Our Leadership Team
Michele Benson
Chief Executive Officer
Throughout her extensive GBS career, Michele Benson has taken on a variety of important roles and responsibilities, from her initial position as Staff Accountant in 1994 to Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer in 2016. She also served as Executive Vice President of Filing Operations in 2012-2013 and Executive Vice President of Print Technologies in 2021-2022. In January 2023, Michele took over as GBS’ Chief Executive Officer, and continues to lead our organization along its path to exceptional growth and stability.
As CEO, Michele is responsible for planning, developing, implementing and directing GBS’ operational and fiscal performance. She is also accountable for analyzing and making recommendations on the impact of long-range growth initiatives, planning and the introduction of new strategies and regulatory actions. Most importantly, as she focuses on the continued growth of our sales, profits and stock price, Michele remains committed to our clients and devoted to GBS’ vision, mission and future.
Michele graduated from Ohio University in 1989 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and obtained her Ohio Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in 1996.
J.P. Schippert
Chief Financial Officer
After joining GBS as Chief Financial Officer in August 2022, JP Schippert quickly became a valued member of the GBS Leadership team. JP has worked in accounting leadership roles across a variety of industries since the 1990s. In addition to his keen understanding of finance and accounting, he owns extensive experience in small business and non-profit management, as well as team and corporate culture development.
As CFO, JP is accountable for the financial and fiduciary oversight of all GBS operations, assures the timeliness and accuracy of all financial reports and budget processes and provides executive leadership for the NetSuite ERP implementation. He works to ensure more streamlined processing for all divisions and significant improvements in cost reduction through more effective purchasing. JP also lends his support and leadership to our HR and IT teams as they continue to serve GBS’ ever-changing needs.
As a graduate of the University of Akron, JP holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, as well as an Ohio Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
Gregg Fine
Chief Marketing Officer
Gregg Fine began his career at GBS in 2000 as a Business Development Representative promoting a full range of healthcare solutions. He was promoted to Business Development Manager in 2003 and then in 2007 added marketing responsibilities to his portfolio which earned him a promotion to Marketing Coordinator & Business Development Manager for the Technology division. In 2013, Gregg became Marketing Manager, where he was responsible for launching several new products/solutions, thus earning him a promotion to Executive Director of Marketing & Business Development in September 2016.
Gregg advanced to Vice President of Marketing & Sales Strategy in 2020, where he worked closely with Corporate Marketing to expand marketing efforts and build a Business Development team. Today, Gregg serves as Chief Marketing Officer, where he is responsible for the planning, development and execution of GBS’ marketing and advertising initiatives. Most importantly, he is focused on helping the organization secure new customers and grow sales revenue.
Gregg graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in marketing and minoring in computer information systems.
Jeff Grippando
President, BrandConnect Division
Jeff Grippando joined GBS as the Director of Sales, Document Solutions, in 2020, and was swiftly promoted to lead the division as Vice President of Sales. With a wealth of education and experience within the print, promotional and marketing industry, Jeff was poised to establish and lead the vision and direction of the sales strategy and build relationships that continue to be mutually beneficial to suppliers, clients and his division.
Since 2022, Jeff has served as President of GBS BrandConnect, a name and identity that he was instrumental in helping the division forge, and which has since flourished under his direction. In this role, he is responsible for the overall management and the strategic direction of the division, including its sales, warehouse and printing operations, as well as for its creative and client services functions. Jeff’s primary goal is to establish GBS BrandConnect as a growing market leader in all that they do, while continuing to drive profitable solutions for GBS clients and provide the best customer service possible.
Jeff graduated with a degree in Business Administration from California State University.
Mike Vitale
President, Labeling Division
Since beginning his GBS career in 2013, Mike Vitale has held various key positions, from Senior Account Executive to Regional Sales Manager to Vice President of Sales within the Labeling division. Now, as President of the division since 2022, Mike focuses on working closely with our CEO to strategize and plan revenue growth and oversee the Operations and Sales teams to ensure that forecasted top-line and operating income objectives are achieved.
With Sales and Operations/Production Management, Mike works to develop, implement and execute an annual strategic business plan and provide leadership and management to ensure that all goals and objectives are achieved. He also interacts with key clients on all phases of business development and implementation. Mike’s primary goal is to remain innovative in the marketplace and to build a solid reputation as the key supplier who puts the clients’ best interests first. He feels strongly that GBS needs to continue to pioneer new technologies and offerings to always be in a position of value for our growing client base.
Mike is a graduate of the Ohio State University, earning a degree in Business Administration/Marketing.
Joe Calabria
President, Technology Division
Since joining GBS in 1989, Joe Calabria has remained entirely committed to helping the company grow into a world-class organization. Joe has also been devoted to fine-tuning his technical, managerial and leadership skills, ultimately leading to his promotion to Vice President of both the Document Management and Managed Technology Solutions verticals, and to his 2022 appointment as President of GBS’ Technology division.
As President, Joe is responsible for developing short- and long-term strategic plans, managing budgets, understanding competitive trends and helping to drive revenue and profitability for the division. He is also tasked with motivating employees, creating a positive company culture and publicly representing GBS while developing strategic partnerships. Joe’s goals are to ensure the sustainability, profitability and development of the company while providing its growing client base with high-quality services and leading-edge products.
Joe is a graduate of Youngstown State University, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Business Management.
John Pratt
President, DeluxeAds
A San Diego native, John Pratt co-founded DeluxeAds in 2010 at the age of 20 and quickly scaled the company to become one of the leading affiliate networks in the world. The organization relocated to Fort Lauderdale, FL in 2014 and then to San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2018 when DeluxeAds initially partnered with GBS. Since then, John has led his internet marketing-focused team to launch Rising Products (an e-commerce brand incubator) and DLX Deals (an online marketplace reseller), and to acquire PayCafe (a credit card processor) in partnership with GBS.
The combined Deluxe companies now represent over 60% of the GBS yearly portfolio revenue and continue to push the boundaries of all GBS growth initiatives. John’s role with GBS is leading the Deluxe entities to long-term growth and sustainability in the ever-evolving world of e-commerce. Under John’s leadership, the Deluxe companies will continue to provide a unique growth avenue for GBS and provide the company additional diverse lines of scalability for years to come.
John graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Business Administration and Management.
Jackie Davison
Executive Vice President of Corporate Business Development/Executive Advisor of Sales & Marketing
After starting her GBS career as an Account Executive in 1996, Jackie Davison quickly advanced to Senior Account Executive the following year. In 1999, she was elevated to Technology Director of Business Services, where she excelled as an information/technology management specialist and leader of the strategic sales management team. Her promotion to Director of Marketing in 2006 was followed by Vice President of Healthcare Technology in 2009. In 2018, she was promoted to Senior Vice President of Business Development, where she handled numerous responsibilities, such as aligning the marketplace, data trends and company cross-functional capabilities to grow GBS’ profitability and offerings.
Since assuming her current role in 2022, Jackie works closely with GBS’ Presidents and Sales Managers to assist in meeting and exceeding consolidated sales and profit objectives. She is primarily focused on sales leadership, working with large opportunities, managing our E.A.R.N. initiative and assisting with Business Development training and go-to-market strategies for product launches.
Jackie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management & Information Systems from Mount Union College and an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University.
Joe Chahine
Executive Vice President, Technology Division
Joe Chahine began his GBS career in 2000, working as a Sales Associate for the Healthcare vertical until his 2004 promotion to Director of Document Imaging. Upon returning to Healthcare in 2010, Joe became an Executive Account Manager. When promoted to Director of Healthcare Sales three years later, he led his team to new heights within the growing vertical. Joe’s hard work continued to pay off as his vice presidency came to fruition in 2017. As Healthcare continued to flourish, he served as Vice President of Sales and was largely responsible for leading the vertical to even greater growth and success—resulting in his promotion to Executive Vice President of the Technology division in 2022.
As Executive Vice President, Joe is responsible for direct sales and business development within the division, team building, mentoring staff and utilizing GBS resources to meet sales revenue and gross profit objectives. He also works closely with the division’s leaders on the annual budget process and strategic planning. Above all, Joe ensures that GBS exceeds customer expectations by providing innovative solutions through the continual improvement of our business processes, products and services.
Joe earned a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Youngstown State University.
Paul Horning
Vice President, Strategy
Paul Horning joined GBS in 2016 in Acquisitions & Planning, advancing to Director of Revenue Cycle Business Development in 2017. Paul is currently Vice President of Strategy for GBS, where he focuses on direct acquisitions and indirect corporate investment opportunities.
Paul is an accomplished investment professional with extensive experience in formulating, structuring and executing investment-related transactions, analyzing operations and coordinating strategic planning and implementation programs. His experience includes corporate banking, private equity advisory services and consulting on acquisitions and direct investment. Paul has developed and launched multiple product initiatives for public and private markets including consulting and marketing products, financial products and services, investment funds and securities. He has structured hundreds of debt and equity transactions and established asset management entities representing over $1B of assets under management.
Paul obtained his undergraduate degree from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, with a focus on Business and Marketing, and holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Case Western Reserve University.
Jennifer Ostapiak
Vice President, People & Culture
Jennifer Ostapiak began her GBS career as a Human Resources Generalist for the Technology division in 2011. Throughout her tenure, she has served in various roles within the company, most recently working as the Executive Director of Human Resources. Jennifer has been a visionary and leader in implementing new technologies to help streamline payroll and human resources processes. She has been essential in the recruiting and hiring of new employees while developing our current staff and preparing individuals for the next level through GBS’ Leadership Education And Development (LEAD) program.
In 2021, Jennifer was promoted to Vice President, People & Culture, where she is responsible for organizational development, policies, programs and processes covering the GBS employee lifecycle, while ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws. She supports the Executive Management team and also leads the vision, development and execution of talent and culture management initiatives to establish an empowered, diverse, value-driven and inclusive workplace culture.
Jennifer graduated from Youngstown State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Human Resources.
Mike Leszcz
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Management
Mike serves as the Executive Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management at GBS, overseeing operations and service delivery for Odyssey Health Systems. With over 35 years of experience in executive management, operational improvement, sales growth, customer service and mergers/acquisitions, Mike has navigated leadership roles in several venture capital-funded, private equity-owned and privately-owned companies. His expertise spans diverse industries including healthcare, manufacturing and technology.
After beginning his career as a CPA at E&Y, Mike transitioned to HI TecMetal Group, contributing to corporate acquisitions and later assuming the role of General Manager. Returning to E&Y as a Consultant, he improved operations and managed e-commerce and other technology initiatives. His journey included a stint with a tech start-up, ultimately acquired by Wolters Kluwer. Mike also launched a division of Quadax that provides revenue cycle solutions, which he grew to over $60 million in revenue. Later, he joined a private equity-owned group of companies in the autism therapy space. Mike has held executive roles in two companies, implementing a successful marketing program and overseeing expansion, leading to the group’s sale.
Mike received his BSBA from Bowling Green State University and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, and holds a non-practicing CPA license in Ohio.
Jody Doll
Senior Vice President of Operations, Healthcare Division
Jody Doll has held a wide range of positions throughout his GBS career, most notably as Manager of Operations, Director of Healthcare Operations and Vice President of Healthcare Operations. His success in these key roles ultimately opened the door to his present position as Senior Vice President of Operations, Healthcare, in 2022.
In his current role, Jody attends to his critical duties with care and urgency. Primarily, he oversees the budget, staff and operations related to healthcare implementation and services, first-party product development and some facets of revenue cycle management services. Jody also pursues ongoing investments in partnerships, products and processes to maintain a stable footing within the ever-changing healthcare landscape. Additionally, he works toward providing the time and investment to prepare the next generation of GBS leaders. He is quite passionate about wanting to pass on a legacy of success that can be carried forward into the next 50 years.
Jody holds a diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the National Institute of Technology.
Brian Taylor
Vice President of Market Development, BrandConnect Division
Brian Taylor joined the GBS team as Director of Print & Paper Solutions in 2012. Since then, Brian has taken advantage of every opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. His consistent success over the years ultimately led to his 2022 promotion to Vice President, Market Development, for the GBS BrandConnect division.
Throughout his career, Brian has demonstrated a keen ability to transform opportunities into valued business partnerships. In his present role, he continues to seek out such opportunities while handling his key responsibilities. Brian is largely accountable for managing and growing GBS BrandConnect’s strategic accounts, as well as securing and onboarding new clients. One of his primary goals is to continue to acquire new accounts while also expanding offerings to meet our existing clients’ needs. Additionally, Brian hopes to be a successful mentor, helping and inspiring others to find promising opportunities while forging successful business relationships. He is confident that GBS BrandConnect will continue to grow and prosper, and he will consistently be on board to assist his division, team and clients in any way possible.
Vince Ingles
Vice President of Sales, Technology Division
After starting his GBS career as a Technician in 1998, Vince Ingles soon moved to a Field Service Technician role at the start of the millennium. In 2005, Vince served as Assistant Manager, Technical Services, for six years, followed by his promotion to Solutions Architect, where he focused on building solutions to meet our clients’ needs. Vince moved to Manager of Technical Services in 2015, serving in a dual role as a Solutions Architect & Manager until 2018, when he assumed the role of Senior Solutions Architect & Account Executive.
Appointed to Vice President of Sales for GBS’ Technology Division in 2022, Vince’s responsibilities include directing the sales and business development of the division’s Healthcare and Managed Technology Solutions verticals. He is accountable for sales results, team building, mentoring vertical staff and utilizing GBS resources to meet sales revenue and gross profit objectives. Vince’s goal is to add strategic partnerships that further solidify the quality of our solutions to meet clients’ needs.
Vince graduated from ITT Technical Institute with an Associate of Applied Science, Electronic Engineering Technology Degree. He’s an HP Certified Professional and has management certifications through Kent State University.
Zach Schlimm
Director of Sales, Labeling Division
Zach Schlimm began his GBS journey as a Kitting & Fulfillment department employee in 2012, returning as a Marketing/Business Development Intern in 2015 and 2016. After his 2017 college graduation, Zach became a Business Development Associate and was soon promoted to Sales Account Associate within the Labeling division. In 2019, he advanced to Account Executive, which led to his 2022 promotion to Director of Sales.
Zach is proud to be part of the initial team that founded GBS’ YOGI, our organization’s Year of Giving Initiative. He is devoted to helping YOGI thrive and uphold its charitable mission to assist both employees and the local community.
Zach is responsible for leading the strategy and direction of the Sales team, which involves the cultivation of existing clients and the acquisition of new accounts. His primary goal is to ensure the division’s continued and unprecedented path of revenue generation and profitability growth while meeting the needs of our valued clients.
Zach earned a degree in Marketing from Ohio University.
Ryan Haas
Director of Sales, BrandConnect Division
Ryan Haas began his career at GBS in 2022 as Director of Sales for GBS BrandConnect. Since joining our team in a directorship role, Ryan has remained committed to learning all he can about our diverse organization and to meeting the wide-ranging needs of our clients.
As Director of Sales, Ryan is responsible for establishing and leading the vision and direction of the sales strategy for the GBS BrandConnect division. This accountability helps to ensure that sales performance meets or exceeds budget. As he works to secure top performance, he feels that any and all challenges drive him to succeed. Ryan is motivated to surpass all expectations as well as pass that energy on to the team.
Ryan’s main goal is to ensure that he and the GBS BrandConnect team continue their trend of exceptional growth by attracting and retaining top talent and empowering them to impact on our clients’ businesses. He is driven to create and maintain an environment where all team members feel empowered, challenged and appreciated.
Ryan graduated from The University of Akron with a degree in Sales, Distribution and Marketing Operations.
Simone Ugolini
Executive Director, Document Management
While working at a Police Department in the 1990s, Simone Ugolini taught himself how to use web-design software applications. His impressive portfolio caught the eye of GBS’ leadership, resulting in his initial role as Project Manager & Sales Engineer, Document Imaging, in 2004. He advanced to a Solutions Architect position in 2019, where he continued to assist clients with building customized document management solutions.
Besides his arsenal of technical skills and specializations, Simone demonstrates inherent leadership abilities, resulting in his promotion to Executive Director, Document Management, in 2022. He is responsible for the vertical’s direct business development, team building and staff mentoring, as well as utilizing GBS resources to meet sales revenue objectives. Simone also maintains fiscal responsibility by preparing operating and strategic plans and budgets while managing daily operations to ensure GBS exceeds customer expectations. Simone’s goals include nurturing the team’s interest in sales while ensuring their confidence and excitement in recommending GBS’ products and services.
Simone holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Youngstown State University.