Saeed A. Kazmi
Chairman and CEO
For almost 30 years, Mr. Kazmi has been developing innovative technologies that empower business to move in new directions.
Today, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vertical Systems, Inc. (VSi), a Silicon Valley-based company he co-founded in 2001 to provide sophisticated solutions for the hospitality industry through a wide range of automated business centers, mobile applications, Wi-Fi hotspots, kiosks, and in-room products.
Previously, he co-founded several firms that achieved important high-tech “firsts” including:
• VPNet Technologies, the first company in the world to focus on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
• Semi-Custom Logic, Inc., which conceived and developed a mobile tablet PC with an embedded GPS unit plus also managed prototype development for IBM’s micro-electronic graphics and data compression technology
• VIA Technology, one of the first developers of fabless PC semiconductor products, notably PC chip-sets and microprocessors
Mr. Kazmi earned an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at NED Engineering University in Karachi, Pakistan and a master’s engineering degree at Oregon State University (OSU). In 2008, he was named to OSU’s Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
Mr. Kazmi has built a career that is part science, part art, and all innovation. In the process, he has gained a strong reputation for leaving the ordinary behind – both with the technologies he develops and the companies he directs.
Idris Kothari
Chief Technology Officer
Design cutting-edge technology, then creatively transform it into practical business applications. That is what Mr. Kothari has done repeatedly over a distinguished career of almost 30 years.
In his current responsibilities with Vertical Systems, Inc. (VSi) – a company based in Silicon Valley that he helped to co-found in 2001 – he is developing sophisticated solutions for the hospitality industry through a wide range of automated business centers, mobile applications, Wi-Fi hotspots, kiosks, and in-room products.
As both an innovative scientist and a visionary entrepreneur, he has co-founded and held senior engineering positions at several successful high-tech start-up firms – notably VPNet Technologies, VIA Technologies, and SLI Systems – that focused on such specialized areas as PC chip-sets, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), search engine optimization (SEO), and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
Mr. Kothari earned two undergraduate degrees at schools in Karachi, Pakistan – one in physics at SM Science College and the other in electrical engineering at NED Engineering University. He earned a master degree in computer science at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
Although Mr. Kothari is a man of industry, he is also a man of character and of the community. For example, he is a founding member, past president, and current board chairman of OPEN Silicon Valley, a non-profit organization that promotes entrepreneurship and leadership among the area’s Pakistani-American residents.
In addition, he is a board member of several other civic groups, including the NED Alumni Association of Silicon Valley and Friends of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) USA. From 2002 to 2005, he served on the first global board of directors of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) and helped to start TiE chapters in Karachi as well as Lahore.
John Beasley
Vice President of Sales
Getting things done is an accomplishment, but getting things done right is an achievement. That’s not just a philosophy, it’s a passion for Mr. Beasley.
His more than 30 years of senior management experience in the lodging industry – including senior executive positions with AlphaNet Hospitality Systems, Paradygm Communications, Zenith Electronics, and most recently since 2007 with VSi – enable him to offer hoteliers an unmatched perspective of their technology challenges and opportunities.
The result: his customized solutions are helping franchise companies, management firms, and individual hotel properties throughout the country achieve measurable bottom-line results.
Alan Gregory
Vice President of Operations
Based on more than 20 years of experience in providing technology services to the hospitality industry, Mr. Gregory contributes to every project with both his broad strategic vision and his specific operational knowledge.
Prior to joining VSi in 2010, he held management positions of increasing responsibility with PSAV Presentation Services. He initially directed operations for a division which had 60 offices and generated more than $40 million in annual revenues, then later was responsible for product development as well as management of staffed and automated business center operations in almost 100 locations throughout the world.
Mr. Gregory earned a bachelor’s degree at California State University, Long Beach.
At VSi, his responsibilities include helping a hotel property improve its work flow, its efficiency, and its profitability. He achieves these objectives in two ways – first by developing a customized technology solution that’s right for the given hotel situation, then by supporting the technology with superior customer service. It’s a proven formula for customer satisfaction – and success.
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