Retirement and I have a rather complicated relationship. I’ve tried three times—at 40, 52, and 63—only to find myself back in the fast-paced software marketing game. At this point, I’ve accepted it: I suck at retiring. But I hope to finally get it right this time, transitioning from CMO to PSO (Professional Sunset Observer), board member, and advisor. 

My first attempt at retirement came after the successful sale of Tradex to Ariba, where I served as vice president of marketing. I lasted two years before the pull of SaaS marketing—problem-solving, high-speed execution, team spirit, and the rush of growth—brought me back. At 52, after exiting Bomgar, I thought I’d finally earned time off. That lasted six months. Walking from the world of high growth software companies felt like slamming on the brakes instead of coasting into retirement.  

At 63, after leaving Syncron, I was convinced the third time was the charm. Five years of leading a global team and 25 weeks of annual travel across Europe, Asia and North America was wearing me down. My wife and I took the obligatory first steps in retirement and moved to Florida, bought a boat, and swapped business attire for flip-flops. For two years, I thought I had settled into retirement—until April 2023.

Then, in April 2023, I got the call. It was from my longtime friend, former boss, supply chain expert, and ketteQ CEO, Mike Landry, who simply said, “We’re getting the band back together—are you in?”  

He had assembled a powerhouse team that included many former colleagues from our high-growth years at Servigistics, a company Mike had founded that was acquired by PTC. Band members included many familiar names like Chris Amet, Rich McGhee, Greg Richmond, Dr. Nikhil Jain and others. Many of these guys played key roles in my professional and spiritual growth, so it didn’t take long to decide. I signed on as fractional CMO, thinking it would be a one-year gig but one year quickly became two.

What a journey it’s been—inspiring, exciting, challenging, and rewarding. But what really pulled me in was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to disrupt the supply chain planning software industry. This market has been dominated for decades by solutions built on technology architectures older than Google, LinkedIn, or the iPhone. These systems were designed for a simpler time—before disruption became the norm. Today’s supply chains face constant volatility, geopolitical shifts, demand fluctuations, labor shortages, tariffs, and supply constraints—yet companies are still trying to plan with tools built for a world that no longer exists. 

That’s where ketteQ stands apart. We’re not just tweaking old models or a coat of AI paint onto legacy systems—we’re redefining supply chain planning. Long before “AI agents” became a buzzword, ketteQ’s PolymatiQ™ solver was autonomously generating, testing, and optimizing thousands of scenarios in real time. While others scramble to bolt AI onto outdated systems, ketteQ has been AI-first from the start, proactively shaping supply chain outcomes.

One of the many things I’ll miss about being in the trenches at ketteQ? The relentless, no-BS, get-it-done culture of the marketing team. Our mantra? GSD—Get Shit Done and get it done with urgency. I’ve been part of many high-performing marketing teams, but this one is special. They don’t just strategize—they deliver real, measurable results, fast. That energy, drive, and laser focus on impact is inspiring. 

A huge part of that success is thanks to Nicole Taylor, my right-hand partner in transforming ketteQ’s marketing. From brand positioning and demand gen to sales enablement and social, she’s been instrumental. When I joined, my goal was to work myself out of a job and find my successor. Mission accomplished. As I step away, Nicole will take the helm as VP of Marketing, and I have no doubt she’ll continue driving ketteQ’s growth with the same strategic vision and results-driven mindset.

Reflecting on this journey, I feel very blessed and deeply grateful to Mike and the entire ketteQ team for welcoming me into this adventure. It has been an honor to work alongside such talented and passionate people who truly care about each other and respectfully push each other to do their very best work.  

While my time as CMO wraps up in June, I’m not going far. I’ll continue contributing as a member of ketteQ’s Executive Advisory Board (EAB), offering strategic insights and helping shape the future of supply chain planning from a different seat at the table.

So now, as I approach another crossroads, I find myself wondering: Will this be the time I finally retire for good?  

I really hope so—because I’ve got some amazing sunsets to observe from interesting places around the world.   

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Heading 5

Heading 6

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Block quote

Ordered list

1. Item 1
2. Item 2
3. Item 3

Unordered list

• Item A
• Item B
• Item C

Text link

Bold text

Emphasis

^Superscript

_Subscript