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Management

Wes Balakian

Founder & CEO

Mr. Balakian, PMP, founded TSI in 1999 and has successfully led the company to consistent, profitable growth, global expansion in five continents and the successful delivery of project management services to more than 1000 companies.

Mr. Balakian is a published author, accomplished speaker and successful instructor who has delivered training and consulting services to organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. He holds an Advanced Master's Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University's School of Business and had recently completed the Project Management Institute's (PMI's) Leadership Institute Masters Class. Under Mr. Balakian's leadership, TSI pioneered project management training delivery through worldwide podcasts with its "Lunchtime Lecture Series".

Prior to founding TSI, Mr. Balakian has twenty-five years experience in program and project management. He served with EDS as a Senior Program Manager in the Office of the CIO as well as various other Fortune 100 companies.

With a long history of volunteerism and a true project management evangelist, Mr. Balakian has been instrumental in changing the way project management is delivered, perceived and globally received. He has been a member of PMI since 1999 and was a founding member of PMI's e-Business SIG. Mr. Balakian has held several board positions throughout his tenure at PMI and has conducted courses for PMI's Seminars World, eSeminars World and served as a senior instructor and course development contributor for ESI International in advanced project management. He currently serves on the Community Relations Component Mentor Member Advisory Group (CR-MAG).

Mr. Balakian is well versed in corporate culture and change management as it relates to organizational maturity and is well-known for his practical expertise as a successful mentor and facilitator. He participated in the development of PMI's Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) methodology as a subject matter expert for process management. His experience includes development of critical business process improvement strategies along with short and long-term strategic planning for executive management teams. Mr. Balakian has extensive knowledge in implementation and management of complex, business-to-business solutions, supply chain, client relationship management, workforce optimization, and planning.

Lorie B. Gibbons

Chief Operating Officer

As True Solutions’ Chief Operating Officer, Lorie Gibbons is responsible for the implementation of the company's overall vision, developing and marketing TSI's world class consulting, training products and services. Further responsibilities include financial oversight, securing and managing future mergers/acquisitions and strategic partnerships in support of the company's long-term growth. Her leadership skills play a critical role in TSI's continued profitability and recognition in the ever-changing project management industry.

Her broad experience as a strong client advocate provides her with a deep understanding of the project management issues facing organizations today and positions her to provide leadership to True Solutions’ senior management team in order to enhance the company’s competitive advantage. Lorie believes project management, once embraced by a company, truly affects change in an organization and is an enabler for organizations to be competitive and successful. She is committed to providing measurable solutions for TSI's clients which enables them to meet their strategic plans and deliver business results.

Prior to becoming COO at True Solutions, Lorie was founder and CEO of PM ATLAS Business Group, a WBE project management service company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Ms. Gibbons was responsible for articulating and directing the company's overall vision, developing and marketing products and services to a broad client base.

In her 20 years of implementing and delivering IT and business projects, she has primarily been focused on project management best practices, data management, business process re-engineering and training. She has managed and delivered various supply chain, IT and business projects to several Fortune 100 customers including Radio Shack, Cash America, Fed Ex, Carter & Burgess, Transamerica and Alcon Laboratories.

Lorie, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 1999, also participates and supports local community organizations such as Lena Pope Home and North Texas Boys and Girl Club. She sits on the TCU Supply Value Chain Center (SVCC) Advisory Board providing insight to higher education programs promoting project management within the Supply Chain Industry. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience through writing, speaking and mentoring young adults in graduate and master level supply chain and project management education programs.

Gary Griffith

Chief Financial Officer

Gary Griffith has played a key role in True Solutions' continued growth as he provides strategic financial planning, budgeting and forecasting for all of TSI’s business groups.

Mr. Griffith's extensive experience includes more than 25 years of broad-based financial and operations experience focused on large national and entrepreneurial companies in high-tech, industrial, retail and educational corporations. His expertise also includes the management of early stage startup and Fortune 100 companies throughout a range of industries covering worldwide operations in manufacturing and professional services, as well as sales and distribution. Gary has expertise in establishing company financial infrastructures, investor relations, cash management, financial reporting, forecasting and entity financing, business plan development and implementation, audit management and production planning.

Prior to joining True Solutions, Gary held various executive and management positions within Johnson Controls, Inc., The Art Institute of Dallas, Shabang! Inc., U.S. Filter Corporation, and Inter-Tel Inc.

Gary holds a BS degree in Accounting from the University of Delaware and has been a licensed CPA in the State of Texas since 1992.

Tim Bergmann, PMP

Chief Learning Officer

As True Solutions’ Chief Learning Officer, Tim Bergmann, PMP, is a highly qualified project manager with three decades of experience managing a wide variety of information systems projects.

Prior to joining True Solutions, Mr. Bergmann’s experience included project management, operations management, infrastructure planning and implementation, business continuance planning, customer service, business development, corporate training and training development. He has created multiple project management certification and professional skills courses as well as co-authoring a best selling CISA Study Guide.

Mr. Bergmann’s credentials include Project Management Institute's Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Disaster Recovery Institute's Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).

In partnership with Wes Balakian, one of Tim’s latest projects includes co-authoring the Ultimate PMP® Exam Prep Guide that is being produced by True Solutions Inc. to respond to the changes in the PMBOK® Guide Fourth Edition. He is also working on other new books and new courses as part of the Ultimate Project Management Series™ that will be available in 2009.

Mr. Bergmann has seen a progressive management career with several local companies such as Compass Computer Service, Zale Corporation, Chief Auto Parts and B. R. Blackmarr/BrightStar Technology Group. As a consultant, he has worked with multiple Fortune 100 companies in a project management role.

Mr. Bergmann has performed premier projects for the world's largest auto manufacturer, a global insurance and investment provider, the world's largest jewelry retailer and a local transaction network and financial services provider.

Lisa Sullivan

Manager of Business Development

Lisa is a leader who has successfully created and executed strategic business development initiatives in an array of industries. She brings more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience to engagements. Her experience includes two major telecommunications companies and two prominent recruiting firms.

In 1999 she was named Rookie of the Year by the MAPC (Metroplex Association of Personal Consultants). The MAPC is a professional trade association dedicated to promoting business practices standards in the staffing industry. Her passion is developing long-term relationships, not only with strategic partners, but with her internal team members and other colleagues. Furthermore, as a leader who values leading by example, she encourages a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to excellence so that these traits become core-values of the team with which she works.

Currently she is overseeing development of International Partners in the Middle East. Lisa recently led the TSI team to win a 3.2 million dollar project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with a major telecommunications company.

Cynthia Hodgkins

Consulting Practice Director

Cynthia is TSI's Consulting Practice Director and is responsible for the growth and delivery of the company’s project management practice. She is also TSI's project manager for their practice and training expansion into Brazil. Her primary focus is leading project teams, developing project management best practices, business process re-engineering and training.

Cynthia has more than 20 years of project management and business process experience. She has managed and delivered various retail, financial services, supply chain, IT and business projects.

She holds a BA from University of Texas and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute. She is also active in a variety of social and arts-related charitable activities including the Fort Worth Garden Club Board of Directors, the Jubilee Theatre, Woman’s Club of Forth Worth, and the AIDS Outreach Center.

Allan Mills

TSI Eastern US Branch, Regional Director

Allan Mills has over two decades of experience in the Project Management field. He has significant experience with assessing organization’s project management maturity and developing and executing plans to implement Project Management Infrastructure in government, Information Technology, Research and Development, healthcare, and banking.

Allan has worked in professional Services organizations such as Keane and Decision Consultants where he developed and implemented the Project Management Office at Perdue Farms, Wachovia bank and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. He has also led Clarity implementations at Perdue Farms, and Carefirst BlueCross / BlueShield and is accredited in Clarity Release 8.

Allan has been an Adjunct professor at Western Carolina University (WCU), teaching graduate level courses in the Master of Project Management (MPM) degree program. He is a 1990 graduate of the WCU MPM program. Allan received his Project Management Professional certification in 1995.

Allan has been very active in the Project Management Institute (PMI) since 1989. He created the first student PMI chapter in 1989 in WCU. He was President of the North Carolina Chapter of PMI in 2003. He has been a Regional Component Mentor, which involves facilitating leadership development with the chapter leaders in PMI. He is now a member of the PMI Global Operations Center Community Resources Member Advisory Group (CR MAG). In this role, he is part of a team that advises PMI on enabling growth and success of PMI communities and also mentors new PMI leaders. Allan is also in PMI’s Leadership Institute class of 2005, and has delivered several leadership workshops to enable leaders to increase innovation, creativity, and team results.

Dr. Jerry Brightman

Executive Director The Leadership Institute Certificate Program

Dr. Jerry Brightman, President of The Leadership Group (TLG), joined True Solutions December 17, 2009 as Director of Leadership Training. Dr. Brightman holds a Doctorate in Business (DBA) degree from The George Washington University where his doctoral thesis was in the area of innovation and planned change in organizations. His MBA is from American University (Washington, DC) and he holds a BA in Economics from Clark University (Worcester, MA).

Dr. Brightman was an Assistant Professor of Management at Western Michigan University for two years prior to his moving to the corporate world with Associates Metals and Minerals Corporation (ASOMA) as Vice President of China Trade.

Following his work at ASOMA, Dr. Brightman became Executive Director of Harvard’s International Marketing Institute After eight years at IMI, Brightman became a Senior Consultant for MIT’s Peter Senge and his organization, Innovation Associates (IA). Senge wrote the seminal text on organizational learning - The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Dr. Brightman was a consultant and facilitator for the firm for five years and regularly applies the principles of organizational learning with his global clientele.

Dr. Brightman was recruited by the President of the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), CCL is the world’s premier leadership training institute. Dr. Brightman was a lead trainer for the Center’s six-day flagship program – The Leadership Development Program (LDP) - as well as the firm’s 3-day “Effecting Change” program. He also designed custom leadership development programs for CCL clients around the world. While at CCL, he was certified as a professional executive coach and still continues this work today in an adjunct capacity.

Dr. Brightman’s training, coaching, and leadership courses are now available exclusively through TSI.

Fabio Medeiros

General Manager & Administrator - Brasil

As True Solutions Inc.’s (TSI) Branch Manager and Administrator for Sao Paulo, Brazil, Fabio Pereira Lopes de Medeiros is a highly qualified addition to the TSI international team. He has played an integral role in developing the strategic presence of True Solutions in the Brazilian marketplace.

With more than 20 years of experience in management consulting, Mr. Medeiros is a successful instructor and an accomplished professional who has delivered services to organizations around the world, such as Security Dynamics (RSA), Cambridge Solutions USA, Rolta International, Silicon Graphics, Tenex Consulting, Mony International, and BrainOxygen.

Prior to joining True Solutions, Mr. Medeiros’ experience included project management, strategic solutions planning and implementation, business development, corporate training, and management consulting. He has participated in projects providing and implementing solutions for companies such as, Oral-B, Gillette, NEC do Brasil, British Telecom Brasil, Telesp, Banco Real, Unibanco, Klick Editora, Abigraf, The Mony Group, Petrobras, Telefonica, as well as many others.

Mr. Medeiros holds degrees in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University, International Economics from Boston University, Finance from Fundacao Getulio Vargas, and Business from University of Brasilia.

Tom Sheives, PhD, PMP

Executive Director, Business Development

Tom, Executive Director, Business Development with True Solutions, Inc., is a consultant, author, speaker and coach. His mission is to “Get Project Teams and Management Teams unstuck!” Tom’s new book OPPORTUNITY unstuck! describes key principles discovered from his recent experience in training over 175 executives with the Panama Canal Authority.

Tom is a graduate of Texas A&M, Baylor University, University of New Mexico, and Coach U and is on the faculty of the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also trained to deliver project team assessments, several 360o assessments, the Winslow Personality Assessment, and the Personal Coaching Styles Inventory.
Tom is on the board of the Fort Worth PMI Chapter and a frequent keynoter and facilitator of PMI workshops across the U.S. and world.

Tom Sheives, PhD, PMP

Executive Director, Business Development

Mr. Sawaya has over 28 years of Executive and Project Management experience with global general and specialty contracting companies. Presently, he is the president of Enterprise Performance Consulting (EPC), a firm that provides specialty contractors with consulting services and professional training programs.

Previously, he founded and managed Integrated Security Network (ISN), a division of Honeywell. At ISN, he designed and delivered specialized training and support programs for Security and Fire Integrators with exceptional results. Prior to ISN, Mr. Sawaya held several executive positions with Pinkerton Systems Integrations, including Acquisition Manager, Regional President and Vice President of Operations. His accomplishments at Pinkerton earned him both the 1996 Most Improved Region Award and the 1997 President of the Year Award; the company’s Highest Achievement Award. He also held key management positions with Siemens Building Technologies, JWP and Pauling-Rapco JV.

Mr. Sawaya holds a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters Degree in Construction Management. He also possesses a General Electrical Contracting License (C10) and an Alarm Company Qualified Manager (ACQ) Certificate in the State of California.