As Workplace Answers’ President & COO, Mary directs the day-to-day sales, business and strategic operations of the Company. Additionally, she plays a leading role in managing Workplace Answers partnership program. Mary regularly consults with Workplace Answers customers to develop long-term compliance training strategies. Mary has a wealth of experience consulting with clients, having led numerous strategic management and software service engagements at Fortune 100 firms and large public institutions across the U.S. and Europe.
Mary has a proven record of achievement in building and leading SAAS firms, having successfully sold her last firm in 2004. Mary also helped to launch the San Francisco office of the Mitchell Madison Group, an international strategic management consulting firm. In addition, Mary has held a variety of strategic, revenue-generating and technology positions at DotDeliver, Ford Motor Company, US/Web, Hewlett-Packard and New World Systems.
Mary has been quoted in a variety of publications on the benefits of Web-based services and speaks regularly before technology audiences and business leaders. She is a member of the Society of Applied Learning Technology and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Mary earned her B.A. from Smith College and her M.B.A. from Yale University’s School of Management.
Sondra Solovay, Esq. - Director of Content Development
Sondra is the attorney leading the outstanding Content Team of researchers, writers and designers who create Workplace Answers’ award-winning course content. She is the nation’s leading researcher on weight-based legal issues and her book, Tipping the Scales of Justice, was the first published on this issue. She is co-editor of The Fat Studies Reader published in 2009 by NYU Press. She is frequently quoted by the media on discrimination and bias issues, and has written for a variety of publications including the Harvard Business Review. In addition to her contributions at Workplace Answers, she also serves as an adjunct Professor of Law at the John F. Kennedy School of Law.
Ms. Solovay has been honored with several awards for her legal work and advocacy and has been profiled by San Francisco Attorney Magazine. Sondra has provided training for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors as well as the San Francisco Human Rights Commissioners and their staffs, and was the first attorney to successfully resolve a complaint under San Francisco’s “height/weight” law. She has appeared as a commentator on CNN's Burden of Proof, Good Morning America, Canada A.M., as well as other local and national programs. Sondra Solovay graduated from Brown University and her law degree is from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law
Gary is a versatile marketer with a track-record of leading business, creative and technical teams on high-profile web services projects. He brings over 25 years of experience to Workplace Answers, including corporate communications, email and direct mail programs, event marketing, SEO and interactive marketing. As Director of Marketing for Web start-up FoundValue.com, he implemented a sophisticated sales and marketing automation platform. Gary performed in a number of roles as Director of Marketing Services at Shaklee Corporation, where he was instrumental in the development of the company’s first generation eCommerce, web services and email marketing initiatives.
Gary attended U.C. Berkeley where he received his Bachelor degree in Psychology and also earned an M.A. in Multimedia Communications from San Francisco State University.
Burke Ferrari, Sr. Director of Finance
As Workplace Answers chief financial authority, Burke Ferrari is responsible for all aspects of the company's fiscal health and well-being. Whether he's determining how much coffee to order for the office kitchen or billing clients for thousands of licenses, Burke applies the same sharp eye and attention to detail. Before joining Workplace Answers, Burke held several senior finance positions at both private and public high-tech companies. He served as the Director of Finance for The Simpata Group. Prior to that, Burke was the Controller of Hybrid Networks, Inc., a manufacturer of Internet connectivity hardware products.
Burke's areas of expertise include cash management, budgeting and forecasting, as well as accounting and their related reporting functions at a senior level. He's also an expert in insurance negotiation. Burke holds B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from Santa Clara University.