Executive Team

:: Larry S. Freed, President & CEO
:: Jeff Blackman, CFO
:: Cia McCaffrey, Vice President
:: Steve Jacob, Vice President, Sales
:: Mitchell Cohen, Vice President, Technology
:: Eric Head, Director, Business Development
:: Errol Hau, Senior Director, Government Markets
:: Farris Khan, Product Director
:: Angie Merkel, Director, Client Services
:: Russ Merz, Ph.D., Director, Research
:: Lee Pavach, Director, Marketing

Larry S. Freed, President & CEO

As President and CEO of ForeSee Results, Larry is responsible for managing the company's strategy and growth. Since the company’s founding in 2001, he has overseen significant growth in its client base, revenues and staff. Larry brings more than 20 years experience in senior management and in directing e-commerce and technology initiatives to ForeSee Results.

An expert on web customer satisfaction, Larry speaks extensively on the topic at private and public sector industry events and has been quoted in numerous publications and media, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Investor’s Business Weekly, Internet Retailer, Multichannel Merchant, DM News, Computerworld, Federal Computer Week and Government Executive, among many others.

Previously, Larry held several senior executive positions at Compuware Corporation, leading a variety of e-commerce and professional services programs. Most recently, he served as Vice President of e-Business, where he was responsible for directing the national e-Business practice and for the design, development and implementation of e-Business strategies for numerous companies.

Before joining Compuware, Larry held various positions including Chief Technology Officer at Bank One (formerly First Chicago NBD and NBD Bank).

Larry is currently on the Board of Directors and the executive committee of the Ann Arbor IT Zone, and previously held leadership positions at ASC X12, a national EDI standards group, and various other industry groups.

Larry holds a B.S. in computer science from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Wayne State University.

Jeff Blackman, CFO

As Chief Financial Officer, Jeff is responsible for the financial operations of ForeSee Results. This includes establishing strategies and financial processes that enables the company to reach its goals.  Specifically, Jeff is responsible for all aspects of financial reporting, analysis, treasury and taxes. 

Jeff came to ForeSee from ePrize, LLC, the worldwide leader in interactive promotions and loyalty programs, where he was the Chief Financial Officer. Jeff led the company through exponential growth while building the foundational processes and procedures that allowed the company to scale. Jeff not only led the company’s refinancing, but also was responsible for large operational initiatives, such as revamping the pricing policies and compensation plans. Jeff was a finalist for Crain’s CFO of the Year Award in 2007.

Prior to ePrize, Jeff was the Director of Financial Services at Valassis, the industry leader in promotional inserts. The company grew from $600M to over $1B during his tenure with the company. Jeff handled all aspects of M&A, treasury, tax, SEC reporting, SOX compliance and many other areas. In fact Jeff led the company’s largest M&A and financing transactions in the company’s history.

Jeff began his career at Ernst & Young as an auditor in the Detroit office, where he obtained his CPA.

Blackman is also the founder of Detroit’s CFO Forum, a monthly forum in which CFOs share best practices.

Cia McCaffrey, Vice President

Cia McCaffrey is a Vice President at ForeSee Results, where she is responsible for recruiting, human resources and office facilities. In this role, Cia manages the search for the best talent to contribute to the growth of ForeSee Results, which has experienced employee growth of at least 25% per year since it was formed. She is responsible for corporate Human Resource procedures and policies and provides guidance to and development of the employees. In addition to human resources, Cia ensures the efficient operations of the 15,000 square foot Ann Arbor office, and focuses on creating a comfortable, productive employee environment.

Cia has been with ForeSee Results since its inception. She came to ForeSee with over eight years of IT recruiting management experience and several years of human resource management experience. She was with Compuware Corporation for over three years before joining ForeSee Results. Most recently, she was Human Resource and Recruiting Manager for the Specialty Practices Division of Compuware, including the e-Business, Product Support and various Professional Services groups.

Cia graduated from Northwood University with a B.A. in Business Administration.

Steve Jacob, Vice President, Sales

In this role as Vice President, Sales, Steve Jacob is responsible for managing the worldwide sales team, with an emphasis on new client acquisition and customer satisfaction. Steve is focused on development of additional industry sectors and new international opportunities as well.

Steve has 20 years of experience in leading and developing customer-facing teams and has been responsible for sales, business development, professional services and customer support within every geographical region, including The Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

Prior to joining ForeSee Results, Steve held senior management positions at Ingres Corporation, Landmark Graphics, Scopus Technology, Net Perceptions, and Click Software. Most recently, he was a key contributor at Ingres immediately following the divestiture from Computer Associates, and therefore was responsible for developing a new sales organization that exceeded its revenue goals in the first two years.

Steve holds a Bachelors degree in Sports Science from the University of London.

Mitchell Cohen, Vice President, Technology

Mitchell Cohen is Vice President of Technology for ForeSee Results. He has primary responsibility for all corporate technical operations - planning, organizing and directing the company’s Information Systems programs and activities. He also provides guidance and counsel on the examination and definition of objectives for existing and proposed systems. Mitchell brings a combination of sophisticated technology and leadership skills to ForeSee Results.

Prior to joining ForeSee Results in 2006, Mitchell was Director of Application Architecture and Development for Ciber, Inc., a leading international systems integration consultancy. While at Ciber, he oversaw both domestic and off-shored development activities. He led teams in improvements resulting in the consistent delivery of on-time and on-budget technical solutions and millions of dollars of new business for the company.

Mitchell has also served as the Director of Technology for eePulse, where he led corporate IT strategy, business analysis and technical management activities through the company’s start-up phase. Prior to eePulse, Mitchell was a Managing Partner/Director of Software Development for Integral Software Systems, a company he founded.

Mitchell holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan.

Eric Head, Director, Business Development

Eric is responsible for managing strategic partnerships for the organization. Eric also plays a key role in the strategic growth of the organization, and was critical in helping ForeSee Results expand into the European market. He has been with ForeSee Results since 2001 and brings more than 17 years of experience managing technically advanced Internet and Auto-Identification/Data Collection products and programs.

Eric has managed key client engagements at ForeSee Results and frequently speaks at industry conferences on behalf of the organization. 
 
Prior to joining ForeSee Results, Eric was Director of Automotive Programs for Internet Operations Center, a leading regional Internet applications service provider. His role at IOC was to bring new Internet and E-commerce applications and solutions to the Automotive Industry, including a web-based “Dealer E-mail” program for Ford and a web-enabled EDI system.

Eric received a B.S. in Marketing from the Miami University-Oxford and his M.B.A with Distinction from the University of Michigan.

Errol Hau, Senior Director, Government Markets

Errol Hau is Senior Director of Government Markets for ForeSee Results. He is responsible for directing all facets of the Government Markets business line, including sales channel management, client delivery and market development. In this role, Errol manages a cross-functional staff of both sales/partner managers and research analysts that are responsible for the delivery of products and services across multiple public sector market segments. With his 15 years of business management experience, Errol has been a primary contributor to the formation and management of many operational and strategic functions for ForeSee Results, including product management, market development and client services and delivery.

Prior to joining ForeSee Results, Errol was Director of Product Management for CheckFree i-Solutions, the software division of the $800 million online bill payment company in Norcross, GA. Errol oversaw the development of bill presentment and payment software and market share growth in the banking, credit card, and investment services markets. Errol also served as Senior Product Manager for U.S. Bank in Minneapolis, MN.

Errol is a regular mentor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, a member of the Board of Directors at ActiFi Corp. and an active member of the Association for Financial Professionals. Errol graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Economics and received his M.B.A in Finance from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN.

Errol has been with ForeSee Results since May 2002.

Farris Khan, Product Director

Farris is Product Director for ForeSee Results and is responsible for all product strategy and deployment. Farris also acts as the product liaison between ForeSee Results client services team, marketing team, technical development team and the account management/sales team. 

Farris has helped to expand ForeSee Results product offerings to include the Comment Cluster Tool, Usability Audit Reviews, Ad Hoc Analysis Tool and the Online Portal. These new products allow ForeSee Results to customize its offerings based on the size and business needs of its clients.

Farris has held a variety of leadership positions during his 15 year career. He led all aspects of the development of Saturn.com for three years. He has held both strategic and tactical business consulting positions for Compuware for five years, servicing clients such as the Ann Arbor IT Zone, UAW-GM, Chrysler, and Ford. Prior to joining ForeSee Results, Farris served as a Senior Business Strategist at the Auto Club Group. He led AAA’s Midwest sponsorship activities and was the marketing leader for its radio traffic program.

Farris holds an M.B.A. degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  He also has a M.S. in Industrial and Operations Engineering and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Angie Merkel, Director, Client Services

Angie Merkel serves as Director of Client Services for ForeSee Results. In her role, she leads a team of research professionals committed to providing the highest level of quality deliverables to the company’s customers. Angie and her team are focused on ensuring customers realize value from their relationship with ForeSee Results.

Angie has over 20 years of experience leading customer-facing teams including client services, sales and marketing groups. Prior to joining ForeSee Results, Angie was National Director of Client Services for The Thomson Corporation. Before returning to Michigan, Angie held the position of General Manager at Caredata.com where she successfully ran a Chicago-based business focused on providing decision support products and e-commerce content solutions. Throughout Angie’s career, she has held various management positions in the areas of strategic planning, sales, marketing operations and client services with both large corporations and start-up companies.

Angie has an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BBA, with a major in business, from Western Michigan University. She continues to mentor students in undergraduate programs associated with WMU, and focuses on ways that her professional work can improve the communities in which she lives. While living in California, she was appointed by the Governor to serve on a task force which focused on the disparities within the healthcare delivery system.

Russ Merz, Ph.D., Director, Research

As the Research Director for ForeSee Results, Russ provides analytic expertise and guidance for day-to-day analysis activities and special projects. He also serves on the Foresee Results Technical Advisory Board, providing advice about future technological improvements, product developments and potential acquisitions. 

Russ has been consulting in the area of research methodologies and performance measurement for over 25 years. He participated in the founding and early growth management of three start-up enterprises in the business services sector, including oversight of the technology development effort that resulted in the creation of the Foresee Results web-based performance measurement platform.

Russ is also currently a Professor of Marketing at Eastern Michigan University. He has published in the Strategic Management Journal, the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Small Business Management, the Sport Marketing Quarterly and written proceedings articles for conferences held by the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice (AMTP).

Russ has a BS from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an MBA in Marketing from Miami University, and a Ph. D. in Marketing from Michigan State University.  He is also a member of the Academy of Marketing Science.

Lee Pavach, Director, Marketing

Lee Pavach is Director of Marketing for ForeSee Results. Responsible for the strategic planning and execution of the firm's integrated marketing programs, she manages a wide variety of marketing efforts including: public relations, events, marketing communications, media planning, website content and lead generation.

Working closely with Product Development and Sales, Lee helps identify marketing opportunities and manages on-going communications programs to maximize brand awareness, generate inquiries and support the sale of the company's products and services. She draws on 20 years of expertise in strategic planning, advertising and market research spanning consumer, business-to-business and e-commerce accounts.

Prior to joining ForeSee Results, Lee was Director of Marketing Services for Perich + Partners, a full service advertising and graphic design agency, where she managed the Account Services Department for 12 years. She specialized in financial services, health care, retail and high tech business, for clients such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Strong Investments, Borders Group, Inc. and CheckFree Corporation. Lee directed brand-building advertising programs, direct response broadcast, print and mail campaigns, qualitative and quantitative research and merchandising programs.

Before returning to Michigan, Lee was an account supervisor at Gillespie Advertising in Princeton, New Jersey, where she managed direct response advertising and mail programs for a variety of clients, including Dow Jones News/Retrieval, forerunner to DowJones.com.

Lee's professional associations include participation in the Ann Arbor IT Zone High Tech Tuesdays Programming Committee, where she has spoken several times, and a term as President of the Ann Arbor Ad Club during its early years.

Lee graduated from the University of Michigan in 1982 with a B.A. in Economics and Social Sciences.