Leadership Team

A passionate and dedicated team across the world.

cp-2023_y

Christian Primeau

Global CEO

LinkedIn

Bio

Christian Primeau joined Syntax, a portfolio company of Novacap, as the Global CEO in 2018. Since coming on board, he has positioned the company as a leading provider of orchestrated ERP, Cloud and Security services and solutions, in strategic vertical markets like Manufacturing, Construction, and Mining.

Since joining as CEO, Primeau has navigated the company through four successful acquisitions and has elevated Syntax to the global stage after completing its 50th year in business in 2022. With revenues growing 15x, expansion of strategic partnerships with SAP, Oracle, AWS, Microsoft, and entry into 10 new markets since assuming his position, the company has grown to 2,200 employees under his stewardship.

Primeau has nearly 30 years of industry experience, much of it in executive roles with public and private growth-oriented companies in operations, engineering, delivery, sales, and general management roles. Prior to joining Syntax, Primeau served as President & COO at Dialogic, a Novacap company. He oversaw R&D, operations, marketing, product management, finance, and administration.

Primeau spent the early part of his career at Sun Microsystems where he initially joined, in 2005, as a Pre-Sales Engineer. In his thirteen years with the company, he held key management positions in Montreal, Toronto, and Menlo Park California where he served as VP of Partner and Alliances, Sales Director, Client Executive, and Business Development Manager for ERP and E-Commerce solutions.

Primeau joined Bell Canada in 2011where he spent six years in various executive roles like General Manager, Infrastructure Services, Vice President of Client Service Delivery and Vice President of Sales with Bell Canada. He then took on the role of President and COO of iWeb Technologies, a leading provider of cloud solutions. Primeau supported the team in the development and execution of next-generation cloud and managed services delivering double-digit revenue and EBITDA growth.

Primeau has earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and a master of Business Administration (MBA) from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

lead-michael-etinson

Michael Etinson

Principal & Founder

LinkedIn

Bio

Michael Etinson is the founder and Principal of Syntax, which was established in 1972. Over the last four decades, Michael has been instrumental in the evolution of the company and growth of its diverse customer base. A major industry milestone for Syntax, thanks to Michael, was the company’s introduction of Syntax Distribution Management (iSDM) software in 1983. After becoming a high-value Oracle JD Edwards partner in 1997, Michael has helped Syntax expand its North American footprint with offices in Toronto, New York, and Boston. Michael continues to help Syntax expand the scope of its strategic capabilities with outstanding technology industry leadership and vast industry knowledge. Michael has a Bachelor of Science from McGill University, and has done tireless work as a Community Leader.

lead-tony-veilleux

Tony Veilleux

Global CFO

LinkedIn

Bio

As the Global CFO at Syntax, Tony leads worldwide strategic and operational finances, including Risk management, Treasury and Tax. He partners with the CEO and key contributors from all regions to create value and sustain a thriving, rewarding business.

“I genuinely enjoy working with such smart people, they inspire me to go the extra mile every day and to always reach for the highest performance. I like being pushed out my comfort zone, that’s where the magic happens!” says Tony. “I’m very passionate about developing people. I give them the space they need to learn and grow, and I guide them through it, keeping my focus on the long-term vision.”

With more than 25 years of experience in financial accounting, risk management, treasury, acquisitions and integration, he has managed growth throughout his career, strengthening his expertise in navigating the different phases of expansion and change in large organizations.

Before joining Syntax in 2017, Tony spent many years at WSP. He started as regional Corporate Controller and took on increasingly strategic roles including Global VP of Finance & Treasury and CFO for Canada, acting as a key business partner to the CEO and the leadership team. He was deeply involved in the planning and execution of the corporate strategy and in close to 50 important acquisition processes, making his mark by driving thorough transaction analysis, due diligence, and integration projects.

Tony holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a licence in Accounting from the Laval University in Quebec City as well as a CPA and CMA designation.

lead-marcelo-tamassia

Marcelo Tamassia

Global CTO

LinkedIn

Bio

As the Global CTO at Syntax, Marcelo leads all technology and innovation strategies, including software engineering, DevOps, monitoring, public cloud, product management, Cloud Engineering and Security areas. He joined Syntax through the acquisition of EmeraldCube Solutions, which he co-founded in 2013.

“I believe that Syntax is an amazing organization for anyone who truly wants to push boundaries, learn, and grow. We move fast and we are passionate about finding innovative ways to solve our customer pain points,” says Marcelo. “We work hard for our customers and set high expectations for ourselves. We value entrepreneurial spirit, ownership, simplicity and we only hire the best.”

A respected technology executive, Marcelo is frequently invited to speak at OpenWorld, Collaborate, and Infocus conferences as well as OAUG and Quest user group meetings.

With over 20 years of experience in the technology industry, Marcelo established and led EmeraldCube’s AWS cloud practice and its software R&D team, creating innovative solutions that propelled the company to a prominent position in the Oracle JD Edwards ecosystem. Prior to founding EmeraldCube, Marcelo led a technical consulting organization and actively participated as a technical expert and authority in more than 90 ERP projects worldwide.

Marcelo holds advanced AWS, Oracle, and Microsoft certifications in addition to an MBA from the University of Florida and postgraduate education courses from Stanford University.

d-wood

Dessalen Wood

Global CPO

LinkedIn

Bio

Dessalen Wood, CHRP, is a seasoned HR executive, facilitator and leadership coach who has specialized in passionately leading People and Culture teams within blue-chip Canadian and US organizations. Dessalen has 25 years’ experience in mid-size and large size Canadian and US organizations, such as Reitman’s Canada, Hudson’s Bay Company, The Children’s Place & The Disney Stores.

Prior to joining Syntax, Dessalen started her career in retail store management, making the move to corporate roles in the field of recruitment and training. She soon developed an interest the entire employee life cycle and moved HR management roles at major both Canadian and US based retail chains. In 2009 Dessalen and her family re-located to Toronto, where she was hired by Cineplex Entertainment initially as the director of Talent Development, later being promoted to Vice President, Talent Development, after relocating back to her hometown of Montreal, Quebec. In her 10-year tenure at Cineplex, Dessalen created multiple programs and support systems designed to create engaging corporate cultures, developing high performing leaders at all levels.

In 2019 Dessalen made the move from the service industry to the tech industry, in the role Chief People Officer at ThoughtExchange, a BC based tech start up that empowers leaders to bring people together and solve problems with their employees, community and customers through crowdsourcing.

Dessalen holds the CHRP designation, in addition to a Psychology degree from McGill University, where she also completed the mini-MBA program in 2016. In 2018 she also completed the Adler Professional Coaching program. She is a 3-time winner of the Waterstone Top 10 Most Admired Corporate Culture award, in addition to having been recognized by the Retail Council of Canada, with their award for Talent Development.

lead-mike-evans

Mike Evans

President and COO, Technical Managed Services Business Unit

LinkedIn

Bio

“My commitment is delivering customer value, all my interactions with my clients and my team reflects a culture around our customers and their needs. I play a great role in overseeing engagements and improving customers overall experience, enabling them to realize business value.” Hand-in hand with his team he continuously fosters improvement to ensure Syntax is delivering what our customers expect.

Before Syntax, Mike worked at Virtustream as Senior Vice President Global Operations where he oversaw the execution of delivery and support for all cloud offerings and in key customer engagements and relationships. Prior to that, Mike served in a variety of roles at Dell EMC, including Senior Vice President Global Specialty Presales, Vice President Backup and Recovery Systems and Global Director Services, and many positions at IBM.

Mike honorably served in the United States Marine Corps.

c-solazzo

Catherine Solazzo

Global CMO

LinkedIn

Bio

Catherine Solazzo, Chief Marketing Officer, is a seasoned executive with more than 18 years of experience in the IT industry at companies like IBM Corp and TD SYNNEX (previously Tech Data). Prior to joining Syntax, she served as the SVP of Marketing at TD SYNNEX where she built the first integrated marketing organization with an industry-leading organizational design, digital-first approach and led the marketing organization through a transformative merger.

Throughout her tenure she has built expertise across the disciplines of performance and product marketing, branding, digital business, ecosystem development, and communications. She has held roles both domestically and internationally, having spent 3 years on assignment in Japan.

Catherine comes to Syntax with a proven track record of organizational transformation. She is hyper-focused on delivering growth through high yielding marketing programs, building delightful brands, end-to-end customer experiences, and high performing teams. She believes that a growth mindset and servant leadership style, motivates her teams and accelerates lasting outcomes. Her greatest passion in her daily work is leading people and building cultures that last.

She has been recognized by CRN as among the Most Powerful Women of the Channel (2021), 100 People You Don’t Know But Should (2020), and Women of the Channel (2020, 2021). Catherine holds a Communications degree from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

lead-pierre-luc-toupin

Pierre-Luc Toupin

Chief Business Transformation & Core Dev

LinkedIn

Bio

l-perlov

Larry Perlov

President and Global COO, SAP Business Unit

LinkedIn

Bio

Larry Perlov, as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the SAP Business Unit at Syntax, brings over 17 years of experience to his role. Beginning his journey with Illumiti in 2007, now a Syntax company, he held various positions including co-founder, President, Managing Partner, and eventually CEO in 2021.

Larry has a proven track record in steering global SAP initiatives, expanding clientele, and fostering innovation. Prior to Syntax, he held leadership roles at IMG Americas, Intuit, and Dell-EMC. His educational background includes an Executive MBA (OPM50) from Harvard Business School, an MBA in Finance from Heriot-Watt University, and degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand.

lead-kevin-dattolico

Kevin Dattolico

CEO Americas

LinkedIn

Bio

Kevin Dattolico, CEO Americas, joined the company in April 2020 as Chief Revenue Officer of the Americas. He has had an immediate impact on the organization, growing the Sales pipeline, delivering the highest-quality customer service, and providing visionary leadership.

Kevin previously held roles at VMWare and Novell and most recently served at Virtustream as Senior Vice President of Sales, where he led global growth strategies and market leadership by delivering and supporting the full range of Cloud Services and Software solutions. He has over 17 years of expertise in IT infrastructure sales, a deep background in cloud solutions for enterprise, and extensive experience developing market-focused strategic plans that deliver measurable business growth. He holds a degree in Business Administration, Marketing from Hofstra University.

lead-Dawn-McNabb-

Dawn McNabb

CFO Americas

LinkedIn

Bio

As CFO, NA, Dawn works with the entire North American team as well as colleagues throughout the world to drive growth, business development and customer satisfaction. Dawn came to Syntax through the FIT acquisition. She joined the organization as CFO, Europe, where she spent 5 years, before returning to NA.

“What I like most about the people at Syntax is their commitment to excellence and motivation to work together to find customer solutions ,” says Dawn. “I believe that when leaders are engaged and teams are aligned, businesses can thrive and exceed their goals.”

Before moving to Syntax EU, Dawn was CFO for FIT NA where she skillfully managed rapid growth for over 11 years. Whether in Europe or North America, one of Dawn’s main goals is to support growth and customer satisfaction, while ensuring that our organization keeps pace in terms of efficiency, processes and compliance.

In her early career, Dawn worked in audit at KPMG and taught Management, Finance and Accounting courses at colleges in the US.

Dawn holds CPA and CMA titles, a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts and a Masters in International Business from Schiller International University.

p-gray_2023

Paul Gray

CRO Americas

LinkedIn

Bio

Paul Gray is the Syntax North America Chief Revenue accountable for creating sales strategies and generating revenue as Syntax expands to meet the rapidly growing market demand for its cloud solutions and services.

Reporting to Paul is Syntax North America leadership for Strategic Partners, Oracle Sales, SAP Sales, Inside Demand Gen Team, Solution Architects, as well as Application Management Services.

Paul has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the managed services, software, and telecom markets. Prior to taking this role, Paul was Sales Vice President for Virtustream and ran their business in the western half of the United States, where he consistently was their top global sales leader.

Prior to joining Virtustream, Paul ran North American Cloud sales at Computer Sciences Corporation (now DxC). Paul has also held sales leadership roles at Fiberlink (now part of IBM), Teligent, and Sprint.

Paul received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana and lives in the Houston area.

p-waud

Phyllis Waud

Senior Director, Channels & Alliances

LinkedIn

Bio

As the Senior Director of Channels & Alliances, Phyllis is focused on developing and nurturing partner relationships to drive pipeline, accelerate sales results, and ultimately deliver for the joint customers they serve.

Phyllis has held various leadership roles in the partner community, working with the world’s largest cloud organizations for close to 10 years. Her 20+ years of sales and sales leadership experience at Xerox Corporation & MCI, MCI WorldCom prior to joining the channel, give her a unique perspective on working with sales teams across organizations, building confidence and trust as they work towards the shared responsibility of delivering successful outcomes for the end customer. Along the way, she has received several awards and recognition from her employers and partners, but most importantly, has built a network of amazing relationships with like-minded colleagues that continuously deliver meaningful, exciting, and fun experiences.

Phyllis holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Fashion Merchandising from Ashland University.

lead-ralf-surken

Ralf Sürken

CEO Europe

LinkedIn

Bio

As CEO and Geschäftsführer (Managing Director) of the German and Slovakian entity, Ralf leads the European region for Syntax, focusing both on strategy and execution and overseeing all functions from Go-to-market to delivery. He joined the organization in July 2016 and came to Syntax through the FIT acquisition.

“Our ability to drive end-to-end solutions for our customers is unrivaled. Putting mission critical systems in the cloud, implementing and supporting them functionally and delivering real digital innovation both on the top floor as well as on the shop floor sets us and our people apart,” says Ralf. “It is always a joy seeing our customers thrive because of the good work of our people.”

An accomplished leader and motivator with lots of international experience, Ralf spent many years of his career doing business in North and South America, Europe as well as Asia. His entrepreneurial approach and his natural leadership skills give him the ideal profile to be able to drive change and excitement while managing a strong business for Syntax in Europe. He is Mr. Customer with much of his focus on customer success and satisfaction, and he expects the same from his organization.

Ralf started his career at Claas, a large agricultural manufacturer where he became a manufacturing expert and a first time SAP user. After completing his studies, he joined Itelligence and eventually founded their US practice, which he ran as CEO in the earlier stages of his career. He then moved to Silicon Valley to join SAP in supply chain optimization and spent several years in senior executive positions at various SAP partners, including Softbrands and Velocity.

Ralf completed his studies as an Applied Computer Scientist in Paderborn, Germany. An avid football (soccer) fan, Ralf lives outside Frankfurt, Germany, and is married with two kids in college.

lead-dirk-schawag

Dirk Schawag

Managing Director

LinkedIn

Bio

As the Managing Director of Syntax Europe, Dirk Schawag, together with Ralf Sürken, is responsible for managing Syntax’s business operations and strategy in the region.

With more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry, including sales, legal, project management, and consulting, he brings proven expertise in establishing and managing business units. Schawag now manages the company’s profitable growth and is laser-focused on the expansion strategy of Syntax’s IT services, SAP consulting, and cloud services for industrial and manufacturing companies in Germany, France, Spain, Slovakia, and the UK.

“At Syntax, what motivates me the most is the positive energy that my colleagues and teams put into delivering real value to customers,” says Dirk Schawag. “We have a clear vision of what our future looks like, we are taking action, and we see our hard work turning into continued growth for the company and for our partners.” He is a strong communicator, and a strategic thinker, and thrives in optimizing the contribution of his employees in Syntax’s leading initiatives.

Schawag holds a degree in Business Law from the Mainz University of Applied Sciences in Germany and has studied Business Administration at the University of Gävle in Sweden. He lives near Frankfurt with his wife and two children, and immensely enjoys spending time outdoors.

jesus-martinez copy

Jesus Martinez

VP Operations

LinkedIn

Bio

As Vice President Operations at Syntax, Jesus Martinez is responsible for the smooth running of all service and operational activities in Europe.

“Syntax has an excellent reputation, and rightly so, because all employees attach great importance to high service quality and customer satisfaction. I would like to set a good example and encourage all my colleagues to adopt this attitude so that we can exceed our customers’ expectations every day. Because people don’t just believe what they hear, but what they see and experience directly. ”

Jesus Martinez places a special focus on continuously adapting Syntax’s product and service strategy to changing market and customer requirements. As an accomplished expert in post-merger integrations, he also focuses on integrating and expanding the know-how acquired through strategic takeovers into the globally oriented growth course at Syntax using appropriate processes.

Jesus Martinez has more than 20 years of experience in the international IT and ICT industry and has worked for British Telecom, Global Telesystems, Ebone and most recently KPN International as Vice President Operations International, General Manager Germany and Managing Director for UK, France and Hong Kong.

Jesus Martinez has a degree in communications engineering, is married and has two adult children.

lead-bjorn-bartheidel

Björn Bartheidel

VP Intelligent Industry Services

LinkedIn

Bio

As VP Intelligent Industry Services at Syntax, Björn leads the SAP Consulting & AMS services Business Unit at Syntax Europe supporting our Manufacturing Industry Customers in their Digital Transformation journey.

“What I like most about the people at Syntax is their unparalleled ability to always use creativity to find solutions for our customers, making the most of their broad experience and technical knowledge,” says Björn. “I am an open enthusiast and I thoroughly enjoy working with our people to drive innovative ideas and translate them into pragmatic solutions.”

Since joining the company in 2013, Björn has pushed the boundaries of Digital Manufacturing, advanced analytics and Industrial IoT. He was a key contributor to the transformation of Syntax’s Adicom Software Suite solution to a SAP-based Digital Manufacturing portfolio and is now a leading SAP consulting and implementation partner in Europe.

In his earlier career, Björn worked as a Principal Consultant at Dell Services implementing SAP solutions in the manufacturing industry. He also gained valuable experience at Siemens as a Business Consultant where he focused on business transformation and processes for manufacturing customers and as an IT Consultant and Solution Architect delivering integrated Shop-Floor-to-Top-Floor solutions.

In addition to a detailed knowledge of Design Thinking, Business Process Management and Agile Project Management, Björn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Information Systems from the University of Applied Sciences in Ingolstadt.

uwe-jurgens-circ

Uwe Jürgens

VP Sales Europe

LinkedIn

Bio

As Vice President Sales, Uwe Jürgens is responsible for sales at Syntax Europe. He heads the areas of Sales, Presales, Sales Backoffice, Partner Management and Business Development Public Cloud.

“What excites me most about Syntax are our customers and our wide range. It gives me a good feeling when we make an important contribution to the added value of our customers and when we contribute positively to costs, revenue and risk targets with our offer. With our teams we manage to inspire our customers and to constantly win new customers. My motto: “For us, a customer is a living part of our business. We are not doing him a favor by serving him, but he is doing us a favor when he gives us the opportunity to do it. ”

Uwe Jürgens has more than 30 years of experience in the IT and consulting industry, including in the areas of sales, business development and consulting. During his positions before Syntax, including at KPMG and SAS Institute, he had management responsibility for various industry sales, which he built up and expanded. Since joining the company in 2019, he has realigned sales – from the organizational structure and processes to target and compensation systems.

Uwe Jürgens has a degree in business administration from the University of Mannheim with a focus on finance, marketing and psychology.

lead-haihong-xin

Xin Haihong

CEO Asia

LinkedIn

Bio

As the CEO for Asia at Syntax, Haihong focuses only on one thing which is growth in China and Asia! Leading the team to continuously expand the service portfolio to broader areas from both solution and industry/geographic points of view, he believes in leveraging all local and global innovated solutions to offer best-in-class customer experience and business values to customers with long-term relationships.

“I am obsessed with bringing customers powerful business solutions and I feel like I can really push the boundaries to accomplish just that at Syntax,” says Haihong. “I am truly fascinated by the values of Syntax which are fully aligned with my personal value system. We have modern IT solutions and services based on the best combination of software, infrastructure and cloud technologies. I am confident in our team’s ability to work with all types of customers in the new digitalized environment where IT can not only support but also provide unique value to their business.”

An accomplished business leader with 23+ years industry experience in the Asia Market, Haihong spent 11+ years at SAP in development, consulting, managed services and Service Delivery roles before joining EDS-HP as an IT outsourcing executive. He also led the CDK Global APAC business from Sales to Delivery as the Vice President and Managing Director, achieving continuous profitable growth for over 10 years.

Haihong holds multiple degrees including a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering, Masters in Science & Technology (with a focus in Computer Integrated Manufacturing), and a Ph. D. of Engineering in Industrial Systems and Engineering.

lead-shi-rongfeng

Shi Rongfeng

COO Asia

LinkedIn

Bio

Shi Rongfeng is regional COO, working with Syntax China (formerly FIT China) since 2006.

Over the past 12 years, Rongfeng has developed an exceptional Managed Services delivery team in China for SAP and Microsoft applications with solid performance and unparalleled customer support. He excels at managing business critical applications while successfully exceeding the needs of the customer.

Beginning his career as a technology consultant, Rongfeng has worked in multiple fields including project management, customer engagement, product management and quality management, resulting in extensive technical knowledge and hands-on experience.

Rongfeng holds a Master’s degree in Communications Engineering from the Tongji University, and is a certified SAP technology consultant, PMP® and ITIL.

bod-ted-mocarski

Ted Mocarski

Chairman of the Board

LinkedIn

Bio

Thadeus Mocarski has over 20 years of experience in private equity. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economy and History from Colby College, as well as a Juris Doctor from American University.

Mr. Mocarski served as a General Partner of Nautic Partners, where he was responsible for managing the funds’ investment efforts in the Communications Infrastructure and Services sectors. He was also co-founder and General Partner of Key Venture Partners. The majority of his investments were in tune with Novacap’s investment strategy. He was a consultant for Novacap in 2012 while a General Partner at Bank Street Capital Partners, a private equity fund focused on growth equity, which he managed and co-founded in 2010. Having made three investments with Novacap, Mr. Mocarski became a partner in 2013.

Mr. Mocarski is currently Chairman of the Board of Syntax and Host.net. He sits on the Board of directors of Onstream and Firstlight Fiber. He is also a member of the Board of Overseers of Colby College and on the Investment Committee for the City of Providence Retirement System.

bod-stephane-tremblay-250x250

Stéphane Tremblay

Board of Directors

LinkedIn

Bio

Stéphane Tremblay’s experience in the Canadian TMT industry spans more than two decades. Mr. Tremblay holds a BSEE degree in Engineering from Université de Trois-Rivières.

Mr. Tremblay was a founding member of Microcell, where he was responsible for building the first GSM network in Canada. He was also the President of Kontron Canada, a division of Kontron A.G. Mr. Tremblay was also CEO of Memotec Inc., a data communication equipment manufacturer, which he bought, restructured and then sold to Comtech. Mr. Tremblay joined Novacap in 2006.

Mr. Tremblay is currently Chairman of the Board of directors of Dialogic and SynergX. He is also a member of the Boards of Directors of Syntax, Host.Net and Oxford.

Previously, Mr. Tremblay was on the Board of Directors of Technomedia, Fibrenoire, iWeb, Kontron and Memotec.

a-goulet

Alexandre Goulet

Board of Directors

LinkedIn

Bio

Alex has been part of Novacap’s TMT team since 2018. He is responsible for identifying and executing new deals, working closely with portfolio companies and supporting management teams with strategic initiatives.

Prior to joining Novacap, Alex worked in investment banking at BMO Capital Markets where he was involved in a number of transactions including buy-side M&A and debt financings. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from McGill University.

Alex currently sits on the Board of Directors of Syntax and serves as an Observer to the Board for Plusgrade and Previan Technologies.

lead-christian-primeau

Christian Primeau

Global CEO

LinkedIn

Bio

Prior to joining Syntax, Chris was President & COO at Dialogic, a Novacap company. He oversaw R&D, operations, marketing, product management, finance, and administration. Chris has over 25 years industry experience, much of it in executive roles with public and private growth-oriented companies in operations, engineering, delivery, sales, and general management roles. Chris spent the early part of his career at Sun Microsystems where he initially joined as a Pre-Sales Engineer. In his thirteen years with the company, he held a number of key management positions in Montreal, Toronto, and Menlo Park California where he served as VP Partner and Alliances, Sales Director, Client Executive and Business Development Manager for ERP and E-Commerce solutions.

Chris then joined Bell Canada where he spent six years in various executive roles. He joined as General Manager of Infrastructure Services and subsequently held the roles of Vice President of Client Service Delivery, and Vice President of Sales with Bell Canada. He then took on the role of President and COO of iWeb Technologies, a leading provider in cloud solutions. Chris supported the team in the development and execution of next generation cloud and managed services delivering double-digit revenue and ebitda growth.

He holds a Bachelor Degree in Management Information Systems and a Masters of Business Administration(MBA) from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

nir

Nir Orbach

Founder, Illumiti, a Syntax company

LinkedIn

Bio

Nir is an energetic and competitive entrepreneur that thrives on turning challenges into opportunities while helping businesses leverage technology to achieve their desired outcomes.

Nir began his career working as an electrical engineer in the Transmission Projects group at Eskom, South Africa’s electrical utility. Following his passion for solving complex business issues, Nir joined a consulting firm looking to launch a practice in North America, to begin his SAP career, also relocating to the United States where he worked as an SAP Consultant on large global SAP implementations at INTEL and later IBM PC Company. Nir later worked for several years as a Senior Consultant, SAP Instructor, Project Manager, Project Director and later as Vice-President of the SAP Consulting firm Tullamore Advantage, before founding Illumiti in 2000. Illumiti was founded with the goal of delivering excellent customer value by leveraging a pragmatic approach, excellent talent, and a focus on delivering on customer commitments, thereby fostering long lasting customer relationships. Nir developed Illumiti into one of the most highly respected SAP Resellers and consulting firms in North America, with offices across Canada, USA and Switzerland. In 2020, Illumiti had revenues around CAD$96million, as the company employed about 250 people and contracted an additional 200 contractors to deliver dozens of projects and provided full software lifecycle services to its global customers who primarily leveraged SAP’s S/4HANA, SuccessFactors, and SAP BusinessByDesign solutions as key business platforms. In June 2021 Nir sold the Illumiti Group of Companies to Syntax.

Nir holds a BSc. in Electrical Engineering and a MSc. in Industrial Engineering from WITS University in Johannesburg, South Africa.

lead-olivier-schreiber-250x250

Oliver Schreiber

Board of Directors

LinkedIn

Bio

With more than 25 years in the SAP cloud and network business, and experience as an SAP Mentor, Schreiber brings a uniquely qualified perspective to help expand Syntax’s SAP business unit. As board advisor, Schreiber will focus on expanding Syntax’s portfolio and delivery capabilities to solidify it as the end-to-end cloud service provider of choice for customers everywhere. Schreiber is the CEO and founder of OSconomy GmbH, a consulting company that provides SaaS services on the SAP Cloud Platform. Previously, Schreiber held several executive management positions including Executive Vice President and Head of Global Business Unit Outsourcing & Services at itelligence, where he led its global SAP hosting business unit.