Management
Doug Weich
President & CEO
dweich@sophelle.com
Doug Weich has over 15 years experience in the retail technology industry. As Founder and President of Sophelle, Doug has helped guide some of the nation's leading retailers through highly complex technology transitions that resulted in enterprise-wide gains in efficiency and productivity.
Prior to Sophelle, Doug co-founded and served as CTO for RetailExchange.com, the leader in excess inventory solutions for manufacturers and retailers. As IT Specialist in the Retail and Direct Marketing practice for EDS Management Consulting Services/ATKearney, he advised leading national and international retailers on best practices. Doug also served as VP of IS at Wholesale Depot, where he implemented leading-edge point-of-sale, merchandising, warehouse, distribution, financial and database marketing systems. He began his career at Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers). Doug earned his MBA from Northeastern University and his B.S. in Computer and Management Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Eric Johnson
Vice President & COO
ejohnson@sophelle.com
Eric is an accomplished information technology professional with broad experience in business process management, product management, systems design and integration experience in B2B and B2C environments. As Vice President and COO of Sophelle, Eric has helped clients effectively address mission-critical technology issues through the strategic assessment of business requirements, development of sound IT methodologies, and implementation of best practices.
Prior to joining Sophelle, Eric directed product development and strategy for RetailExchange.com, the leader in excess inventory solutions for manufacturers and retailers. As Director of Internet Services for BMG Entertainment, Eric was instrumental in creating a business plan and technical vision for a new Bertelsmann/BMG retail division. Eric was also responsible for all BMG Web infrastructure and operations and for the GetMusic.com project life cycle. Previously, Eric served as Vice President of Systems and Technology for SoundsBig.com and was a Project Analyst for Exxon Research & Engineering. Eric earned his M.S. in Information Resources Management from Syracuse University and his B.A. in Chemistry and Computer Science from Lawrence University.
Joe Dela Cruz
Vice President, Retail Systems Practice Leader
jdelacruz@sophelle.com
With over 15 years of retail information systems experience, Joe Dela Cruz has held leadership positions at a number of successful retail organizations, including Vice President of Retail Systems for Donna Karan, CIO/Vice President of Information Systems for iParty, Director of Information Systems for Sneaker Stadium, CIO for Forman Mills, and Manager of Retail Systems for Osh Kosh B' Gosh.
Joe has a proven track record of successfully implementing critical retail applications, including point-of-sale, sales audit, retail merchandising, workforce management, loss prevention, and warehouse management. His unique ability to partner with business organizations has consistently led to the successful design and implementations of stable, efficient and effective systems. Recently, Joe has applied his combined knowledge of retail business processes and systems as a consultant for major retail organizations, including Ann Taylor, Cole Haan, Scoop NYC, Green Depot, David's Bridal, Coach, Priscilla of Boston, Escada USA, and Canal Jean Co.
Beverly Dantz
Vice President, E-Commerce Marketing & Operations Practice Leader
bdantz@sophelle.com
For over 15 years, Bev Dantz has been providing marketing leadership for retailers across the country. A specialist in e-commerce and early stage business strategy, Bev has helped companies conceive, develop, launch and market a variety of businesses on the web including: Threadsmith.com, DesignerLinensOutlet.com, SmartBargains.com and MotherNature.com.
Bev's e-commerce expertise encompasses a wide range of functional areas, including: customer experience management, inbound marketing, customer acquisition strategy, gui design, and website testing and monitoring. Bev earned an M.B.A. in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management from University of Southern California, Los Angeles and a B.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Lawrence Bagwell
Vice President, E-Commerce Technology Practice Leader
lbagwell@sophelle.com
An accomplished Retail IT Executive, Lawrence Bagwell has a proven track record of increasing revenues and leading successful projects through effective project, program, and account management.
As a Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lawrence created and implemented IT strategies and processes for retailers, and assisted clients with implementation of multi-channel B2B, B2C, and D2C strategies and systems as part of PWC's CPG/retail practice and eCommerce SWAT team. As a Practice Manager at JDA Software, Inc., he was responsible for planning and leading numerous successful implementation initiatives. With expertise in process improvement, software selection, systems implementation and integration, client management, and team leadership, Lawrence has built a career delivering successful projects and solutions for major retail and e-commerce companies, including America Online, Harrods, Levi Strauss, Macy's, Priceline.com, Limited Brands, Circuit City, Lowe's, Vitamin Shoppe, Toys 'R' Us, Party City, SuperValu Supermarkets, and more.
Tom Demeri
Director, Store Systems Practice Leader
tdemeri@sophelle.com
For 25 years, Tom Demeri has been managing the design and delivery of technology solutions for successful retail organizations. Throughout his career, Tom has managed numerous system deployments across a variety of retail technologies.
As Senior Director of Retail Systems at Ann Taylor, Tom oversaw all aspects of Store Systems support for their more than 700 stores and was responsible for new projects, rollouts, hardware/software maintenance, and business relationships. Recently, Tom has applied his retail systems expertise as a consultant for a number of top retail companies, including Gucci Group, Coach, Uniqlo USA, Waterworks, and Olive and Bette's.
