Robert DeFazio
Top-performing, solutions-driven Executive with 25+ years’ experience leading organizations through start-up, change, revitalization, turnaround, and accelerated growth. Currently working as Consultant for multiple clients.
| Headline: | Entrepreneur |
| Industries: | Computing, Financial, Information Technology, Internet, Real Estate |
| Skills: | Business, Databases, Design, Engineering, English, Entrepreneurship, HTML / CSS, Investment, Italian, Languages, Languages and Platforms, Leadership, Management, Marketing, Negotiation, Public speaking, Sales, Software Engineering, SQL, Web design, Web Development, Windows applications |
| Location: | Los Angeles, CA |
| Interested in: | Advising startups, Brainstorming, Finding business partners, Finding cofounders, Finding engineers, Finding team mates, Joining a startup, Patenting my idea, Professional opportunities, Promoting my startups, Recruiting for my startup |
| Tags: | appraisal, financial services, Real Estate, startups |
| Schools: | Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Harvard University, State University of New York System - College at Potsdam |
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Employer: | Mew-Gonzales Consulting Group |
| Position: | CIO/Application Architect/Equity Partner |
| Time period: | December 2000 - Present |
| Description: | Real estate appraisal management application service provider
General responsibilities included the oversight of the development and deployment of multiple successful enterprise products and representing the company before potential customers. • A web-based application for the largest national real estate appraisal management company in Southern California. The application’s design encompassed a seamless web of communication, process tracking, document management, and EDI features to produce a fully automated business environment. After a three year pilot program, the client was able to triple its order volume and reducing its staff simultaneously. • A web-based document/image and management system for a major Southern California lender. System enabled the delivery, archiving, and management of documents and photos as well as providing automatic notification and secure access to received documents based on each user’s functional role within the organization. • An image processing application for one of the nation’s largest title companies enabling its staff to process and authenticate documents. (licenses, copies of E&O insurance policies, etc.) |
| Employer: | Multiple clients |
| Position: | Consultant |
| Time period: | December 2004 - November 2009 |
| Description: | Provided business and technical guidance to multiple clients. Major projects included:
• Rebuilding international business relationships. Client’s software product was being developed offshore. Due to a combination of missteps, misunderstandings, and unfamiliarity with differing cultural expectations, a confrontational relationship had evolved that would likely delay the delivery of the work product with potentially disastrous consequences for the client. Consulted with the client’s CEO and spent many hours in lengthy phone calls with the Bangalore development company resulting in a renewed sense of mutual trust and a clear direction forward. Developed new project timelines that respected the needs of the company and the realities of software development for the offshore partner. • Diagnosis of fundamental issues associated with the client’s deployment of enterprise anti-money laundering software to small to moderate size community banks. Identification of application design defects and gaps in understanding of third party software with whose data the client’s software interacted. Developed recommendations for improvements to enterprise software version control and management, customer satisfaction programs, case management, and a variety of technical issues including methods to determine appropriate hardware for its DBMS and likely solutions to its recurring database optimization issues. |
| Employer: | Orange County Symphony |
| Position: | President |
| Time period: | December 2004 - November 2007 |
| Description: | Non-profit arts organization
Nominated and elected to serve as the President of the Board of Directors of the Southern California’s Orange County Symphony. Initial challenges have been to instill in the board the willingness to strive for ambitious goals, to develop fundraising strategies that offer the prospects of establishing long term financial viability, and to cultivate a culture of demanding excellence not only on the part of the orchestra but also on the part of the board itself in its planning methodology. Achievements include: • Development of a favorable local reputation for the orchestra. • Attraction of interest on the part of organizations outside its primary marketing area through the use of Internet technology. • Sensitizing the orchestra’s board and music director to the needs of underserved ethnic and cultural groups in the highly cosmopolitan Los Angeles-Orange County area. • Getting both the board and the orchestra members to think like entrepreneurs as well as musicians. |
| Employer: | SkilledNursing.com |
| Position: | Sr. ASP Consultant-Project Management |
| Time period: | December 1999 - November 2000 |
| Description: | Internet healthcare application service provider
Hired and managed a team of nearly 40 industry specialists, software developers, QA evaluators, technical writers, and graphic artists in the nation’s first web-based ASP (application service provider) for the nursing home management industry. Primary responsibilities were to oversee the design of all prototypical code, database and product architecture, and implementation of business management features. Project was completed in less than 9 months thanks largely to the enormously talented people selected to be a part of it. Project was selected by Microsoft Corporation as the subject of one of its White Paper reports based on its innovative design and approach. |
| Employer: | Brokerage Computer Systems, Inc. |
| Position: | Vice-President/Equity Partner |
| Time period: | December 1996 - November 2000 |
| Description: | Securities brokerage back office accounting software
Managed mission critical supplemental products for the company and its major clients. They included: • An interface to a major national trading system for one of the largest Midwest brokerage companies for the processing of real time securities execution data and integration into a proprietary back office accounting system. Benefits for the client included fewer errors, an 75% reduction in manpower requirements, savings of more than 200% than the cost of the project, and elimination of data entry errors. Company revenue increased by 25%. • A commercial-quality automatic enterprise software version control product. Developed the concept, presentation materials and specifications for customer approval, and overall design of the application. Oversaw programming, installation, testing, and deployment. Position required heavy client management responsibilities that included complaint resolution, business development, key vendor negotiations, and extensive travel. Developed a relationship with the Jamaican Stock Exchange and later met with the Vice Chairman and CIO of that body in Kingston in 1999. The company obtained its first offshore client as a result of those meetings. Acted as a key participant in the firm’s discussions concerning its merger/acquisition by a major day trading software company. |
| Employer: | Ionadh |
| Position: | President |
| Time period: | December 1988 - November 1997 |
| Description: | Computers and consulting
Negotiated key vendor contracts with suppliers and service providers. Developed and successfully implemented advertising, publicity, marketing tools and materials, and promotional plans to build a successful business. Developed financials and proposals for presentation to venture capitalists to obtain additional funding for new and existing business projects. Developed, implemented, and built a substantial income for the company’s computer hardware and software consulting sales. Major projects included • An enterprise software package for a major Los Angeles bank that automated the processing, assignment, and review of residential appraisals resulting in vastly increased departmental capacity, an 80% reduction in staffing requirements, yielding one of the most profitable departments within the bank. • A sales quotation system coupled with electronic catalog software for the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of scientific optical components providing automated quotation preparation and electronic transmission capabilities. Catalog software was distributed to more than 5,000 high end users world wide in the scientific and technical community. • A securities brokerage document tracking system that reduced staffing requirements by 50% and reduced regulatory exposure. • One of the nation’s first commercial automated fax-on-demand systems, developed for a large Southern California manufacturing company to compose and transmit sales and technical documentation for field sales representatives and customers instantly. • An integrated medical office management/imaging system developed for a local medical corporation and evaluated by GE Medical’s Milwaukee headquarters at their request. International activities included software development and consulting engagements for agro-chemical and hotel businesses in Thailand and the acquisition of exclusive marketing rights to Nantucket Software’s Clipper software for the Thailand market immediately prior to its acquisition by Computer Associates. |
| Employer: | MuniciCorp of California |
| Position: | Elected Board Member, Executive Committee Member, Chief Compliance Officer, Vice President, Director of Corporate Financial Consulting, Director of GNMA Sales Division |
| Time period: | December 1980 - November 1989 |
| Description: | Financial services, investment banking
Served in a succession of progressively more responsible leadership roles. Major contributions included: • Developed strategic plans and oversaw implementation programs for a new sales division encompassing advertising, training, licensing, trading, and sales of a new financial retail product. After the launch of the division, it quickly became successful, contributing 5% ($50 million) to the company’s total sales within only 8 months. • Identified an industry-wide pricing flaw in mortgage-backed securities. Acted as the firm’s representative in discussing the pricing model change with other companies engaged in sales of the instrument. The firm gained nearly $1 million in recaptured revenue annually as a result of this pricing change. • Assumed control of the firm’s fledgling corporate financial consulting department, leading it from producing less than $5 million to more than $100 million in new bond issues in less than a year, generating over $4 million in gross profit. • Altered operational strategies and procedures to produce a reduction in litigated customer complaints, saving the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in likely settlements and fines and increasing customer satisfaction with the company and its services. The new approach reduced overall customer complaints by 80% in the first year alone. • Made the largest single retail transaction in the company’s history. • Represented the company before boards of arbitration. • Represented the company as a speaker to groups of investment advisors and analysts. • Served as an elected board member for 5 years, directly involved in making key decisions pertaining to business expansion, product issues, changes to employee compensation, litigation issues, and major financial issues pertaining to expenditures, capital investment, and general business financing. Also was assigned to the Executive Board, consisting of the top 4 executives in the company for rapid response decisions. • Initiated discussions with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Securities Exchange of Thailand (SET) using business contacts developed in Thailand on behalf of the Pacific Stock Exchange (PAC) on two separate occasions. These meetings led to formal discussions (the SET-PAC negotiations) between representatives of the two exchanges concerning cross listing of selected securities. |
| Employer: | Don Sheldon & Co. |
| Position: | Registered Representative |
| Time period: | December 1979 - November 1981 |
| Description: | Financial services
Sold fixed income investments including government securities and municipal bonds to retail and business clients. Clients included the nation’s largest automobile dealership, insurance companies, and wealthy Southern California investors. Organized and was primary speaker at company-sponsored investment seminars. |
| Employer: | School of Computer Technology |
| Position: | Educational Sales Representative |
| Time period: | December 1977 - November 1979 |
| Description: | Technical Education
Hired as a part time sales representative to recruit students for what was then Pittsburgh’s best known technical school. After a short training period in negative sales techniques, personal sales increased steadily resulting in becoming the highest grossing recruiter in the history of the school. |
| Employer: | Northminster United Presbyterian Church |
| Position: | Pastor |
| Time period: | December 1976 - November 1978 |
| Description: | Developed strategic plans to address the church’s three most critical needs – declining membership, reduced giving, and unsustainable programs. After building a base of committed volunteers, the budget issue was first addressed, then the merger and development of new programs, and finally a concerted effort was undertaken to attract new members by adopting a higher profile within the community.
The success of these efforts was demonstrated in the church’s ability to double its budget within one year, the expansion of its programs and services to meet congregational and community needs, and the growth of its membership by 25%. |
| Employer: | D& B Painting Company |
| Position: | Owner |
| Time period: | December 1973 - November 1976 |
| Description: | Painting contracting company
Formed company while in graduate school to create income. Company eventually had more than 20 employees. Initially, the company focused on residential and apartment properties but later specialized in the decorative restoration of historic homes in and around the Boston, MA area. Responsible for all negotiation, sales and marketing, inventory, site supervision, and employee management. |
EDUCATION
| University: | Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary |
| Time period: | 1972 - 1976 |
| Degree: | Theology/Archaeology, MA |
| University: | Harvard University |
| Time period: | 1975 - 1976 |
| Degree: | Special Studies |
| University: | State University of New York System - College at Potsdam |
| Degree: | Music, BA |
PUBLICATIONS
| Articles: | Barron’s (Nov. 29, 1982)
Registered Representative (Vol. 6, No. 52, Oct., 1982) “A Guide to Calculating Bond Yields” Weekly contributor to Los Angeles Business Journal, 1987-1992 |
| Patents: | Visacheck™ visual database software, Autofax automated IVR/fax software. |
INFORMATION
| Hobbies: | Opera, Classical Guitar, Politics, Archaeology |
Robert is Following (3)
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ArtsOrigin.com
ArtsOrigin is the next generation ecommerce, advertising, and social shopping directory. We are dedicated to anyone who works in the artistic/creative industry, or who is a non-creative professional working in an artistic/creative industry.
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Hobnox
Hobnox is the entertainment network for creatives and their friends. It is an initiative to provide networking and creation tools for self-determined artistic expression on the Internet. The Hobnox ...
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Empritec Business Group, Investment Angel Capital Group
We are a network of angel investors' capital. We generate links to technology-based projects that have a global impact. Those who need the investment from $ 50,000 to U.S. $ 1.2 million
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Rade Glomazic
Currently a Doctoral candidate in Political science at the European Center for Peace and Development of the UN University of Peace. Have over ten years of professional experience working in socio-economic development activities and int. cooperation