LEADERSHIP

OUR TEAM

The SmartDrive® leadership team has a unique blend of transportation and analytics industry expertise coupled with deep management experience that they bring to our growing company. With a focus on company and customer success, their priority is helping the team continue to innovate, scale, and win!

Steve Mitgang

Steve Mitgang, CEO

A digital technology visionary and proven business builder, Steve is known for creating and managing products and companies for high growth and market success. He has secured funding for, and matured, technology startups; steered mergers and acquisitions; conceived, launched and directed a multi-billion-dollar internet-advertising platform, and driven companies to success by forging rewarding partnerships, acquiring top talent and building winning teams. Prior to SmartDrive, Steve was President and CEO of Veoh, the Internet television company now part of Qlipso, and before that, he served as Senior Vice President of Yahoo!’s advertising products platforms, and services. Steve holds a degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jason Palmer

Jason Palmer, COO

Jason brings nearly 30 years of leadership delivering products to market for fast-growing technology companies such as Qualcomm, Now Software, Clientele Software and Tut Systems. Prior to joining SmartDrive, Jason was the Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Webtrends, Inc. responsible for defining the product development and go-to-market strategies for the award-winning Marketing Lab suite of digital marketing solutions. As a founding member of the 800.com Electronics management team, he pioneered selling consumer electronics online, growing the company to $50 million in four years. He is a graduate of Oregon State University with degrees in Marketing and Economics.

Chris Saunders

Chris Saunders, CFO

Chris joins SmartDrive with more than 25 years of experience working with companies ranging from Fortune 50 multinational corporations to venture and private equity backed technology start-ups. He has managed businesses from launch through divestiture including numerous mergers and acquisitions. As CFO, he is responsible for all finance, accounting and legal functions within the business. Most recently, Chris served as CFO at Capsule Technologies. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at Qualcomm where he held finance leadership roles within a variety of emerging technology companies, including Qualcomm Life, FLO TV and Qualcomm Ventures. Chris began his career with Price Waterhouse. He is a graduate of Boston College and has been a licensed CPA in Illinois and California.

Ray Ghanbari

Ray Ghanbari, CTO

Bringing over 25 years of technology and leadership experience as an entrepreneur and technology thought leader, Ray has a deep understanding of analytics and data-driven value creation across multiple industries. Most recently, Ray was Vice President, Product Development for FICO. Previously, he was the CTO and Executive Vice President of Product Development for PatientSafe Solutions, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Products for Vital Images, CTO at Ingenix (a $1.3B subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group) and CTO for the Performance Marketing division of Yahoo! Ray earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. In addition, he earned a Master of Science degree in physics from Cambridge University in England and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Illinois-Urbana.

Matt Brunelle, Sr. VP, Customer Success

As head of SmartDrive’s Customer Success Team, Matt is responsible for delivering an exceptional client experience and ensuring overall program success through service delivery and ongoing account management. Matt is an experienced customer success leader with over 20 years of experience in the information technology and services industry. Within the industry, Matt’s roles and responsibilities have included account management, service delivery, professional services, and 13 years in fleet operations and safety. Prior to SmartDrive, Matt worked in client management and leadership roles at Sungard Availability Services.  Matt earned his Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University.

John Krumheuer

John Krumheuer, Sr. VP North American Sales

John is a veteran sales leader with over 20 years of experience in transportation technology, specifically telematics and the fleet management platform market. He joined SmartDrive from PeopleNet where he was most recently the Vice President of Sales and Account Management. During his career, he developed a deep understanding of the transportation market, the needs of the customer and how to bring technology to bear to help solve business problems. John is a graduate of Minnesota State University and a veteran of the U.S. Army. He earned his Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) certification from the National Private Truck Council.

Michael J. Baker, VP Strategic Accounts

Mike brings over 30 years of experience in the technology, trucking and construction industries. As a senior sales executive, his track record of success in leading growth-focused sales teams was proven at telematics companies such as Navman Wireless, Qualcomm Omnitracs and HighwayMaster. Prior to entering the telematics industry, he held prominent sales leadership roles with Saunders Cash Control, Trendar and Fleet Control Services American Express. Mike has served on the Board of Trustees for the Association of Equipment Management Professionals Foundation whose charter provided scholastic funding for individuals pursuing careers in the construction industry. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee at Martin, and has served in both the Tennessee Army National Guard and the United States Marine Corps Reserve.

Dan Lehman, Sr. VP, Corporate Development

Dan brings over 25 years of experience in business and corporate development, strategy, finance and private equity in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining SmartDrive, he spent seven years with FBB Venture Capital and Pacific Coast Ventures, investing in, and helping, entrepreneurs and management teams successfully grow their businesses. Previously, Dan was a key member of the Strategy and Corporate Development team at Case Corporation, a $6 billion manufacturer of heavy equipment, and was responsible for acquisitions, recapitalizations, divestitures, and joint ventures for the company’s worldwide operations. Dan earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute) and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.

Penny Brooks

Penny Brooks, Managing Director EMEA

Penny is a highly experienced commercial vehicle industry professional, with 20 years’ experience, in the fleet truck, van and passenger transport sectors.  Prior to joining SmartDrive in 2015, she was 15 years with Renault Trucks, lastly as Marketing and Communications Director for UK and Ireland. Penny is well known for her active participation in the CV industry, having developed a deep understanding of both OEM and operational fleet requirements. She served for four years as the Chair of the CV Group at the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders and was appointed its first-ever female executive committee member.

Sheryl Roland

Sheryl Roland, Sr. VP, People Operations

As our Vice President, Human Resources since June 2014, Sheryl is responsible for all aspects of Human Resources to include talent acquisition, culture and retention, learning and development and total rewards. Sheryl brings extensive experience in global Human Resources to SmartDrive and has held executive management positions for the past 25 years at WebSideStory Inc. (a SaaS-based real-time analytics company acquired by Omniture/Adobe), Active Network, cloud based online registration and Auction.com, the nation’s leading online real estate marketplace. Her background also includes senior HR roles at PepsiCo and General Electric. Sheryl earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Science in counseling psychology from San Jose State University. Additionally, she was named San Diego’s Human Resources Executive of the Year in 2012 and received multiple awards as Best Place to Work in the companies she has led.