Leadership

As CEO, John Castleman is responsible for the oversight of daily operations and overall leadership of the organization. He joined Bridgenext’s board as chairman in 2022. John is the former CEO of Mobiquity, a digital consulting firm for leading banking, healthcare and consumer brands worldwide. He joined Mobiquity in 2016 and led the expansion and ultimate sale of Mobiquity to Hexaware Technologies in 2019. John served as president and CEO of Alliance Global Services from 2008 to 2015 when the company was acquired by EPAM. Prior to Alliance, he worked for several technology services and venture capital firms including Elemica, Safeguard and Actua (formerly Internet Capital Group. He currently serves on the board of Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Rajesh Khanna leads revenue growth for Bridgenext. He is responsible for strategy, customer acquisition and expansion, as well as offerings, partnerships and marketing initiatives. With more than 26 years of global experience in technology consulting services, Rajesh is a seasoned executive who has driven innovation and results across many domains and geographies.

Before joining Bridgenext, Rajesh built and led successful businesses at Virtusa, including the healthcare vertical. He forged strategic partnerships with some of the biggest names in the tech industry and led growth through several landmark deals with Fortune 500 customers. Rajesh holds an MBA from IIM Bangalore.

Rajesh is passionate about digital transformation and realization, customer experience and building successful businesses at scale. As a thought leader, he has served on advisory boards and been a speaker at global tech conferences such as Dreamforce and Adobe Summit. He shares insights and vision on the future of digital, data and cloud innovation to benefit companies worldwide.

As chief people officer, Liz Smith leads Bridgenext’s global HR team, directing overall HR strategy, talent management and employee engagement and experience. She has served in the capacity of chief human resources officer for global digital consultancies for more than 15 years. 

Most recently, as the CHRO for Mobiquity, she was responsible for the company’s talent development and acquisition strategy, as well as building the infrastructure to support a thriving company culture. Prior to Mobiquity, she served as a partner for LiquidHub and as the global head of human resources and corporate operations for Alliance Global Services for 10 years. She currently serves on the board of trustees and is the president of the alumni association board for her alma mater, Franklin & Marshall College.

As Chief Operations Officer at Bridgenext, Andy oversees business operations including delivery excellence, legal, and information technology. He has a distinguished leadership career, notably at GlassHouse Technologies in roles including SVP Sales and COO. Later, at Mobiquity Inc., he held numerous roles including Interim CEO and COO. Most recently, he served as Managing Director at Tribal Impact.

With a robust track record, Andy excels in optimizing business operations, enhancing financial performance, and fostering client-centric digital transformation strategies. His strategic foresight and operational expertise have been instrumental in refining go-to-market strategies and elevating service delivery standards.

As Chief Financial Officer, Chris Tranchino oversees all aspects of the Bridgenext’s financial operations, including budgeting & forecasting, financial reporting, and risk management. Previously as Global Head of Operations, he was responsible for Bridgenext’s sales and resource management operations, as well as revenue forecasting across Bridgenext. With a background in Finance and Operations, Chris has previously served as EVP Finance at Mobiquity and VP Finance at Excellarate. Chris graduated from Harvard with a degree in Government and Economics.

Sachin Ghaisas is the Chief Commercial Officer for Bridgenext’s engineering services & head of its global delivery centers. The engineering services division provides innovative, end-to-end transformational services via digital technologies, empowering clients to achieve critical business objectives and remain ahead of their competition. He also carries the mandate to increase the global delivery footprint across the entire service portfolio. 

Prior to Bridgenext (formerly Emtec), Sachin was director of services at Saba Software, where he led a professional services team that supported Saba’s consulting practice. He brings rich global experience spanning 25+ years in the IT services industry including various delivery management and pre-sales solution architect roles at Accenture. Sachin holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.

Roman Ptakowski is the Chief Commercial Officer, Customer Experience for Bridgenext. In this role, he oversees our global CX practice, encompassing a comprehensive range of services, including Creative, Design, UX, Sales, Service, & Marketing Automation, and the Content Studio.

Prior to Bridgenext, Roman served as Managing Partner at AKQA helping clients like Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, UPS and many others transform their businesses. Roman also spearheaded the growth of the Atlanta office for AKQA, focusing on diversity and inclusivity along with career development opportunities for all. In 2022, alongside his Atlanta leadership obligations, Roman took on the role of executive sponsor for AKQA for The Coca-Cola Company in partnership with Open X by WPP.

Roman began his career in the Management Consulting practice at Accenture in New York followed by a transition to the agency industry with Organic, AKQA and Huge where he worked with clients across many verticals including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, energy and CPG.

Paul McClay leads the creation of customer experience strategies and roadmaps that leverage the full range of marketing vehicles, inclusive of Bridgenext’s core services. Paul sets direction and ensures success in driving measurable results for our clients through digital customer experience transformation. With over 15 years of tenure, Paul has worked across all aspects of leadership, customer service and operations. This includes the transition to private equity ownership and integration of several acquisitions. Paul graduated from Durham University, with a degree in business and computer science.

As Global Head of Offerings and Partnerships, Aditya Arora spearheads the development and execution of Bridgenext’s go-to-market offerings and strategic partnerships. He brings extensive industry experience and a proven track record of driving innovation and growth, specifically in launching service offerings and executing co-sell motions with partners across SaaS, Data, and Cloud platforms.

Aditya possesses a deep understanding of evolving market trends and customer needs, fueling his passion for creating high-value offerings. Prior to joining Bridgenext, he held the roles of CDO and Global GTM Head at Teqfocus, and Global Financial Services GTM Lead for AABG at Accenture.

John Carmody serves as Senior Vice President of Sales at Bridgenext supporting the success of its sales and go to market efforts. With a wealth of experience in sales leadership, John previously served as the Global Head of Sales and Marketing for Solvd, Inc., a global digital consulting and engineering firm catering to leading technology companies and financial services brands.

Prior, John spent seven years at EPAM, contributing to the growth of its global sales organization and leading go-to-market efforts for the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors. His journey with EPAM began after its acquisition of Alliance Global Services in 2015, where John had served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Earlier in his career, he joined AppLabs in 2002 and rose to become Head of North American Operations, overseeing Sales, HR and other core business functions. AppLabs, once recognized as the world’s largest independent software and technology testing company, was acquired by Computer Sciences Corporation in 2011.

Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his family, which includes his wife, daughter, son, rescue dog and rescue cat. John also enjoys reading, drawing, painting, golfing, and running.

Scott Effler is a seasoned product leader with over 25 years of experience driving enterprise application development and strategic product management. As Director of Product Architecture, Technology, and Strategy at Bridgenext (formally CodeScience), Scott leads product architecture initiatives, guiding organizations in designing and building innovative solutions on the Salesforce platform.

His career spans leadership roles in product management, solution architecture, and technical sales at top companies, including Salesforce, NewVoiceMedia (Vonage), and EMC. Scott’s expertise includes enterprise and solution architecture, account-based sales, content management, and AI. His strategic vision and deep technical acumen have driven successful product launches, ecosystem expansion, and cutting-edge integrations.

When he’s not working, he is usually cooking in the kitchen or looking for a good ski run.

As Vice President of Nearshore Delivery, Hernán García oversees Bridgenext’s South America Delivery Center. With a wealth of experience in digital consulting and software development, he excels at building high-performing teams and delivering scalable, innovative technology solutions.

Hernán is also a co-founder of Folcode, an Argentine software design and development firm acquired by Bridgenext in 2024. His deep expertise in entrepreneurship and technology empowers him to foster innovation, streamline operations, and elevate nearshore delivery to new heights.

Venkatesh Iyengar, Vice President of Engineering at Bridgenext, is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience delivering impactful software solutions to global clients. Renowned for driving high-performing teams, he spearheads the development of innovative software and data solutions that create measurable value through digital transformation.

Venkatesh excels in aligning client objectives with technical execution, ensuring seamless collaboration with stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver solutions that achieve organizational goals. His strategic leadership ensures projects are executed with precision and efficiency, fostering a culture of teamwork and excellence.

A strong advocate for continuous improvement, Venkatesh consistently refines delivery processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. His unwavering client-centric approach guarantees exceptional outcomes, making him a pivotal force in delivering success through innovation and strategic execution.

Kim serves as the Vice President of Professional Services for Bridgenext’s Global Salesforce practice. In this role, she is dedicated to fostering lasting customer relationships and ensuring the seamless and successful delivery of our Salesforce projects. Leading a team of skilled technical consultants, Kim oversees the delivery of a comprehensive suite of Salesforce services including ideation, implementation and custom application development.

Before joining Bridgenext, Kim led the Professional Services team at CodeScience, a premier Salesforce PDO partner. During her tenure, she successfully transformed CodeScience’s product development team into a consultative, professional services organization. Earlier in her career, Kim held various leadership positions with other Salesforce consulting partners, further honing her expertise in consulting, client management and operational leadership. Her extensive experience enhances Bridgenext’s ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

As the Vice President of Operations and Services for SLED at Bridgenext, Michael Marino oversees compliance and the management of contracts, serving local government and education clients. Based in the Jacksonville office, he ensures operational excellence by driving efficiency, enhancing productivity, and aligning day-to-day functions with strategic business objectives.

Mike takes pride in having developed and formalized the Bridgenext Internship Program, which, over its 11-year span, has provided hundreds of aspiring professionals with invaluable opportunities for growth and success.

With an impressive 40-year career in the technology industry, Mike has built a reputation for implementing innovative technology-driven solutions that address both strategic and tactical enterprise needs. He excels in improving service delivery processes, leading complex projects, and fostering high-performance teams.

Before joining Bridgenext, Mike dedicated 29 years to the public sector, including two years as a technology administrator for the Clay County School Board and 27 years with the City of Jacksonville’s technology department, culminating in his role as deputy CIO. His vast experience in both the public and private sectors exemplifies his commitment to excellence and his ability to drive impactful results.

Britt Mills is a dedicated CX practitioner with a passion for collaborating across business, creative, product, and engineering teams to develop digital experiences that deliver value to both customers and employees. As VP of CX Solutions, she specializes in helping leaders identify their North Star and connecting that vision to execution with measurable outcomes.

In her previous role, she led a team of 25 curious product managers, product owners, and business analysts, contributing to solutions that positively impact millions daily.

Britt has earned certifications as a Forrester Certified CX Leader and completed Harvard’s program in Disruptive Strategies and Jobs to be Done Methodology. She also created The CX Machine™ and regularly shares insights on customer experience through her Substack newsletter, Good CX.

As Vice President of Engineering, Shailesh Pardesi leads high-performing engineering teams in developing innovative, scalable solutions that drive the company’s mission forward. With a strong focus on technology excellence, delivery optimization, and continuous improvement, he is dedicated to building cutting-edge products that meet the evolving needs of customers.

Before joining Bridgenext, Shailesh served as Senior Director at Capgemini, where he spearheaded Green IT initiatives and pre-sales strategies. He also led a key technology function at Xoriant, focusing on solution development, delivery excellence, and competency building.

With 25 years of global experience spanning technology leadership, delivery management, and pre-sales, Shailesh has played a pivotal role in driving innovation and operational excellence. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Applications.

As Global Head of Marketing, Leah leads Bridgenext’s world-class marketing team as they seek to bring digital realization to life through differentiated messaging, compelling campaigns, and distinct experiences that create brand preference, generate demand, and attract & retain talent.

Leah brings nearly 20 years of hands-on marketing experience to Bridgenext, having recently served as Chief Marketing Officer at Agorai and VP, Marketing & Communications for Mobiquity Inc. She also previously spent over six years with Publicis Sapient and six years with SunGard in multiple marketing and communications roles.  Leah is a results-driven team player who excels at brand building, digital strategies, communications programming, and change management.

As Global Head of the Bridgenext Content Studio, Rich Quigley oversees both the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of this core creative services pillar. Leading production, post-production, and communications teams, he drives the development of award-winning brand storytelling through video content, digital campaigns, and strategic communications solutions. Under his leadership, the Content Studio—recognized with 21 Emmys and hundreds of industry awards—continues to earn top honors including recent Emmy and Clio wins.

With a career spanning broadcast, content production, and strategic communications, Rich brings extensive expertise in guiding teams to craft impactful narratives and award-winning campaigns for global brands such as NBC Universal, Verizon, and the American Heart Association. Prior to Bridgenext, he spent a decade at Definition 6 as SVP, Group Director, Communications Services. Before that, he served in multiple leadership roles at News Broadcast Network, including Head of West Coast Production, Executive Producer and Broadcast Strategist. He joined News Broadcast Network after it acquired OnCue Productions, the NYC media firm he founded, specializing in broadcast services for luxury and premium lifestyle brands.

A passionate advocate for creative storytelling and audience engagement, Rich continues to drive innovation in brand storytelling, ensuring Bridgenext Content Studio remains a leader in content innovation and brand-driven media.

Molly brings more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of customer and user experience to her role as Principal Consultant and Senior Vice President of Salesforce Solutions at Bridgenext. As an ACX-Mentor® and CPP Coach®, she is a seasoned leader and passionate client advocate with a proven track record of improving customer satisfaction, reducing organizational complexity and driving revenue growth through innovative experience initiatives.

Before joining Bridgenext, Molly spent more than two decades in the manufacturing sector. Most recently, she led the global customer experience team for Danfoss Power Solutions, where she spearheaded transformative, customer-focused initiatives. While leading both internal and customer-facing digital initiatives across the Salesforce platform for over 10-years; she earned recognition as a frequent speaker at Dreamforce for Danfoss’ successes.

In addition to presenting at multiple Salesforce events, Molly holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Buena Vista University and an MBA from the University of Iowa’s Tippie School of Business. Her combination of strategic vision and hands-on expertise has made her a trusted advisor and thought leader in the field of customer experience.

As Vice President of Engineering at Bridgenext, Piyush Shah leads a dynamic team of senior managers, architects, and engineers, driving innovative digital solutions. He also spearheads end-to-end account management for a diverse portfolio of enterprise clients, ensuring excellence and strategic impact at every level.

With over 20 years of experience in the software industry, he brings a rare blend of technological expertise and business acumen that is instrumental in cultivating long-term client partnerships and delivering exceptional customer satisfaction.

Previously, Piyush held pivotal leadership roles in the company, including Practice Lead, Associate Vice President, and Associate Director. Piyush holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland.

Sreekanth (Sree) Singaraju is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience driving business growth through digital innovation. As the Global Head of Strategic Accounts & Solutions at Bridgenext, he spearheads strategic client partnerships, fosters innovation, and leads transformative digital initiatives that deliver measurable impact.

Before joining Bridgenext, Sree served as Senior Vice President of AI & Cloud Solutions at Mobiquity Inc., where he crafted and implemented cutting-edge AI and cloud strategies. His extensive career also includes key leadership roles at Collaborative Consulting, EPAM Systems, and Alliance Global Services. Additionally, he has partnered with global enterprises such as Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, and Dun & Bradstreet to lead large-scale digital and data transformation efforts.

A recognized expert in AI, cloud technologies, and digital transformation, Sree is deeply committed to enhancing customer experiences and optimizing business operations through innovative solutions.

As Vice President of Engineering, Nandakumar (Nanda) Sivaraman leads Bridgenext’s Data practice with a focus on digital consulting, enterprise architecture, and delivery management. With over 25 years’ experience guiding C-level executives in the supply chain management, transportation and logistics, travel, healthcare, and oil & gas industries, Nanda brings a deep understanding of both the technical and business aspects of large-scale digital transformations.

Before joining Bridgenext, he held key roles at renowned organizations, including Patni Computers, Hitachi Consulting, and Mphasis. A TOGAF-certified expert, Nanda brings extensive experience in enterprise architecture and digital strategy, positioning him as a trusted advisor for organizations seeking to optimize and seamlessly integrate their core systems.

Sreenivas (Sreeni) Vemulapalli, Vice President of Engineering, is a seasoned Digital Practice Lead with over 25 years of experience in the tech industry. He excels in transforming clients’ digital strategies into impactful, actionable results by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, such as Generative AI, Cloud, and Intelligent Process Automation.

Sreeni’s leadership goes beyond traditional digital transformation. He helps clients, focus on achieving digital realization—empowering organizations to innovate with purpose, deliver exceptional value, and craft seamless omnichannel experiences. His approach drives operational efficiency, enhances business performance, and inspires meaningful innovation.

Sunil Misra became Bridgenext’s board chairman in 2023. He served as CEO and president, of Emtec from 2020 to 2024 and as President and Chief Operating Officer from 2013 to 2020. Mr. Misra joined Bridgenext in November 2009 as chief strategy and delivery officer. Previously, Sunil was a vice president at Getronics (now part of KPN and Compucom), leading its consulting division. 

Prior to his role at Getronics, Sunil held several senior executive roles with global responsibilities at Unisys including vice president and managing partner. He has also led several other global business lines for Unisys, including the Real Time infrastructure unit, the document management and workflow business and a systems integration practice. 

Sunil is a recognized industry expert in the areas of security and privacy, infrastructure, software as a service and cloud computing. He was a winner of a National Merit Scholarship and received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from IIT Delhi, as well as a master’s degree in electrical engineering from RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) in New York. In addition, Sunil served previously as a member of Bridgenext’s board of directors, elected in February 2012.

Mr. Castleman, board member, joined Bridgenext’s board in 2022 and served as Chairman until 2023. As CEO, John Castleman is responsible for the oversight of daily operations and overall leadership of the organization. John is the former CEO of Mobiquity, a digital consulting firm for leading banking, healthcare and consumer brands worldwide. He joined Mobiquity in 2016 and led the expansion and ultimate sale of Mobiquity to Hexaware Technologies in 2019. John served as president and CEO of Alliance Global Services from 2008 to 2015 when the company was acquired by EPAM. Prior to Alliance, he worked for several technology services and venture capital firms including Elemica, Safeguard and Actua (formerly Internet Capital Group. He currently serves on the board of Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit.

Forrest Compton is vice president of investments at Kelso & Company, and active in numerous firm investments. Prior to joining Kelso & Company in 2014, he spent the preceding two years in the financial sponsors group at Credit Suisse. He received a B.S. in Commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

Hank Mannix is an investments partner at Kelso & Company, where he leads its healthcare practice and investments in the business services sector. Prior to joining Kelso in 2004, he spent the preceding two years in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston. He received a B.S. in Math and Economics, magna cum laude, from the College of the Holy Cross. He is the chairman of the board of trustees for Explore Schools of Brooklyn, a network of four public charter schools located in Brooklyn.

Tim Duffy is vice president of investments at Kelso & Company, where he’s involved in numerous firm investments. Prior to joining Kelso in 2017, he spent two years in the leveraged finance group at Goldman Sachs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, summa cum laude, from Virginia Tech.

Alec Hufnagel is an investments partner at Kelso & Company. He is focused primarily on investments in the business services sector following time spent concentrating on energy sector efforts. Prior to joining Kelso in 2008, he spent two years in the leveraged finance group of Deutsche Bank. He received a B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College.

Siva Arunachalam is a Senior Executive Advisor for Bridgenext. Mr. Arunachalam was previously Bridgenext’s (formerly Emtec) Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of its Global Managed Services division. Prior to Bridgenext, Mr. Arunachalam was a sales leader at Accenture where he had responsibility for growing Accenture’s Technology Consulting practice in the mid-west region. Prior, he had global P&L leadership responsibility at Cognizant for the Automotive vertical. He has also held P&L leadership positions at Syntel and TCS over his 28 year career. Mr. Arunachalam holds a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA.

Mr. Goodall was previously responsible for executive leadership and management of all aspects of Bridgenext’s infrastructure services business including enterprise/end user computing services, enterprise service management solutions and infrastructure managed services. He has over 30 years of direct experience in the IT services and cybersecurity industries serving in multiple executive management roles for companies ranging from Silicon Valley-backed startups to Fortune 500 enterprises and venture capital firms. 

Prior to joining Bridgenext (formerly Emtec), Doug served as vice president of both sales and service delivery units at Compucom/Getronics, CEO at RedSiren (a global managed security services company), vice president of legal and cyber risk solutions at UnitedLex and other senior executive positions in several leading global IT services firms. He is a graduate of Indiana University.