Monty Hamilton is the CEO and founder of Sparq, formerly known as Rural Sourcing, where he leads the executive team and drives the overall strategy. Sparq is a unique digital engineering company focused on helping its clients realize their digital transformation strategies and creating thousands of technology careers in places where they otherwise would not exist. Monty has helped grow the firm through two private equity investments to become the largest privately held digital engineering firm with colleagues across the US and Latin America. He is a sought-after speaker on the outsourcing and domestic sourcing topic and has recently been featured on CNBC, BBC, NPR radio and at various industry conferences including IAOP, Gartner, Digital Georgia and others. In addition, recent articles depicting Sparq’s innovative outsourcing model have appeared in Business Week, CNN Money magazine, CFO magazine, and CIO magazine.
This is Monty’s second entrepreneurial startup venture after leaving Accenture in 1995. He joined together with four other colleagues to build a consulting firm – Clarkston Consulting. He was instrumental in growing Clarkston into a global strategic and systems integration firm with offices across the US and Europe. After Clarkston’s acquisition of Sparq, he became the CEO in 2009.
Monty is on the Board of Directors for Ventures ATL, a technology company in Atlanta focused on providing careers for adults on the autism spectrum, a member of the Board of Trustees for Millsaps College, and an investor in early stage technology companies.
Monty holds an M.B.A. from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and a B.B.A. in business from Millsaps College.
As President at Sparq, Ingrid leads Sparq’s network of software development centers in the US and the growth of their almost 1000 colleagues. Under Ingrid’s leadership, Sparq’s colleagues around the country partner with clients to lead, innovate and deliver on the transformational power of digital engineering and product development. She also oversees a number of vital corporate functions, including resource management, talent acquisition, colleague services, and training. Ingrid also serves as the Executive Sponsor of Sparq’s Equity Inclusion & Diversity (EI&D) Council, whose mission is to spread a sense of belonging and inclusion among colleagues, clients, and their communities.
Ingrid previously worked at Clarkston Consulting as a management consultant leading teams on major software implementations.
Ingrid is a graduate of Babson College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
Tre Sasser is the Chief Financial Officer for Sparq. He is responsible for the company’s overall financial strategy and implementing the infrastructure needed to sustain Sparq’s rapid growth and expansion plans. He brings nearly 20 years of strategic, financial and operational experience to Sparq.
Tre has held leadership positions in both Fortune 500 companies and startups. Prior to joining Sparq, he served as CFO for eMag Solutions, LLC, an eDiscovery technology and data restoration provider, as CFO for Exaserv, Inc., a global IT consulting firm and as Director of Credit for Sanmina Corp, an electronics manufacturing services provider. Tre began his career at Hewlett Packard, where he served in a variety of roles, ranging from sales to finance.
Tre earned his MBA from Georgia State University with a concentration in finance and his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a licensed CPA. He grew up in Marietta, GA where he lives with his wife and three children.
As Chief Revenue Officer, Alex is responsible for Sparq’s revenue growth and initiatives. Under Alex’s leadership, Sparq’s client list and revenue have grown considerably. He oversees Sales, Solutions Engineering, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations and our Client Success teams.
Alex has over 25 years of sales and leadership experience with a focus on technology and services. He is a pragmatic business leader bringing a diverse range of functional experience including roles across Technology, Finance & Accounting, Sales, Account Management, Sales Operations and Regional P/L Leadership. Alex has worked for companies in various stages from successful start-ups to established private firms to $25 billion + public corporations.
Prior to joining the company in 2016, Alex held a variety of growth-oriented leadership roles at Solu Technology Partners, Experis, Jefferson Wells, Daugherty Business Solutions and S1 Corporation ranging from SVP – Sales to GM to Managing Director.
Alex received his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and his masters from Southern Methodist University.
As Chief Marketing Officer, John is responsible for amplifying Sparq’s visibility and reach, while creating effective marketing initiatives to drive revenue growth.
John has more than 20 years of experience building and managing marketing teams for startup, mid-sized and large software and services companies.
Previously, John was Global Chief Marketing Officer for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a large global IT outsourcing company. While at TCS he transformed and grew the capabilities of the Global Marketing function from 25 to over 300 people globally as the company expanded from $1.5B to over $16B in revenue. John also held CMO roles with other technology firms such as CareerBuilder and WhittmanHart.
John is a graduate of Michigan State University, where he earned a B.A. in Accounting.
As Chief Client Officer for Sparq, Scott is responsible for one of our core values, ‘Change the Experience.’ He and his team are client-facing, colleague-centered and delivery-focused to ensure that our clients are delighted with our services. Scott works across our Sales, Sales Engineering and Delivery teams to ensure common practices and drive rigor that results in excellent outcomes.
With 30+ years of hands-on technology leadership experience, Scott has led high-performing teams, technology groups, and business divisions through dozens of enterprise initiatives, systems development and digital innovation. He has also led organizational transformation initiatives with a recent focus around Agile, DevOps and Cloud transitions driven by rapidly growing digital demands across a number of industries and organizations.
Scott is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where he earned a B.S. in Computer Science.
As Chief People Officer, Robin provides leadership and guidance for Colleague Services, Talent Acquisition and Learning and Development to support Sparq’s entire colleague lifecycle.
Prior to joining Sparq, Robin served as Chief People Officer for Outmatch, a leader in the hiring experience space. She has also served in HR leadership roles for WestRock, Hitachi Consulting and Delta Air Lines.
Robin earned a Bachelor of General Studies in business, communications and political science from Ohio University.
Derek Perry is the Chief Technology Officer for Sparq. His responsibilities include developing innovative and strategic service offerings and implementing solutions for our clients.
A technologist by background, Derek has more than a decade of experience in leading engagements and building solutions. His background has a strong focus in enterprise applications, particularly in Quality Systems, as well as broad custom application development experience. Prior to his role with RSI, Derek was the Director of the Quality Systems Business Solution and Manager at Clarkston Consulting. During his tenure at Clarkston Consulting, he was responsible for delivery consistency, methodology development, and service offering development for quality systems engagements.
Derek’s industry experience includes the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and consumer products industry verticals. Within these industry verticals, Mr. Perry has deep knowledge of laboratory operations and automation, informatics, quality management and manufacturing operations. Derek is a graduate of Georgia Tech, where he earned a B.S. in Computer Science.
Janet Pierce is Chief Engineering Officer at Sparq. In this role, she leads the strategic positioning of Sparq engineering capabilities in the market. Her leadership helps accelerate delivery and maximize outcomes for Sparq’s clients. She also partners with company leadership and developers to drive change, help evolve skills and competencies and continue to position Sparq for extended growth.
Before joining Sparq, Janet previously served as VP of Engineering and IT Delivery at Paya Inc. and VP of Application Development at PrimeRevenue. She started her career as an engineer and went on to serve as a technical lead and technical architect before moving to leadership, which gives her a unique perspective on the challenges of RSI’s clients and engineers.
Janet has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Georgia State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude.
As Executive Vice President, Tim establishes executive relationships with Sparq clients and partners directly with them to help plan and execute their software development initiatives. He has a passion for helping clients apply a product mindset to their businesses and building software and products that make a measurable impact.
Tim has over 20 years of executive, software and product development consulting experience across a broad range of industries. Prior to joining RSI, he served as CEO for Centare, a digital business and technology consultancy, and was responsible for the company’s overall strategy, including its acquisition by RSI. Prior to Tim’s role as CEO, he led market expansion at Centare and served as Senior Technical Consultant.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
As Vice President of Service Delivery, Trey’s focus is on supporting his fellow Development Center Directors and helping define the strategies needed to address Sparq’s rapid growth.
Before joining Sparq, Trey was Director of IT for a national insurance claims adjusting firm, where he developed the strategy and execution plans for the Information Services group, which encompassed more than a dozen locations across the United States. He also previously served as IT Manager for a regional engineering firm. Trey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from University of South Alabama.
Tony Robinson is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. In this role, Tony is taking some of Sparq’s biggest challenges and opportunities and aligning them with the right people to help solve them. He’s also rethinking the configuration and purpose of our development centers so Sparq can build strong ties between our colleagues and our communities, while also creating more value for them. The company’s Equity, Inclusion & Diversity (EI&D) efforts are all led by Tony, who has worked to formalize our strategy so that EI&D is woven into all of Sparq’s goals.
Prior to joining Sparq, Tony’s positions included Chief Operating Officer at a marketing firm and Operations Manager at a large logistics delivery center. Those roles required skills in both strategic thinking as well as operational execution, which Tony uses in his work at Sparq.
Tony has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Augusta University, a Master of Business Administration from Old Dominion University, a Master of Science in Organization Change from Georgia State University, and a Doctoral Degree in Strategy from the University of Alabama.
As Sparq’s Regional Colleague Director for the West region, Margret ensures her colleagues are well-aligned to their projects, so they can provide optimal client service. She’s also responsible for her colleagues’ continued growth, development, and satisfaction.
Before joining Sparq in 2017, Margret worked for a number of large software companies including Thomson Reuters and America Online (AOL). Margret received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the College of Wooster and a Master of Arts in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University.
As Regional Colleague Director for the Northeast region, Natascha’s role is to ensure that Sparq acquires and retains a talented and diverse group of colleagues. Her focus is on supporting their growth and engagement while ensuring they have the tools they need to be successful in their careers and in the community.
Natascha has nearly 15 years of project management experience, including six at Sparq. Prior to joining the company, Natascha had roles at the Walt Disney Company and Electronic Arts (EA).
Natascha has a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from University of California, Los Angeles.
As the Regional Colleague Director for the Central region, Darrell works closely with clients and colleagues and continuously builds relationships with community leaders to ensure Sparq stays locally engaged and connected.
Prior to joining Sparq, Darrell worked for Motorola for almost a decade in the managed services division, where he was responsible for the installation and management of retail network infrastructures.
Darrell has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from John Brown University.
As Regional Colleague Director for the Southeast region, Jeanne is responsible for supporting colleagues as they grow in their careers and removing roadblocks so they can deliver for Sparq’s clients. She also works closely with community organizations to build partnerships that help create a strong, tech-focused workforce.
Before joining Sparq in 2013, Jeanne worked in senior Quality Assurance (QA) and Product Management roles for a number of organizations, including Peoplesoft for over 10 years.
Jeanne has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Ithaca College.
As Regional Colleague Director for the Central region, Ian is responsible for providing the leadership, support, and coaching necessary for colleagues to achieve success within their client engagements and throughout their careers. He works closely with the colleagues in his centers to support Sparq’s culture, create connection and engagement within their communities and provide a fulfilling experience.
Previously, Ian was Vice President of Delivery at Centare, a digital business and technology consultancy, before its acquisition by Sparq. In his role, he collaborated with other senior leaders to build and drive organization-wide strategy, was responsible for the Milwaukee delivery team consisting of 70 consultants and partnered with sales to build and pitch approaches for incoming opportunities and manage active client accounts. He also managed the resourcing process to align delivery team members on to client engagements. Ian has a passion for solving business problems through technology and has taken advisory roles on client engagements ranging across industries to help teams and clients deliver world-class software products that delight customers.
Ian has an Associate Degree in Applied Science, IT-Programmer/Analyst from Waukesha County Technical College.
As Regional Vice President of Sales, Michael manages a team of senior client executives and is responsible for helping to grow revenue for the company. He’s also the Chairperson of Sparq’s Equity Inclusion & Diversity (EI&D) Council.
After starting his career as a Labor Union representative in Boston, Michael soon transitioned to an outside sales position where he discovered his passion for selling. He’s spent the last 10 years in the domestic IT outsourcing industry, where his roles have ranged from business development to B2B sales.
Michael received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Morehouse College.
As Regional Vice President of Sales, Mike leads a team of senior client executives, while also helping clients achieve their digital acceleration goals. Mike has over 30 years of sales and divisional leadership experience in technology, workforce and advisory services.
Previously, he served as Director of Client Service and Strategic Accounts at RGP, a global consulting firm, and Managing Director of Central U.S. Divisional Operations at Jefferson Wells, a global leader in resourcing and project-based workforce solutions. Mike has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from Oklahoma State University.
As Regional Vice President of Sales, Peter leads a team of senior client executives, while also helping clients achieve their digital acceleration goals. Peter has over 30 years of sales and divisional leadership experience in consulting, advisory services and technology.
Prior to joining Sparq, Peter served on the leadership teams at Robots & Pencils, and Nerdery, both digital product strategy, design and development firms. He has been involved in the strategy and planning of many mid-large scale transformation initiatives.
Peter has a BA in Economics from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY.
Monty Hamilton is the CEO and founder of Sparq, formerly known as Rural Sourcing, where he leads the executive team and drives the overall strategy. Sparq is a unique digital engineering company focused on helping its clients realize their digital transformation strategies and creating thousands of technology careers in places where they otherwise would not exist. Monty has helped grow the firm through two private equity investments to become the largest privately held digital engineering firm with colleagues across the US and Latin America. He is a sought-after speaker on the outsourcing and domestic sourcing topic and has recently been featured on CNBC, BBC, NPR radio and at various industry conferences including IAOP, Gartner, Digital Georgia and others. In addition, recent articles depicting Sparq’s innovative outsourcing model have appeared in Business Week, CNN Money magazine, CFO magazine, and CIO magazine.
This is Monty’s second entrepreneurial startup venture after leaving Accenture in 1995. He joined together with four other colleagues to build a consulting firm – Clarkston Consulting. He was instrumental in growing Clarkston into a global strategic and systems integration firm with offices across the US and Europe. After Clarkston’s acquisition of Sparq, he became the CEO in 2009.
Monty is on the Board of Directors for Ventures ATL, a technology company in Atlanta focused on providing careers for adults on the autism spectrum, a member of the Board of Trustees for Millsaps College, and an investor in early stage technology companies.
Monty holds an M.B.A. from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and a B.B.A. in business from Millsaps College.
Michael Reene is a senior corporate strategist focused on business growth, market value growth and innovation. He recently served as a senior vice president within PRGX where he supported their turnaround initiative, and has served in senior advisory roles to CEO/Board levels for First Sports International, SunGard, Dasient, Avocent, and ChoicePoint. Michael started his career in technology at Accenture where he became a managing partner responsible for the Telecom and Media industry practice and then moved to IBM where he was global VP of IBM’s Telecom vertical.
Michael has played an active role within the Atlanta community including founder and chairman of the Technology Association of Georgia, vice-chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, a trustee at Georgia State University, visiting lecturer at Emory University, board roles at Boy Scouts, the Business and Technology Alliance, and the Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technologies.
Michael holds an M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Illinois.
