You have the mission, now its time to execute! But you can't do it all yourself. Whether you are at the helm of an emerging enterprise, a going concern, or even a turn-around, you need others to complement your abilities. Effective leaders consistently report that a key to their success was building a great team early in the game.

This raises many questions including:

· Which is the most important hire (CFO, VP Sales, etc.)?
· How do I address weaknesses on my present management team?
· What pitfalls should I avoid?
· How do I attract the talent I need on a limited budget?
· How do I distinguish great resumes from great performers?
· How do I get my management team on the same page?
· What are the keys to successful interviewing?
· How will I know when I need to let go of the "day-to-day"?

Tired of textbook answers? Come and hear answers from people that have lived these issues! Speakers include:

Panelists:

• Fred Thiel former CEO of Gamespy and Lantronix
• Joey Benadretti, Senior Vice President of SYSPRO
• Richard Sudek of Tech Coast Angels

Moderator: Steve Treibel of Treibel Partners

About the Speakers

Fred Thiel former CEO of Gamespy and Lantronix
Fred Thiel is serial entrepreneur and CEO with a proven track record of building successful companies and teams, raising both public and private equity, leading companies through major change and turnarounds, and creating compelling strategic vision based on over 20 years experience in the high technology industry both domestically and internationally.

Most recently, Mr. Thiel led GameSpy Industries through a period of major growth, culminating in the company's acquisition by a strategic buyer. GameSpy is a leading online entertainment and technology company that enables live multiplayer PC game play and provides PC and video console game industry editorial content to over 30 million consumers monthly worldwide.

Prior to joining GameSpy Industries, Mr. Thiel served for four years as President and CEO of Lantronix, a leading provider of network enabling technologies in Irvine, which he turned around, took public,and established as a clear leader in its category. Prior to joining Lantronix, Mr. Thiel held senior level management positions at a number of leading technology companies domestically and internationally.

Mr. Thiel studied economics and marketing at the Stockholm School of Economics, in Stockholm Sweden, and completed his lower level education in the U.S. and England.

Joey Benadretti, Senior Vice President of SYSPRO
Joey Benadretti has over 20 years’ experience in working with manufacturers and distributors and has spent the past 16 years with SYSPRO. As SYSPRO Senior Vice President and Director of Operations for the Americas, he has concentrated on building a professional team to meet the growing needs of both the company’s expanding reseller channel and the SYSPRO user base.

Benadretti has extensive experience in working with senior industry consultants, analyst firms and editors and is extremely active in the software community. Benadretti is highly regarded in ERP circles for his marketing capabilities, strategic initiatives and thought leadership. He is routinely interviewed by industry experts and has been instrumental in positioning the global SYSPRO brand.

Prior to joining SYSPRO, Benadretti worked as a senior management consultant in direct marketing systems and techniques. He also ran his own business, recruiting top-notch young athletes for sports scholarships in the United States. He holds a number of degrees and diplomas in Business and Marketing.

Richard Sudek of Tech Coast Angels
Mr. Sudek has been involved with high-technology companies for over 20 years. In 1982, he founded Nadek Computer Systems which he sold to SAIC in 1999.

Mr. Sudek currently is an active Angel investor, sitting on both the Tech Coast Angels Executive Committee and Venture Capital committee. Through Tech Coast Angels, Mr. Sudek has screened more than 200 startup companies. He currently serves on the boards of engineering and high technology companies as well as the board of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County.

Mr. Sudek is an Advisor for the UC Irvine Graduate School of Management Irvine Innovation Initiative (I3) program. This program selects MBA student teams that are coached and mentored in building a business plan. Suitable plans are then coached to secure financing from the Angel and VC community. Mr. Sudek is also an advisor to UCI Center for Entrepreneurship, Center for Leadership, and the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management New Venture Institute.

Mr. Sudek received his B.S. in Information and Computer Science from the University of California at Irvine, and an Executive MBA (with honors) at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Additionally, he is working on a Masters of Psychology in Organization Behavior and a Ph.D. in Management at CGU. Currently he is involved in research related to entrepreneur leadership, and the interaction between investors of startup companies and entrepreneurs.

Steve Treibel of Treibel Partners
Steve Treibel is head of Treibel Partners, an executive search firm focused on recruiting senior talent for high-tech companies. Prior to launching Treibel Partners in 2003, Steve was a Partner with McCormack & Farrow, a prominent Southern California retained executive search firm. He joined the firm in 1987 and handled searches in sales, marketing, engineering, and operations for technology and manufacturing companies. In addition to his career in executive search, Steve was Director of Human Resources at Emulex Corporation and Manager of Human Resources at MAI (formerly Basic Four Corporation). Steve is a graduate from the University of California, Riverside with a degree in Psychology.