Our project to acquire new Loan Processing and Accounting software had been ongoing for several years and was proving to be overwhelming. Between a failed and costly attempt to develop a custom solution and our discomfort in trying to accurately evaluate various packaged systems we were at a stand still. A colleague recommended Hartman Business Technology and after some discussion we retained them to spearhead our search for a new system. The HBT team has brought not only expertise and experience to our search but they have created a disciplined and methodical approach to the process. In a few months working with HBT we have made more progress than we did in several years on our own. We fully expect that, with HBT's help, we will be able to select and implement a new system with confidence that it's the one best suited to our needs and budget.

Dave Hartman, President:

Dave Hartman founded Hartman Business Technology with the vision of providing business-focused, vendor-independent consulting to mid-sized companies. Our mission is to ensure that our clients get the most out of their precious IT dollars.

Dave's keen ability to extract business value from such initiatives as business process improvement, software selection, IT team development and IT business assessments, has lead to successful business outcomes in the following industries: finance, retail, distribution, commercial real estate, healthcare and service-based organizations.

Prior to leading Hartman Business Technology, Dave spent over 16 years in the Information Technology Management field and served on the Senior Management teams of three Maryland-based Retail and Healthcare corporations. In addition, Dave brings "Big-Six" Consulting experience from his years as an IT Management Consultant with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). Dave received his MBA from Embry Riddle University and an undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross.

Marie Hartman, Partner/Co-Founder:

Marie Hartman created the "IT Net Effect". This proprietary evaluation tool allows clients to see technology's current impact on a company's revenues, cost of service, expenses, and risk, as well as IT's impact on the organization's stakeholders. Pulling together a company's strategic goals and issues with these findings, HBT makes a variety of business-focused recommendations on ways an organization can leverage IT to drive their business objectives. In addition, Marie created Roadmap, HBT's yearly C-level summit whereby CEOs present their own case studies demonstrating how technology tangibly impacts their company's bottom line.

Marie brings 13 years of award-winning sales, training, and marketing expertise to the Hartman team. Prior to co-founding Hartman, Marie consulted to several healthcare, retail, and hospitality clients, and spent a decade as a top-selling Sales Associate and Regional Sales Trainer for Schering Plough, Key, and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Marie received her MBA from the University of North Florida and holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and International Business Relations from American University.

Chris Rossi, Principal:

Chris is a highly experienced information technology and operations executive with the ability to effectively work with both senior management and tactical information technology staff. He brings a broad array of skills in business and information technology strategic planning, business process redesign, software selection and deployment and systems architecture. His over twenty years of experience includes work in the retail, distribution, manufacturing, and service industries. Chris also brings "Big Six" consulting experience with eight years as a management consultant with Arthur Andersen.

Most recently, Chris served as the CIO for Ritz Camera Centers, a major retailer with over 1,000 stores. He was responsible for implementing numerous systems, organizational, and infrastructure improvements resulting in significant bottom line gains. Prior to that he was the CIO for Games Workshop, a UK-based public retailer with locations throughout the world. While there, he implemented a number of software and hardware solutions which drastically improved operations and reduced costs. These systems included a comprehensive ERP solution, Point of Sale software, and Business Intelligence.

Chris has a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia, an MBA from Loyola College of Maryland, and is a CPA (inactive).

Ed Mullin, Principal:

Ed is a specialist in Business Intelligence, Project Management and Software Application Development. With twenty years of experience, he has designed and delivered solutions for healthcare, automobile, insurance, and manufacturing/distribution industries.

Ed speaks regularly on Business Intelligence and Enterprise Collaboration to CEO/CFO business groups. His work at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and Under Armour has been documented in nationally published case studies demonstrating how to achieve exceptional return on information with properly applied technical solutions.

Ed reveals how off the shelf solutions can be used to unlock data within organizational silos to increase sales, spot problems and improve organizational efficiency. Dashboards, scorecards, ad-hoc reporting solutions and intuitive data visualizations are used so that the right information goes to the right people at the right time, resulting in better, faster, and more impactful business decisions.

Prior to joining HBT, Ed led teams developing enterprise applications for Fortune 1000 clients such as Becton Dickinson, Under Armour, Geico and Streuver Brothers, Eccles and Rouse. Ed holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Loyola College in Baltimore.

Chuck Ferraro, Principal:

Chuck is a veteran business advisor with over 30 years of IT management experience, primarily in the financial sector. For the 14 years prior to joining Hartman Business Technology, Chuck held the position of CIO at two Property/Casualty insurance companies, one of which was nationally recognized, Donegal Insurance Group, a half billion dollar company. Demonstrating the ability to develop and institute strategies and processes which brought the IT and business staffs together, Chuck's leadership enabled Donegal to effectively compete with even larger competitors, and provided true and measurable business value to the companies that he served. Donegal Insurance Group included a community bank, and Chuck was involved in the evolution of that bank from start up to its current status as an established community bank in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This experience, coupled with his having spent the first 20 years of his career in large Maryland banks, positions Chuck well to lead HBT's focus on the community banking business sector.

As a senior technology manager with an aptitude for numbers, Chuck has the ability to analyze existing management reports, and to identify new data mining opportunities to give management a fresh outlook on the business, with the objective of moving the business forward profitably. He also has deep experience in contract negotiation and vendor management, which enables him to ensure effective and efficient technology vendor relationships for Hartman Business Technology clients.

Chuck's past experience also include the PHICO Group, The Maryland Casualty Company, and Maryland National Bank. Chuck holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Accounting and Finance from the University of Baltimore, and has completed two executive education stints at the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.

Christine Twele, Director of IT Team Development:

Christine leads HBT’s Change Management and Team Development practice. She assists our customers in ensuring that they retain and acquire the best possible IT talent to fit their business needs.

In assisting clients such as Advantica EyeCare, Inc., Independent Can Company, and non-profits such as the Case Foundation, Christine specializes in identifying the skill sets and experience required for positions, writing effective job descriptions, interviewing and assessing talent, helping to onboard new hires and establishing customized training programs for current staff that allows them to better contribute to the company bottom line.

Christine’s Big Four consulting experience (Andersen Consulting) included the development and implementation of information systems for a variety of firms in the U.S. and U.K. Interviewing client senior management and key user groups to identify functional needs and confirm user requirements was vital to her success. As a project manager, Christine has led the charge in software selection, web optimization, and business process improvement.

Prior to joining HBT, Christine’s ten years of experience as a successful business owner gave her an understanding of the critical importance of defining return on investment. Christine earned her B.S. in Finance at The University of Maryland, College Park.

Key Staff

Jim McCabe:

Jim is a specialist in IT Department management with over fifteen years of operations experience. With a strong history of building and leading high performance teams, Jim is able to play a pivotal role in any IT Department turnaround project. He brings a record of success in defining technical vision and providing insightful, innovative solutions that link to business metrics and goals.

Jim has held key leadership positions for companies in the entertainment and retail industries, handling all aspects of IT Management, including the creation of Sarbanes-Oxley policy, large scale multi-site management, and alignment of IT resources to match corporate vision and mission. Project management experience includes leading the development of key business intelligence systems and planning for the Preakness, an annual event that draws over 120,000 people.

Greg Tselikis:

Greg joined HBT in 2006 as a part-time consultant focusing on IT infrastructure reviews. During this time Greg has identified numerous opportunities to reduce operating cost, increase IT's customer service abilities, create operational efficiencies, and reduce risk. Greg became a full-time employee with HBT in 2009 and brings experience in the fields of IT management and infrastructure, information security, and collaborative technologies.

Prior to joining HBT, Greg was the IT Director for a family of companies that included divisions in the construction and distribution industries. While IT Director, Greg lead the initiative to consolidate each division's IT department and infrastructure. This move lowered operating costs, increased IT's ability to provide superior customer service, and allowed business leaders to more easily work with IT to prioritize IT objectives across all divisions. Before being promoted to IT Director, Greg held the title of Information Security Engineer and led projects that reduced the company's risk and exposure to the ever increasing threat of security breaches.

Greg's exposure to both IT leadership roles and technical roles gives him a unique perspective on many issues facing both IT departments and businesses as a whole. He has a proven track record of executing IT initiatives that align with strategic business goals and produce measurable value.

Christina Ryan:

Christina is a savvy marketing and business development executive with a background in finance and marketing. She has successfully developed advertising campaigns, direct marketing and promotional materials, and capital development programs. Although Christina's marketing experience is universal, she spent four years working specifically with financial service and insurance firms. She lends her talent to enhancing service oriented companies through business process improvement and marketing initiatives.

Christina received her undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing from Elon University.