Team
When you enlist the expertise of the Sightline Group, you always work directly with one of our experienced partners. With over 15 collective decades in channel and business development, our professionals have garnered results for such names as Acer America, Egghead, IBM, Sears, Roebuck & Co., Netgear, K-Mart, and Dell. Our successes also extend to smaller companies who have expanded and increased profits through savvy positioning, precision planning, and new channel opportunities.
Our incomparable team includes:
Fred Brown
Ray Brown
Pete Janssen
Ray Robidoux
Philo Pappas
Gordon Jones
Charles Smead
Fred Brown possesses over 25 years of executive leadership in the computer and consumer electronics industries. His expertise in developing channels for technology companies has helped many successfully bring their products to market. With a track record of achievements and a network of relationships with key industry decision-makers, Fred has served as a retained consultant for more than a decade.
Prior to his consulting career, Fred excelled in executive positions at several leading companies in a variety of high tech market segments, including:
- Viewpoint (MetaCreations)
- Vice President of Sales & Marketing Worldwide - AT&T, Global Information Services
- Vice President of Worldwide Marketing - Xtend Micro Products
- Vice President of Sales - Cal ABCO, Reveal, Packard Bell
– President, Legend Division - The Brown Book
- Founder & Publisher - Osborne Computers
- Vice President of Sales
Ray Brown has over two decades of experience in general management, merchandising, retail marketing and global sourcing. His tenure at Sears Roebuck and Co. and KMart Holdings included Profit and Loss accountability, merchandising, sourcing and retail marketing responsibilities in Home Electronics/Home Entertainment/Home Office. As Vice President of Retail Marketing at Sears, he led a team that launched Lands' End into Sears’ full-line stores.
Positions held prior to Ray’s consulting career include:
- KMart Holding Company
- Vice President Home Electronics/Home Entertainment/Home Office - Sears, Roebuck and Co.
- Vice President Retail Marketing/Full Line Stores
- Vice President/General Merchandise Manager, Home Electronics/Home Office
- Director Business Marketing, Home Appliances/Home Electronics/Home Office
- Merchandise Buyer, Appliances/Electronics
Pete Janssen brings with him over 35 years of experience in retail and technology companies. His expertise spans product positioning, market validation, channel strategies, business development and product launches. Driving results in the area of business and sales strategy, and channel development are among his core competencies.
Previously, he was President of Pete Janssen and Associates where he helped companies develop and implement successful marketing and sales programs. Prior to his consulting career, Pete effectively served in executive level positions at:
- Sears, Roebuck & Co.
- Co-founder & General Manager, Sears Business Stores (new retail concept) - Mindset
- Vice President, Sales & Marketing - WYSE
- Vice President, Marketing, Amdek Division - Nexgen Microsystems
- Vice President, Marketing - Acer America
- Vice President, Sales & Marketing - Egghead Software
- Senior Vice President, Merchandising & Marketing (hired as part of a turn-around team)
Ray Robidoux has over 20 years of experience in the computer industry with a successful track record of building and developing sales, businesses, and organizations in companies from startups to Fortune 500’s. His achievements span sales, marketing, operations, re-engineering and general management up to CEO/General Manager level, several product areas including computer systems, storage, networking and multiple channels – reseller, distribution, retail, DRM, OEM and online (direct and indirect). He has also had significant experience in corporate re-engineering and acquisition integrations. Prior to joining Sightline Group, Ray has successfully held positions at a variety of companies including:
- NETGEAR Inc.
- President - Compaq Computer Corporation
- Vice President/General Manager North America Consumer Group
- Vice President Strategic Business Planning & Operations, North America - Anthology Solutions
- President/CEO - AST Research
- Multiple Sales Management positions
Philo Pappas has over 20 years experience in the CE, Computer, and Hard Goods business. He has a proven track record with both small emerging and with national multi channel retailers. His expertise is in merchandising, retail marketing, in store merchandising, supply chain, and global sourcing.
Prior to his consulting career Philo worked at Tweeter Home Entertainment as the Chief Merchandising Officer. Philo was instrumental in moving Tweeter into a new strategy of selling Home Entertainment Solutions. He was also intimately involved in designing a new store concept focused on solution selling and launching new and emerging technologies in the market place. Tweeter was often named “Retailer of the Year” by several industry sources based on its innovative go to market strategies.
Prior to Tweeter Philo spent 8 years at Staples as the Senior Vice President of Merchandising. At Staples he had full P&L responsibility managing 8 billion of revenue across multiple selling channels. During his tenure he was also instrumental in the development and implementation of the Staples private label brand. While at Staples Philo earned the “Leo Kahn" award which is awarded annually to the top performing executive in the company.
Gordon Jones spent 20 years as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, litigation attorney and judge, and then started one of the first legal portals and became one of two legal content providers for MSN when it first launched in 1995. After selling his portal to a publicly traded company, Gordon spent the next several years developing international markets for technology companies. He opened offices in the UK and relocated to open offices in Sydney, Australia on two occasions, and then relocated to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Most recently Gordon has focused on introducing new products into the North American market.
Gordon's proficiencies include building VAR/Reseller Channels, OEM relationships, Retail Channels, including brick and mortar, ecommerce, distribution and catalog. He has successfully placed products from startup companies in virtually every significant distribution and retail outlet.
Prior to his consulting career, Gordon held several executive positions with leading technology and consumer product companies, including:
- ViaMarket Consumer Products LLC
- Vice President, Sales and Marketing - PaceBlade Technology Inc.
- CEO - Corel Corporation
- Director, Latin America - LexisOne--a division of Reed Elsevier, Ltd., parent company to LexisNexis
- Director of Strategic Development - Viewpoint (MetaCreations)
- Director, Japan, Asia Pacific and Latin America - Alliance Manufacturing Software
- General Counsel and Director of International Sales
Charles Smead has focused his career on initiating and managing for-profit and non-profit institutional relationships resulting in significant and successful joint ventures. He has substantial experience in identifying value in under-performing companies and strategic investment opportunities. Moreover, he has successfully identified market opportunities that have resulted in revenue growth and opportunities within diverse marketplaces. During his career, Mr. Smead has served in various leadership roles within the Chicago business community and non-profit organizations. He brings his large corporate discipline to the often turbulent and chaotic world of small businesses.
After a long successful career in Financial Services, Mr. Smead joined Administaff, Inc. in 1999, a leading NYSE Human Resource outsourcing company with approximately $6B in annual revenue. He developed new business and was a key manager in the company’s strategic alliance efforts. He worked with small businesses to develop sales and marketing strategies for their large and small customers. In addition, he worked with large corporate entities who wished to come down market to participate in the robust small and midsize business economy.
Mr. Smead has held the following strategic sales and marketing roles:
- Senior Vice President, National Marketing and Business Development for Transamerica Business Credit Corporation, a subsidiary of Transamerica Corporation – a diversified financial services company with $50B in assets
- Vice President at PPM America, Inc., a wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Prudential Corp. PLC of London, where he helped develop their distressed debt investment fund.
- Multiple Senior Vice President roles with Heller International, Inc., a diversified financial services company with over $8B in assets now, General Electric Commercial Finance. He developed and implemented marketing programs and established relationships with banks, investment banks, accounting, law and consulting firms and other investors that resulted in record asset growth in Chicago and London.
- Vice President, Acquisition Funding, a newly formed subsidiary of General Electric Capital Corporation. He was responsible for leading, developing and executing on strategic marketing plans for GECC’s entrance into the LBO market.
Corporate and Civic leadership involvement include his appointment to Chairman of Prairie State 2000 for the State of Illinois by Governor Edgar, serving as a member of Catholic Charities Advisory Board on the Foundations Committee and serving as a director for Claymax Corporation. In addition, he is a member of The Chicago Club and The Economic Club of Chicago. Mr. Smead holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Marquette University.