Robert J. Rathe, Jr. –
CEO

As the former owner of a business records company started in 1945 Robert has over 30 years of experience in the records management business.  That company, Racom (formerly Southern Microfilm), grew from one to 18 locations in the southern United States .  Racom grew from $1 million to $45 million in revenue within 14 years through internal growth and acquisitions.  He sold Racom in 1998 to LASON, a consolidator of information technology companies founded in 1996.  Robert was as one of LASON's regional presidents and retired from the company after successfully managing the most profitable region in the worldwide company.  He was responsible for 1,200 employees and $65 million in revenue and served on the executive advisory board.  When Robert left LASON it had $650 million in revenue and over 12,000 employees worldwide.  Robert's primary role in The Windward Group is to focus on strategic sales and acquisitions.

Ronald A. Gitz –
CFO

Ron is an entrepreneur and a CPA with over 16 years experience running his own businesses and providing accounting and business analysis services to others.  His experience includes management positions with Graham Industries, LaPorte, Sehrt, Romig & Hand, and The Laitram Corp.  He started, operated and later sold an ice manufacturing facility.  This was the start of Ron's strong background in manufacturing, production management and cost accounting and analysis.  He started his own CPA practice in 1995 where he evolved into a business and investment consultant as much as an accountant.  Ron obtained his B.S. in Accounting from Southeastern Louisiana University .  His vast working knowledge of various databases and thousands of hours spent auditing the accounting records of hundreds of different business entities led Ron to co-found Data Technologies, Inc.  Data Technologies, also known as The Virtual Paper Company, is now The Windward Group.  Ron's focus is in strategic sales and financial management.

Ellen E. Skaggs –
COO

Ellen has 23 years of experience in programming, systems, general, and operations management for various data processing and imaging services companies.  As the Operations Manager of Racom and subsequently as the Vice President of Operations for LASON, she was responsible for operations in imaging centers in the western United States that generated $85 million in service bureau revenue.  She managed all sales, administration and technical support for the nationwide county government division of Racom.  Ellen served as the General Manager of a data processing service bureau specializing in data capture, computer systems integration and accounting/payroll processing.  After attending the University of Cincinnati and a two-year technical college in New Orleans , Ellen began her career as a computer programmer and systems manager in a data processing service bureau.  There she specialized in accounting, payroll and legal time and billing systems.

Chad Zerangue, PMP –
Sr. V P - Sales

Chad began his career as an oil and gas landman and abstractor, working in parish and county courthouses throughout South Louisiana and Texas .  He worked his way up through the oil and gas ranks to become Controller of a small independent exploration and production company in Lafayette , Louisiana .  In this role he realized the inefficiencies inherent in the exploration and production process and left the energy industry to start BluePoint Technologies, a software company that caters to the software needs of energy companies.  BluePoint Technologies merged with The Windward Group in November of 2005 and Chad now holds the position of Senior Vice President of Sales for TWG.  Chad has a B.A. in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette .  He holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and lends his extensive project management experience to developing the scope of work and pricing of client projects.

T ³ x P – is our formula for your success

Talent:
a group of experienced, tenacious professionals committed to helping you succeed.

Technology:
we deploy proven technologies in unique and specialized ways to meet your document-based information management needs.

Teamwork:
we put the right people together to solve your problems, specialists who realize that a collective effort is the best way to work.