Guidewire has assembled a core team dedicated to the success of global technology entrepreneurs.
Chris Shipley, co-founder and CEO, drives the company’s strategic vision and business operations. A leading technology analyst for more than 25 years, Chris is passionate about entrepreneurship as the driver of economic growth and job creation. She has built a career on identifying emerging market opportunities and the innovative startups poised to capitalize on them, and as executive producer of the DEMO conference from 1996 to 2009, helped companies including WebEx, VMWare, salesforce.com, TiVo, Xfire, Ribbit, and Ironport make their market debut. In June 2010, SD Forum presented Chris with its prestigious Visionary Award for her work with young companies. She sits on the board of CSR-management software company Versaic, and is an advisor to a number of early stage companies.
Michelle E. Messina joined Guidewire in late 2010 as Vice President of International Business Development to engage Economic Development Agencies worldwide in the company’s network of support for entrepreneurs. She has worked with startups from more than 30 countries, and government-sponsored business acceleration and competitiveness programs around the world. Michelle is co-founder of the French Business & Innovation Accelerator (FBIA), and an advisor to Innovation Center Denmark and SAGE (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship). Michelle is also part of the U.S. Department of State program Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas for Women Entrepreneurs focused on economic empowerment and public-private partnerships for SME growth.
Alice Mar is Guidewire’s Vice President of Operations, keeping the company’s financial and business affairs running smoothly. She has more than 20 years of administrative and project management experience in the computer industry, working for companies such as Apple, Avex Electronics, and Skyware. She has relevant experience in all aspects of business management, having filled the rolls of development project manager, company administrator, customer support specialist, executive assistant, and HR executive. Perhaps her most qualifying experience, however, is that of mother which makes her ideally suited for organizing, adjusting and harmonizing activities in Guidewire’s fast moving environment.
Damian Scott is Guidewire’s acting Chief Software Architect, directing the design and implementation of the company’s software as a service platform, G/SCORE SELECT. As CEO of the success of Web 2.0 software development company, Saris Technologies, Damian is the driving force behind the successful implementations of eppraisal.com, a consumer-focused real estate analysis company, and listd.com, the largest online business listings manager.
Deirdre Gibson is lead software developer for Guidewire’s Web and SaaS platform offerings. A talented software engineer, Deirdre has developed applications ranging from ad inventory management systems for radio stations to residential foreclosure analysis software for investors (and everything in between). Prior to joining the Guidewire team, Deirdre worked in software development for Clear Channel Communications, the global media and entertainment company that specializes in mobile and on-demand entertainment, and Saris Technologies, the company that brought to market products such as Eppraisal, List’d, and Hoodeo.
Stephen Pieraldi is Guidewire’s Chief Operations Officer. A serial entrepreneur, Stephen has been a CEO, CTO, EVP of sales and has taken a company from seed to IPO. Along the way, he has worked for Fortune 500 companies and have raised millions of dollars in operating capital for a number of startup companies. Stephen’s broad experience in markets including Internet technologies, healthcare, architecture, construction, production level manufacturing, and general computer science gives him a unique perspective from which to advise emerging businesses.
