Management Team

The Virtela executive team combines world-class technology, consulting and managed services expertise with award-winning, multinational savvy gained at BT Infonet, Equant, Qwest, Sprint, UUNet, IBM and other industry leaders. This diverse and experienced management team directs and executes Virtela's market strategies, technical initiatives and guides the company's fast-paced growth.

Vab Goel, CEO

Vab is the CEO of Virtela, the leading global network solutions company he founded in April 2000. Vab is also a general partner with Norwest Venture Partners, a premier venture capital firm, where he focuses his efforts on systems, services and Internet investments.

Previously, Vab served Qwest as vice president of emerging technologies, a group he founded. In that position, he was responsible for identifying new networking technologies. He also fostered strategic relationships with start-up companies such as Qtera, Corvis, Sonus Networks, Redback Networks, Siara Systems, Juniper Networks, and Extreme Networks. Earlier, as vice president of IP network engineering and advanced technology, he created and implemented the "Qwest IP Network and Data Center Strategy", designed to enable seamless services with open standards and a strong customer focus.

Prior to joining Qwest, Vab worked at Sprint, where he was a principal architect for the Sprint Internet backbone and contributed to the company's IP and optical network strategy. He created the optical Network Strategy which drove the world's first IP over Sonet and the first IP over DWDM network. He played a key role in the Global One IP network, a venture partnership among France Telecom, Sprint, and Deutsche Telecom.

Vab serves on the board of Virtela as well as LifeSize Communications and Unisfair, and has worked closely with Extreme Networks. Other investments include C2C Pte. Ltd., Qumranet (acquired by Red Hat), Sonoa Systems, Veveo and Winphoria Networks (acquired by Motorola).

vgoel@virtela.net

Matthew DiMarsico, Vice President of Sales

Matt is responsible for sales and service delivery for Virtela. Matt brings a combined 15 years of experience in global IT markets, including management experience in IT outsourcing, integration services, managed network services, security services and consulting. Prior to joining Virtela, Matt held management positions within BT Global Services, Infonet and Orange Business Services, including Head of Integration Services and Director of Channel Development. He received his Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business, where he remains an active alumnus.

mdimarsico@virtela.net

Liza Adams, Vice President of Marketing

Liza the Vice President of Marketing at Virtela.  She is responsible for all aspects of Virtela's global marketing organization.

Prior to Virtela, Liza was the Vice President of Marketing for Level 3 Communications' Business Markets Group, responsible for marketing data, voice and converged enterprise services. She also held various strategy, marketing and product management lead positions at WilTel, the service provider that launched the world's first Layer 2 networking services for enterprises. Early in her career at WilTel, as an Applications Engineer, Liza designed some of the largest and most complex enterprise data networks in the world.

She was also Vice President at TeleChoice, Inc., an industry analyst and marketing and strategy consulting firm. She worked with technology vendors and service providers to market enabling technology products and networking services, respectively. Liza is a co-author of Frame Relay Internetworking and a contributor to ATM for Dummies.

Liza has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri - Rolla.

ladams@virtela.net

Ron Haigh, Vice President, Cloud Architecture and Services

Ron is the Vice President of Cloud Architecture and Services at Virtela, where he is responsible for Virtela's Enterprise Services Cloud strategy, architecture, and customer solutions. Since joining Virtela in 2000, he has held key roles in engineering, product management, and commercial operations.

Ron has an extensive technology background in the fields of scientific computing, high performance networks, photonics, and nuclear physics diagnostics.  Prior to Virtela, Ron was a senior member of the technical staff at Qwest and an R&D group leader at Lawrence Livermore National Labs (LLNL). While at Qwest, he was a member of the Emerging Technology Group where he guided advanced technology trials for HDTV/IP, 10G, 40G, and Ultra-long haul DWDM systems.  He was also elected to the first Board of Directors and served as the first Treasurer for the Optical Internetworking Forum.  During his years at LLNL, he led  R&D projects for multiple DoE, DoD, and DARPA programs and received DoE's Award of Excellence.  He holds five patents and has co-authored more than 20 technical papers.

Ron holds a MSEE degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a BSEE from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

rhaigh@virtela.net

Ted Studwell, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Operations

Ted is responsible for delivering expertly designed networks and services to Virtela customers including responsibility for the company's 24x7 Network Operations Center. Previously with Qwest, Ted led the planning and engineering of the company's data products. He drove the design and construction of Qwest's Frame Relay and ATM network and helped Qwest gain market share with major corporate customers. Earlier, Ted was responsible for budgeting, planning and engineering Sprint's data networks, and leading the company into new data and Internet service markets. He led the effort to grow Sprint's Frame Relay network, managed the growth of the company's Internet network, and managed the first widespread use of packet over SONET. Ted was also responsible for building the first private IP network used for Intranet services. Before joining Sprint, Ted worked in communications systems at Aeronautical Radio, COMSAT and General Electric. He has served the U.S. Navy in active and reserve capacities as a submarine officer for over 25 years, achieving the rank of Captain.

tstudwell@virtela.net

Jian Li, CTO and Vice President, Network Consulting Services

Jian is responsible for Virtela's IP-based network architecture and customer network design services. He ensures that customer technology requirements are met and identifies new and emerging technologies for the company's service portfolio. Before joining Virtela, Jian was senior director of IP engineering and emerging technologies at Qwest, where he founded the IP architecture team and led the design of the company's OC-48 and OC-192 nationwide IP backbone. Previously, Jian was a principal architect of Sprint's IP service backbone. He also designed and built Global One's international IP service backbone. Earlier, Jian held network architect positions at Rice University and the University of Kansas. He was also a major contributor to the design and deployment of the first commercial Internet network in China, sponsored by China Telecom in 1994.

jli@virtela.net

Mark Hansard, Vice President, Security and Systems

Mark is responsible for creating Virtela's world-class network management, business systems and information technology security practices. Previously, during a 15-year tenure at Sprint, Mark established the enterprise-wide security architecture for Sprint's local, long distance and PCS networks and systems environments. He also created Sprint's IT security policy and security requirements for the company's major initiatives. Mark built the team responsible for network and systems support for the company's Internet/Intranet IP services, leading the design of Sprint's first Web hosting systems architecture. He also led the team that created Sprint's LAN/WAN support systems, private line services center and customer service management center. Earlier with Sprint, Mark was responsible for systems design and analysis for network services provisioning. For GTE Sprint, he led the project to integrate SPC Communications and GTE's regional network service.

mhansard@virtela.net

Andy Funk, Vice President, Global Access Strategy

Andy is instrumental in growing and maintaining Virtela's extensive global network footprint by developing and managing strategic vendor relationships worldwide.  Andy drives Virtela's value by aggressively negotiating rate structures, contract terms, and service guarantees to deliver competitive pricing and optimal network performance to customers.  Since joining Virtela in 2000, Andy has held key roles including the development and management of Virtela's network provisioning team and the design of the company's award-winning automated provisioning system.  Prior to Virtela, Andy led the access pricing strategy team for Qwest Communications.  While with Qwest, Andy was also responsible for developing product strategy for Qwestlink local fiber services and designing the network architecture for Qwestlink's 25 metropolitan markets.   Previously, he was responsible for setting standard pricing and performing competitive analyses for all of Qwest's data services (Frame Relay, Private Line, ATM and DIA).  

Andy holds degrees in Finance and Economics and has an MBA from University of Denver, Daniels College of Business.  

afunk@virtela.net

Gary Schlisner, Vice President of Finance and Controller

Gary is responsible for the financial management of Virtela, including accounting, financial reporting and planning, and related systems. With Virtela since the beginning of the company, Gary has served as Director of Finance and Controller prior to assuming his current post. Prior to Virtela, Gary served as senior financial analyst for Qwest Communications, where he was responsible for budgeting, analysis and accounting for the telecommunications company's field operations and IP network engineering group. Earlier in his career, Gary managed the programming costs and analysis team for Primestar (now DirecTV) and managed a team in regulatory compliance at Tele-Communications Inc. (now Comcast). He is also a certified public accountant.

gschlisner@virtela.net

Suhas Desai, General Manager of Finance, Virtela India

Suhas is responsible for the financial management of Virtela India, including planning, analysis and operations.

Prior to Virtela, Suhas was Deputy General Manager of Finance at Tata Communications - India's leading telecommunications company - in charge of financial planning and analysis for the Managed Services line of business. Previously, he was Manager of Finance and Administration at ADB Networks, responsible for setting up the ISP's business operations in Mauritius and also served as Manager of Business Planning and Costing with Tata Internet Services. Earlier in his career, Suhas held executive positions in MIS & Costing with leading companies in the pharmaceutical and consumer goods industries.

He is a Certified Management Accountant from ICMA, Australia and an Associate member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India.

sdesai@virtela.net

Jane Morrissey, Vice President, Corporate Communications

Jane is responsible for directing Virtela's communications programs, including media and analyst relations and marketing communications initiatives. Prior to joining Virtela, Jane built the technology public relations practice at Qwest, most recently serving as group director for media relations where she led media and analyst relations programs across the company's product initiatives. Earlier in her career, Jane was a technology journalist chronicling the high-tech industry as a freelance writer and editor for publications such as eWeek (formerly PC Week), PC World, Upside and Investor's Business Daily. She previously spent eight years as a PC Week editor, covering business and technology news of the networking and software industries from the leading trade magazine's Silicon Valley bureau and Boston headquarters.

jmorrissey@virtela.net