Involta Leadership & Board of Directors
A strong company starts with strong leadership.
A strong company starts with strong leadership.
James (Jim) Buie, President and Chief Executive Officer, oversees has been a driving force in accelerating Involta’s growth trajectory throughout the country. Jim has built a cohesive operations, sales, and marketing culture that models his motivation and enthusiasm for the business. Jim joined Involta in 2016 as Chief Financial Officer, and steadily took on more responsibility to help the company grow profitably while expanding nationally.
Jim served as President from 2020-2022 and was instrumental in the acquisition of the company by global investment firm, Carlyle. He’s also transformed the company’s hybrid cloud, security and strategic consulting offerings through the strategic acquisitions and partnerships. From his start at Involta, Buie has been very active in Involta Cares, the company’s philanthropic platform that extends resources across the communities Involta serves.
Before joining Involta, Jim held executive roles at ViaWest, Comcast and AT&T. During his tenure, ViaWest became one of the largest privately held data center infrastructure, cloud and managed IT providers in North America.
Jim serves on the boards of the Idaho Tech Council and the Sun Corridor, the economic development leader in southern Arizona. He also stays active in numerous other industry and regional technology organizations focused on developing the technology workforce, deepening tech community relationships, and driving public policy to protect innovation.
Jim graduated from Florida State University and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Colorado.
James Buie
President and Chief Executive Officer
James (Jim) Buie, President and Chief Executive Officer, oversees has been a driving force in accelerating Involta’s growth trajectory throughout the country. Jim has built a cohesive operations, sales, and marketing culture that models his motivation and enthusiasm for the business. Jim joined Involta in 2016 as Chief Financial Officer, and steadily took on more responsibility to help the company grow profitably while expanding nationally.
Jim served as President from 2020-2022 and was instrumental in the acquisition of the company by global investment firm, Carlyle. He’s also transformed the company’s hybrid cloud, security and strategic consulting offerings through the strategic acquisitions and partnerships. From his start at Involta, Buie has been very active in Involta Cares, the company’s philanthropic platform that extends resources across the communities Involta serves.
Before joining Involta, Jim held executive roles at ViaWest, Comcast and AT&T. During his tenure, ViaWest became one of the largest privately held data center infrastructure, cloud and managed IT providers in North America.
Jim serves on the boards of the Idaho Tech Council and the Sun Corridor, the economic development leader in southern Arizona. He also stays active in numerous other industry and regional technology organizations focused on developing the technology workforce, deepening tech community relationships, and driving public policy to protect innovation.
Jim graduated from Florida State University and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Colorado.
Ken Kremer
Chief Technical Officer - Data Center Strategy
Ken Kremer, Founder and Chief Technical Officer, uses a methodical and measured approach to his work that has been instrumental in the growth of Involta’s national data center footprint. As one of Involta’s co-founders, Ken’s consistent leadership in technical services and operations has enabled the company to expand its data center and managed services portfolio.
Prior to Involta, Ken held leadership positions in high-tech companies focusing on operational efficiencies, innovative solution engineering and regulatory compliance issues. Ken’s career has been focused on data center operations and managed services since 1997.
Ken seamlessly integrates people, processes and services to help Involta deliver on its promise of ‘People Who Deliver.”
Michelle Moran
Senior Vice President of Sales, Product, and Marketing
Michelle Moran, Senior Vice President of Sales, Product and Marketing, is an inventive, passionate, and reliable leader in the IT industry. With more than 30 years of experience at the forefront of the technology industry’s continuous evolution, she leverages her skills to deliver success for Involta and its clients every day. Her exceptional leadership helps teams deploy new technologies, successfully sell cutting-edge IT solutions and open new data center markets across the Involta national footprint.
Michelle's prior experience includes multiple leadership positions in the technology industry, which have provided her with a nuanced understanding of the needs of a market-leading IT company. She sits on the Greater Akron Chamber Board of Directors and on the Workforce Development Board of Medina and Summit Counties, where she serves as Chair of the performance committee. As a member of Leadership Akron, she continues her passion for working with local high schools to support IT education initiatives and jobs.
Michelle holds a BA in computer science, interpersonal and public communications and marketing from Bowling Green State University.
Randy Rings
Chief Administrative Officer
Randy Rings, Founder and Chief Administrative Officer, specializes in developing effective solutions to complicated business issues and transactions. He ensures best practices corporate governance matters and helps navigate merger and acquisition activity as Involta continues to expand the national footprint.
Prior to Involta, Randy served as General Counsel for public and private high-growth technology, telecommunications, insurance and financial services, publishing and telemarketing companies, and as Corporate Counsel for electric and telephone cooperatives. Randy has managed, structured and directed numerous complex telecommunications and technology transactions, financing and capitalization activities and other business and legal arrangements.
Randy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Juris Doctorate, both from the University of Iowa.
Susan Sedrel
Vice President of Human Resources
Susan (Sue) Sedrel, Vice President of Human Resources, is a champion for developing and enhancing the Involta culture. Her efforts have been integral to Involta’s local and national recognition as a leading cloud and IT services company.
Sue has been instrumental in developing the Involta culture since the company’s inception in 2007. She has a passion for cultivating “People Who Deliver” through organizational effectiveness and education initiatives, including mentorship, advanced certifications and interpersonal training. Sue continues to expand and nurture Involta’s world-class team through talent acquisition, recognition and development leveraging her deep experience with color training and personality inventory.
Sue holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Iowa.
Lucas Mistelske
Vice President of Client Experience
Lucas Mistelske, Vice President of Client Experience, is a charismatic driver with a unique ability to manage and develop teams. His collaborative and compassionate approach to management aligns with his technical expertise to deliver a superior experience for Involta clients.
Lucas has operational responsibility for key strategic partners and clients at Involta. He oversees all aspects of governance, performance, executive engagement, financial performance and compliance for service delivery. Since 2012, Lucas has held several roles at Involta – Manager of Operational Activity for the company’s two Minnesota data centers, Director of Data Center Operations for the company’s entire fleet of data centers and led the deployment of Involta’s Managed Services offering, specifically the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) development team and product platform.
Lucas is passionate about community engagement and relations. He currently serves as the board chair of Starbase Duluth STEM Education Program, and in curriculum advisory board positions for multiple programs within the University of Minnesota Duluth, Lake Superior College, and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.
Carl Gordulic
Chief Financial Officer
Carl Gordulic, Chief Financial Officer, is a collaborative driver, focused on integrating and streamlining business practices. His keen ability to optimize operational and financial performance has been paramount to setting a foundation for growth in the healthcare, manufacturing and financial services sectors.
Carl brings more than 20 years of IT experience to Involta. He served as President and Chief Operations Officer of Data Recovery Services – the company was acquired by Involta in 2015.
Carl is an active community member in the Youngstown, Ohio area. He is an avid local sports enthusiast and supporter.
Josh Holst
Vice President of Cloud Services
Josh Holst, Vice President of Cloud Services, is a passionate leader in IT services. His keen ability to deliver hybrid IT solutions has been key to developing and maintaining strong relationships with Involta’s customers and partners. Most recently, Josh holds a leadership role that oversees Involta’s Private Cloud, Public Cloud, and Hybrid service delivery teams.
Prior to joining Involta, Josh held multiple leadership positions in the financial services industry, focusing on information systems and service delivery. Josh has a constant drive to learn new technologies, and provide best-in-class service to his team and customers alike. Since 2018, Josh has held several positions at Involta – Manager of Systems Services, Director of Technical Services, and Director of Cloud Services. The experience he gathered during his time in each role has made him an instrumental leader for Involta’s team of “People Who Deliver.”
Involta is a privately held company that operates its dynamic and innovative information technology services from enterprise-class company-owned data center facilities. Involta’s board of directors provides insight from their various backgrounds and expertise of electrical power, healthcare, telecommunications, technology, finance and corporate governance to help guide the management team regarding company direction. Also serving on the board of directors is Jim Buie, Involta CEO.
Ed Vilandrie is an Operating Executive for The Carlyle Group. Previously he was founder of Altman Vilandrie & Company, where he advised CEOs and Boards in complex strategic situations. Vilandrie also previously served as a Vice President and management team member at CSMG and as an analyst at Cambridge Economics, Inc., a M.I.T.-based economic consulting firm specializing in patent infringement and anti-trust litigation. He holds a Sc.B. in Applied Mathematics & Economics from Brown University.
Bruce Lehrman founded Involta LLC in 2007 and led the company as CEO until mid-2022. He played an important role in the company’s acquisition by global investment firm Carlyle and under his leadership, Involta was recognized by several industry organizations and publications for its strategic solutions and services. Mr. Lehrman was named to Best Startup US's 101 Top CEOs in the Service Industry Space in 2022. He holds a BBA in marketing from Iowa State University and sits on the boards of the Entrepreneurial Development Center in Cedar Rapids, Technology Association of Iowa, Iowa Seed Fund, GeaCom, Higher Learning Technology and Van Meter Industrial.
Gary Wojtaszek is a proven executive in data center and technology industries. Wojtaszek’s experience includes founding, growing and monetizing private and public companies of scale. As CyrusOne’s CEO, he developed the data center strategy that led to the successful IPO and spin-off of CyrusOne from Cincinnati Bell. He’s currently the founder and CEO of Recreational Realty, a specialized real estate company focused on marine and RV storage. Wojtaszek is a board member at GDS Holdings, Quantum Loophole, Tech Partners and Talen Energy and is an advisor to The Carlyle Group. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA in Economics from Rutgers University.
Stephen Gray is the Founder of Gray Venture Partners, LLC. He is also a Senior Advisor to The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s premiere and most successful private equity firms. Gray previously served as President of McLeodUSA Inc., VP of Business Services at MCI and Senior VP of National Accounts and Carrier Services for TelecomUSA as well as a variety of other management positions. Mr. Gray earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee.
Joshua Pang is a Managing Director and the Head of Digital Infrastructure for Carlyle Global Infrastructure. Throughout his career, he has been focused on investing in leading businesses across data centers, cloud infrastructure, and network connectivity, with the goal of building world-class infrastructure for customers to support their increasingly complex IT ecosystems. Mr. Pang has provided capital to support the growth and expansion of over a dozen companies in telecom/digital infrastructure and adjacent sectors over the past 15 years. Earlier in his career, Mr. Pang served as Managing Director at Blackstone. He is based in New York.
Allison Wisniewski is a Vice President for Carlyle Global Infrastructure. She has evaluated dozens of companies and has led the execution of the group’s digital infrastructure deals. Earlier in her career, Ms. Wisniewski was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company where she helped clients deliver large capital projects, building complex infrastructure across multiple sectors. Ms. Wisniewski holds an MBA from Stanford University and a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering (Information Systems) from the University of Southern California. She is based in Washington DC.
Bruce Lehrman founded Involta LLC in 2007 and led the company as CEO until mid-2022. He played an important role in the company’s acquisition by global investment firm Carlyle and under his leadership, Involta was recognized by several industry organizations and publications for its strategic solutions and services. Mr. Lehrman was named to Best Startup US's 101 Top CEOs in the Service Industry Space in 2022. He holds a BBA in marketing from Iowa State University and sits on the boards of the Entrepreneurial Development Center in Cedar Rapids, Technology Association of Iowa, Iowa Seed Fund, GeaCom, Higher Learning Technology and Van Meter Industrial.
Stephen Gray is the Founder of Gray Venture Partners, LLC. He is also a Senior Advisor to The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s premiere and most successful private equity firms. Gray previously served as President of McLeodUSA Inc., VP of Business Services at MCI and Senior VP of National Accounts and Carrier Services for TelecomUSA as well as a variety of other management positions. Mr. Gray earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee.
Allison Wisniewski is a Vice President for Carlyle Global Infrastructure. She has evaluated dozens of companies and has led the execution of the group’s digital infrastructure deals. Earlier in her career, Ms. Wisniewski was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company where she helped clients deliver large capital projects, building complex infrastructure across multiple sectors. Ms. Wisniewski holds an MBA from Stanford University and a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering (Information Systems) from the University of Southern California. She is based in Washington DC.
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