Ethan Simmons   

Managing Partner
Simmons started his IT career in the early 90s, working for several leading-edge companies that provided him exposure to some of the early Internet networking technologies. In 1996, Simmons co-founded his first company, NetTeks, focusing on helping businesses adopt VoIP and virtualization solutions. In late 2008, Simmons successfully managed the acquisition of NetTeks [su_expand more_text=”Show more” less_text=”Show less” height=”0″ hide_less=”no” text_color=”” link_color=”#0088FF” link_style=”default” link_align=”left” more_icon=”” less_icon=”” class=””]to Dallas-based INX, Inc. For the next three years, Simmons ran the New England operations for INX, until INX was acquired by a private equity company. For the following two years, Simmons led his own consulting company that focused on helping companies, such as Cisco, evolve their channel partner programs. Simmons then joined Dallas-based Lumenate in 2013, where he ran their New England operations and later managed their Cisco business nationally.

Over the last few years, it became very apparent that the IT market was rapidly changing, and the way businesses consume IT was changing along with it. It was also clear that the larger IT VARs were having a difficult time changing their business models to compete in today’s Cloud-based economy. This led to the creation of Pinnacle Technology Partners, a team of like-minded industry veterans that saw the need to help businesses better manage their IT assets, and secure their environments, as they make the transition to Cloud-based solutions.

Simmons is married with three daughters, and when he is not working, he enjoys watching their various sports activities (unless the Patriots are playing).

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Mike McElaney  

Vice President, Sales
McElaney started his sales career in telecommunications at RCN/UltraNet in 1996, selling voice services and Internet connectivity to commercial and higher-ed clients in the Boston area. In 2002, he joined AT&T’s Enterprise sales team in Boston, where he focused on providing complex WAN and hosting solutions to Fortune 1000 clients. In 2004, with VoIP and security [su_expand more_text=”Show more” less_text=”Show less” height=”0″ hide_less=”no” text_color=”” link_color=”#0088FF” link_style=”default” link_align=”left” more_icon=”” less_icon=”” class=””]solutions dominating the IT landscape, McElaney transitioned to the VAR space as an Account Manager at Cisco’s fastest growing partner, Networked Information Systems (NIS) in Woburn, MA.

Not long after starting with NIS, he was tapped to manage the company’s EMC sales efforts. Virtualization was just beginning to proliferate data centers in 2005, and storage revenues at NIS spiked. That same year, NIS was acquired by a private equity firm and renamed Presidio Networked Solutions. From 2005-2008, the EMC practice grew to $40+ million in revenue. Mid-way through 2008, McElaney was named the first New England Director of Sales for Presidio. He managed a team that topped out at 19 reps and over $110M in revenue by 2012.

From 2013 to his departure from Presidio in July 2015, he recognized a distinct shift in how clients were engaging Presidio and other VARs. Cloud computing was impacting client decisions every day. The manner in which applications were being delivered was changing, and VARs weren’t making the pivot. This lead him to join in the formation of Pinnacle Technology Partners. [/su_expand]

Gary Derheim  

Vice President, Managed Services
Starting his career in direct sales roles in manufacturing, logistics and technology, Derheim learned consultative selling and problem solving. This led to leadership roles in Business and Product Development, responsible for crafting service logistics outsourcing contracts with major computer manufacturers such as Apple, HP and MicronPC. [su_expand more_text=”Show more” less_text=”Show less” height=”0″ hide_less=”no” text_color=”” link_color=”#0088FF” link_style=”default” link_align=”left” more_icon=”” less_icon=”” class=””]

In 2000, Derheim joined a CEO of one his previous companies as a founding member of Internetwork Experts, to be later re-named INX, Inc. Derheim developed and launched INX’s Managed Services business in 2002, focused on managed network and VoIP services, and continued leading that organization until INX’s acquisition by private equity in 2011. With a passion for building services teams, Derheim joined Lumenate in early 2012 to build a managed services practice with an emphasis on data center, network and cyber-security services. Pinnacle Technology Partners acquired the managed services business in 2017 to add to its services portfolio in order to assist customers with managing networks and securing critical data.

Derheim has a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Arizona, is married with three daughters, serves as a lead coach and board member of the Frisco Heat Track Club, and is part of a competitive masters cycling team in Frisco, TX.
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Eric Ransden  

Director, Account Services
Ransden started his career in IT in the financial services industry in the early 90s where he led the adoption and integration of client server computing and leading-edge networking technologies. As Manager of Technology Services, he was responsible for the corporate infrastructure, data center, network, help desk, application deployment, and corporate [su_expand more_text=”Show more” less_text=”Show less” height=”0″ hide_less=”no” text_color=”” link_color=”#0088FF” link_style=”default” link_align=”left” more_icon=”” less_icon=”” class=””]application services. This experience led him to become IT Director for several leading network and data center companies, building advanced IT, networking, application, database, storage, compute, and security infrastructures.

Ransden subsequently held management positions with International Computerware Inc., later acquired by Lumenate, with broad responsibilities, including leading the company’s transition from a professional services company to a comprehensive consulting, solutions, and integration organization, and directed the establishment of new channel partner alliances and partnerships. Following the Lumenate acquisition, Ransden ran Sales and Consulting for the East Region.

The shift in how technology was being consumed over the past couple years, and the transition that technology partners would need to make to lead this new model, led Ransden to join the founding team of Pinnacle Technology Partners.

A 1991 graduate of the University at Albany, SUNY with a BS Degree in Management Information Systems, Ransden went on to earn a Masters in Management Information Systems in 1999 from Bentley University’s McCallum Graduate School of Business. [/su_expand]