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 result in enterprise-wide gains in efficiency and productivity. 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
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 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. 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.

Michael Bilotti
Vice President
mbilotti@sophelle.com

Michael Bilotti is a successful retail Information Technology executive with over 35 years in IT operations, system development, and management. Mike has held executive leadership positions at a number of successful retail organizations and is an expert at streamlining operations, building strong teams, and enhancing business processes through the application of technology. In his role at Sophelle, Mike has helped numerous clients address interim leadership needs by providing executive-level guidance, addressing organizational inefficiencies, leading strategic planning efforts, and managing mission-critical projects and implementations. Mike’s Sophelle client engagements have included serving as Vice President of IT at iParty, Inc., Vice President of Engineering at SmartBargains.com, and Vice President of Information Systems at Blinds To Go. Prior to joining Sophelle, Mike served as a Senior Vice President / CIO at The TJX Companies, where he built and led the IT management team responsible for implementing the $10 billion retailer’s merchandising, warehousing, store and corporate systems. As Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Wholesale Depot, Inc., Mike was responsible for the venture-backed, wholesale club chain’s finances, information systems, and business operations.

Tom Demeri
Director
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.

Joe Dela Cruz
Consulting Partner
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, 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, 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 David’s Bridal, Coach, Priscilla of Boston, Escada USA, and Canal Jean Co.