Michael Atkins: A Visionary Leader in Marketing and Technology

Mr. Michael Atkins boasts a distinguished career spanning five decades in executive marketing and technology management, having held pivotal roles at Fortune 500 companies such as Xerox, Boeing, EDS, Diligent, Lockheed Martin, SWIFT, and IBM. His extensive experience includes leadership roles in which he spearheaded innovative strategies and technological advancements, contributing significantly to the growth and success of these organizations.

Beyond his corporate tenure, Mr. Atkins has demonstrated entrepreneurial acumen by founding and leading several companies:

• Amax Ventures: Serving as Chairman and CEO, he established this management consulting and real estate investment firm, and guided its strategic direction and operations.
  
  
• Incident Logic, Inc.: As Chairman and CEO, he led the development of analytical software solutions tailored for the Department of Defense intelligence community, ensuring top-secret level security and functionality.
  
  
• Master Key, Inc.: In his role as President, Mr. Atkins oversaw the company's initiatives as a Native American enterprise, specializing in independent verification and validation (IV&V) of secure application software testing within cloud environments for the Department of Justice, maintaining top-secret clearance standards.amaxven.com
  
  
• DF Labs North America: As President, he expanded the company's footprint in digital forensics, particularly within government sectors, enhancing cybersecurity measures and investigative capabilities.
  
  
• Visual Board Books, Inc.: In his capacity as Chairman and CEO, he introduced a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform designed to streamline and secure the board of directors' communications and documentation processes.
  
  

Mr. Atkins's profound expertise in both marketing and technology, coupled with his proven leadership in diverse organizational settings, positions him as an invaluable asset to any board of directors. His strategic insights and innovative approach can significantly contribute to guiding companies through complex challenges and driving sustainable growth.

Why Michael Atkins Would Be an Asset to Your Board of Directors

Inviting Mr. Michael Atkins to join your board of directors would bring a wealth of experience and strategic vision to your organization. His extensive background in leading both established corporations and entrepreneurial ventures provides a unique perspective on navigating market dynamics and technological advancements. Mr. Atkins's track record of fostering innovation, coupled with his deep understanding of marketing and technology integration, aligns seamlessly with the evolving needs of modern enterprises. His guidance would be instrumental in steering your organization towards achieving its strategic objectives and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry.



The Honorable Ronald R. Spoehel – Amaxven Advisory Partner

The Honorable Ronald R. Spoehel served in a leadership role at NASA as the U.S. presidentially appointed Senate-confirmed Chief Financial Officer. He has over 40 years of board, executive management, private investment, and investment banking experience, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative technology start-ups.

Mr. Spoehel is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Aegis Cybersecurity Systems Inc. and serves as Managing Partner of Windrock Capital LLC, a private firm with a concentration on technology start-ups and innovation. He also presently serves on select U.S. and international company, investment fund, and advisory boards and has served in financial and general management roles and on boards with globally operating public and private companies in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Among various companies with worldwide operations, he has served with Harris Corporation, Hughes Aircraft Company, ManTech International, ICF Kaiser International, Optinel Systems, ICx Technologies, Acer Group, Profire Energy, and Indrocorp Technologies. His global experience also includes ten years with Bank of America and Lehman Brothers across the energy, technology, and industrial sectors.

He is a member of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., and has served on the the United States Chief Financial Officers Council, the U.S. Air Force Audit Committee, the Board of Directors of the Professional Services Council, and the Advisory Council for the Wharton and Engineering Schools at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Spoehel is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in economics and an MBA from the Wharton School, and his Master of Science degree in engineering from the Moore School of Electrical Engineering.


Professor Paul Barach, B. Med.Sci, MD, MPH, Major (RET.) – Advisory Partner Amaxven Healthcare

Professor Paul Barach is an international expert and an enthusiastic believer in smart health information technology and monitoring to improve the safety and quality of healthcare with both extensive professional and academic experience. Paul has more than 25 years of experience as a practicing physician and physician executive in the military and in academic medical centers and integrated delivery systems. Paul has a long history of intersecting clinical, information technology and operational responsibilities with executive management, business and entrepreneurial roles including as a senior hospital executive in academic medical centers and integrated delivery systems. His experiences in a wide variety of healthcare endeavors have provided him with the opportunity to develop unique and deep relationships with national and international networks of recognized knowledge leaders and professionals. Paul is the Associate Editor of Telehealth and Medicine, a leading digital health journal.

Paul is a double-boarded anesthesiologist and critical care physician-scientist, and trained at Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, Hebrew University, and the University of Chicago. Paul is an elected member of the leading international honorary society the Association of University Anesthesiologists.

Paul is the Head of Population Health for Play it Health and is deeply involved in all clinical trial designs. Paul has designed numerous clinical trials and has received research grant funding of over $16,000,000 as PI or Co-PI (and more than $200,000,000 in group funding) through federal competitive grant funding from the U.S (NIH/AHRQ/HRSA), EC (FP-7, Horizon, Erasmus), Australia (NHMRC, ARC), the U.K (NIHR), Dutch and Norwegian Federal agencies as well as the World Bank, WHO and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. He has sat on several NIH, AHRQ, VAHSRD and international grant review panels.

Paul is currently the Principal of J Bara Innovation Consulting which he founded in 2012. J Bara Innovation partners with academic medical centers and large hospitals to identify, capture, organize, and optimize the organizational digital strategies and help identify gaps and/or risk exposures in operations as well as develop and implement strong systems of corporate checks and balances. Paul has designed remote patient monitoring solutions to address compliance, diversity, and engagement issues.

Previously, Paul held the position of Chief Quality Officer and Associate Chief Medical Officer for the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital, a 1,200-bed integrated hospital system. He was a member of the management leadership team on a variety of consulting projects with international healthcare clients. He was also Associate Dean and director of the Center for.



Colonel J. Carlos Vega, Advisory Partner Cybersecurity

Colonel J. Carlos Vega, a retired US Army officer, Amaxven Board and Executive Advisor, provides BoardGRC and Board Member Services, including strategic leadership, governance, risk, and compliance expertise.

With substantial experience as a CISO, CIO, CXO, and CTO, Colonel Vega possesses a breadth of executive and cybersecurity knowledge. His operational expertise and visionary outlook have been vital in shaping robust cybersecurity policies and fostering a culture of compliance and diligent risk management across diverse regulatory landscapes.

Key Projects projects include roles at Sorenson Communications, CISO, Devo Technology Inc, U.S. State Department leadership, Foreign Military Partnerships LATAM, Global Executive Security Advisor, IBM Security Executive, Security Software & Services, IBM Security, DoD Executive, CIO, CISO, and Executive Advisor, US Army Major Command, CTO – Supply Chain and IoT, US Forces South Korea, Chief Experience Officer, Sr. Dir, & Co-Founder, US Army Cyber Institute, and Cyber Instructor, United States Military Academy @ West Point.

Colonel Vega is set to deliver Amaxven clients a comprehensive and strategic contribution, ensuring that the organization maintains a cutting-edge in cybersecurity and excels in governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
His education, clearance and credentials include an MS, Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), a BA from California State Polytechnic University, Ph.D candidate (ABD) at NPS Clearance: US DoD TS/SCI, Board Certified Qualified Technical Expert – Digital Directors Network (QTE). ISC2 CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional (66176), NIST Information Systems Security Professional, System Administrator, and Security Officer (NIST 4011, 4013, & 4014)



Michele M. Merrell Amaxven BoardGRC Strategic Planning

Michele M. Merrell is a senior-level technology and telecommunications executive with 30 years of experience leading marketing and business development in organizations ranging from startups to mature, private, public and pre-IPO companies. She has worked on numerous mergers, acquisitions and joint venture agreements during her tenure. Her portfolio of work experience includes companies such as Tyco International, Brightstar Corp., CSPI Technology Solutions, Thales eSecurity, Bellsouth, U.S. Cellular, Viya and others. She has held broad global responsibility across APAC, EMEA, LATAM and North America.

Michele has been an Independent Corporate Director for over nine years on publicly held international company boards including Cable Bahamas, Summit Broadband and Aliv Mobile. She is the head of the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee, and also sits on the HR & Compensation Committee, and has served on Audit & Risk Committee. She is an accredited National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Board Leadership Fellow. She is also a member of the Women Corporate Directors organization.

Michele is on the international board of directors for the Global Telecom Women’s Network (GTWN), and is the Americas President for GTWN, an organization that actively promotes and mentors women into C-level positions in the global telecommunications and technology industries. Michele was also named to the Board of Directors for the LeMieux Center for Public Policy in 2018 and currently serves on its board. She also serves on the board of SoldierStrong, an organization that helps paralyzed military veterans walk again with the use of technology.

Michele is a contributing author of articles for the Forbes Council, part of Forbes Magazine and shares her insights and contributes articles on various business topics for publication on Forbes.com. She is also a frequent contributing author to The Mobile Century magazine.

Michele’s achievements have earned her dozens of awards and recognition over her career for her business and leadership acumen. In 2022, she was named by Silicon Valley Review as a “Top 30 Inspiring Leader to Watch.” Michele was honored with the Women of Distinction award from the South Florida March of Dimes. In prior years, she received the Women of the Channel Power 50 Award by CRN Magazine. Michele was the recipient of the Florida Achievement Award from the Florida Commission on the Status of Women, part of the Office of the Attorney General, State of Florida. The South Florida Business Journal also named Michele as their “Businesswoman of Influence” recipient. The Diversity Journal named Michele as the recipient of their “Woman Worth Watching” award.



Chris Hetner - Amaxven Senior Advisory Partner, Board Member Services – Cybersecurity

Chris Hetner is the Amaxven Senior Advisor for Board Member Services. As an Executive Management Consultant, Board Director, and leader in cybersecurity recognized for raising cyber risk to the Corporate Board level to protect industries, infrastructures, and economies he creates operational resilience by aligning robust cybersecurity strategies with business objectives.

Mr. Hetner’s professional judgment combined with a public company perspective and SEC regulatory and investor oversight experience has led to his success in corporate and government roles. Currently, he the Special Advisor for Cyber Risk for the NACD, a Senior Advisor for the Chertoff Group, Chair of Cybersecurity and Privacy for the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence, a Board Director, and a Research Affiliate with MIT Sloan School of Management.

He served as the Senior Cybersecurity Advisor to the Chair of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and as Head of Cybersecurity for the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations at the SEC. He also represented the Chair of the SEC as a senior member of the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Banking Information Infrastructure Committee. His greatest contributions included the vision for and implementation of the first agency-wide cybersecurity governance structure, threat intelligence program, and incident response capabilities. The cybersecurity framework he implemented improved the National Examination Program’s ability to monitor and respond to cyber risks and threats across the U.S. securities market.

Mr. Hetner has also led efforts across financial, regulatory, and government agencies to enhance cybersecurity coordination in the financial services sector. He successfully led diverse teams, in multiple global locations, through transformative thinking about cyber risk management, cybersecurity policy, and regulatory compliance to embrace change and become cultures of action and collaboration. He established governance and risk management structures aligned with strategy and business objectives, while integrating resilience into corporate DNA.

Mr. Hetner’s thought leadership is actively sought by governments, private and public entities, industry associations, and media outlets as the threats to critical infrastructure and economies increase. Throughout his career he has shared his professional expertise by mentoring students at Columbia University, New York University, Fordham School of Law, and Pace University.

He is a Certified Information Security Manager (ISACA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (ISC2), and holds a high-level U.S. security clearance. Mr. Hetner earned a M.S., cum laude, in Information Assurance from Norwich University and a B.S. in Security Management from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Amaxven Board Member Services Business Strategy - Cybersecurity - Risk Management - Regulatory Compliance
Leads Cybersecurity & Operational Resilience in Public/Private Sectors
Cyber Risk Advisor, NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors)
Chair of Cybersecurity and Privacy, Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence
Board of Directors, Simulint
Senior Advisor, The Chertoff Group
Research Affiliate, MIT Sloan School of Management

Former Affiliations:
Senior Cybersecurity Advisor, Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Senior Member, U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Banking Information Infrastructure Committee
U.S. Department of Treasury, G-7 Cyber Expert
United States Department of Homeland Security
Executive Vice President, Moody’s Cybersecurity Joint Venture
Managing Director, Marsh
National Board Member, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Cybersecurity Practice Leader, EY Wealth and Asset Management and Private Equity
Global Chief Information Security Officer, GE Capital
Senior Vice President Information Security, Citi



David Moon Amaxven, Inc. 1-Cybersecurity Risk Index Management Advisor

Mr. Moon is a quant-focused cybersecurity risk specialist. He has served as a Fortune 500 CIO, CISO, Big Four consulting partner, CISSP, software industry product manager and senior officer. A four-year U.S. Air Force veteran with Secret clearance, Mr. Moon is an expert in information security and executive-level technology professional with 20+ years of past performance delivering some of the most groundbreaking and high-value projects in information security, technology, privacy, asset management, IT risk management and infrastructure. He has been privileged to serve and consult with some of the world's most respected organizations in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. His writing includes examining the measurable value of technology-based capability and its role in risk mitigation in "Webify". He has served on the board of a public investment trust and as a member of the senior executive committee of a ($5B Nasdaq-listed company.



Adrienne Ramsay – Advisory Partner, Amaxven DOD

Adrienne Ramsay provides corporate management, innovation consulting, and advisory services for high-technology companies. Adrienne spent over two decades in public policy, government service, aerospace and defense.

She previously served as a professional staff member for the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and the Armed Services Committee, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Office of Management and Budget.

Before entering public service, Adrienne started her career in aerospace as a systems engineer and program manager at Raytheon, Booz Allen Hamilton, and TRW.

Adrienne is a systems engineer and a policy expert with degrees from Drexel University and St. Lawrence University in physics and mathematics.



John Cavanaugh – Amaxven Advisory Partner, Predictive, Intelligent Security

In an era of rapid technological advancement and escalating digital threats, Amaxven helps “clients bridge the enterprise security and digital transformation gap.” Amaxven leverages Johns 40+ years of expertise (BSEE, MBA, ITIL, CISSP) to support boards, executives, and investors engineering transformative solutions that directly address complex enterprise challenges. His primary focus is on empowering organizations to not only defend against sophisticated risks but also to harness innovative technology as a catalyst for substantial growth and profitability.

As an Amaxven Senior Advisor, John adds clarity by visualizing business process assurance comprising the application component (SBOM) and the release component Release Bill of Materials (RBOM) vulnerabilities. By employing advanced AI models and knowledge graph technology, clients move beyond traditional, static security analysis to a dynamic, interconnected view of an organization’s entire software supply chain, enabling leaders to proactively identify and mitigate risks with precision.

Former Affiliations:
He actively contributes to and participates in the OASIS global standards group Coalition of Secure AI (CoSAI) and DHS CISA SBOM working groups. Complementing his deep expertise in designing resilient data architectures that span blockchain, cloud, and on-premises environments, he ensures data integrity, security, and scalability for mission-critical systems.

Experience in leading high-stakes projects for premier global organizations includes architecting and implementing robust business risk methodologies to support NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) for major utility companies, safeguarding the nation's energy grid leading a global infrastructure upgrade for AIG and in delivering a multitude of high-security, globally load-balanced solutions for financial titans like JPMorgan, where he aligned complex and innovative technology deployments, including leading the virtualization of 175 applications operating on 18,000 servers across 30 data centers, showcasing his ability to manage transformation at a massive scale.



Dr. Brigitte Piniewski – Advisory Partner, Amaxven Health

Dr. Brigitte Piniewski is a physician, author, and former healthcare executive at the forefront of AI, Web3, and the transformation of health intelligence. With a career spanning medicine, research, and emerging technologies, she is a leading voice on how AI can move multiple industries forward—provided that we overcome the critical limitations of current approaches.

As an expert in decentralized AI and trust-based data ecosystems, Dr. Piniewski advocates for aligning AI with humanity by securing access to trusted ground truths, the key to ensuring AI model accuracy and sustainability over time. She has been a principal investigator in multiple tech-enabled healthcare research studies, exploring how innovations can bridge gaps in predictive medicine, personalized intelligence, and participatory data economies.

With a unique blend of clinical expertise, executive leadership, and deep-tech fluency, Dr. Piniewski is shaping the future of AI-driven health intelligence—one where technology serves not just efficiency, but accuracy, equity, and our next wealth inflection. Her seminal book, “Wealthcare: Demystifying Web3 and the Rise of Personal Data Economies”, is also available as an NFT, is an essential guide for anyone aiming to spearhead innovations in healthcare. Core competencies include: AI-enabled health data strategy, Web3 and blockchain infrastructure for health, research ethics, data governance and privacy (HIPAA/GDPR), Health systems innovation & advisory board leadership, commercialization of real-world evidence and patient-generated data.

Education & Credentials include: M.D., University of British Columbia, General Medicine with Obstetrics McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Former Chief Medical Officer, PeaceHealth Labs. Author: Wealthcare: Demystifying Web3 and the Rise of Personal Data Economies, Advisory & Executive Roles Strategic Advisor and Health Ambassador, Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), Founder, Block Health Ventures, CMO, PeaceHealth Labs – PI clinical NIH sponsored research, technology , AI, Health, Primary and Co-Author on several papers covering Tech-enabled health and Advisor, ConV2X Blockchain in Healthcare Summit, Suffolk University AI/Blockchain Consortium, Mentor: Nex Cubed Health Accelerator Public Speaking & Thought Leadership: Speaker, various remote and in-person AI/Health Conferences, Author: "Wealthcare: Demystifying Web3 and the Rise of Personal Data Economies", Featured Guest: Podcasts and Panels on AI Ethics, Data Sovereignty, and Decentralized Health, and Creator: 3-Zone Model for Personal Health Intelligence Ecosystems.



Dr. Lola Gershfeld Amaxven Advisory Partner Workforce Training

Dr. Lola Gershfeld is an organizational psychologist and a developer of the Emotional Connection process for Boards of Directors, Executives, and Investors. Lola and Mike developed Amaxven Workforce Training for boards, executives, and investors.

Workforce Training is an enterprise and empirically supported approach based on attachment and the science of emotional connection to build resilience, resolve conflict, and nurture thriving cultures. Lola has worked with over 700 cases helping organizations, teams, and individuals to thrive.

She leads several research projects with a group of scientists and business professionals who focus on demonstrating the effectiveness of the methodology, content, and delivery through substantive research informed by best practices in psychology. Her articles on emotional connection and leadership appear in Forbes, The Corporate Board, Industry Week, Corporate Board Member, The CEO Magazine, Chief Executive Magazine, NACD Directorship, California CEO Magazine, Training Industry, and others. She is a co-author of Emotional Connection, The EmC Strategy: How Leaders Can Unlock the Human Potential, Build Resilient Teams, and Nurture Thriving Culture.