A Team You Can Depend On

Eric is an expert advisor on leading-edge technology with more than two decades of experience in IT. Prior to co-founding RISE, he served for 11 years as an international and managed-service solution specialist for AT&T and then for 13 years as the cloud practice lead in CDW’s Integrated Technology Services. In those roles, he demonstrated top-tier expertise in cloud computing, managed services, data center, disaster recovery, and security. Learn more.

Ed Wu is an adept client advocate and experienced advisor of as-a-service technologies with over two decades of experience in IT consulting. Prior to co-founding RISE, he served as a technical liaison in his roles with software and telecommunication service providers and then for 16 years as a practice lead in CDW’s Integrated Technology Services. Learn more.

Tim Kottak is the former CIO of GE Healthcare’s Global Services business. There he led digital strategy and platforms for medical device asset management, field and remote services, service supply chain, marketing, and e-commerce.  He successfully championed and operationalized IoT technologies, AI for predictive services, and unified customer communications. Prior to his CIO role, Tim held CTO roles at GE Healthcare, leading product development across multiple business units. Earlier in his career, Tim was the Quality Leader for GE Appliances in Europe and served as an officer in the US Air Force for R&D and advanced manufacturing programs. 

Jill Billhorn is a seasoned technology executive with over 25 years of experience leading high-performing sales teams and driving revenue growth. As SVP of Commercial Sales at CDW, she managed over 50% of the company’s $20B revenue and led 1,200+ professionals across sales, operations, and technical roles. Jill has also held leadership positions at Holden International, AT&T, Ameritech, and MCI. Recognized as a Top Woman of the Channel (CRN 2023) and a Top 100 Global Sales Leader (Modern Sale 2022), she actively mentors young professionals, champions diversity in tech, and serves on multiple nonprofit boards.

VJ Viswanathan is the managing partner and founder at Torqe as well as CYFORIX.  He has one of the most impressive resumes in Cyber Security having served as the VP/CISO at Comcast, HD Supply and Keurig Dr. Pepper.  Earlier in his career, VJ spent over 5 years at GE in both London and New York.  VJ is an advisor at the Harvard Business Review as well as a Sr. External Advisor for Bain and Company.  He is in demand on the speaking circuit and an industry expert on all things technology and security.

Lori Hilton is a Managing Partner, Executive Director at EssenceMediacom, a WPP company. She is currently the global strategy lead for Dell Technologies, overseeing their breakthrough approach in markets across the globe, and ensuring they go to market with a seamless and integrated brand experience for BDMs, ITDMs and consumers. Lori has conducted work in over 80 countries and was based in the UK for several years in an international role. Her vertical experience includes CPG, automotive, finance, retail, energy, entertainment, pharma, services, and technology. 

Adam Rasner graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree and then completed his MBA at the University of Florida. He began his career as a network engineer for WebMD, the largest online healthcare information website in the world. Over the last 20 years, he has been employed for multiple Fortune 500 companies such as Rayonier and Restaurant Brands International (Burger King and Tim Hortons).
Adam is currently the VP of Technology Operations for Autonation, the country’s largest automotive retailer which specializes in New and Pre-Owned cars, collisions centers, Auction Houses and newly-launched private label parts line. Autonation has over 340 locations in 19 states.

Norm Bilow is the Founder and Managing Director of The Escape Pod and Gravity Well Studio. Their work includes memorable spots for Wheat Thins, OfficeMax, EGO, Smithfield, Lunchables and Whole Foods. The Escape Pod has earned multiple Ad Age Small Agency of the Year awards and has built a reputation for bold work across retail, food/beverage, and tech/automotive categories.

Josh Sparaga is a transformative technology leader with over 25 years of experience across IT Governance, Architecture, Operations, and Leadership. Josh is the Executive Director, Enterprise Observability and Performance at CVS Health. Prior to his role at CVS, he was the Senior Vice President of Technology Governance & Infrastructure at Univision and the Vice President of Technical Accounts at Comcast NBC Universal.  Josh has an MBA from the Herbert School of Business at the University of Miami and is a prior winner of the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting.

Moosa Matariyeh is the Vice President of Global Channels and Solutions for 11:11 Systems. Moosa leads global engineering, supporting resources across multiple disciplines and acquisitions including Sungard, iLand, Green Cloud Defense, Unitas Global and Cleareon Fiber. Matariyeh joined 11:11 Systems in 2022. Prior to 11:11 Systems, he spent nearly 19 years at CDW in roles of increasing responsibility, most recently leading the Integrated Services team.  Prior to CDW, Matariyeh cofounded a startup providing legal vertical technology consulting and served as the team lead for engineering technology specialists at IBM.