The Trace3 Outlier Award is the industry’s greatest celebration of the CIO. It honors individuals who consistently deliver dynamic innovation and outstanding leadership in the field of information technology.
2024 OUTLIER AWARD NOMINEES
Richard Balducci is a seasoned information security leader at Integer Holdings Corporation, a global medical device outsourcing manufacturer based in Plano, TX. Richard has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is currently pursuing his MBA.
After 21 years in the financial services industry, in 2020 Richard joined Integer as Director, Information Security and CISO. He quickly developed a vision and five-year roadmap to build out a comprehensive security program. After reorganizing the IT Security group, he began a transformational process, adding capabilities and aligning to an industry standard framework, NIST CSF.
Jason moved to West Michigan and joined Mary Free Bed in 2016 as the Virtual Health Developer with a specific focus- to build and integrate virtual care into practice at Mary Free Bed.
In August 2020, Jason stepped into the role of Director of Technology and Innovation to lead the digital transformation at Mary Free Bed. Jason is responsible for Information Technology operations with oversight of smart hospital, electronic medical records, network architecture, systems administration, virtual health, telecommunications, and cyber security.
Jim Perry is Senior Vice President (SVP) of Enterprise Technology Platforms at United Wholesale Mortgage, LLC. (UWM). He has 20+ years of experience in technology, specifically in the mortgage lending industry, spanning application development, data engineering & analytics, infrastructure, and operational process support.
As SVP of Enterprise Technology Platforms, Jim is responsible for UWM’s infrastructure teams and aligning their strategic partnerships with internal software development efforts to create industry leading and disruptive solutions to accelerate mortgage origination timelines.
Brian Pillar is a General Manager of IT for the State of Michigan, Department of Technology, Management and Budget with his teams providing support for the IT portfolios for the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
In 2018, Brian joined the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, accepting his present role in 2021. Since joining the State of Michigan, Brian has been passionate about driving portfolio modernization towards cloud friendly platforms and services while enabling reinvestment of IT budget savings into additional business system enhancements.
Ruthu is a Global Technology and Digital Transformation Leader who bridges business-centric technology leadership with strategy, product, architecture, data, engineering and innovation to scale growth and deliver billion-dollar outcomes. Nimble, forward-thinking leader with 20+ years defining, developing, and delivering new products, solutions, technologies and services across consulting, large, and Fortune 500 companies across high-tech, retail, finance, healthcare, pharmaceutical, hospitality, insurance and automotive industries. Partner to the business, respected for leading and mentoring in-house and globally dispersed teams, bringing people to the table and obtaining buy-in through positive, empowering leadership style.
As Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Echostar, Atilla Tinic leads IT strategy and operations for the DISH TV, Sling TV, and Wireless Groups. His 25-year Information Technology and telecommunication career began with leadership positions at Bell Canada, Bell Sygma, Saville Systems, American Management Systems (AMS) and tw telecom. Atilla was also the CIO of Level 3 Communications, where he was responsible for all global information technology functions. Prior to joining Echostar/DISH, Atilla was a SVP in the Information Technology department at CenturyLink. Atilla received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and his Master of Applied Science from the University of Denver.
As Senior Vice President of IT Infrastructure at Bread Financial, Tom Van Winkle is responsible for the strategic oversight and execution of platform infrastructure and operations, including private and public cloud. Leading a team of more than 500 associates, including senior leaders, Tom specializes in executing complex, multi-year programs that support major enterprise level transformational efforts for Bread Financial and its stakeholders.
With more than two decades of experience in IT and leadership roles, Tom leverages his expertise to drive innovation and transformation and to identify and overcome hindrances to performance optimization, while simultaneously capitalizing upon opportunities to strengthen Bread Financial’s competitive position. Prior to joining Bread Financial, Tom held leadership positions at IDMWORKS, Nationwide Insurance, KPMG and Mettler Toledo.
Tom has a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and his MBA from Capital University. Outside of work, Tom can often be found tending to his garden, woodworking and working on cars.
2024 OUTLIER AWARD JUDGES
Todd Colliver is the Director of Global IT, Infrastructure and Operations for the Sazerac Company. Todd enjoys leading a team supporting a rapidly growing and globalizing company in the Spirits Industry. During his tenure at Sazerac Todd has been involved in both brand growth, and global footprint growth, supporting moves into Europe, Australia, and India.
Todd is married to his wife Cathy, with two sons who are active in sports and Scouting. Todd spends much of his free time in the outdoors, volunteering as a Cubmaster with the Boy Scouts of America, and coaching NFL Youth Flag Football. Todd was recently recognized for his volunteer work with the President’s Award for Outstanding Service from the Lincoln Heritage Council of Boy Scouts of America.
Marc has a 30-year career in Cybersecurity and Technology dating back to his service in the US Air Force. He has worked in Silicon Valley performing CyberTech roles, including management, and then at KPMG, a Big 4 firm, in a CyberTech executive consultant role. At the executive management level, currently he is the VP of IT Infrastructure and Cybersecurity at Crane Worldwide Logistics with responsibilities for 11 different functions across IT Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, IT Help Desk, and IT Procurement and Asset Management. Previously Marc was the CISO/SVP at Woodforest National Bank from August 2012 – June 2021. Before Woodforest Marc was at Advantage Sales and Marketing, a large global company, as a National IT Director overseeing IT GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) which included cybersecurity and CISO responsibilities, and he also served as the CISO/VP at Howard Hughes Holdings LLC from February 2023 – November 2023. Marc is also the CEO, Founder, vCIO/vCISO of CyberFore Systems LLC, a cybersecurity consulting and solutions provider firm he started in 2018.
Marc has a Master of Business Administration, Technology, and Strategy from the University of California Irvine – Paul Merage School of Business and is an alum of the FBI CISO Academy, attending in February/March 2017. He has multiple business, including Board, technology, and cybersecurity certifications, including an Artificial Intelligence Design certificate from MIT and a Blockchain Strategy certificate from Columbia University. He was an Associate Member of the Texas Bankers Association and a Trusted Advisor to the Texas Bankers Association ISAO (Information Sharing and Analysis Organization). He serves on the Forbes Technology Council and multiple advisory boards, has written several articles, and has spoken at many local and national conferences.
Marc is the author of The Cyber War Is Here: U.S. and Global Infrastructure Under Attack, A CISOs Perspective, an Amazon #1 Bestseller featured on the NASDAQ billboard. He also authored The Coming Cyber War – What Executives, The Board, and You Should Know, which was released in October 2020 and was an Amazon #1 New Release. Marc has been recognized by the Department of Homeland Security for speaking at their Houston Corporate Security Symposium. In 2019, Marc was awarded the coveted T.E.N. ISE North America Executive of the Year – Financial Services award and in 2024 he was a Finalist for the Houston CISO of the Year ORBIE Award.
Sean is the Associate Vice President of Cloud and Infrastructure Technology at Merck and Co., Inc. He has more than 20+ years of experience in the technology industry spanning infrastructure, cyber security, and cloud. Sean is currently responsible for leading Merck’s overall cloud strategy and implementation of foundational technologies and services to enable cloud adoption. Merck is currently undertaking a comprehensive IT Transformation program, leveraging cloud migrations as a catalyst to drive significant operating model and ways of working changes into the organization.
Prior to this role, Sean has also worked at REAN Cloud, a Virginia-based technology startup, as their Executive Director where he was responsible for leading the Enterprise Health & Life Sciences business along with driving company-wide Information Security, Compliance, and Quality initiatives. Sean is recognized within the industry for introducing disruptive, cutting-edge cloud thinking into the highly regulated Life Sciences and computing landscape. Sean has previously served as a member of the AWS customer advisory board and was a core member of the AWS GxP working group.
Alex Goncharov is a seasoned IT executive with over two decades of experience in both small and medium-sized enterprises as well as Fortune 100 companies. His expertise spans across IT infrastructure architecture, strategic planning, system integration, and operations management. Alex has a proven track record in enhancing IT operations and delivering exceptional customer service. His core competencies include IT infrastructure design and implementation, strategic planning, systems integration, merger integration, fiscal responsibility, business process redesign, outsourcing, contract negotiations, and staff development.
Alex resides in Orange County, California, with his wife and daughter. He enjoys various sports, including tennis, soccer, hockey, basketball, and golf, as well as hiking and spending quiet time at the beach. Alex holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and various certifications in networking, project management, systems engineering, and ITIL.
Jason Johnson has a broad range of experience in enterprise network operations and software development. His primary role at Sweetwater is leading our in-house software development, cloud, and network infrastructure teams, who are responsible for continuous delivery and innovation of the IT services required to keep Sweetwater on the cutting edge.
Jason joined Sweetwater in early 2013 and spent three years as the IT Operations Manager leading a small team modernizing Sweetwater's network infrastructure before he was promoted to Senior Vice President and ultimately to Chief Information Officer. Previously, Jason spent eight years working for the Department of Defense, focused
primarily on network security, and 5 Years serving in the US Navy rated in Information Technology.
Jason holds 19 industry certifications and has a bachelor’s degree from Western Governors University in Network Design and Management. Jason loves spending time with his wife Kelsi and their two children.
Mike Jones is the Vice President of Cybersecurity Shared Services for Nationwide. He provides strategic direction and leadership for the Cyber Product Delivery organization, leading our Identity & Access Management, Data Security, and Cloud & Application Security teams.
Mike has more than 20 years of experience in Information Technology roles, most recently serving as AVP, Network Technology in Infrastructure & Operations, leading the Network Technology product teams Data Center and Cloud Connectivity, Network Observability and Automation, Security Core and Edge products as well as the 24 x 7 Network Technology Operations Center.
Mike is well respected in the industry and has received various industry accolades and awards. Prior to Nationwide, Mike's experience spans various industries, including Telecommunications and Retail where he gained extensive experience in infrastructure and security architecture supporting complex services and holding multiple leadership roles.
Mike is a graduate of Franklin University, and Cornell's Executive Leadership Program. He lives in Reynoldsburg with his daughters and wife, Stacy. He enjoys music, sports, travel, and the Arts, serving on the board of the Historic Lincoln Theater in Columbus.
Barton Warner is Senior Vice President of Infrastructure at Capital Group, leading the Emerging Technology and Enterprise Technology Services organizations. Prior to joining Capital, Barton was a senior leader at JP Morgan Chase (formerly WaMu) responsible for Infrastructure Delivery, and worked in multiple consulting roles as a Technology Principal for Fortune 500 clients.
Barton has an MBA from the University of Washington and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana. He guest-lectures at the USC Marshall School of Business and frequently speaks at industry events focused on Mobility, Collaboration, and Virtualization.
Genady Vishnevetsky serves as a global chief information security officer (CISO) for Stewart Information Services Corporation, a leading real estate and financial services provider. An established leader with experience building successful security programs and developing defenses against emerging threats, Vishnevetsky leads cybersecurity, governance, and compliance programs for global enterprises. He spent the last twenty-five years in Financial Services and Insurance, developing and leading defensible cybersecurity programs for global enterprises.
Genady holds various cybersecurity and risk management certifications – Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISK).
Barton Warner is Senior Vice President of Infrastructure at Capital Group, leading both the Enterprise Technology Services Organization and the strategic implementation of enterprise-wide Generative AI capabilities. Before joining Capital, Barton was a senior executive at JP Morgan Chase (formerly known as WaMu) responsible for technology strategy and delivery, and as a consultant he lead multiple engagements for Fortune 500 clients.
Barton has an MBA from the University of Washington and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana. He guest-lectures at the USC Marshall School of Business and frequently speaks at industry events focused on Digital Workplace, Collaboration, and Generative AI.
Barton Warner is Senior Vice President of Infrastructure at Capital Group, leading the Emerging Technology and Enterprise Technology Services organizations. Prior to joining Capital, Barton was a senior leader at JP Morgan Chase (formerly WaMu) responsible for Infrastructure Delivery, and worked in multiple consulting roles as a Technology Principal for Fortune 500 clients.
Barton has an MBA from the University of Washington and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana. He guest-lectures at the USC Marshall School of Business and frequently speaks at industry events focused on Mobility, Collaboration, and Virtualization.
