Bios of E-Kin Employees
ORIGINAL FOUNDERS
CEO: Slim
Pickens
Age: 46
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Awards:
Honorable Mention Ribbon "Cutest Dimple Contest",
Honorary degree from The Polish University (finger in nose statuette)
Education:
B.A. International School of Music, Oslo Norway.
B.S. Stamford University, Stamford CT.
MBA Place University
Work History:
Playwrightfor the production of "I am no stranger than the next guy".
U.S. Dept of Transportation, Originator of luminous print for Road signs.
Bar and Grille owner, opened the first Road-Kill Café in Butte, Montana.
Creative writer, coined the phrase "You know you're a red neck when...".
Notable experience:
Slim Pickens is an entrepreneur, having developed a number of businesses over the
years in a variety of industries. He is independently wealthy and works because he enjoys
start up operations. He generally moves away from the business once it is up, running and
self-sustaining. He enjoys mentoring younger associates, a selfless man seldom taking any
credit himself for his contributions to their success. Slim is an experienced performer
having worked his way through school as a member of the barbershop quartet, Holy Moses,
playing such memorable tunes as, "Please help us part the sea" and "I 'd
rather be an angel". Slim suggested the formation of the E-kin operation while at a
basement party with his future partners, while smoking a controlled substance and enjoying
Bob Marley tunes.
Sales/Marketing Director:
Ken E. Sellit
Age: 33
Vices:
Compulsive-perfectionist who does everything to the extreme
Hobbies:
Avid golfer and extreme skier
Awards:
Toastmasters Most Improved Award 1994
Zig Ziglar Most Improved Award - 1995
Dale Carnegie Most Valuable Student - 1996
Kiwanis Citizen of the Year - 1997
Rotary Man of the Year 1998
Marital Status:
Married with 7 children (11, 9, 7, 5, 3, twins 18 months)
Education:
1985-1989 Undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado
1997-2000 MBA Place University
Work History:
1988-1989 Front Range Auto Boulder, CO Part/time Car Salesman
1989-1993 Republic Software Boulder, CO Software Salesman
1993-1999 Grade A Heifer, mail order steak and liver shop, Omaha, NE, Director of Sales
and Marketing.
Currently is Sales/Marketing Director for E-Kin: 2 full/time sales people located in
Omaha, NE; and Lincoln, NE and
5 part/time sales people located in Ann Arbor, MI; Iowa City, IA; Ames, IA; Austin, TX;
and Miami, FL.
Vice President of
Production: Jennifer Valley (girl)
Age: 27
Vices:
Hobbies:
Golf, volleyball, bicycling
Awards:
Marital Status:
Married without children
Education:
B.S. University of Iowa, emphasis in Management Information Systems
MBA, Place University
Work History:
1992-1997 Systems Analyst, Mutual of Perkins
When E-Kin started Jennifer was in charge of both Production and Information Technology.
These tasks became an overwhelming responsibility, so 9 months ago E-Kin hired Cam as the
new CIO. Jennifer is currently still responsible for all of the production decisions that
are made, but is no longer the key player with regards to I/S at E-Kin.
EXPANSION TEAM
CFO: Won Dour
Trump
Age: 34
Hobbies:
gambling, prairie dog hunting, sailing with no moon, and body surfing
Awards:
Pine wood derby champion 1975 - 1980,
Voted most likely to fail Class of 1983,
Entrepreneur of the Year 1995 (Business Magazine),
Marital Status:
Currently single, divorced while in Cancun 1997
Education:
1984 1990 BS in Accounting from the University of Nevada Las Vegas
1990 1992 MBA from Central Idaho State
Work History:
1993 1996 Founder of The Blooming Onion Machine Company (CEO/CFO), Boise, ID
1997 1999 Sun Beach Resort, Cancun Mexico Bartender,
1999 Present Returned to the states to pursue career.
Current Position: CFO E-kin "we did it"
CIO: Cam Crawford
Age: 27
Vices: None, Im perfect.
Hobbies:
Baseball, golf, and playing the drums
Awards:
Named Texas Male Athlete of the Year 1991
Outstanding Drummer award from the Bammies - 1991
Rookie of the Year Award from IBM 1992
Student of the Month - July 1994
Martial Status:
Married, wifes name is Cindy.
Education:
1991-1995 Creighton University
1996-2000 MBA Creighton University
Work History:
1990 1999 IBM Contractor
Currently CIO for E-kin
Purchasing Director:
Eric Zachary "EZ" Cash
Age: 45
Vices:
Meticulous, penny pincher. People call him "Cheap" behind his back.
Wears outdated clothes and says no to almost everything, a true pessimist.
Hobbies:
Antique, stamp, and coin collector.
Golfs when others pay his way.
Computer "Geek".
Awards:
Regional "National Association of Purchasing Managers" Ethical award recipient
in 1992
Nebraskas Cheapest Man of the Year (given by his coworkers) in 1988
Marital Status: Married to Linda (pronounced lend a) with a 15 yr
old daughter named Thrifty
Education:
1973-1977 Undergraduate degree from Wayne State College
1979-1982 MBA University of Nebraska Omaha
Work History:
1978-1989 Buyer for AT & T
1989-1999 Purchasing Manager at Computer World, Inc.
Current Position: Purchasing Director for E-KIN, 1 purchasing clerk located in Omaha, NE ,
1 full time buyer located in Omaha, NE.
Customer
Service/Distribution Manager: Maria Whinnor
Age: 35
Vices:
Perfectionist - Always trying to please to serve/deliver the product on time
Determination - never a quitter (despite my last name)
Dependable - you can always count on Maria to stay until the job is done - which explains
why I'm
still single (but I'm not whining)
Hobbies:
Bike Riding, Volunteer at Humane Society, cleaning up cat hair
Awards:
1995-1999 Community Service awards for Humane Society
1998 Service Award for Lack of Whining
Interests:
Cat Lover - own two cats or maybe they own me.
Development of a line of custom T-shirts for dogs and cats - old college professor came up
with the idea.
Customer behavior during full moon phases (Why do calls increase at this time? Time for
"whiners" to come out.
Martial Status:
Single (still trying to balance work and play but I'm not whining)
Education:
BA in Marketing Pennsylvania State University (great mascot)
MBA Creighton University (great bird for cat lover)
Work History:
Quality Assurance for "Foods are Us" specializing in consumer complaints
(10-year experience with dealing with satisfied and dissatisfied customers).
Current Position: Customer Service/Distribution Manager for E-Kin
External Consultant:
Noah Tahle
Age: 35
Vices:
Mint chocolate-chip ice cream.
Hobbies:
Membership with an exclusive gym that he never uses.
International travel.
Marital Status:
Divorced, two kids ages 4 and 6.
Education:
B.A., Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
M.A., Oxford University, Mansfield College, Oxford, England.
Work History:
1992-1996: Worked for large International public accounting firm providing
business development and risk management services to clients.
1996-1998: Worked in Strategy and Product Development department of large US retail
company with traditional retail outlets and extensive catalog sales.
1998- present: Established partnership with Bob Talze and created business consulting firm
(Tahle-Talze Consulting). Emphasis is on small/medium size business development and
e-commerce.
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