Team

Robert J. (Bob) Savage - Founder & President

Prior to founding Savage Consulting, Savage was a General Manager and ran the International Sales Division at New Waste Concepts, a startup environmental firm. During his time at New Waste Concepts, Savage grew sales tenfold and generated approximately 25% of the firm's sales revenue. Previously, he worked as a consultant and trainer at Monoky Associates, where he worked in sales leadership development and strategic account management; his client roster included KeyBank. Savage also worked in mergers and acquisitions at Libbey-Owens-Ford and Seagate Venture Management (venture capital) while earning his Bachelor's degree from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Savage has served on a number of Boards, including the Corporate Board of Hilgraeve, Inc., which sold to Compuware (NASDAQ: CPWR) in early 2008. He currently serves on the Board of American Broadband & Telecommunications and is a Board observer for Mithridion, Inc. His extensive community involvement includes the Investment Committee at the Toledo Community Foundation, the University of Toledo College of Medicine Advisory Council and the Toledo Chapter of Rotary International, where he serves as a Board member. He has also served as Vice-Chairman of the Planning Commissions for both the City of Toledo and Lucas County.

Ben Trumbull - Vice President

Ben Trumbull is a Vice President at Savage Consulting. Trumbull's primary areas of responsibility at Savage include Due Diligence, Deal Flow, and Portfolio Management of companies in the firm's venture capital portfolios. Prior to joining Savage Consulting, Trumbull worked for The Nielsen Company consulting to Procter & Gamble in their Oral Care and Pet Care divisions. At GE Capital, Trumbull was a member of the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program, working in the Enterprise Client Group servicing the company's top lending customers. Before business school, Trumbull worked at the Northaven Development Group, a family office where he helped manage and operate the family's Venture Capital and Private Equity investments. Trumbull received an MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Denison University.

Steve Rafac - Vice President

Steve Rafac is a Vice President at Savage Consulting and has over 20 years of management and ownership experience in small and medium sized organizations. Rafac has held Senior Management positions in multiple organizations in varying industries. Rafac has most recently created a Business Software Solutions unit within DMC Technology Group. The unit features products from SAP and INFOR. He continues to serve as a Partner with DMC. As President of Beverage Equipment Supply (BESCO), Rafac focused on driving down costs and improving profitability by utilizing IT and developing an Internet presence and online sales system to increase sales. Over a ten year period, Rafac grew BESCO tenfold to over $20 million, and oversaw the sale of the organization to Manitowoc Company. Rafac's background in IT, Marketing and Operations allow him to have tactical perspective, as well as strategic expertise; assisting businesses in establishing and obtaining their goals. Rafac received his Masters' degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of DePaul, and his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Akron.

John Pletz - Associate

Prior to joining Savage Consulting as an Associate, John Pletz was a Financial Advisor at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch in Sylvania, Ohio. As a Financial Advisor, Pletz worked with his clients to develop financial plans tailored to help each client realize their personal goals. He has several years of experience evaluating investment opportunities, performing due diligence and financial analysis. Previously, Pletz worked as a project manager with a home remodeling contractor and focused on meeting specific budgets and deadlines. He was a small business owner who maintained daily operations including employee and inventory management, marketing, payroll and taxes. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from The University of Toledo with an emphasis in Finance and Financial Services. While at UT, Pletz was a member of the UT Student Managed Portfolio Team, managing an equity portfolio for the UT Foundation.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Ujvagi - Office Manager

Betsy is the Office Manager and Administrative Director for Savage Consulting. She has worked at Savage Consulting for over 7 years, coordinating all communication between the company and its clients; and managing all other day-to-day operations of the company. She has extensive experience in handling all official forms and documentation from regional and state public and private organizations, such as the Ohio Department of Development. Betsy serves as a volunteer for the Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development, and is a member of the board at Toledo's Hungarian Club and the East Toledo Family Center. Betsy studied English at Bluffton College and received her Associate's degree from Owens Community College.