product launches and business development initiatives. His progressive work experience includes executive leadership positions in globally focused companies such as: Intel - marketing director; Iomega - general manager; and Hewlett-Packard - marketing manager. Michael is an active member of the community, most recently, running the marketing committee for Scottsdale Job Network, Ambassador for AzTech Council and member of ASU’s ‘technopolis Launch Pad’ committee. Michael received his MBA from York University (Toronto, Canada) and his bachelors of Mathematics from University of Waterloo. He and his wife live in Scottsdale, Arizona with their son and daughter. He has been known to enjoy the occasional game of golf!

Will Neitzke

Will has 20 years of experience focused on managing turnarounds of businesses in distress, growing companies and assisting startups. He is a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) and a CPA. He has been a principal in the international consulting firm of Philip + Company for 10 years and has held executive roles including President, COO and CFO in a number of manufacturing, distribution, retail and service companies. He has demonstrated skills in operations management, strategic planning, M&A activities and corporate restructuring in both private and publicly owned entities. His passion is acting as a change agent to assist stakeholders through difficult transitions.

He is an avid horse rider and amateur artist.

Carl Nablo

Carl Nablo has extensive senior P & L leadership in corporations and entrepreneurial environments. He has lead numerous industrial, technology and process organizations through strategic change. Most recently Carl served as President & CEO of Desert Plastics (DP) which was a manufacturer and distributor of Specialty Industrial films to the Industrial marketplace. Carl holds a B.A. from the College of Arts & Sciences at Bucknell University. An avid volunteer in the community, Carl works with Canine Assist Dogs and the United Way. He enjoys numerous outdoor sporting endeavors and is a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Gayle Pincus

Gayle recently returned to Arizona after a concluding a V.P. & general manager assignment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  She is targeting a career move to an executive director position for an Arizona not for profit.  Gayle has held executive positions in operations, business development and finance. On one assignment Gayle and 32 global colleagues ‘time-traveled’ to the future to explore and define the company’s future business opportunities. Additionally, she led a 3 year World Class Manufacturing initiative that culminated in Gayle’s organization being named one of America’s Best Plants by “Industry Week” magazine.

Jim Pharr

Jim Pharr has extensive leadership in corporation and start-up environments.  He has served in a variety of sales, business development, operations and customer satisfaction positions for emerging and high growth companies.  Most recently Jim served as Director of a start-up providing document management search technology and artificial intelligence software solutions to the pharmaceutical, transportation and e-consumer goods industries.  Clients included, Merck, Pfizer, Daimler Chrysler, Saab, Boeing, Proctor & Gamble and Hewlett-Packard.  He holds a B.S. in Business from Michigan State University.  Jim is an avid hiker and mountain bike rider with a love for being outdoors.  He and his wife live in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Vijay Ramachandran

Vijay Ramachandran is the founder of Quality Etc. Consulting, LLC, formed to provide clients in financial services with innovative solutions to meet corporate objectives.  Vijay Ramachandran provides value by assisting Senior Management design, develop and implement strategies for profitable growth in all market cycles.  Vijay is known for strategically managing organizational change to increase revenue, optimize operating efficiencies and reduce cost. 

Vijay started his career in marketing consumer products, before moving into Finance and Operations.  He has worked in the United States and in Asian markets.  Prior to forming Quality Etc. Consulting, Vijay worked with large and medium sized companies in the service sector, as well as in consulting with KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP. 

Vijay holds an M.B.A. from Oklahoma State University, with a concentration in Finance and Operations.  He also has a B.S. in Chemistry/Physics.  He has been conferred the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter, and is a certified Change Agent.

Ben H. Sommerville

Mr. Sommerville a Phoenix native has 20 years of technical and strategic management experience in high technology industries. Most recently served as Vice President and founder of a technology company developing software for the digital printing industry, his involvement was vital in launching and growing the technology firm; developing marketable products and services, ensuring the infrastructure and processes were robust enough to meet customer demand. He is known to peers and associates as a people-oriented leader adept at building organizations focusing on continually surpassing customer expectations. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Arizona University. An avid hiker and fisherman who loves the outdoor lifestyle of Arizona. He and his wife live in Phoenix, Arizona with their two daughters and two golden retrievers.

John Blair

John Blair has a passion for building successful business operations in growth oriented organizations.  He began his career working for an investment bank and has since served as a CFO and COO in the education and construction industries.  John has been involved with every aspect of a company's start-up and expansion, including the responsibility of directing and leading new business development activities, day-to-day operations and financial management in multi-state and multi-site operations.  John specializes in designing and re-engineering processes and managing high-performance work teams resulting in dramatic improvements in workforce management, cost reduction and increased bottom line performance.  John is a graduate of The University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in economics.

Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall has an extensive human resources background in manufacturing, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, services and health care.  He has worked for several Fortune 50 companies such as General Electric, Merck and Campbell Soup.  Jim is a graduate of Michigan State University where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Business Psychology and his Master’s degree in Human Resource Management.

Jim has played instrumental roles in start-up, turn-around and high performance organizations and has a real passion for leadership, integrity and process improvement.  As a Six Sigma Black Belt, Jim has also led significant process improvement initiatives with great success.  

In his personal time Jim enjoys sports, lifting weights and volunteering as a “Big Brother.”   He currently resides in Southwest Phoenix (Laveen).

Dennis J. Sajdak

Dennis J. Sajdak is an experienced and accomplished Healthcare Executive with over twenty-five years of proven success in managing the business and operations of hospital systems and other organizations.  Starting as a volunteer, he progressed to CEO of several facilities. Drawing upon an extensive clinical background as well as administrative experience, Mr. Sajdak proven managerial style has produced the highest rated facilities in two different states, and orchestrated seven organizational turnarounds.

Mr. Sajdak is a results-oriented executive, accomplished in program development and design, strategic planning, team building, fiscal management, business development, expansion and marketing.  He uses both an extensive knowledge of regulatory standards and his experience in leadership, coaching, motivation and managing to key business plan goals to affect successful outcomes.  His integrity and professional accomplishments have twice been recognized by both his colleagues and by consumers of healthcare services when he was awarded the designation “Professional of the Year”.

John W. Smolak

John is an effective leader and highly experienced general management and finance executive.  His career spans an array of industries and reflects success in companies ranging from small entrepreneurial enterprises to Fortune 1000 corporations.  His contribution generally lies in his ability to articulate a clear vision, achieve sustainable results and motivate superior organization performance. 

His most recent assignment was that of EVP Chief Finance & Administrative Officer of Hypercom Corporation.  He also was CFO of Suburban Propane, 1-800 Flowers.com, LensCrafters Eyewear and Marriott Corporation (restaurants); and was formerly Director of Strategic Planning & Corporate Development for NCH Corporation and a consultant in the general management practice of Booz Allen & Hamilton.  John’s education includes a MBA Finance from the Wharton School, a MS Systems Management from the University of Southern California and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut.  John presently resides in N. Scottsdale, AZ with his wife Nancy.  They are both actively involved with the East Valley Boys & Girls Club.

Membership Information

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Shea Group please first review our membership critieria and then contact us to have our membership commitee speak with you.