SPEAKER BIOS
Bruce Upton is the founder and President of BLU3 Technologies. Prior to forming BLU3, Bruce served over 21 years in the United States Air Force including over 10 years as Communications Security Officer. Bruce has over 25 years experience in project management, information security, data networking, IS audit, data encryption, and banking operations. Bruce hones his communication skills by serving as an Adjunct Professor for Arkansas State University, where he teaches Operations Management, Business Statistics, and Network Management classes. His wide variety of experience enables him to approach information technology security from a broad perspective.
Bruce currently maintains several industry security certifications including Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). Bruce is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology and a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a Master of Science Degree in Operations Management. Bruce currently resides in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Mike Cullen brings over 20 years of corporate sales experience to N-able Technologies, and has assembled an equally experienced sales force. Founded in March 2000, N-able Technologies® is the market leader in delivering technology and training that transforms service organizations into managed service providers (MSPs). N-able's combination of products, people and processes help service providers develop, sell and deliver managed services to the small and medium-sized business (SMB) market. N-able provides complete solutions to monitor, manage and optimize information technology and security from a business perspective, deliver business-value reports and drive effective and efficient service delivery.
Prior to joining N-able, Mike was Vice President of Sales (Ottawa Branch) and Interim President of the Québec region for IKON Office Solutions. Mike grew the Ottawa business to $24 million in five short years, resulting in the Ottawa office's recognition as the Branch office of the year in 2000. Mike joined IKON in 1995 as a result of an acquisition of Fulline Office Products, an office equipment company Mike co-founded in 1988. As Fulline's Vice- President of Sales, Mike led a talented team of sales professionals, which had a run rate of $3 million in sales at the time of the acquisition. Prior to this, Mike held progressively senior sales management positions with Canon and Pitney Bowes.
J. Michael Drake is masterIT’s founder, chairman and CEO. masterIT is a leader in technology services for small and medium-sized businesses, offering a proven service portfolio for clients looking for simple monitoring services to complete outsourced IT solutions. masterIT's proactive services enable clients to lower IT service costs, usher in a new sense of business security and, foremost, enjoy peace of mind knowing their IT services are in trusted hands.
Prior to founding masterIT, Michael served as President/CEO of Econocom USA, Inc. from 1993 – 2005. Econocom USA specialized in technology finance and asset management solutions that allow businesses to regain control of their IT assets and budgets, maximizing the business value of IT. Under Michael’s direction Econocom USA grew its IT portfolio to over $100 million in 48 states and sold its operations to The Meridian Group in Chicago effective December, 2005.
