Executive team
The XFI executive team brings extensive experience in managing business and technology to the company.
Ali Ghaed
President and CEO
Ali has been a software entrepreneur and innovator for over 20 years. Throughout his career, he has had a reputation for combining the unlimited potential of technology with the pragmatic practice of building great products. With a vision to positively transform the way companies sell, he founded XFI Corporation in 1996. As President and CEO, Ali has guided XFI’s strategic vision and corporate direction.
Ali developed and patented Xference®, the technology platform that underlies the essential components of XFI’s products. Xference provides an environment for decision-making and supplies data, information, understanding, analysis, advice, and organization to the decision process. Through his work with a broad spectrum of customers, Ali recognized the need for a sales effectiveness software solution and developed SalesHawk®, the Company’s flagship product.
Prior to XFI, Ali had an extensive record of accomplishment. He has served as a technology consultant to companies like Akzo-Nobel, EG&G, Celsis, and many other international clients. He joined IGEN International, Inc. (acquired by Roche in 2003) when it was an early-stage company. As the head of engineering, Ali contributed significantly to the technology and product developments that comprise the heart of IGEN’s impressive patent portfolio. Ali also served in management positions at an intelligent controller division of American Standard and a robotics and motion control division of Gould Electronics.
Richard Carten
Vice President, Application Development
Rick is a scientist and businessman with 20 years of experience in managing operations for Fortune 500 companies and developing international business units. His expertise is in transforming knowledge into action through an understanding of new technologies, analysis of the business environment, and development and implementation of strategic action plans.
At XFI, Rick oversees application development, product customization, and customer implementation. His development team works with all levels of a client’s personnel, from support staff to sales people to executives, to insure that all needs are fully met, and expectations are exceeded.
Prior to XFI, Rick served as Director of The Piedmont Group, a management consulting firm that specializes in accelerating the development of emerging high technology companies.
Rick holds a BS in Fundamental Sciences from Lehigh University, a PhD in Economic Geology from Stanford University, and an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Linda Broenniman
Chief Financial Officer
Linda is responsible for directing all financial and administration functions for XFI. She brings over 25 years of experience as a business strategist and financial executive primarily for emerging technology companies.
As a financial executive, Linda is experienced in building the infrastructure platform and obtaining the capital required to support high growth technology firms. She has a proven record of maximizing efficiencies and increasing productivity while operating with limited resources.
Linda has extensive experience with both public and emerging technology companies. Prior to joining XFI, Linda had been CFO of three high growth technology firms and two public firms. In obtaining the financing for these companies, she developed her expertise in public and private capital markets.
Linda has a BA from Swarthmore College and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.
John Grosser
Vice President, Engineering
John leads XFI’s engineering organization in the design, development, and delivery of SalesHawk® as well as other CRM applications. An industry veteran with nearly 25 years of experience, John brings particular expertise in enterprise-scale high performance systems and applications as well as in industrial test equipment, factory automation, and medical products.
John worked with Ali over many years, in previous positions with large engineering firms where they collaborated on the design and development of intelligent systems. Many successful products and patents sprang from their efforts. John is a co-author on the Xference® patent.
Prior to joining XFI, John was the Manager of Hardware Development at Schneider Automation (Modicon). He was responsible for managing the team of engineers and technicians who developed leading edge automation products for industrial clients. Other significant positions were held at American Standard Company / Union Switch & Signal Division and Contraves-Goerz Corporation.
John holds a BA in Physics from Wheaton College, a BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Illinois, and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.