Meet the Beacon Team
There’s an old saying that your company is only as good as the people who are behind it. Well, we’re proud to say that we have a team that has more than 20 years of experience in the web and audio conferencing industry. We invite you to meet some of the members of this dedicated and talented team.
John E. Duplin, Jr., President and CEO
As president and CEO, John brings a wealth of experience to BeaconLive, including over 20 years in telecom, five years in the medical field, and four years of R&D with MIT.
“The core executive and senior management teams have been working together for over 15 years. We know how important that close working experience has been to the success of BeaconLive.”
In addition to co-founding BeaconLive, John has held Engineering, Project Leader and Senior Management positions with MIT Lincoln Laboratories, Boston Technology, Dialogic, Siemens Medical, Priority Call Management, LHS and SEMA. His work in telecom-enhanced services, including messaging, conferencing, and pre-paid calling, has made him a valuable resource not only in developing BeaconLive’s conferencing technology, but also in servicing customers.
”At BeaconLive, we listen and respect what our customers say. We understand that we are a service business with a top-notch technology component. Paying attention to our customers’ needs is a clear differentiator for us.”
John is a graduate from the University of Massachusetts with a BS in Computer Science. John makes his home in Melrose, Mass., with his wife, Danielle, and their two daughters, Alexandra and Sophia. The family is particularly fond of their Maltese named Bentley, who often visits the BeaconLive office.
Q&A with John:
Q: You hit “shuffle” on your iPod. What three songs come up?
A: ”I Got a Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas, “Hotel California” by the Eagles, “Ventura Highway” by America
Q: Favorite food?
A: Rib eye, medium rare. Or Lobster Fra Diavolo.
Q: Dream vacay?
A: Sail from Boston down the East Coast through the Panama Canal, down to the coast of Costa Rica, and out to the Galapagos Islands and back!
Q: Worst. Job. Ever.
A: Bussing tables at Logan Airport.
Anthony Rotella, Chief Operating Officer & Partner
When it comes to managing company operations, there’s no better person for the job than Tony, a BeaconLive co-founder and partner. From managing worldwide 24/7 technical support call centers to directing customer service centers, Tony’s experience provides the foundation for BeaconLive’s incredible customer service.
Not only that, but Tony has deep knowledge of the infrastructure design and theory of voice and data networking, thanks to his high-level support relationships with telecom/date giants Qwest, Level 3, AT&T, Cisco and many other large scale service providers in all areas of the world.
“I pride myself on having the foresight to imagine the next generation of products and the ability to create a team to design a solution.”
Tony has held Field Engineering, Management and Director positions in Customer Service, Technical Support and I.T. at Apollo Computers, Boston Technology, Priority Call Management, LHS and SEMA. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Brockport with a BS in Computer Science.
Q&A with Tony:
Q: Where were you born?
A: Niagara Falls, NY.
Q: Where’s home now?
A: I divide time between Venice, Florida, and Melrose, Mass.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: I have three great children. My oldest daughter just received her MBA from Gulf Coast University, my youngest daughter is a captain on a Division 1 cheerleading team at University of South Florida, and my son is currently a senior in high school along with being the quarterback of his football team.
Q: What volunteer work are you involved with?
A: YOUTH SPORTS! I’ve coached football (i.e. “volunteered”) for the last 10+ years (high school and pop warner). I love sports, and so do my kids.
Dan Olaru, Vice President of Engineering
Dan’s well-rounded background makes him the perfect fit for BeaconLive. In addition to his more than 18 years experience in computer engineering, Dan has held various positions in research, university teaching, and hardware and software design, including embedded systems design and factory automation software.
His past positions include architect and senior software engineer for well-known companies such as Synamics Inc. and PRI Automation Inc., both based out of Toronto. He says that he prides himself on his creativity, self-motivation, and practical thinking.
“We are a customer service-oriented company, but at the same time, we are a technology company. Usually a services company would use a 3rd party technology, while a technology company would mainly sell the technology. But at Beacon, we develop our technology in-house in order to provide professional services. And this gives us the agility and flexibility to follow our customers’ needs.”
Dan works out of Toronto, Canada, and Melrose, Mass., and holds an MS in Computer Engineering from Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iaşi, Romania, which was founded in 1813 and has one of the oldest traditions in engineering education.
Q&A with Dan
Q: What are your interests outside of BeaconLive?
A: I’m interested in science (physics and cosmology), technology, and business.
Q: What’s something about you that not everyone knows?
A: I’m a compulsive magazine reader. I read 8-9 per month on the above topics.
Q: Next up for fun or hobbies?
A: I’m hoping to start playing again with wires and build electronic gadgets.
Q: What’s your day-to-day or life’s philosophy?
A: I think Woody Allen (big fan) once said something like: “Where did we come from? Where are we going? What time is the dinner?”
Scott Bradshaw, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Scott combines his successful sales experience with his passion for customer service. So many of BeaconLive’s customers see Scott as their internal advocate. Scott is actively involved in developing BeaconLive’s Sales, Marketing & Customer Retention efforts.
Born and raised in the Greater Boston area, Scott started with BeaconLive in 2007 and has over 20+ years of sales and marketing experience. He has held senior positions and led teams in sales & business development for Fidelity Investments, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Quest Diagnostics, and Metromedia Fiber Network.
When asked what he likes most about BeaconLive, he says, “Once we win a customer, they almost never leave. This provides a lot of satisfaction and shows that what we’re doing is meaningful to many organizations. We are the company that seems to always come through for our customers – great customer service while remaining flexible and agile with the technology to satisfy any size customer. I am proud to be part of a team that can continuously deliver in this fashion.”
Scott is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with a BS in Marketing. He makes his home in Tyngsboro, Mass., with his wife, two kids, and their black lab, Tucker. When not working Scott enjoys golfing, skiing and spending time with the kids and family.
Q&A with Scott
Q: Favorite movie?
A: Too many to pick! For a comedy, I like Caddyshack (although The Hangover is climbing the charts). For drama, Shawshank Redemption.
Q: Favorite actor/actress?
A: Morgan Freeman / Sandra Bullock.
Q: Favorite sport and team?
A: I love all sports – but all things Boston. Football is my favorite: college and NFL. Patriots and Notre Dame lead the way in football.
Q: Worst. Job. Ever.
A: Carpet cleaner.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: Golfing and spending time and doing activities with family.
Kathy Tae, Vice President of Operations
Kathy, who works out of Comox, British Columbia, is the leader of – and often the vision behind – BeaconLive’s superior customer service. She manages the event staff and operations including the operators, moderators, event producers, and administrators. She and her team are responsible for the set-up and execution of thousands of calls and webinars each month.
Kathy loves the fast-paced environment and wouldn’t have it any other way. She says, “Being such an organized (ok, obsessive) and detail-oriented (alright, picky) person, I love the whole process of bringing a new customer on board and then doing everything we do to ensure that their events run flawlessly from start to finish, each and every time.”
Kathy also points out that one of the reasons why the Beacon team is so successful is because they know one another so well. She says, “We’re a really tight-knit group. Prior to BeaconLive, many of us worked together in other capacities, and we know each others’ strengths and weaknesses.”
In addition to her impeccable project management skills, Kathy has 25 years of extensive experience in the IT industry.
Prior to becoming Vice President of Operations and Director of Conferencing Services for BeaconLive, Kathy has held a number of other positions, including business analyst, technical writer, manager of testing and documentation, QA manager and customer service manager. Kathy makes her home on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Q&A with Kathy
Q: Favorite food?
A: Any kind of seafood.
Q: Favorite sport/athlete/sports team?
A: Hockey, eh?! I’m Canadian!
Q: Dream vacation?
A: I would like to go on a yoga retreat.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: Anything outside – running, hiking, kayaking, sailing, you get the idea!
Vicky Gibson, Director of Finance
Having worked in the manufacturing, medical, and workers’ compensation industries, Vicky brings a wide range of experience to BeaconLive. Her business acumen is top notch, and she understands the complexities of everything from smaller family-owned businesses to larger companies with multiple locations. Her expertise includes managing contracts, A/P, A/R, hiring, and training.
Vicky joined the BeaconLive team in 2008, and she notes that the word “team” is what really drew her to the organization. She says, “We truly are a team. We all work together to achieve the ultimate goal and that is to provide our customers with the service they deserve. We are committed to customer excellence.”
At BeaconLive, Vicky handles finance, HR, and office management with equal aplomb. She prides herself on her dedication, motivation, and attention to details. She adds with a chuckle, “My title may be ‘Director of Finance,’ but I am more like a ‘Gal Friday.’ I tend to be a little obsessive and want to make sure everything – from our clients’ needs to our own office management – is taken care of.”
Vicky earned her BA in Business from Salem State College. She makes her home in Boston and has two fantastic grown children, one adorable grandson, and a beloved black lab named Yaz.
Q&A with Vicky:
Q: Favorite TV show?
A: Hands down, Grey’s Anatomy!
Q: Favorite movie?
A: The Godfather…all of them.
Q: Worst. Job. Ever.
A: I worked (ever so briefly) repossessing cars. Very scary!
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: Anything that involves time with family and friends. I just started to enjoy riding on the back of a Harley.