Densify Leadership

Gerry Smith Chief Executive Officer

Gerry Smith assumed the role of CEO of Densify in November 2005. Prior to joining Densify, he served as Executive Vice President of IT Governance solutions at Compuware Corporation, a publicly-traded company.

Gerry was previously CEO and a founder of Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company acquired by Compuware in 2004 for $100 million. During his tenure at Changepoint, he raised over $40 million in venture capital and grew the business from $0 to over $30 million in revenue. He is a member of the Young Presidents Association (YPO) and was honored in 2002 as one of Canada's Top 40 under 40™.

Gerry graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Toronto and a Masters of Business Administration from McMaster University.

Riyaz Somani Co-founder & President

Riyaz Somani has over 20 years of experience in information technology software & services, including more than 15 years in executive management positions. As President and co-founder of Densify, Somani plays an instrumental role in setting strategic direction for the company, and is directly responsible for sales and customer management teams.

Prior to Densify, Somani was president and co-founder of Opensoft Inc., a services company delivering IT consulting and technology staffing solutions to Fortune 1000 clients. He has held key management and engineering lead roles on major technology initiatives for IBM, Sun, digital, Citigroup and Scotia Bank.

Somani is a Certified Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from The University of Waterloo.

Andrew Hillier Co-founder & CTO

Andrew Hillier has over 20 years of experience in the creation and implementation of mission-critical cloud applications for the world's largest enterprises. As CTO and co-founder of Densify, he heads product strategy and leads the creation of sophisticated workload pattern analysis and machine learning technology that underpins the Densify solution. Hillier holds 10 patents in this field and is a noted thought leader and speaker in the area of cloud and container technologies.

Prior to Densify, Hillier led the development of solutions for major financial institutions, including fixed income, equity, futures & options and interest rate derivatives trading systems, as well as in the fields of covert military surveillance, advanced traffic and train control, and the robotic inspection and repair of nuclear reactors. Based on insight gained in these fields, Hillier also pioneered a state of the art systems management solution, which was acquired by a major server vendor.

Hillier holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from The University of New Brunswick.

Scott Browne Chief Financial Officer

Scott Browne has over 25 years of experience as a financial leader in technology oriented businesses. He has deep expertise in both the strategic and operational aspects of financial management.

Prior to joining Densify, Scott was COO at Horizn which is a SaaS company providing services to large financial and technology companies and prior to that was CFO at Longview solutions, an international software Company selling primarily to large enterprises. Scott has also held executive level financial leadership positions at Terago Networks, Bell Canada, AT&T Canada and Netcom Canada.

Scott is a Chartered Accountant and earned an MBA from York University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario.

Cynthia Bliss SVP, Sales Operations

Cynthia Bliss has over 27 years of experience as a financial executive focusing on growth, start-up and restructuring situations with large and small companies. She is skilled at balancing competing stakeholder interests in multi-jurisdictional environments.

Prior to joining Densify in 2008, she was CFO of Executive Risk Group in Toronto, a casualty insurer supported by Lloyd's of London, where she assisted in launching the company and implementing numerous mission critical systems, as well as helping raise private equity funding. Additionally, she was managing director of global corporate services for Proponix, an independent in-sourcing company where she managed corporate services and infrastructure throughout Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and the U.S.

Bliss is a chartered accountant who graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Andrew Hughes VP, Operations & Support

Andrew Hughes has 15 years management experience in technical support and professional services delivery for the enterprise software space.

As VP of Operations and Support, Hughes is responsible for overseeing all functions within Densify's Technical Services, Technical Support, Documentation and Training organizations. He began his career at Densify managing the technical support team responsible for the development of tools used by customers and internal support technicians for infrastructure management.

Prior to Densify, Hughes led technical support operations at Compuware Corporation and Changepoint Corporation.

Ayman Gabarin SVP, Europe, Middle East, & Africa

Ayman Gabarin has 25 years of experience in various business sectors including enterprise software and industrial services. As senior vice president, he is responsible for sales and delivery of Densify in the EMEA region. Prior to Densify, Gabarin was the EMEA Vice President of IT Governance at Compuware Corporation and previously, he launched the EMEA business as Vice President for Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company. As a member of Changepoint's executive team, Gabarin grew revenues to 30% of Changepoint's global sales resulting in the company's 2004 acquisition by Compuware.

Gabarin holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and Engineering degree from the University of Toronto.

Brian E. Higgins VP, Contracts & Risk Management

Brian Higgins has over 25 years of experience in the information technology sector, the last 20 years of which have been spent providing leadership in the areas of contract negotiation & management, risk management and other areas of corporate governance.  Higgins joined Densify in 2008.  Prior to Densify, Higgins spent 15 years with Castek Software Inc. as director of contracts and risk management. At Castek, Higgins was responsible for the implementation of a standard and integrated set of contracts to deal with customers, suppliers and partners, as well as the implementation of various corporate governance policies, including policies to deal with privacy and the handling of confidential information. Higgins was also responsible for the negotiation and successful conclusion of key contracts with the organizations customers and partners.

Higgins holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) degree from Memorial University.

Yama Habibzai Chief Marketing Officer

Seasoned professional Yama Habibzai leads Densify’s overall market strategy and execution. With over 20 years of experience, he has specialized expertise in aligning technologies with markets for solution vendors specific to IT and cloud.

Prior to joining Densify, Yama was an executive at IBM Cloud where he managed the go-to-market strategy across 150+ IBM Cloud services. Prior to IBM, Yama held executive positions with successful exits in a number of companies including ScienceLogic, SevOne, Infoblox, Netcordia, Computer Associates, and Concord Communications—all with primary focus on IT related networks, applications, systems, data center, and cloud management markets.

Yama holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and an MBA from Babson College.

Heather McManus Senior Director, Human Resources

As Senior Director of Human Resources, Heather McManus is responsible for talent attraction, workforce strategy, engagement and retention, and oversees all functions within Human Resources. Heather is passionate about supporting business growth while ensuring that employees are engaged and productive.

Heather has been working in Human Resources for over 10 years, specializing in talent attraction and HR strategy. Previously, Heather oversaw the HR function as Director, Human Resources for TeraGo Networks, a cloud solutions provider.

Heather holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (with honors) in Human Resources Management and is certified a CHRL.

Chuck Tatham SVP, Business Development

Chuck Tatham has 20 years of experience in enterprise software marketing, sales and corporate management. As senior vice president of business development for Densify, he is responsible for strategic business development initiatives and Densify's partner channel.

Prior to Densify, Tatham was vice president of IT Governance marketing at Compuware Corporation, responsible for global marketing of the IT Governance product. He previously served as vice president of marketing and business development for Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company. As a member of Changepoint's executive team, Tatham helped grow revenue from $1 million to over $30 million, resulting in the company's 2004 acquisition by Compuware. Tatham has also held senior roles in sales and channel sales at Lotus Development Canada.

Tatham holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from The University of Toronto.

Ray Boots, P. Eng., MBAVP, Customer Management

Ray Boots has over 20 years of experience leading change in IT organizations. As VP of Customer Management, Boots is responsible for ensuring customers' success.

Prior to joining Densify, Boots was an executive at TD Bank where he was responsible for Capacity Management and Planning, as well as the liaison between Central IT and the CIO teams within each line of business. Boots was also responsible for delivering cost effective Infrastructure Services as the lead Services Executive for a number of large IBM outsourcing clients.

Boots is a Professional Engineer with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business.

Helen Tsantsoulas VP, Finance & Administration Operations

Helen Tsantsoulas brings over 25 years of experience in enterprise technology. At Densify, Tsantsoulas is responsible for services contracts, pricing analysis, and operations. Prior to joining Densify, Tsantsoulas was COO for InHealth Solutions, where she led corporate and product development strategy and oversaw business operations. Prior to InHealth, Tsantsoulas was responsible for product management for IT Governance and PSA solutions at Compuware Corporation and Changepoint Corporation.

Tsantsoulas holds a Bachelor of Business Management degree (with honors) from Ryerson University.

Henry Jurgens VP, Product Management

Henry Jurgens has 20 years of product management experience. As VP of Product Management, Jurgens is responsible for the technology and solution strategies that drive product development and establish Densify's position as an industry leader of control analytics for software-defined infrastructure.

Prior to joining Densify, Jurgens held various senior Product Management roles at Mentor Graphics and Valor Computerized Systems. Additionally, as the Manager of Engineering Systems at Celestica, Jurgens drove the creation of a globally distributed team responsible for implementing standard software based engineering business processes across all of Celestica's global design and manufacturing operations.

Jurgens is a Certified Professional Engineer that holds both B.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Toronto.

Jeff Pauze SVP, Engineering

Jeff Pauze has nearly three decades of experience in software development and engineering. As senior vice president of engineering for Densify, he is responsible for driving engineering, product development and technology strategy, to deliver additional business value to customers.

Prior to Densify, Pauze spent eight years at Changepoint Corporation, an IT Governance software company, before joining Compuware Corporation following the company's acquisition. As director of software development, he was responsible for architectural design and implementation of the Changepoint solution. Pauze also spent 10 years in software development and engineering at American Express.

Max Staines SVP, Sales

Max Staines has two decades of global technology sales and executive management experience, including a successful track record of introducing new products to market and expanding sales channels.  At Densify, he leads the company's sales team.

Prior to Densify, Staines was president of Compass North America, a provider of benchmarking and performance improvement services to corporate IT departments, where he worked closely with senior IT executives of Fortune 1000 companies to define operational priorities.  Before this, Staines was the vice president of sales for Changepoint, a leader in Professional Services Automation software, where he played an instrumental role in growing the company, leading to its acquisition in 2004 by Compuware Corp.  Staines began his career at IBM where he worked in sales and services management to help clients to develop innovative technology-based solutions to key business problems.

Andy Walton VP, Technical Sales

Andy Walton has over 25 years of experience working for Information Technology vendors in the Enterprise Data Center and telecommunications sectors. As Vice President of Technical Sales, he is responsible for the presales division within Densify, working with new prospects and business partners in presenting and demonstrating the unique value and functionality of Densify's service.

Prior to his 11 years at Densify, Andy has held management, sales and technical roles at IBM, Think Dynamics, KANA Software, Octel Communications and Tandem Computers.

Andy holds an Bachelor degree with Honours in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Waterloo.

Mikhail Kouznetsov VP, Product Strategy

Mikhail Kouznetsov has over 20 years of diverse information technology experience. As VP of Product Strategy at Densify, he is one of the senior thinkers responsible for translating strategic executive vision into usable software product. Additionally, Kouznetsov leads the team that designs and builds Densify's analytics packages and policies driving Demand Management and Supply Optimization solutions.

Prior to joining Densify, Kouznetsov spent over 10 years working in the field of non-stop mission-critical computing at Tandem Computers, ACI Worldwide Canada and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).

Kouznetsov has an Honors Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics from The Moscow State University and an Honors Bachelor of Science degree from Hope College (Michigan, USA) with a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics.

Tom Yuyitung Chief Architect

Tom Yuyitung serves as chief architect for Densify and is one of the primary designers of the company's flagship technology. Yuyitung has over 15 years of experience in the innovation, design, implementation and management of software products and solutions being used by major financial institutions, utilities and other Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to joining Densify, Yuyitung led the development of advanced systems management solutions at Halcyon Monitoring Solutions, and served as the senior team lead alongside Andrew Hillier in the development and delivery of the intelligent agent technology later acquired by Sun Microsystems.

In addition to his R&D responsibilities, he also led the teams that provided systems management and application-level solutions for clients in e-services, stock exchanges, utilities, and financial services organizations. Over the past several years, Yuyitung has played prominent roles in the ongoing advancement of state-of-the-art systems management products, including Sun Management Center.

Yuyitung holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree in chemical engineering from The University of Waterloo, where he specialized in advanced process control systems.

Michael Woeller

Woeller most recently served as Chief Information Officer and EVP of CIGNA Corporation. Prior to that, he held senior executive roles at three of Canada's financial services organizations: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Toronto-Dominion Bank, and Canada Trust.

Woeller was vice chairman and CIO at CIBC, responsible for information technology, banking operations, and investment banking operations worldwide, as well as CIBC's market leading Visa credit card business. Prior to CIBC, Woeller was an executive vice-president for Toronto-Dominion Bank, where he developed the merger integration plan for TD Canada Trust, at the time Canada's largest financial services merger. Previously, he held a number of senior executive positions at Canada Trust, including executive vice-president of direct banking and information services.

Woeller has served on a number of industry boards, including the Interac Association of Canada, Mastercard Canada and Prinova Inc.. He is past chairman of the board of directors of Intria Items Incorporated, a joint venture between CIBC and Fiserv Solutions. Currently he sits on the board of directors for Sensibill, Conetec and Densify.

John Mandile Managing Director, Sigma Partners

Mandile is a Managing Director with Sigma Partners. With over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, a business unit manager, and an investor, Mandile uses motivation, enthusiasm, and his own technology and operational expertise to support Sigma's portfolio companies.

Prior to Sigma, Mandile was the President & CEO of Vermeer Technologies, Inc., the developers of FrontPage, the leading Web authoring tool. Vermeer was acquired by Microsoft, providing Sigma and the other venture investors a very successful return. Previously, he was an early principal at SQL Solutions, where he created and led an engineering organization chartered to build heterogeneous database tools. Following an acquisition of SQL Solutions by Sybase, he took responsibility for the new Systems Management Product unit, which he grew to $55 million in sales in 30 months. Early in his career, Mandile was recruited to Honeywell, where he worked on a variety of engineering projects in the areas of communications, operating systems, and unix co-processor design.

Mandile is a graduate of Tufts (BSE in Engineering Science and Mathematics) and Worcester Polytechnic University (MS in Computer Science).

Ed Kilroy CEO, MedAvail

Kilroy is CEO of MedAvail, a healthcare technology company commercializing a self-service kiosk solution, the MedAvail MedCenter™, supporting the dispensing of prescription drugs and Over-The-Counter medications. Kilroy has more than 30 years of technology industry experience and an extensive track record managing large, complex organizations.

Kilroy has held executive roles in the hardware, software, and services business units of IBM in Canada, Australia, and the USA. His most recent position with IBM was President of the Canadian operation. After leaving IBM, Kilroy became CEO of Symcor Inc. in 2005. During his tenure at Symcor, he added significant new revenues while improving operational efficiencies and customer satisfaction. During his professional career, Kilroy has provided direction on growth strategies, product strategy, and investment as well as cost structure management to private firms in the software and services industry.

Kilroy holds a B.A., Administrative Sciences from Yale University, an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from Ryerson University, and an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Nipissing University. He has Board affiliations with Ballard Power systems as Chair of the Audit Committee. Ed is also a past Chairman of the Board of the Conference Board of Canada.

Ben Fathi Former CTO, VMware

Fathi has more than 30 years of experience in the computer industry, with an expertise in developing operating system software. Fathi held the head of engineering position at CloudFlare, a leading Internet performance and security company. Prior to this role, Fathi served as CTO of VMware, after having joined the organization in 2012 as vice president of research and development. Prior to joining VMware, he served as a senior vice president at Cisco® leading the operating systems and networking protocol teams. Prior to Cisco, he held multiple roles at Microsoft over 12 years, most recently as corporate vice president of development for the Windows core operating system division. Before joining Microsoft, he served as Director of operating systems at Silicon Graphics Inc., where he managed all operating system development.

Fathi holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Computer Science, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts.

Robert Youngjohns Senior Adviser, McKinsey & Company

Youngjohns is currently a Senior Adviser at McKinsey & Company. He recently served as the Executive Vice President and General Manager, Software for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He held the same role at HP, prior to the company’s separation into two companies – Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc.

Previously, Youngjohns held the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager for the HP Autonomy business within HP Software. Prior to joining HP in 2012, Youngjohns served as President of Microsoft North America. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Callidus Software, where he initiated the company’s transition from traditional enterprise software to SaaS (Software as a Service).

Youngjohns holds a Master’s degree with honors in Physics and Philosophy from Oriel College, Oxford University.

Barry Goldsmith Partner & Co-founder, Updata Partners

Goldsmith is Co-founder of Updata Partners and has spent more than 35 years in the information technology industry, as a founder, senior executive, investor, and advisor to leading software and IT services companies.

In 1968 Goldsmith founded CGA Computer, Inc., which became one of the top providers of information technology consulting services and software products to Fortune 500 companies. CGA went public in 1969, and later was taken private with General Atlantic Partners in 1984 through a leveraged buyout. Two years later, when CGA's divisions were sold to Computer Associates and CapGemini, the firm had grown to employ approximately 1,200 people and had annual revenues in excess of $90 million. After the sale of CGA, Goldsmith co-founded Updata Software, a provider of DB2 tools and Sablesoft, which were acquired by Online Software and Platinum Technologies, respectively.

Goldsmith co-founded Updata Advisors in 1987 and Updata Partners in 1998. He received a B.A. from Rutgers University and has served on the boards of several publicly-traded companies, including Goal Systems (GOAL), Compuware (CPWR), Alphanet (ALPH), Astea (ATEA), and Frontstep (FSTP).