Management
Management Team
The management team of ProGrip is one of the company's greatest strengths. The members collectively have more than 31 years of real world experience in the areas of entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and operations. The individual members of the management team and their positions are listed below.
Martin Roland, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer—Martin has more than four years of experience as a small business owner and six years of financial experience. He currently works as an Associate with Brooks Company, an Atlanta-based venture capital firm. Prior to this, Martin was an Associate with Benz Willow & Dodd where he completed over $25 million in private equity and debt placements for Georgia-based companies. In addition, he completed $550 million in public equity and debt offerings and over $1 billion in M&A transactions as an analyst in the Atlanta office of Friedman, Smitherman & Flip Securities Corp. Martin received a B.F.A. from the University of North Carolina, a B.B.A. from North Georgia College, and is currently pursuing his M.B.A. from Georgia State University.
James Martow, Vice President of Operations—James has a background in industrial management and manufacturing, with a particularly strong record of process improvements and change management. As a U.S. Army lieutenant, James' weapons department consistently achieved the highest performance ratings. He saved the Army hundreds of thousands of dollars through cost-savings measures in training and in maintenance procedures. After receiving a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, James joined CNN, where he identified over $60,000 in annual savings in manufacturing processes. Later, he led a 24,000-member volunteer organization through a challenging organizational transition while meeting all operational objectives. While working toward his M.B.A. at Georgia State University, James remained active in practicum and ancillary work, identifying over $700,000 in process savings to a single client.
Govinder Rama, Vice President of Sales and Marketing—Govinder Rama has a B.A. in economics from the University of Massachusetts, a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Missouri, and is currently a candidate for an M.B.A. from Georgia State University. Professionally, he has experience in business development and marketing in the pharmaceutical industry, first for Global Pharmaceuticals and most recently Pfizer. Govinder has experience developing strategic marketing plans, establishing joint ventures, evaluating business plans, and negotiating contracts.
ProGrip will supplement its management team with individuals possessing product development and sales experience in the sports industry.
Advisory Group
ProGrip has selected a number of individuals to advise management. The advisors were chosen because of their excitement about our product and its potential and their valuable experience in areas critical to the company's success. Each member has been instrumental in advising ProGrip through its initial development, and management is confident that the board of advisors will continue to play a valuable role in the company's growth. Our advisors include:
Aaron Zhender—Managing Director, Project Ventures—Mr. Zhender is a venture capitalist with extensive hands-on experience in starting and growing new ventures. Mr. Zhender was founder and President of CyberWays Company, acting COO for Online Solutions, and interim CEO of 1PC, Inc. and Jazz IT. Mr. Zhender currently serves on the Boards of OmniWare, Design Group, Flatter, and e-Zine.
Patrick Andrews—Principal, Project Ventures—Mr. Andrews is a venture capitalist with many years of project management and operational experience. Mr. Andrews also served for over seven years as a pilot in the United States Army, earning the rank of Lieutenant. Mr. Andrews received his M.B.A. and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Georgia State University.
Dr. William Ames—Management Department Chairman, Georgia State University—Dr. Ames is a professor of entrepreneurship and has conducted extensive research in the areas of organizational design, entrepreneurship, small business, and venture capital. Dr. Ames is extensively involved with various corporate and public sector organizations and his research has been widely published. He is the recipient of grants from the Wiseman Foundation, the Sun Foundation, the Donald Frommer, and the National Science Foundation.
Les Flack—Former Director of Marketing, Golf Authority—Mr. Flack played a vital role in the rapid growth of Golf Authority, a designer and manufacturer of premium quality, technologically innovative golf clubs with revenues of approximately $86 million in 2000. In addition, Mr. Flack was instrumental in the success of Adam Golf's initial public offering and in making the company the third largest seller of fairway woods in the U.S.
Dr. Dennis Williams—Chief Scientist, SuperTech—Dr. Williams is the inventor of the technology behind the Impress grip and holds an S.B. in Physics from DeVry Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Physics from Georgia State University. He has 12 years of experience in plasma physics and pulsed power and has worked for industry, government, and academia.
