Pavithra Karumuri President and CEO

With over 15 years of extensive experience in technology, Pavithra Karumuri excels in Application Development, Design, and Business Analysis, catering to a diverse clientele. Her focus lies in driving systems modernization through IT solutions while providing strategic business analysis for management consulting. As the driving force behind Krasan, Pavithra’s vision centers on exceptional customer service and value. She oversees day-to-day operations, product research, marketing, and corporate development, aiming to expand our reach in the Private and Public Sectors, targeting mid-size to large enterprises in growing industry verticals in both the Private and Public sectors.

Charities and Interests

Outside of work, Pavi is actively involved in the community, empowering youth through various educational programs and promoting girls’ Robotics initiatives through Girl Scouts, neighborhood schools, and students. She enjoys spending time with her three kids, biking, hiking, and exploring her passion for painting. Pavi holds two postgraduate degrees – a Master’s Degree in Information Systems from DePaul University, Illinois, and an MBA from Osmania University, India. She is also a certified Oracle Development professional.

Rick Pugh Vice President of Consulting Services & Chief Operating Officer

With over two and a half decades of experience in business and technology leadership, Rick brings a wealth of tactical knowledge in service delivery, development, implementation, infrastructure, and security. His expertise extends to data analysis, budgeting, and overseeing business operations, honed through diverse engagements across industries of varying sizes, from start-ups to global enterprises. Rick has worked in various industries during his career including Media & Entertainment, Grocery, Retail, Utilities, and SLED. During this time, Rick has ensured a strong focus on customer satisfaction and service delivery excellence. As Vice President of Consulting at Krasan Consulting Services Inc., Rick Pugh stands as a technology and business executive with a remarkable track record of hands-on involvement in designing and executing business and technology processes and solutions.

Charities and Interests

Rick has served as a foster parent to countless children throughout the years and actively supports initiatives that enhance their lives. He has served on the board of directors for the California State Foster Parent Association for seven years, and as president of the Ventura County Foster Parent Association for ten years. Rick is also an avid skier and holds memberships in organizations such as the National Ski Patrol, United States Ski and Snowboard Association, and the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA). Rick currently serves as an Alpine Ski Patroller with the Big Bear Ski Patrol and is an Outdoor Emergency Care Instructor.

Dinkar Karumuri Vice President of Corporate Strategy

Dinkar Karumuri brings over 20 years of experience as a technologist, solution architect, and implementation leader for public and private sector clients. With expertise in Enterprise Resource Planning, Business Intelligence, Enterprise Application Integration, and Enterprise Performance Management, Dinkar has driven successful business process, re-engineering and collaborated with mid-level executives to optimize organizational management. Prior to Krasan, he served as CEO for various Solution Integrators and held positions on startup boards, leading implementations for reputable organizations, including Oracle Corporation, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United Insurance, American College of Surgeons, and state/municipal agencies.

Dinkar, a PMP-certified Project Manager with a master’s in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Illinois, Chicago, is deeply involved in civic and business activities. He co-founded the Indo-American Technology Professionals Association (IATPA), serves on the board at AAAFGC (Asian-American Action Fund of Greater Chicago), and fosters collaboration among various ethnic communities in the United States. Dinkar’s passion for giving back is evident through his active participation in organizations like the City Club of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, and Government Finance Officers Association. He also founded the Center for IT Talent Acceleration, aiming to bridge the STEM gap. In his spare time, Dinkar cherishes family time with his kids, indulges in cooking, golf, and travel.

Charities and Interests

Jose Blanco Chairman, Board of Advisors

Jose Blanco leads our advisor committee that focuses on the organization’s strategy. With over 25 years of experience bridging the gap between technology and business value, Jose has fine-tuned the art of crafting innovative solutions that effectively support business strategy. Jose is a results-oriented executive with a track record of success in strategy development, technology management, and products and services marketing. He has spearheaded growth, as well as cost reduction in complex business environments. Jose has the ability to break down complexity, clarify strategy, focus execution, and define creative solutions that balance organizational priorities and marketplace drivers with a sensitivity for ROI.Hello there

Charities and Interests

José’s key interests are skiing, playing soccer, reading and enjoying time with grand-children. He also volunteers in a variety of organizations.

Supplier Codes

Applications Software Programming Services, Custom Computer (NAICS, 541511) Computer Software Consulting Services or Consultants (NAICS, 541512) Software Installation Services, Computer (NAICS, 541519) Business Management Consulting Services (NAICS, 541611) Software, Microcomputer (Not Otherwise Classified) (NIGP, 20880) Computer Software Consulting (NIGP, 91829) Computer Network Consulting (NIGP, 91830) Governmental Consulting (NIGP, 91858) IT Consulting, (Not Otherwise Classified) (NIGP, 91871) Management Consulting (NIGP, 91875) Organization Development Consulting (NIGP, 91883) Procurement Consulting, Including Specification Development & Contract Consulting (NIGP, 91887) Quality Assurance & Control Consulting (NIGP, 91888) Strategic Planning & Consulting (NIGP, 91890) Data Conversion Services (NIGP, 92024) Processing System Services, Data (Not Otherwise Classified) (NIGP, 92039) Programming Services, Computer, Including Mobile Device Applications (NIGP, 92040) Software Maintenance & Support Services (NIGP, 92045) Software Updating & Upgrading Services (NIGP, 92046) Support Services, Computer, Includes Computer Warranties (NIGP, 92047) Teaching & Training Materials For Computer Science/Technology (Printed or Magnetically Stored) (NIGP, 92074) Technical Writing & Documentation, IT Services (NIGP, 92075) Website Development (NIGP, 92078) Training, Computer Based, Software Supported (NIGP, 92091) Computer Management Services (NIGP, 95823) Project Management Services (NIGP, 95877)

Steve Peralta Vice President, Client Engagement State, Local, Education (SLED) Segment

Steve Peralta has over 30 years of Customer Relationship Management experience. Over the course of his career Steve has consulted and developed technical solutions for entities such as: the State of Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, the Illinois State Police, SPS District 186, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and recently the Bank of Springfield in a role as CXO. In his current role, he serves as a member of the Krasan leadership team responsible for the business development and championing the voice of the customer to create WOW client experiences targeting the State, Local, and Education (SLED) sector for the State of Illinois.

Steve is a member of Christ the King Parish and a member of the Knights of Columbus. In addition, he is a co-founder, past president, and current Board member of the Central Illinois Customer Service Association (CILCSA) which promotes exemplary customer service delivery in Central Illinois. In addition, Steve serves on the board of the Information Technology Society of Education (ITSE) with a goal to provide relevant educational, networking and growth opportunities for the Springfield community of IT professionals. Although Steve was raised in the Chicago land area, Steve has considered Springfield, Illinois to be his home for the past 26 years. During his downtime he enjoys following Chicago sports, exercising, listening to live music, and spending time with his family. Steve received his M.A. Degree in Communications from Eastern Illinois University with a minor in Business Administration.

Charities and Interests

Ross Plank Senior Director, Digital Consulting Services

Ross has over 25 years of digital product and delivery experience. During his career, he has led teams and developed innovative and award-winning solutions at Disney, Sempra Energy, Union Bank, Bessemer Trust, SapientNitro, Activision, Warner Bros., Sony, iCrossing, Razorfish, NissanUSA, Mattel, The Designory, US Interactive, Hyundai Motors, and LA Unified School District, to name a few. He currently leads the digital practice for Krasan including UX strategy, UI, web and mobile. The heart of the Krasan digital practice is human-centered UX design, which is about one simple yet profound principle: putting people first. It’s an approach that places the end-user at the epicenter of the development process.

Ross has been an active member of the Junior Chamber (JCI) and in PMI-LA in development of leadership programs to empower non-profits. He is also actively involved with Child Fund to provide children basic education in rural Kenya. Ross is currently an active skier in the winter, sailor in the summer, hiking the local hills of Southern California as well as occasionally performing live music with local R&B/Jazz groups. He has a bachelor’s degree from Westmont College in communications, a minor in business economics and graduate studies in computer science from UCLA in addition to active PMP, PMI-ACP, CSPO, CSM, SAFe, ITIL, and Lean Six Sigma certifications.

Charities and Interests

Kevin Kankel Senior Director, Advanced Data Services

Kevin relishes his role within the company as consummate "idea guy," but you'll really see him light up when he rolls up his sleeves to personally execute on bringing a solution to life. He secured a Bachelor's of Science in Managerial Economics from U.C. Davis, which led him into 12 years bridging Innovation & Execution in Business Process Engineering, Analytics, Finance, and applied Artificial Intelligence. Kevin strongly believes in starting from a place of outstanding human experience for our customers, staff, and contractors, so that together we can maintain a relentlessly positive outlook while pursuing audacious ambition.

Kevin is deeply passionate about improving both experiences & outcomes for families like his who have navigated challenges in the healthcare and adoption systems. He fosters a deep love of good storytelling through movies, music, video games, books, and cooking. When he's not obsessing over those passions, Kevin finds joy in good stories, learning new crafting skills, hiking through beautiful expanses of nature and spending time with the people he loves.

Charities and Interests

Jim Hocker Senior Director, Data Services

With over 27 years of extensive technology experience as a Microsoft Certified Professional, Jim H excels in Datawarehouse/Datamart Design, Architecture, and Implementation. His approach ensures successful implementations for Fortune 500 companies, including Hilton Hotels, BMW, Visa/Mastercard, Blue Shield/Blue Cross/AETNA, Thomson Reuters, MaxLinear/INTEL, and the United Kingdom Department of Defense. As a driving force behind Krasan’s Data Services Practice, Jim combines professional technical expertise with a down-to-earth approach, bridging the gap between business users and advanced technical solutions. His leadership enables accurate measurement of business growth and transformation of data into actionable insights through implementations using today's most advanced Enterprise Resource Planning Cloud Computing Solutions. Additionally, Jim’s military background as a Combat Team Leader and Non-Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division underscores his commitment to excellence. His real-world military operations experience in Iraq further enriches his leadership skills.

His hobbies included SCUBA, snow skiing, military history, philosophy, and martial arts. Jim immensely enjoys spending time with his family of three children and two grandchildren.

Charities and Interests

Jyothi Sitaraman Senior Account Manager

As a seasoned professional in account management, Jyothi embodies the role of a Senior Account Manager with a focus on cultivating and expanding client relationships. With a keen eye for strategic thinking, she navigates the intricate dynamics of our client base, understanding that every action bears long-term consequences and results. Jyothi’s leadership extends beyond conventional boundaries, as she actively mentors and empowers junior team members, fostering an environment of growth and excellence within the account management team. Collaboration lies at the heart of her approach, as she works closely with cross-functional teams to ensure not only client satisfaction but also to drive sustainable revenue growth. With a dedication to excellence and a commitment to nurturing lasting client partnerships, she is poised to navigate the complexities of the account management landscape with foresight and integrity.