Management

Steven Mauss President & Chief Executive Officer As original founder and architect, Mr. Mauss has directly managed all facets of Knowledge Relay’s business since its inception. He has direct experience dealing with large enterprises in the aerospace, nuclear power, engineering & construction, automotive, and government/defense industries. Before founding Knowledge Relay, Mr. Mauss served for 3 years as VP General Manager of American NETRONIC, Inc., a project management graphics software company. From 1982 to 1989, he worked as a Senior Systems Analyst for Rockwell International, Satellite Systems Division and Rockwell’s corporate offices. While employed at Rockwell, Mr. Mauss designed and oversaw deployment of a comprehensive business automation system, including hardware and software, to improve Operational Business Intelligence gathering, analysis, and visualization. Later, Mr. Mauss would use his experience in OBI to help Rockwell win multi-billion dollar defense contracts at the corporate level. Since becoming President of Knowledge Relay, Inc. (the precursor to Knowledge Relay LLC) in 1992, Mr. Mauss has guided the company through many technology transformations and has positioned the company for growth and profitability. Mr. Mauss maintains affiliations with various non-profit organizations, including Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of the Software Council of Southern California and the Project Management Institute (PMI). He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in Business Computer Methods from CSULB. Mr. Mauss is also a recipient of the Malcolm Baldridge Quality award for OBI work performed in partnership with IBM, and was awarded special recognition by Northrop Grumman for OBI work performed at their Military Aircraft Division.

Lee Gliddon Executive Vice President Lee brings project management, information technology, and business development experience to Knowledge Relay. He has successfully negotiated enterprise-level deals with the Citigroup for the State of California’s Electronic Benefit Transfer program, a 40 million dollar project, Mandalay Resort Group’s multi-resort three layer network project, and with Bechtel on the Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant project in Hanford, Washington. Lee has worked for several international and national leaders, including ESI International and Aramark, with stellar results. While working for Union Corporation, Lee led his team of over 40 staff to #1 rankings in all four regions he managed, supporting clients such as Citibank, Diners Club, Bank of America, and AT&T. Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Economics from the University of California, San Diego.

Mary Owings Vice President of Business Development A seasoned sales professional with over 15 years of experience in global enterprise software sales and sales management, Mary has led award winning teams with exemplary track records of sales growth and retaining key accounts to achieve sales quotas that exceeded $20 million in revenue. Mary formerly held a range of positions from Direct Sales, Channel Manager, Regional Sales Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing at software companies such as FileNET Corp., Open Text Inc. Exact Software and IPNet Solutions. In her capacity as Director of Sales at Knowledge Relay, Mary will utilize her extensive experience for strategic planning, implementation, and training of enterprise software solutions gained from her successes with companies such as Stork, Abbott Labs, and Ping Golf. Mary holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Geography from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Kelly Ruppert Manager, Operational Excellence Kelly is responsible for managing all aspects of the KR product/service implementation process including preparation, installation, training and the periodic check-ups that extend beyond the end of the initial implementation. In the months following installation, her group works diligently to provide the support required to meet client expectations. In the years following implementation, they provide guidance in determining an effective path forward as clients expand their use of the Knowledge Relay solution. She has over 10 years experience working with national firms utilizing or implementing cutting-edge technologies. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and a Master of Science in Geomorphology from University of California, Riverside. She currently teaches courses at California State University, Fullerton.