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
Cal Lai
Liz Madden

Fred Brown possesses over 25 years of executive leadership in the personal computer industry. 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
    - Associate 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

 

Cal Lai is a serial entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in building and operating marketing, advertising and ecommerce companies. Cal is The Sightline Group's subject matter expert on internet and ecommerce. During his career, he has conceptualized, built and operated strategic marketing and ecommerce solutions for companies like NASA, Acer Worldwide, DirecTV Interactive, Sears.com, Charming Shoppes, Inc., Palm Computing, Disney Interactive, The Home Depot, Redcats, USA, Computer City and Overstock.com.

Cal is currently President, CEO and Founder of Sitoa Corporation, a California based company founded in 2001 with the goal to provide an easy-to-use and comprehensive platform that enables an online retailer to deploy a social marketplace ecommerce site.

Pete Janssen, while VP of Merchandising and Marketing at Egghead Software, hired LVL Communications, one of Cal's companies, to architect, build and operate, Egghead.com, one of the first online storefronts in the mid-1990's. Egghead.com was the fastest growing and most profitable segment of Egghead's business. In 1998, Egghead closed all of its brick and mortar stores and migrated its entire business online.

Cal has founded, operated and raised nearly $100M in invested capital for the following companies:

  • Sitoa Corporations.
    - President & CEO
  • Recom Technologies, Inc.
    - President & CEO
  • I-Storm, Inc.
    - President & CEO
  • LVL Communications
    - President & CEO

 

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)

 

Liz Madden has over 20 years of executive leadership in developing and managing technology industry events. As a co-founder of RetailVision, which for nearly two decades was the premier international event in technology retailing, driving business and launching innovative new products into the consumer channel, Liz has developed extensive market knowledge, sales and marketing expertise, and a vast network of relationships with key industry decision-makers. This network includes buyers, merchandise managers and executives from retailers, e-tailers and distributors throughout North America, and vendor management teams from startups to industry leaders.

Prior to joining the Sightline Group, Liz successfully held positions at:

  • Everything Channel
    - Managing Director, RetailVision Events
  • Vision Events
    - Vice President & General Manager, RetailVision