Brad Kemp, CEO/Founder
Brad has over 25 years of experience in embedded systems, operating systems, network protocols, and device drivers. He is a respected technical “rainmaker” in the startup community. Prior to founding Beechwoods in 2005, Brad was the Director of Software at Seranoa Networks (acquired by White Rock). He has also served as the System Architect at Indus River (acquired in 2000 by Cabletron), where he led the architecture, design, and software development of the company’s VPN product line. He was previously a development manager at Primary Rate Inc. (acquired in 1996 by Xircom), where he developed software for a series of ISDN products; Software Team Leader at Locus Computing; and a developer of TCP/IP and OSI networking software at Interlan.
Cheryl DaSilva, Financial Officer
Since 2007, Cheryl has been responsible for all aspects of Beechwoods Software’s finances, as well as the company’s human resources. Prior to joining our team, she served as the Director of Finance for Indian Hill Music, a community music school and orchestra located in Littleton, MA. Before that, she worked in a rather different environment—as a financial examiner for the Defense Finance and Account Service at Fort Shafter, HI, and from 1985 to 1995 as a financial examiner at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA. In her spare time, Cheryl puts her analytical and people skills to use as an amateur genealogist.
Aman Manchanda, Vice President of Engineering
Aman brings 15 years of engineering experience to Beechwoods, where he manages the company’s engineering organization and deliverables. His focus here is on implementing policies and procedures for continuous improvement, and managing day-to-day customer relations with some of our biggest clients. Aman played a key role in bringing 12 makes/models of DIRECTV set-top boxes to market. In his spare time, he enjoys running and playing tennis.
Ken Kim, Director of Business Development
Ken’s role at Beechwoods is to develop new business, acquire new customers, and identify new markets. He is abreast of industry trends, and has a sharp eye for opportunities in the market. Ken wears many hats, including CE Product Manager, STB development guru, and Network Engineer, and is particularly interested in integrating a network interface into CE products. His specialties include Digital TV, IPTV, STB embedded system development, and IP/VoIP. Recently, Ken’s insightful risk projection and make-up planning helped a major client successfully meet their project deadline for the first time, resulting in orders for over 2 million set top boxes. On breaks from developing business strategies, Ken enjoys playing golf.
Chuck Johnson, QA Manager
Chuck began his tenure at Beechwoods as a QA Engineer supporting the Satellite and Network Infrastructure. He was soon promoted to QA Manager, and has been invaluable in building a strong QA system that is tailored to our customers’ needs. Currently, he manages the maintenance and development of triage tools for a major client’s stress testing environment and distribution to OEMs. Prior to joining the Beechwoods team, Chuck provided IT support, QA, and Domino application development for Lotus Development, and worked as Domino Administrator and Developer managing Change and Software Release at IBM. Chuck is also a trained commercial photographer, and likes to play with fire; his hobbies include blacksmithing, welding, and working at his home aluminum foundry.
Jessamyn Hodge, Program Manager
Jessamyn is responsible for program management across platforms and teams at Beechwoods. Focusing principally on new platforms, she coordinates initial project phases through rigorous testing, defect analysis and debugging, to product launch. She has a strong background in project management and logistics, as well as in software and technology, including compilers and kernel development. Prior to joining Beechwoods, she worked on electronic medical record software deployment and development, and emergency response and incident management. Jessamyn is a serious foodie, enjoying molecular gastronomy, multi-course haute cuisine planning, and underground supper clubs.
