Michael started in retail as a student, working in various roles including Receiver, Bookkeeper, Allocator, Sales and Manager in companies from regional closely held (Western Warehouse), to public companies (JC Penny, CompUSA). After graduating from the University of New Mexico, receiving a Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems, he moved into the corporate office of Western Warehouse in systems administration, a role that eventually included running the business applications of the retailer. At Western Warehouse Michael had the pleasure of working with an experienced and diverse group of business leaders who helped to guide Michael into not only being deeply involved in every business process, but to effectively use the technology element of his education – managing the various systems and initiatives that fell upon the IT department. When given the opportunity to move into the software world, Michael joined JDA as a Business Consultant eventually moving into the role of Enterprise Solution Architect, having been involved in Retail Software implementations and business transformations during 15 years leading technology projects worldwide. Now at Veras Retail, Michael is the Senior Director for Implementation Services. When not leading a project, he provides technical support to his family’s retail business in Albuquerque and enjoys time with his family.