News and Events

Conferences & Events

Doing Business with the US Government:
The World’s Largest Buyer of Technology

CEBIT 2005
Monday, March 14, 2005 / 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Hannover, Germany; Convention Center, Room 3B
RSVP Online

Please note: Conference is free for CEBIT attendees, but registration is required.  Tickets for CEBIT can be purchased at www.cebit.com.

SPEAKER BIOS

Thomas G. Morr is the Managing Partner of the Greater Washington Initiative (GWI) and his overall mission is to promote the Washington region as a premier business location. Formerly, Morr served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for WEST*GROUP MANAGEMENT. He is past president and a director of the Washington Airports Task Force and Washington’s Foreign Trade Zone. In addition, Morr is a past Chairman of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Thomas G. Morr earned a J.D. from American University and a B.A. from Ohio University.

April DuBois is the Director of International Business Development at the Greater Washington Initiative. In her role, she develops international market strategy and connects global companies with potential partners, service providers, venture capitalists and office space. Prior to joining GWI, April served as Manager of Strategic Accounts for Brainbench, a Washington, DC area IT firm. Ms. DuBois also worked closely under former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, in the area of foreign direct investment for the Commonwealth. A published author, April has experience in: marketing, grants/fundraising, public speaking and international trade/relations.

The Greater Washington Initiative (GWI) is the non-profit, regional economic development marketing organization created to promote the Greater Washington region as a premier business location. GWI is funded by area public jurisdictions that encompass the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland, and numerous leading area companies, and it is an affiliate of the Greater Washington Board of Trade (BOT), a regional chamber of commerce. GWI’s confidential and complimentary services help companies and associations to: identify strategic partners and venture capital contacts; meet public and private sector leaders; arrange site tours; and obtain demographic and real estate information about the region.

Kevin Plexico is the Executive Vice President of INPUT and has guided the evolution of the company’s product offerings, service capabilities and IT operations during the last 15 years. He manages the strategic direction, planning and development of INPUT's products as well as sits on the company's Board of Directors. Previously, Kevin served as INPUT's Chief Technology Officer, managing the organization's IT and Internet infrastructure and directing INPUT's use of information and Internet technologies. Kevin Plexico also transformed INPUT's Federal Market Intelligence program into the leading online service providing business development support to sales and marketing organizations in IT companies selling to the federal government. Recognized as an industry speaker, Plexico frequently shares his market expertise at national industry events and in prominent media publications.

Established in 1974 and based in Reston, Virginia, INPUT provides information services, industry analysis, consulting, software solutions, and events to help technology vendors win more government business, and to help government organizations further advance their IT initiatives. INPUT tracks more than a half trillion dollars in contract and grant opportunities within the U.S. federal, state & local government markets, as well as tender opportunities throughout the European Union and United Kingdom. INPUT has more than 1,000 clients, including 81 of the top 100 IT contractors. Leading defense, hardware, software, telecommunications and IT services contractors, plus four of the top five 8(a)s, rely on INPUT to help them win more than $45 billion in government business each year.

In his role as President of Bank of America in Greater Washington, William Couper coordinates and integrates product and service delivery for all lines of business. Mr. Couper joined American Security Bank, a Bank of America predecessor, in 1972. Since then he has served in several capacities in retail banking, strategic planning, small business and commercial banking. Active in civic affairs throughout his career, Couper completed two terms as the Chairman of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and is a board member of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and Chair-Elect of the Greater Washington Initiative. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors for the United Way of the National Capital Area. 

Through innovative technologies and the ingenuity of its people, Bank of America provides individuals, small businesses and commercial, corporate and institutional clients around the globe with better ways to manage their financial lives. The company has the nation's largest financial services network, including approximately 5,700 domestic offices and 16,500 ATMs, as well as an Internet website that provides online banking access to 9 million active users, more than any other bank.

Karl Pringle is the General Manager of Strategic Thought Inc. based in Washington, DC. His responsibilities include the setting up and expansion of U.S. companies, day to day operations, and business development. Karl joined the UK based parent in 2000 as Business Development Manager with a focus on opening up businesses in North America. Strategic Thought won many coveted awards for its exporting to North America, including the UK Department of Trade and Industry’s ‘Outstanding Achievement through Passport to Export’ award. Prior to Strategic Thought he spent four years in multinational pharmaceutical sales and marketing. Karl was educated in Canada at the University of British Columbia and holds an Executive Diploma in Business to Business Marketing from The Kellogg School of Management in Chicago.

Strategic Thought is a systems integrator and solutions provider with two distinct, yet complementary, sides to the business. Solution and Integration Services Group (SIS) is focused on delivering critical systems to businesses across the Financial Services, Public and Commercial and SMB market place. The risk management side of the business delivers solutions based on Active Risk Manager the first web-based enterprise risk management system developed and launched by Strategic Thought in 2001. Customers are located in the UK, Europe and the United States and include Lloyds TSB, Marsh, BOC, London Underground, UK MOD, Boeing and NASA.

As President and CEO, Eckart Pech is responsible for the Americas market for Detecon, Inc., a global leader in telecommunications and innovation engineering. He also served as a Managing Partner on the Executive Committee of Detecon International, where he managed various key accounts and championed a mobile business initiative. Previously, Pech worked for Diebold in the international telecommunications, information technology, media and entertainment markets, and was soon promoted to partner. He has managed businesses in Asia and developed business models for a renowned research laboratory.

Detecon, Inc., headquartered in Reston, Virginia, is a global leader in telecommunications and innovation engineering. Detecon is capable of designing, building and operating complex IT infrastructures to provide services for enterprises, wireless and wireline customers. The firm has supported customers in more than 2,000 projects in 120 countries. The company provides solutions with organizational and business processes such as Value Chain, Supply Chain, Resource Management and Relationship Management in telecommunications and information applications and improved productivity by implementing m-Business applications.

Matthew Lee is the President and CEO of FASTech, a leading IT solutions provider to the Federal, State and Local Governments, as well as corporations. FASTech recently acquired Lifeline Communications Inc., a telecommunications equipment company, to expand its capability in the SOHO and enterprise network management market. Before founding FASTech, Lee worked in the systems engineering department of U.S. Army research laboratory and Harry Diamond laboratory. Matthew has been honored with Governor’s citation, State of Maryland and has received numerous awards during his tenure at the U.S. Army research laboratory. Matthew holds a BSEE degree from Virginia Tech, MSEE from John Hopkins University, and an executive MBA degree from Lincoln University.

FASTech provides innovative IT solutions to government agencies and the commercial sector. As a fast growing 8(a) Information Technology Services firm, FASTech has emerged as a premier "authorized value-added" reseller for hardware and software, and a provider of professional LAN & WAN integration expertise. FASTech has its office in Beltsville, Maryland, within short driving distance from Washington, Baltimore, Annapolis, and Northern Virginia. FASTech is certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration as an 8(a) and SDB firm, and maintains certification.

Kay Goss is the Senior Advisor for Homeland Security, Business Continuity, and Emergency Management Services. She came to EDS as a thought leader in change management, fire services, higher education, homeland security and other areas and quickly ascended to her current position where she manages three distinguished practices within the global technology company. Before EDS, Goss was Associate Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate and the only woman ever to serve as Associate Director, Kay was responsible for the nation's readiness by building state and local emergency preparedness capability through the development of plans and procedures as well as conducting training and testing of federal state and tribal personnel. Goss also serves as the Chair of the Education and Training Committee of the International Association of Emergency Managers, has taught online courses and holds a number of important certifications.

EDS provides a broad portfolio of business and technology solutions to help its clients worldwide improve their business performance. EDS’ core portfolio comprises information-technology, applications and business process services, as well as information-technology transformation services. EDS’ A.T. Kearney subsidiary is one of the world’s leading high-value management consultancies. With more than $20 billion in annual revenue, EDS is ranked 87th on the Fortune 500. The company’s stock is traded on the New York (NYSE: EDS) and London stock exchanges.

For more information, contact April DuBois at 202.857.5986.