The Business Information Systems (BIS) Advisory Council provides industry insights and support to the BIS undergraduate program, The Council provides guidance to the implementation and management of the BIS curriculum, technology in business and the pursuit of professional excellence by BIS students.

Led by: Business Information Systems Program Director and Professor, Rene Reitsma, Ph.D.

Katie Andriacchi '15 — Sr. Software QA Engineer, NWEA

Katie has spent most of her career working as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer. Throughout her career she has worked on incorporating best practices for software testing, building up automation suites, facilitating large cross-team integration testing efforts as well as managing cross-system data flows. For a few years she worked as a Scrum Master where she helped coach teams to their full potential while incorporating agile methodology. Her passion lies in software quality and optimizing the software development lifecycle.

Joshua Axelrod '06 — Director, Security Assurance CTO, Amazon Web Services

Josh is the Chair of the Strategic Advisory Council for Cybersecurity at EY and is the Emeritus Cybersecurity Practice Leader for the Energy Sector at EY. Josh is a retired United States Naval Nuclear Submarine Officer, former electric utility regulator and engineer with over twenty years of operational experience in business risk management, cybersecurity, physical security, power generation, electrical transmission/distribution, mechanical system design, and industrial control systems operations. He works extensively with Fortune 100 and 500 organizations to meet their operational and risk management needs for growth, protection and optimization. Josh also serves on the Board of Directors for iUrban Teen – a non-profit organization that sponsors and enables community youth for future success in their careers.

Rama Balasubramanian
Rama Balasubramanian — Director of Information Systems, Director of Operations (Interim), Jensen Investment Management

Rama has many years of experience in information technology, information security, project management and technology governance. He is currently part of the leadership team at Jensen Investment Management, leading technology, information security, and operations. Prior to joining Jensen, Rama worked with Columbia Investment Management Company, Columbia University, Citibank Retail Banking, Citi Wealth Management, Solomon Smith Barney, and AXA Financial, in a range of technology leadership, application development, project management, IT security, and consultative roles. Rama earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Mumbai University in India, his MBA in Finance from the Zicklin School of Business (CUNY) in New York City, and his MS in Technology Management from Columbia University in New York City. Outside of work, Rama likes to volunteer, and contribute to educational causes and endeavors. In his spare time, Rama likes to cook, read and write.

Ceasar Bernardo — Agile Project Manager, CDW

Caesar works in CDW's Software Development Practice. Previously he was a Program Manager at Citi has worked and resided in London, UK where he was a Technology Consultant in transport, high tech and utilities industries.

Caesar also holds the position of Education Director at SIM's (Society of Information Management) Portland, OR

Ben Berry — Executive VP of Application and Solution Delivery Strategic Partner Management, Bonneville Power Administration

Ben Berry is a strategic aerospace manufacturer and has led technology for large-scale organizations with diverse missions. He is the aviation entrepreneurial CEO and chief digital officer for AirShip Technologies Group’s unmanned aerial systems. He has held various senior leadership technology positions, serving the Royal Saudi Air Force, Kingdom of Saudi Arabian International Airports, and Hughes Aircraft Company – Los Angeles. He is a member of the board of directors at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. He is the previous chief technology officer both for the city of Portland and Providence Health System. He has held executive and management positions in sectors such as state and local government, health care, telecommunications, aerospace/defense and transportation. Ben received his MBA from UCLA and a BS in life science from the University of Portland. He brings more than 40 years of experience to the BIS Advisory Council.

Evan Clark '14 — Cyberspace Warfare Operations Officer, U.S. Cyber Command Cyber Mission Force

Evan Clark ’14 is a Cyberspace Warfare Operations Officer with the 834th Cyberspace Operations Squadron at the Joint Base San Antonio in Lackland, Texas.

Capt. Clark leads a Cyberspace Protection Team element within U.S. Cyber Command's Cyber Mission Force. His unit is postured to counter advanced persistent threats to U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. Northern Command. Capt Clark graduated from Oregon State University (OSU) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Information Systems and received his commission from OSU’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program in 2014. He entered active duty at the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) where he led the Military Accessions branch handling Air Force accessions personnel management. He stayed in AFPC for his next assignment, leading the Systems Configuration Branch in the Technology and Information Division. In this role, he managed a portfolio of global personnel management platforms supporting Air Force personnel and families, while integrating digital process enhancement and systems automation for programs throughout the Air Force Personnel and Manpower portfolio. In 2017, Capt Clark deployed to Afghanistan for Operation RESOLUTE SUPPORT working Joint/NATO Protocol, handling logistics at Bagram Air Field for Distinguished Visitors to include Senior State Officials, Foreign Ambassadors, and Coalition General Officers while assigned to US Forces Afghanistan HQ.

Brad Denney — Partner, Pepper Foster Consulting

Brad is Principal/Senior Director with Pepper Foster Consulting, a Portland-based strategy, and project execution consulting firm. Previously, he was part of the IM Leadership team at RPG, responsible for growing the Information Management practice in the PNW, managing the Global NIKE account, and the development of new business across all RGP service lines locally. Prior to RGP, he held several management level roles while at Arthur Andersen, Hitachi Consulting and a local start-up consulting firm. His area of expertise focuses on IT assessment/strategy, software selections, technology implementations, and business process optimization. Brad has his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification along with a Masters of Accounting and Information Systems and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business, both from the University of Kansas. Brad is actively involved with numerous local charities/organizations.

Gayle Fitzpatrick '78 — Vice President, New Relic

Gayle contributes over 30 years of experience to the BIS Advisory Council. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Oregon State, and later pursued a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UC Davis.  After graduating, Gayle spent most of her career with Oracle Corporation.

Callie Gates, CPA, CISA — Director Information Technology, Tektronix Inc.

Tektronix is a global Test & Measurement company with operations throughout the world and a long tradition as an ‘Oracle shop.’  Ms. Gates’ team is responsible for Global Information Systems Operations including Engineering, Order Management, Manufacturing, Finance and HR. Ms. Gates has been involved with Oracle applications for 15+ years, during which time she has successfully completed many Oracle product installations, rollouts, upgrades, acquisition integrations and divestitures. Before joining Tektronix, Ms. Gates provided consulting services to a wide variety of companies during 15 years with Deloitte and Coopers & Lybrand.  Ms. Gates serves on the Northwest Oracle Users Group (NWOUG) Board of Directors, bringing continuing education and professional networking opportunities to the local Oracle community! Ms. Gates has two amazing children, both attending OSU with whom she enjoys travel, music, nature hikes, golf and fun festival food experiences.

Jeff Honsowetz '1992 — President, Interject Data Systems, Inc.
Tim Jakubowski '03 — Partner, KPMG

Tim is a Managing Director in KPMG's Advisory practice in Portland.  He has more than 13 years of experience in the areas of IT process analysis and design, IT strategy, IT project management, IT audit, controls and compliance, and information security. He has served various industries internationally and his technical expertise includes a wide range of applications and platforms. Tim also serves as the lead IT audit specialist for a number of publicly traded corporations based in the Pacific Northwest. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the Oregon State University College of Business with options in Management of Information Systems and International Business.

 

Zafor Khan — Risk and Financial Advisory Senior Manager, Deloitte

Zafor Khan is a Risk and Financial Advisory Senior Manager at Deloitte with specializations in IT Audit, Third Party Assurance, and IT Governance. He has a strong technical understanding of cloud-based system architecture and security. Zafor earned his BSc. in Computer Science from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and his MBA from Oregon State University (Go Beavs!). He is CISA and CISSP certified.
While not working, Zafor loves to explore the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two boys. Also, he enjoys cooking and dares to try all sorts of cuisines

Pradeep Kumar — Practice Manager/Principle Engineer, Kaiser Permanente

Pradeep Kumar is an accomplished IT leader and strategist with 25+ years of experience for diverse organizations, such as U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Bancorp, and Schnitzer Steel Industries. He currently works for Kaiser Permanente’s Infrastructure Management Group as Practice Manager and Principle Engineer.

Among his many volunteer activities, Pradeep Kumar is the President Emeritus for the Portland Chapter of the Society for Information Management(SIM) where he was instrumental in driving a successful STEM outreach program focusing on middle school kids. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and currently serves as the chair of the Oregon IEEE Communication Society. He also serves on the Business Information Systems(BIS) Advisory Council for the school of business at Oregon State University as well as on the Engineering Advisory Council (UPEAC) for the school of engineering at the University of Portland.

Pradeep holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and an MBA from the University of Portland and originally hails from Malaysia.

Denise Littrell '13 — IT Design & Operations Manager, Samaritan Health Services

Denise has 20+ years of experience in the field of technology beginning with an Electronics Engineering Technology degree and 13 years working in R&D/Test at Hewlett Packard in Corvallis, OR. Denise then returned to college to obtain her bachelor’s in Business Information Systems from OSU launching her Information Technology (IT) path. She has managed numerous enterprise-level business and healthcare applications and is currently the manager of a Tier III Systems Analyst team in Samaritan’s IS Service Operations group.

Paige O'Connor '15 — Product Manager, NIKE Inc.

Paige received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Information Systems from Oregon State University in 2015. With a passion for process analysis and improvement, after graduation, she accepted a job at DSV in Supply Chain Management. For the past two years, she has been working in Transition Management for a Digital Go-To-Market team at NIKE. Through her experience, she has successfully grown her skill to be a bridge between the tech and business side of an organization.

Erik Pearson '05 — Director of DevOps, Huron Consulting Group

Erik has lots of experience in building software solutions to support the delivery and enhance the outcomes of healthcare operations. In his roles, Erik has experience in various different technology related roles including Product Development & Delivery, Product Management, Customer Success, DevOps and Compliance organizations. Recently, Erik has partnered with the US Government to produce a number of highly secured and compliant solutions to support both active duty and veterans requiring the highest level of security and compliance that can be accomplished by an organization within the USA. In his free time, Erik enjoys stepping away from the keyboard and spends time riding adventure motorcycles in the beautiful northwest along with tending to a small farm where last year he spent more time driving a tractor than a car. Erik holds a Bachelor of Science from the Oregon State University College of Business with options in Management of Information Systems and International Business.

Rebecca Prewitt '06 — Lead Technical Program Manager, Nike

Rebecca was born and raised in Corvallis, OR, graduated from Oregon State University College of Business with an option in Management Information Systems and has spent her career in software Project & Program Management. Since graduating, Rebecca has come back to the COB to participate in over a dozen alumni panels as she enjoys helping the students with their questions and curiosities about the world outside of college, especially around her passion of project management. Being at Nike for over 9 years, Rebecca has led many projects and programs accomplishing large software upgrades, tier 1 cloud migrations, Data & Analytics platform launches, multiple divestitures. As such, she is the glue that holds her Engineering, Product and Architecture partners together for successful implementations.

Will Rehse
Will Rehse '11 — Principal Supply Chain Architect in Cloud Capacity Planning Transformation, Microsoft

Will is a skilled business analyst with experience in manufacturing industries including aerospace, audio/video, and recently semiconductor capital equipment. He has a passion for process improvement, leading him to be a part of many software and ERP implementation projects throughout his career. His experience extends to hardware and networking, software design and optimization, and data visualization. Will attended Oregon State University completing a bachelors in Business Administration with a Business Information Systems and Accounting concentration.

Frank Sampson
Frank Sampson — Vice President (Retired), Kipe Technology Resources

Frank Sampson is a retired information technology professional residing in Lake Oswego, Oregon. After obtaining a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems from Washington State University in 1984, he began his career in IT with Chevron Corporation in the San Francisco Bay Area. Initially working as a programmer/analyst developing mainframe applications, Frank had the opportunity, during his almost 30 year career, to see and participate in the evolution of business computing from mainframe systems to network-based applications on PCs, the web and finally to today’s modern devices that sometimes make the technology in Star Trek seem quaint. During the last 10 years of his career, Frank served as Vice President and Technical Manager for Kipe Technology resources, a Beaverton-based IT staffing company led by his wife and OSU alumna Carol Sampson. Frank’s broad experience includes work with a variety of large business and government organizations and involves a diverse set of roles ranging from application development and software architecture to business systems analysis.

Doug Stearns — VP Application and Solution Delivery Strategic Partner Management, The Standard Insurance Company

Doug has more than 28 years of experience in the field covering application development and infrastructure engineering and operations in several industries. Over the past 16 years he has been in management positions building high-performing technical teams.  Recently, Doug has returned to the applications development space and is focused on transforming the way his teams deliver service to his business units. Doug attended Pacific Lutheran University completing a bachelors in Business Administration with a Management Information Systems concentration.

Carl Stutz '14 — Senior Software Engineer, New Relic

Carl is a software engineer and enthusiast. Over the last ten years, he has worked at a variety of companies focusing on software automation and efficiency. Currently, Carl works as part of New Relic's Core Data Platform, operating one of the world's largest time series databases. Previously, he worked in fraud prevention, automating and improving the accuracy of real time detection. Carl believes strongly in using software to bridge gaps, improve efficiency, augment the accuracy of project plans, and increase individual contributors' productivity. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems from Oregon State University.

Brian Yoss '01 — Software Engineering Leader, NA

Brian is a software professional with extensive experience in the Network and Security domain. He is currently a Director of Applications for the Open NDR security company Corelight, Inc. Brian has been in the software industry for over 20 years. 15 of those years were spent with the cybersecurity company McAfee where he led a wide variety of teams ranging from 1.0 products to internal services. Brian graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Management Information Systems and a minor in Communications.