Management

Two decades of excellence

NetMotion was founded in 2001, having been through a variety of different growth stages and investment partners. Today it is majority owned by the prestigious private equity firm The Carlyle Group, which acquired the company in 2016. Since then it has seen record growth, performing far in excess of the ‘rule of 40’ and expanding rapidly into new markets and new industries.

The executive team still includes founding members of the organization, as passionate today as they were twenty years ago. It also features leaders from elsewhere in the industry that have brought fresh new thinking and bold ideas to the business.

Two decades of excellence

CEO & President – Christopher Kenessey

Christopher Kenessey brings nearly two decades of industry experience to the role and a strong reputation for inspiring people and growing industry leaders. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, with additional courses at Harvard University and Complutense University Madrid. When Christopher isn’t working, he’s attempting to climb the Seven Summits, having already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Aconcagua, Mount Elbrus and Mount Kosciuszko.
Connect with CK on LinkedIn

CTO & Founder – Joe Savarese

A founding executive of NetMotion, Joe Savarese brings 30+ years of experience developing wireless networking solutions and is one of the original architects of NetMotion Mobility. His technology leadership and vision are the foundation of NetMotion’s software-defined mobility platform. He has 17 patents related to security, wireless networking and mobility — and holds a BSEE from Rutgers University and an MBA from the University of Washington. Joe is also a decorated black belt martial artist.
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CFO – Justin Sollenne

With 15+ years of finance leadership positions, Justin brings a wealth of experience in a variety of different industries. Most recently, Justin was CFO of Sentek Global, a Department of Defense contractor specializing in Cyber Security for the US Navy. Prior to Sentek, he was the CFO at iboss Cybersecurity where he was instrumental in raising their $35M Series A round with Goldman Sachs. Justin attended the University of Nevada, Reno on a golf scholarship where he earned a BS in Finance. He is an avid golfer in his spare time.
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CRO – Dan Pagel

Dan Pagel brings a proven track record of growing market share with industry-leading mobile technologies. He is focused on new customer acquisition to take the company to the next level in sales and revenue. Dan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Economics from William Jewell College, and an MBA in Finance, from the University of Missouri – Trulaske College of Business. Dan is by and large the reason there is never any Nerds candy left at the front desk.
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CMO – Joel Windels

Joel Windels brings an impressive track record of success in global channel development and inbound marketing. Mr. Windels holds an executive MBA from the Imperial Business School, a top ten global institution, and was the youngest student in his cohort. Windels was previously VP of Global Marketing at Wandera, a mobile security firm based in London and San Francisco, that successfully raised over $50M in venture capital. Under his leadership, Wandera’s marketing team expanded into a global force that delivered triple digit year-over-year growth in both 2016 and 2017. Joel’s background in mobility, security and fast-growth environments makes him a valuable asset to NetMotion Software.
Connect with Joel on LinkedIn

SVP, International – Erik Helms

Erik Helms drives and manages sales and strategic partnerships for the company’s international markets, most recently expanding the company’s operations into Europe, Japan and Australia. Erik has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Washington.
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SVP, Product – John Knopf

John Knopf has led the strategy and direction of NetMotion’s product portfolio since 2002. He has over 30 years of software industry experience with early-stage and mid-stage companies, and has led numerous products from inception to launch with commercial success. John has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University and was once shot in the chest (we think accidentally, but the jury’s still out). Clearly, he survived.
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VP, Human resources – Christina Balam

Christina Balam manages the company’s HR programs and supports its growing workforce. She is a passionate leader across the organization, committed to driving talent acquisition, employee satisfaction and performance programs. Christina earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Washington State University and is also a certified Kettlebell instructor. She enjoys pumping iron in her free time.
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VP, Information security and IT – Clarence Foster

Clarence Foster is responsible for the management and strategy of the customer support, IT and NOC operations groups that continue to deliver a 98% customer satisfaction rate as well as an overall NPS score of 91. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice along with majors in business and economics from Washington State University. Clarence knows more about coffee than you do about your own child.
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VP, Strategic alliances and sales engineering – Jay Klauser

Jay has a wealth of experience in the mobility industry, with roles at organizations such as RIM and MobileIron. At NetMotion he runs the global sales engineering department as well as leading the alliance program. He holds a BSc in Information Management from the University of Western Illinois.
Connect with Jay on LinkedIn