Shaun S. Amini, Chairman & CEO
Robert J. Kalchthaler – Chief Financial Officer
Major General Alfred A. Valenzuela, US Retired, Board of Directors
Neal Fox, Board of Directors
Rob Sobhani, Ph.D., Board of Directors
Carl Grant, Board of Advisory
Mike Tobin, Board of Advisory
Shaun S. Amini, Chairman & CEO
Shaun S. Amini is the President & CEO of C5i Corporation and C5i Federal, Inc., an Information Technology Service Provider to the government, military and commercial sectors. Mr. Amini has extensive experience in building an organization from the ground up, and has developed a deep understanding of information security, physical security, digital video surveillance and reconnaissance, forensic investigation, Telco, Internet infrastructure, secure communications, and over all Information security infrastructure. Mr Amini's strong technology background is also accompanied by considerable experience in fund raising, strategic positioning, M&A, crisis management, and achieving positive results by creating a vision of success. Prior to C5i, Mr. Amini was the founding CEO of both EYECAST Corporation and PublicNet communications. EYECAST Corporation was a Video Content and Infrastructure service provider specializing in large-scale digital video acquisition and distribution. During his tenure at EYECAST, Mr. Amini raised over $36M from both angel and institutional investors and helped develop strategic and reseller relationship while leading several congressional lobbying efforts. PublicNet was a corporate Internet Service Provider and was successfully sold to DigiNet Communications, Inc. Mr. Amini has over 21 years experience and has worked for companies such as MCI, Freddie Mac, Litton, CNA, Computer Associates, Axent (Symantec). Mr. Amini has a bachelor of science in computer science and holds several patents in the area of security.
Robert J. Kalchthaler – Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Kalchthaler has more than 20 years of private, pre-IPO and public company experience in finance, operations and public accounting. Bob most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Secure Elements, Inc, a privately held enterprise software company in the IT audit and compliance market, which was acquired in September 2008. Prior to this, Bob was the Vice President of Finance and Administration at Network Security Technologies (NETSEC) which was acquired by MCI in February of 2005. Responsibilities at both company’s included all financial operations, human resources, facilities, and contracts, legal and sales operations. Previously, Mr. Kalchthaler has served as the Director of Finance for AppNet, Inc. where he was responsible for financial operations and was a key member of the team that led the company through a successful IPO in 2000. Additionally, Mr. Kalchthaler has held financial positions at OAO Technology Solutions, Gap, Inc. and PriceWaterhouse.
Mr. Kalchthaler holds a B.S. in Accounting from Fairfield University, Dolan School of Business.
Major General Alfred A. Valenzuela, US Retired, Board of Directors
Major General Alfred A. Valenzuela was commissioned from St. Mary’s University as a Distinguished Military Graduate and awarded a Bachelor o Arts Degree in Government. He holds a Master of Arts in Political Science, with emphasis on Latin American Studies, and National Security Affairs. His military education includes the Filed Artillery Basic and Advanced Courses, Defense Strategy Course, Army War College, National Security Management Course, and Airborne Course. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Inter-American Defense College, Command and General Staff College, Armed Forces Staff College, and the Air War College.
Major General Valenzuela has served as the Deputy Commanding General and Deputy Joint Task Force Panama Commander, U.S. Army South, Assistant Division Commander (Support), 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, from October 1996 until June 1988. He also served as Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command from June 1988 to July 2000. His last Assignment was as Commander, United States Army South from July 2000 until October 2003. MG Valenzuela retired from active duty on 1 May, 2004.
Major General Valenzuela has served in three Corps (3rd, 7th, and 18th) and four Infantry Divisions (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, and 1st AD). While serving as Commander, 10th Mountain Division Artillery, Fort Drum, New York, he participated in operations, “Restore Hope” and “Uphold Democracy” with soldiers of his unit deployed to Somalia and Haiti. He also participated in “Distant Thunder” with 3ID in Kuwait. He also served as the Commander Military Assistance Advisory Group, Peru, and as Field Artillery Advisor, U.S. Military Group, Colombia.
Major General Valenzuela also served as the Latin American Politico-Military Analyst at the National Security Agency, working as the Planning Coordinator for Operations “Urgent Fury” in Grenada and “Just Cause” in Panama; he was also a Fire Support Officer and Brigade Artillery and Infantry Advisor, U.S. Military Group, El Salvador, during the country's civil war.
Among his decorations are the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), Soldier’s Medal (for heroism), Bronze Star for Valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (3rd award).
MG Valenzuela has served on the Board of Directors for the Eagle Scout Association, the Texas Chapter of the Boys Scouts of American and the Tomas Rivera Institute for Policy. He has been selected to the Hall of Fame for the Boys Club, and is on the Board of trustees of Saint Mary’s University. He was recently named one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business magazine and selected to the Board of Directors for the Cuban American Council for Education.
Neal Fox, Board of Directors
Mr. Neal Fox was the former GSA Assistant Commissioner for Acquisition, Federal Supply Service, where he managed the GSA Schedules program, the government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs), and the government-wide SmartPay credit card program through July 2005. Mr. Fox managed $35B per year federal and state governments commercial products & services, Including Alliant, and Alliant Small Business GWACs.
Mr. Fox he has over 26 years of GSA and Department of Defense procurement experience and is also a retired Air Force Colonel who spent most of his career in procurement playing major roles in developing, producing and deploying systems such as the Peacekeeper Missile, Ground Launched Cruise Missile, F-111 aircraft Terrain Following Radar, F-16 Block 40 fighter aircraft, High Speed Anti-radar Missile, Joint Standoff Weapon, Intelligence systems, Information Warfare systems, and commercial information technology. His last Air Force assignment was as Director, Information Technology, where he provided the entire Air Force with commercial IT products and services.
Mr. Fox is an expert on tough Government procurement issues, procurement strategies, blanket purchasing agreements, strategic sourcing, government-wide contracting vehicles, and DoD, DHS sales strategies.
Mr. Fox is the winner of the Business Solutions in the Public Interest award from the Council for Excellence in Government and writes a column for Government Computer News, and is a noted speaker on the subject of government procurement reform.
Mr. Fox has a B.A in Economics from Grove City College, Pennsylvania, and Master of Business Administration and Management from the University of Wyoming. He is also a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College.
Rob Sobhani, Ph.D., Board of Directors
S. Rob Sobhani, Ph.D. brings his vast knowledge of international business and foreign affairs to C5i Corporation. Dr. Sobhani is a business consultant, with an academic background, who specializes in government relations and strategic planning. He has spent the last fifteen years building a wide network of contacts, both within the United States Government and with senior officials and heads-of-state worldwide.
Through his company, Caspian Energy Consulting (CEC) Dr. Sobhani has specialized in negotiating projects for clients with business interests in the Middle East and former Soviet Union. As a means to achieving a company’s goal, CEC puts together a comprehensive strategy that includes country risk analysis, public relations, lobbying the U.S. government on behalf of the project, and maintaining the image of the client as a corporate citizen in the host country. In Azerbaijan, Dr. Sobhani was able to secure a Production Sharing Contract and Operatorship in the 5 billion barrel Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields for Amoco and, most recently, a 5% working interest for EnCana in the BP-operated Alov structure—one of the largest un-drilled structures in the world.
Since the tragic events of 9/11, Dr. Sobhani has been consulting with senior officials from the U.S. Government to devise strategies detailing how the U.S. can win the war on terrorism, and on numerous occasions, Dr. Sobhani has been asked to recommend proactive policy to counter the anti-American trend in the Middle East.
From 1989 until 2005 Dr. Sobhani was an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University where he taught courses on US foreign policy. He is a frequent contributor to op-ed pages of major US newspapers including Wall Street Journal, National Review, Washington times, and has appeared on domestic and international television and radio programs discussing US foreign policy including CNN, ABC, NBC News.
In addition to his professional and academic background, Dr. Sobhani sits on the Board of or is otherwise affiliated with a number of organizations. He sits on the Board of Directors of C5i Corporation, Mohawk Innovative Technologies in Albany, New York, is the Deputy Chairman of Washington Capital Partners, and is a visiting scholar at Eisenhower Institute. Dr. Sobhani is also a guest lecturer at major conferences dealing with US energy security and has been recently asked to join the bi-partisan group, Committee on the Present Danger, a congressionally mandated think tank.
Dr. Sobhani was born in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Georgetown University. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy from Georgetown University.
Carl N. Grant, III, Board of Advisors
Carl Grant brings a wealth of business expertise and contacts to C5i, and is currently the Vice President of Business Development for Cooley Godward, LLP. Mr. Grant has served as Executive Director-Technology Industry for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the world’s largest professional services organization. At PwC, he led the firm’s high-tech business development initiatives in the National Capital Region, during a time of unprecedented growth for the firm and its clients. Prior to joining PwC, Mr. Grant managed the Capital Attraction Program for Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, an initiative that more than doubled the number of venture capital funds in that county.
Mr. Grant also served as Vice President of Business Development for two venture capital-backed technology companies in the northern Virginia area and was also a Director in a division of Multimedia, Inc. leading up to and through Gannett's $1.8 billion acquisition of the company.
Mr. Grant served over 10 years in the Army National Guard and Reserve, where he achieved the rank of Major. As Public Affairs Officer for the 29th Infantry Division -- a five-state, 11, 000 soldier unit -- he was responsible for media relations, community relations and command information. Mr. Grant led a number of successful overseas public affairs missions during his two tours to Central America, and was awarded the Virginia Bronze Star for meritorious service as Aide to the Adjutant General of Virginia.
Mr. Grant serves on the Board of Directors for Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Leadership Fairfax, Inc. (LFI) and High Tech Prayer Breakfast - DC Metro, Inc. He also serves on the NVTC Entrepreneurship Committee and the MAVA Outreach Committee.
Mr. Grant holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a BSJ with honors from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.
Mike Tobin, Board of Advisory
Mike Tobin is the marketing advisor for C5i Corporation responsible for directing and enhancing C5i's brand, marketing strategy, and product marketing.
Mr. Tobin'sprimary area of expertise lies in marketing strategy and program integration. As a proponent of integrated marketing, much of his focus is spent in ensuring that marketing serves the larger corporate strategy and those diverse elements of marketing are fully integrated to maximize return on investment.
Mr. Tobin is well known in the technology community for his accomplishments at companies like UUNET, EYECAST, and Cable & Wireless. Mr. Tobin has actively built marketing programs for many technology companies throughout his career. From 1996 to 2001he was responsible for the US Marketing Communications efforts of UUNET where he built UUNET’s US Marketing organization from the ground up and led efforts for branding, advertising, direct response, customer acquisition, channel marketing, events, and marketing infrastructure programs. During his tenure marketing programs played an integral role in increasing awareness from 5% to over 60% in four years. Mr. Tobin holds a degree in economics from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.
