symplr at HIMSS 2021

BJ Schaknowski is a seasoned software industry executive, with over 20 years of experience in leadership roles across a wide variety of operating functions. Before joining symplr, BJ served as the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Vertafore, the world's leading provider of insurance technology. Prior to that, BJ spent four years at LexisNexis Software Solutions in progressively ascending roles, culminating as its SVP Marketing, Sales & Services. He held numerous senior and global leadership roles earlier in his career at CA Technologies, Intuit, and Sage Software.

BJ brings his dedication to creating balanced value and outcomes for employees, customers, and shareholders to the symplr community. Deeply committed to philanthropic efforts, BJ was recently appointed to the Susan G. Komen Board of Directors, joining an elite group of nearly two dozen executives from various industries who help govern and advise Komen, which is the world’s leading non-profit breast cancer organization. BJ earned a BA in Communications from the State University of New York at Geneseo and his MBA at the University of Georgia – Terry College of Business. Schaknowski also served in the United States Marine Corps infantry as an enlisted reservist for 8 years. He lives in Denver with his wife, Heather, and two children.

As Chief Operating Officer, Tres Thompson brings nearly 30 years of financial, sales and business development experience to symplr. Most recently he served in senior executive positions at Cardtronics, a leading provider of fully integrated ATM and financial kiosk products and services, where he helped lead the company through several mergers and acquisitions and an IPO.

Thompson’s experience spans multiple industries including financial services, enterprise software and technology, energy, and private equity and venture capital. He also has international business development and leadership experience and is a licensed CPA. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Trinity University.

Julie Walker serves as the Managing Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance Solutions for symplr.  

She has full P&L responsibility, which includes developing and implementing a comprehensive symplr GRC business plan, leading the time to ensure clear alignment with stakeholders, and driving organizational success. She also oversees the effective integration of new acquisitions, further solidifying and strengthening symplr’s market position to deliver meaningful value for our customers.  

Previously, Walker successfully led the company’s strategy and corporate development efforts and transformed symplr’s Workforce Management and Access Management business segments. Prior to symplr, Walker served in a senior role at ProviderTrust, and was Vice President of Sales at the National Healthcareer Association, a division of Ascend Learning – both SaaS healthcare technology companies. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Valparaiso University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Lipscomb University. 

As Chief Product Officer, Brian Fugere leads all product management and user experience (UX) design efforts in the company. During the past two years, he also served as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and led the engineering organization. Bringing almost 30 years of go-to-market experience in software companies of all sizes, Fugere was most recently the CMO of Virence Health, a carve out from GE Healthcare. Prior roles include President of The Estimating Edge, Chief Operating Officer and CMO of RemitDATA, and leadership positions at Belo Interactive, Stryker, and America Online.

Fugere has deep experience in executive leadership, marketing, product, sales, and operations across public, private equity, and venture-backed companies. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, an MBA from George Mason University, and has completed a leadership and business program at Harvard Business School.

As Chief Sales Officer, Jason Rupert is a transformational Sales leader with a strategic philosophy centered on customer satisfaction and high-performing teams. A veteran software executive, Jason has held numerous senior global sales and operations roles at Worldpay / FIS, NCR Corp, Digital Insight, and Intuit. Prior to symplr, he served as the Sr. VP & GM of Worldpay / FIS Global SaaS software business.

His areas of expertise also include leading Marketing, Professional Services, and Go-to-Market teams through change to achieve top line revenue growth. Above all, Jason places high value on client and prospect relationships throughout the sales lifecycle and beyond. Jason earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and his Master’s in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas. He lives in Arkansas with his wife Lezle and their daughter Blair.