Distinguished Leaders from Salesforce, Dell Technologies, Citi and SHI join the NPower Board of Directors

NEW YORK, May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- One of the country's largest free tech training programs, NPower, has announced the addition of four new members to their national board of directors: Randy Barnhardt, Vice President of SHI's Cloud & Innovative Solution division; Craig Cuffie, SVP and Chief Procurement Officer of Salesforce; Jennifer Kleinert, Chief Operating Officer for Citi Enterprise Infrastructure, Operations and Technology and Peter Trizzino, Senior Vice President of Dell Technologies Select.

The CEO of NPower, Bertina Ceccarelli, says these new board members bring the executive perspective, knowledge and connections that will help with the nonprofit's expansion.

"We are pleased to have these esteemed executives join the NPower board," said Ceccarelli. "They join NPower at a time when our organization is moving quickly to address the growing needs of the American workforce, and the increased industry demand for IT talent. The technology sector will rebound post-pandemic and their collective experience will prepare us to scale and connect more women of color, young adults and military veterans to high-growth tech careers."

Randy Barnhardt - Vice President, Cloud & Innovative Solutions at SHI International Corp.

Randy Barnhardt spent four years as a Sergeant in the Marine corps (1974-1978) before he returned home to study Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Industrial Management at Rowan Technical College & University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

He is now responsible for building and growing an exceptional team of Pre & Post Sales Consultants, Sales Executives, and Professional Services Delivery professionals that are focused on driving state of the art Cloud Solutions and Services.

Prior to his current position, Barnhardt joined the SHI Sales Leadership team in 2017 after serving as Senior Vice President of Sales at OnX International. Barnhardt drove the business globally while focusing on Vertical markets and EMEA for several Technology Providers.

"As a Sergeant in the Marines, I can tell you our veterans know how to persevere. They have the drive and will to succeed in technology careers," said Barnhardt. "I'm looking forward to helping more veterans and their spouses gain access to the in-demand skills needed to succeed in technology, with the help of NPower."

Craig Cuffie - Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer of Salesforce

Craig Cuffie provides directional leadership and strategic management for the purchase, procurement and acquisition of all contractual services with Salesforce. Cuffie and his team serve as lead negotiators for enterprise wide capital and associated operating expenses, including all hardware, technology, and service level agreements. Cuffie also oversees the company's supplier diversity initiatives. Prior to his current position, Cuffie founded Eagle Island Advisors, a boutique private equity firm focused on sourcing lower mid market opportunities in the 3rd Party Logistics (3PL) industry.

Cuffie says he is excited to be a new board member and believes NPower, like Salesforce, is on a socially progressive mission to advance equality and diversity in technology.

"I am looking forward to bringing my experience to an organization committed to diversity and equity in tech--particularly among our most vulnerable communities," says Cuffie. "I look forward to exploring was Salesforce can partner with NPower and benefit from their diversity talent pipeline."

Jennifer Kleinert, Chief Operating Officer of Enterprise Infrastructure Operations & Technology for Citi

Jennifer Kleinert is Citi's Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Enterprise, Infrastructure Operations and Technology at Citi. As COO, Jennifer works closely with Citi's Global Head of Operations and Technology to develop, implement and manage business strategies and meet targets.

Throughout her 29-year career with Citi, Kleinert has been active in many mentoring initiatives, women's
organizations and diversity programs, which she will bring to NPower.

"NPower is an important leader in technology training among women and other under-represented minorities in technology," says Kleinert. "I'm proud of the long-term partnership between Citi and NPower in leading the aligned mission to advance careers for women of color as the next generation of leaders in technology."

Peter Trizzino - Senior Vice President of Dell Technologies Select

Peter Trizzino is responsible for worldwide sales with Dell Technologies Select, a global go-to-market organization within Dell Technologies that delivers business outcomes for some of the world's largest and most strategic customers. A 20-year veteran of Dell Technologies, Trizzino specializes in identifying, recruiting and hiring top talent at all levels of an organization and fosters a positive, energetic team culture.

Over the years, Dell Technologies has been a significant sponsor of the NPower Gala. Ceccarelli says Dell employees have also been avid supporters and volunteers on various NPower projects.

"There is no ceiling for NPower when it comes to training tomorrow's leaders of technology," said Trizzino. "I've seen first-hand NPower make a difference in our communities, among our military veterans and with women of color. I'm honored to have this opportunity to bring my experience with Dell Technologies and my career to the NPower board of advisors."

Other members of the board of directors for NPower include Vittorio Cretella (CIO, Proctor & Gamble), Dean Del Vecchio (EVP, COO, CIO, Guardian Life Insurance), Guillermo Diaz Jr. (CEO, Kloudspot), Edward Fandrey (VP of Financial Services, Microsoft), Gail Fierstein, (Head of People, CaaStle), Matt Horner (SVP, World Wide Technology Inc.), Debra King (SVP, CIO, Corteva Agriculture), Chris Perry (President, Broadridge Financial), David Reilly (CIO, Bank of America) as well as several others.

About NPower

NPower is a national nonprofit on a mission to move people from poverty to the middle class by training youth from underserved communities and veterans in a range of tech skills and placing them in quality jobs. Students who enter their free, six-month program, earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an IT professional with one to two years of experience. NPower also places students in paid internships with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Eighty percent of NPower graduates get a full-time job or continue their education. Not only is NPower changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today's limited pool of IT talent. To learn more about NPower, visit http://www.npower.org.

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Phone: 646-770-0541

SOURCE NPower