Custom Team of Technology Experts

Michael Capellas

Founder & CEO

Michael is the founder and CEO of Capellas Partners, a strategic technology advisory firm. He currently serves on the Board of Flex (Chair), Cisco, JDA (Chair) and Cylance. He is a Senior Advisor to Blackstone and on the advisory board of Kony.

A four-time corporate CEO, Michael’s career as a global technology leader has spanned from innovative technology start-ups to large corporate turnarounds. He spent the first decade of his career at Schlumberger, followed by positions at software leaders, Oracle and SAP.  In 1999, Michael was named CEO of Compaq Computer Corporation and a year later, added the title of chairman. During his tenure, the company was recognized as the global leader in computer servers. He was named President of Hewlett Packard following the merger between Compaq and HP. In 2002, Michael was recruited as Chairman and CEO of Worldcom post- bankruptcy and transformed the company from a long-distance provider into the world’s largest carrier of internet traffic. After the restructuring, WorldCom re-listed on the NASDAQ as the new MCI. After Verizon acquired MCI, Michael was named Chairman and CEO of First Data Corporation, a global leader in payments and electronic commerce.

From 2009 through 2012, Michael became Founding Chairman and CEO of VCE, the Virtual Computing Company, a multibillion dollar joint venture between Cisco, EMC and VMware which developed and commercialized an innovative platform for cloud computing. During his tenure at VCE, Michael co-chaired the Federal Commission on Deployment of the Cloud (Cloud2), comprised of 71 leading U.S. companies and universities, who finalized a set of recommendations for driving U.S. cloud adoption, spurring U.S. job growth and enhancing overall U.S. competitiveness in the world. He graduated from Kent State University and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Grace Trent

Managing Partner

Grace is a 25-year marketing and communications professional having most recently served as chief marketing officer for VCE, the Virtual Computing Enterprise, a joint venture between Cisco, EMC and VMWare.

Before VCE, she served as executive vice president for marketing and communications for First Data, a global leader in payments and electronic commerce, privately owned by KKR. She led worldwide corporate communications, government and investor relations, brand and marketing. Prior to First Data, she was senior vice president and chief of staff to the CEO at Worldcom/MCI overseeing internal and external communications, corporate brand and marketing, community relations including The MCI Foundation.

Grace has held senior communications positions at Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and Exxon. She started her career in media and politics and later managed public relations work for Fortune 100 clients (SBC, Anheuser Busch, Exxon) on behalf of Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, a leading global PR agency.  She has worked in media relations for President George H.W. Bush’s re-election campaign, Texas U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and the California Republican Party. Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recognized her with its highest honor, the Silver Anvil for Public Relations Professional of the Year in 2004, for her leadership in restoring MCI’s corporate reputation from its days as WorldCom. Grace was also named one of the Top 200 Women Executives in Northern Virginia by The Washington Post in 2004. Grace is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Julie Jennings

Managing Director

Julie is a 15-year advertising and marketing professional. With a deep agency background, Julie has a depth of knowledge around retail, packaging, traditional, digital and social advertising as well as public relations and business-to-business marketing.

Prior to joining Capellas Partners, she served as the Client Leadership Director at The Mars Agency leading their T-Mobile and TracFone Wireless retail business including embedded teams with Walmart and Costco. She has a deep technology background working with clients such as HP, Samsung, T-Mobile and Tracfone.   She has experience leading cross-category partnerships with CPG companies like Pop Secret, Mars Candy, Del Monte and Coca-Cola. She started her career working on the marketing business for Harrah’s Entertainment. Julie has been honored by Walmart and Costco as a supplier of the year as well as a finalist in the Path to Purchase Design of the Times and Effie awards.  Julie is a graduate of American University with a B.A. and M.A. in Public Communications.

Jim Bethman

Managing Director

Jim has 30+ years of hands-on leadership experience – including 20 years in executive search, 10 years leading a $300M technology company operations on three continents and formative years as an active duty and reserve naval officer.

This has made him an industry specialist in the broader technology verticals of software, services, hardware & systems, telecom services & networks, to include SaaS, PaaS, CCaaS, UCaaS as well as managed IT services, cyber security, outsourcing & broader cloud services. Jim currently leads the Technology Practice and focuses on recruiting board directors and c-suite executives in the above industry segments as well as in the CIO, CISO and CTO function globally. Jim has placed over 100 Presidents & CEOs. During his tenure he lived, built and led businesses in the Americas, the Pacific Rim (living in Tokyo & Singapore) and Europe. Jim has significant corporate and nonprofit boards experience. Most recently, Telecommunications Systems, Inc. (TSYS) and Netcordant. He is the former president of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association in North Texas and Trustee where he remains intimately involved. Jim is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former Navy lieutenant commander.