Mike is co-founder of Turning Technologies and serves as Chief Executive Officer. Mike began developing applications for the first radio frequency wireless group response hardware soon after its introduction in 1991 as a partner and president of one of the earliest group response software companies. Throughout his 19 years in the industry, Mike has been one of the leading innovators in the group response industry working and leading efforts in sales, marketing, research and development, as well as product delivery and fulfillment. He has led Turning through remarkable growth and to their current position of dominance in their industry and markets.
Turning Technologies’ products have won multiple awards and recognitions including PC Magazine’s coveted 4 star quality award, and the BETT award for best primary and secondary hardware. In 2007, Turning was recognized as the fastest growing privately held software company in United States by Inc. Magazine and the 18th fastest growing privately held company in the country overall. In 2007 and 2008 respectively, Turning was recognized as the number one and number two fastest growing company in Northeast Ohio and has won multiple NEO Success Awards and Mahoning Valley Success Awards. In 2007, Priority Magazine named Turning the "Small Business of the Year" in that national publication.
In addition to his contribution to Turning’s remarkable success and multiple product and company awards, Mike is a recipient of the prestigious Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award was inducted into the Northeast Ohio Business Hall of Fame as the first winner of the “Entrepreneurial Spirit Award."
Dave Kauer
President and Chief Operation Officer
Dave Kauer serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer for Turning Technologies, overseeing a majority of departments within the company, including Finance, Human Resources, Product Management, Customer Support, Quality Assurance and Shipping/Receiving. Kauer joined Turning in May of 2007 as the Chief Financial Officer, and was given the additional responsibility of Chief Operating Officer in January of 2008.
Before joining Turning, Kauer worked for 13 years in several financial and operations for Johnson Controls, Inc. He also spent ten years at Insilco Technologies Corporation, a diversified manufacturer of electronic and automotive parts, located in Dublin, Ohio. Before it was sold in 2003, Kauer served as its Treasurer, CFO and CEO.
Kauer received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin, and his Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Kauer is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Brad Gant
Vice President of International Distribution and Sales
As Vice President of International Distribution and Sales, Brad is responsible for developing sales and marketing support initiatives for channel partners and direct management of Turning Technologies' European operations. In addition, he develops Turning Technologies' go-to-market strategy in all of the international verticals.
Under Brad's leadership, Turning Technologies will be available to work with channel partners at the opportunity level to help them develop their business. He will develop additional sales and marketing support programs with the goal of replicating the sales and marketing successes from our domestic markets, where he will contextualize those successes for each unique market and circumstance.
Formerly, Brad served as Vice President of Educational Sales, where he grew sales significantly. He developed our differentiated approach to the market by developing a solution based sale. In addition, Brad augmented the educational product offering through the creation of student achievement programs and user communities to facilitate the effective use of our products to increase customer satisfaction. Through Brad's thought leadership, Turning Technologies has been able to provide customers with tools that have dramatically impacted student achievement. Brad holds a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.
Dan Rinn
Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Dan is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances, managing partnerships and alliances as well as business development for Turning Technologies. He works with customers and partners along with Turning's sales, product management, R&D, marketing teams, and senior management to leverage business partner relationships. Other responsibilities include market analysis, forecasting, and partner contracts to extend product reach and create growth for Turning.
With an extensive history in the publishing business, Dan spent 18 years serving a number of positions while at Thomson Learning / Cengage Learning, Houghton Mifflin, and Pearson Education. His work began in sales and sales management then moving to the Director of Technology Initiatives for Pearson and Thomson respectively. In these roles, Dan helped launch and lead LMS / course management, custom content and media, and response technology initiatives. Most recently, Dan lead strategic technology initiatives for the Education division at Cengage Learning.
Dan earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota. He began working for Turning Technologies in 2008 as the Director of Strategic Alliances, Education Division. Dan was enthused to join Turning Technologies, a company that shares his passion for impacting the individual learner at all levels in any organization and in all markets around the world.
Tina Rooks
Vice President and Chief Instructional Officer
Tina serves as Vice President and Chief Instructional Officer, crafting our strategy, approach and thought leadership position across all of our markets globally. She has been a primary contributor to building Turning Technologies' school improvement initiative for the K-12 market. Tina oversees the educational consulting team and assists all markets in developing and implementing pedagogical solutions with response tools.
Tina has over 16 years experience in education, as a classroom teacher, middle school principal, technology administrator and Vice President of a professional development division for an educational technology company. At the end of 2008, Tina began working as our Educational Consultant. Her dissertation work using TurningPoint to research the impact student response systems have on achievement in K-12 led her to join Turning Technologies. Additionally, while working as an independent consultant for academically challenged schools, Tina saw that the use of the TurningPoint system was critical to assisting failing schools.
Tina received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education from West Georgia College, her Master of Education Administration and Leadership from the State University of West Georgia, and her Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology from Pepperdine University. Tina has several published articles and is the recipient of the Google First Women's Engineer Award 2008, she served as President of American Computing and Machinery in 2007, also awarded the John Meehl Leadership Award 2006, GISA Summer Grant Award 2005, and the Ingram Scholar Award 1993.
