Vertical Communications has assembled a team of experienced senior executives to drive and manage tremendous growth in its business.
Peter Bailey
President & Chief Executive Officer
As CEO, Peter Bailey is responsible for the Company's overall strategic direction while intimately involved in day-to-day operations. Mr. Bailey has over 17 years of experience in technology, finance and communications. As a co-founder of Vertical Communications (along with Mr. Tauscher), Mr. Bailey has deep experience in the Unified Communications industry and knows what it takes to help... Read more
As CEO, Peter Bailey is responsible for the Company's overall strategic direction while intimately involved in day-to-day operations. Mr. Bailey has over 17 years of experience in technology, finance and communications. As a co-founder of Vertical Communications (along with Mr. Tauscher), Mr. Bailey has deep experience in the Unified Communications industry and knows what it takes to help businesses achieve their goals through leveraging communications technology. Prior to his current role at Vertical, Mr. Bailey held the position of President and COO with responsibilities in sales, marketing and operations organizations while coordinating the overall product direction and fulfillment. During his tenure Vertical revenue has grown over 300% and the Company has introduced a comprehensive portfolio of next generation IP telephony and Unified Communications systems which now represent over 80% of the Company's revenue. Before Vertical, Mr. Bailey led the next-generation networking banking practice for ThinkEquity Partners LLC - a San Francisco based Investment Banking Firm. Prior to ThinkEquity, he was responsible for Corporate Development at Carrier1 International S.A., a pan European alternative telecom services provider where he was responsible for M&A, corporate investment and financial restructuring initiatives. Mr. Bailey started his career with Salomon Brothers Inc in New York in the investment banking division, and holds a B.A. from Princeton University.
William Tauscher
Executive Chairman
William Tauscher brings a wealth of financial and managerial experience to his role as Executive Chairman. This experience gives Vertical a unique advantage as it pursues its mission to provide Unified Communications solutions that help businesses succeed. Mr. Tauscher is the founder of The Tauscher Group, which invests and assists in the management of enterprises in various industries. Before... Read more
William Tauscher brings a wealth of financial and managerial experience to his role as Executive Chairman. This experience gives Vertical a unique advantage as it pursues its mission to provide Unified Communications solutions that help businesses succeed. Mr. Tauscher is the founder of The Tauscher Group, which invests and assists in the management of enterprises in various industries. Before founding The Tauscher Group, Mr. Tauscher served as chairman and CEO of Vanstar Corporation (formerly ComputerLand Corporation), having led the group that acquired ComputerLand in 1987. Under Mr. Tauscher's guidance, Vanstar grew to be the largest PC sales and service company in the world, and was sold to Inacom in 1999. Prior to Vanstar, he was the chairman and CEO of FoxMeyer Corporation, a wholesale pharmaceutical and beauty-aid distributor, from 1977 until its sale to National Intergroup in 1986. He currently is Chairmen and CEO of Blackhawk Network, a billion dollar prepaid network that distributes and processes gift cards and other prepaid cards in third part retail distributors. He also serves on various boards of directors, including Safeway Corporation, a $45 billion food and grocery company, and holds controlling investments in a number of successful companies.
Rick Dell
Chief Operating Officer
In his role as President & COO, Rick Dell is responsible for day-to-day operations with a focus on sales, channel management, marketing, customer support and operations. Mr. Dell has been a leading executive in the telecommunications industry for more than 20 years, working in many capacities and helping companies grow. Most recently Mr. Dell served as president of Mitel Networks USA, leading... Read more
In his role as President & COO, Rick Dell is responsible for day-to-day operations with a focus on sales, channel management, marketing, customer support and operations. Mr. Dell has been a leading executive in the telecommunications industry for more than 20 years, working in many capacities and helping companies grow. Most recently Mr. Dell served as president of Mitel Networks USA, leading sales, marketing and operations. During his time there, Mitel's operating profit improved from a net loss to a positive double-digit margin. Prior to Mitel, Mr. Dell was with former industry leader Inter-Tel, Inc, as Executive Vice President of Sales. During his eight years there, he grew sales revenue almost 400% and delivered sales margins in excess of 20%. He also cultivated a successful and thriving dealer channel. In 2007, he was responsible for the successful integration of all US Sales and Operations for Mitel and Inter-Tel. Prior to joining Inter-Tel, Mr. Dell served in various sales roles with TIE Communications, Inc. and Executone of Ohio where he consistently grew sales revenue and sales margin. Mr. Dell attended The Ohio State University and holds an Engineering degree from DeVry University.
Bryan Merrell
Vice President, Sales
Bringing more than 24 years of executive management experience to Vertical, Bryan Merrell, Vice President of Sales, oversees dealer recruitment and directs a team of regional sales managers in support of Vertical's national dealer channel. Prior to joining the company, Merrell was a Regional Vice President of Sales with Mitel after the company's acquisition of Inter-Tel, where he also held roles as Regional Director of Sales, Southeast, and General Manager of the Tampa office. Previously, Merrell was Director of Customer Service with Time Warner Cable. He received his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Steven De Korne
Vice President, Marketing
Vice President of Marketing, Steven De Korne, is responsible for the implementation of the company's global brand strategy, marketing and business development initiatives. De Korne comes to Vertical from Mitel, where he directed and managed the national Channel Sales and Marketing efforts for the publicly-traded communications manufacturer. Prior to Mitel, De Korne was Vice President of Marketing for Inter-Tel, Inc. De Korne has advanced degrees from Texas A&M University and the Universität Bayreuth.
Mark Niknam
Sr. Vice President, Operations and Technical Support
Marc Niknam is responsible for the company's Operations organization. His operational responsibilities include Manufacturing, Quality Control, Supply Chain Management, Distribution and Information Technology. Mr. Niknam brings over 25 years of experience in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Control and Technical Support to Vertical. His expertise helps ensure that our solutions meet the high... Read more
Marc Niknam is responsible for the company's Operations organization. His operational responsibilities include Manufacturing, Quality Control, Supply Chain Management, Distribution and Information Technology. Mr. Niknam brings over 25 years of experience in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Control and Technical Support to Vertical. His expertise helps ensure that our solutions meet the high demands of our customers' environments. He joined Vodavi Technology.Inc./Executone Information Systems Inc. in 1988. Prior to being named Vice President, he served as Executive Director of Engineering, Operations, Technical Support and Repair Center. From 1989 to 1994 he served as Director of Operations where he was responsible for all overseas factories and was instrumental in setting up multiple factories overseas as well as implementation of ISO 9000 standards in those factories. Prior to Joining Vodavi/Executone he has worked for, Eaton Corp., Tracor Applied Sciences Inc. and Honeywell. Mr. Niknam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Wolfgang Maerz
Vice President and Managing Director, International Sales
Wolfgang Maerz oversees the Company's international operations as well as managing the Munich, Germany office.