Board of Directors

Pat Kennedy (Chairman and CEO)

Pat Kennedy is a founder and the CEO of Boulder, Colorado. based Cellport Systems. Since Cellport’s inception 18 years ago, the company has focused on developing universal wireless connectivity technologies, resulting in three patent portfolios that are core to the global telematics and mobile handset markets. Kennedy shaped Cellport’s business model as small research lab that promulgates its core architectures and openly licenses the underlying patent portfolios. Kennedy has eleven patents and led the securing of nine licensees of Cellport’s patent portfolios. In October 2009, IdeaJacked, Pat Kennedy’s first book was published. Kennedy has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Buffalo and sits on the boards of numerous companies and university organizations.

Andrew Quartner (Vice Chairman)

Quartner joined Cellport in 1997 and leads Cellport's legal and financial activities. Quartner's tenure in the wireless industry spans 20 years with a variety of contributory roles. Previously he served as Senior Vice President, Law for AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. and its predecessor company McCaw Cellular Communications. Quartner received a J.D. from Columbia University and a B.A. from Yale University.

Hiroshi Sakurai

Hiroshi Sakurai, currently CEO/Chairman of Tokyo-based Con-X Corporation and a co-founder of Cellport Systems, joined Cellport's Board in 2006.

As the founder and CEO of Con-X, Hiroshi oversees the company's mobile connectivity software in Japan which utilizes an exclusive license for Cellport's Link Select patent portfolios. Con-X, established in 2006, uses Cellport's patented technology to develop innovative software platform which supports the wireless carrier and handset markets. Previously, he formed and led the activities for several concerns, including Neutec Japan Limited, an RF procurement company for the Asian market and Tokyo-based Digital Media, Inc., a computer software sales and marketing company, which exclusively represented Voice Control Systems and Brite Voice Systems voice recognition products in Japan.

In addition, he served as CEO of Speechworks Japan and was also the founder of Cellport Japan. Hiroshi is also one of the co-inventors of Cellport's Universal Connection For Cellular Telephone Interface patent (US Patent 5,333,177).

Hiroshi earned a B. S. degree in Economics from Mejhi University in Tokyo.

James P. Caile

Jim Caile is a retired Corporate Vice President for Motorola and currently serves as Chairman of the Telecommunications Industry Association's Wireless Communications Division. He joined the Cellport Board of Directors in 2006.

After previous marketing management positions with Ampex Corporation and Interpublic Advertising, Jim joined Motorola's Corporate Acquisition Office in 1975; rising to the position of Vice President and Director of Marketing for Personal Communications Sector over the next 20 years.

In 1995, Jim was elected Corporate Vice President - Personal Communications by the Motorola Board. His responsibilities included Investor Relations, Strategic Forecasting and Marketing, Regulatory policy (including Safe Driving initiatives, Disability Access and Electro Magnetic Energy/SAR) and select new business development programs. Jim also had responsibility for global trade show activities.

Jim received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Loyola University and his MBA from University of Chicago.

John Thompson

Thompson was the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Nextel Partners and its subsidiaries since August 1998 and has approximately 24 years of finance experience, including more than 16 years in the wireless communications industry.

From 1978 to 1986, John served as Tax Manager for Laventhol & Horwath. In 1986, he joined McCaw Cellular Communications as Vice President of Tax. In 1990, he became Senior Vice President of McCaw Cellular Communications and assumed a significant role in a number of key initiatives for the company, including its acquisition of LIN Broadcasting in 1990, the merger of it and AT&T in 1993, and AT&T's PCS license acquisitions in 1996. In 1997, he became Chief Financial Officer for AT&T Wireless Services.

John has served on the boards of a number of AT&T Wireless Services joint ventures, including Bay Area Cellular Telephone Company. He holds both a B.A. in Accounting and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound.

Nancy Pierce

Nancy Pierce is president of KELD LLC. She joined the Cellport Board of Directors in 2008.

As president of KELD LLC, a family foundation with more than $50 million under management, Nancy’s roles include investment management and corporate development consulting.

Prior to joining KELD, Nancy was co-founder of Carrier Access Corporation, where she was director, chief financial officer, treasurer, and corporate development officer. As chief financial officer, she obtained and closed two venture-backed financings totaling more than $16 million. She raised more than $200 million by directing the company’s IPO in 1998, a secondary offering in 2002 and the sale of the company to Turin Networks in 2008. As corporate development officer, Nancy led all of Carrier’s legal transactions, determined the company’s strategic direction and spearheaded strategic partnerships, company acquisitions and mergers while growing sales and developing OEM and distribution partnerships. She completed multiple asset purchases and mergers and managed business development, investor relations, legal affairs, and facilities for the company.

Prior to co-founding Carrier Access, Nancy held senior positions at IBM and ROLM Corporation in Silicon Valley. She has received the Esprit Entrepreneur of the Year award, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Technology from Ernst and Young, and was noted as one of the top 50 women in technology in the U.S.

Robert (Bob) Johnson

Bob Johnson is the President of Sprint’s CDMA business unit. He joined Cellport’s Board of Directors in 2008.

Prior to joining Sprint, Bob was founder and chief operating officer at Sotto Wireless, Inc., an all-in-one business communications service, established in 2005, which combined the capabilities of mobile phones and office phone systems into one platform.

From 1999 to 2004, Bob served AT&T Wireless as executive vice president for national operations and as an officer of the company. He was responsible for all marketing, sales distribution and customer service operations, generating more than $15 billion in revenue while building and retaining 21 million subscribers. He led a distribution network that included more than 1,100 retail stores, a business sales channel of 1,600 sales associates, and 26,000 indirect retail locations. He also built and led a customer service organization that employed more than 14,000 representatives.

Bob came to AT&T Wireless in 1994 when the company acquired McCaw Cellular Communications, where he served as vice president of mobile operations. Previously, from the late 1970s until joining McCaw in 1988, Bob held a series of operational leadership roles in mobile, radio and paging businesses around the country.

Bob has a B.S. degree in business marketing and a M.S. in business administration from Indiana University. He also completed the Executive Management Program in Telecommunications at the University of Southern California.