Makana Solutions' team combines people with extensive domain experience and proven technology leadership.
Liz Cobb, Founder, Chairman and CEO
Liz Cobb is an innovator in the sales comp field. She founded two other incentive-compensation companies before her vision of a self-serve on-demand software solution inspired her to create Makana Solutions. Her goal is to produce an affordable set of tools that enable design planners-even those for whom planning is only an occasional task-to easily create sales plans tailor-made for their unique organizations.
Prior to Makana Solutions, Cobb founded Incentive Systems (1997) and ViComp Management, Inc. (1991). She served two years as CEO at Incentive Systems before turning over the reins in October 1999, whereupon she continued as a member of the executive team in the role of executive vice president of strategy until her departure in March 2003.
At Incentive Systems, Cobb coined the phrase EIM (for enterprise incentive management) and pioneered the market category. Under her leadership, Incentive Systems raised $9 million in venture capital, delivered the industry's first comprehensive software solution for incentive compensation, and established a strong executive team. As EVP of strategy, she leveraged her considerable knowledge of incentive compensation and software-development processes to help grow the company to more than $22 million in revenues by 2002.
Cobb served as vice president of sales and marketing for five years at ViComp Management, a consulting practice that automated sales compensation. She carried out senior management roles for the Open Software Foundation and Computer Corporation of America, and worked in software development, customer education, technical support, and product management at CCA and Honeywell, where she spent two years in international sales.
Cobb earned a master's degree in computer science from Arizona State University. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a bachelor of science in mathematics and computer science.
Seán McGinty, Chief Technology Officer
Sean is a co-founder of Makana and responsible for overall technical direction for the company. Seán McGinty is a senior engineering and services executive with more than 20 years of high-tech experience, including 15 years leading teams charged with developing and delivering high-quality software solutions. Prior to joining Makana Solutions, he served as vice president of worldwide client services for Incentive Systems, director of strategic services for CheckFree Corporation (i-Solutions), and manager of strategic services for BlueGill Technologies, an online bill presentment software company later sold to CheckFree Corp. for Fortune 500 clients.
Larry D'Angelo, Vice President Business Operations
Larry is responsible for marketing, sales, customer service and support. He has expertise in developing and managing multiple sales models and distribution channels both domestically and internationally. Larry brings over 20 years of software sales and sales management experience to Makana. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of sales at Autotask, a SaaS provider of professional services automation software. Prior to Autotask, he ran Worldwide Field Operations at iPhrase Technologies, a leader in search engine applications, where he increased revenue for three consecutive years and managed a successful acquisition by IBM. Before iPhrase, D'Angelo served as vice president of sales for DataPower Technologies and vice president of worldwide sales at Revenio, acquired by Vignette. D'Angelo earned a B.S. in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester.
Teanna Spence, Compensation Director
Teanna has 28 years' experience in financial systems including 14 years in incentive design, management, automation, and best-practices development for many companies in a wide range of industries including DEC, Cabletron, Kinkos, Aspect Computers, and Staples.
Arthur Gehring, Director of Marketing
Arthur oversees all marketing activities. He has over 20 years experience in marketing software and Internet solutions at Lotus, IBM and Palm Inc. At Lotus Development, Arthur held management positions in the communications and desktop groups. After nine years at Lotus, Arthur helped start AnyDay.com, where he led marketing and product management efforts for the industry-leading calendar and collaboration Web service, acquired by Palm Computing.
Christopher Mason, Director of Sales
Chris oversees all sales activities. He served as director, national accounts, for Centive and ITC (spun off from Centive), where he directed sales and marketing for the enterprise incentive management (EIM) product line, focused on the financial services industry. He has held sales and sales-management positions for ADP, Cognos, Applix, and SalesNet, consistently exceeding quota in all his sales roles.
Board of Directors
Makana Solutions’ board of directors is rich with executives who have proven themselves in the high-tech world.
William Warner, director, founded Avid Technology, Inc., and served as its president and chief executive officer, before becoming president and chairman of the board of Wildfire Communications, Inc.
Daniel A. Keshian, director, is managing director of Fairhaven Capital and has more than 27 years’ experience in technology, business management, and venture capital, with a focus on software and digital media.
Lou Shipley, director, is general manager and group vice president of Citrix’s Xen Products Group. Previously he served as president and CEO of Reflectent Software, Inc.
Stephan Schambach, director is founder and chairman of Demandware, Inc. Previously, Schambach was CEO of Intershop, an e-commerce company he founded in 1992, brought public in 1998 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange's Neuer Market, and led to a successful NASDAQ listing in 2000.