Mitch Ellner

Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner

Mitch Ellner found traditional consulting models too slow and too complicated for today’s very dynamic business environment. The CNC toolset was born of his passion to make the execution of business strategy clean strategy clear and concise. He has incorporated all of his prior in-house and consulting experience into an automated, streamlined approach providing immediate and on-going results for business performance. CNC’s proprietary tools are cloud based and unique.
As the Founder of CNC Strategy, Inc. his extensive business and consultation experience includes senior-level positions as Managing Director, West Coast/Los Angeles office, Capital H Group (business consulting); Vice President, Human Resources, Directfit (outsourcing/offshoring); Manager, HRD, Citibank; and Consulting Services Manager, SMC/Mercer Management Consulting. He saw opportunities to help his clients get to a process that created value sooner. After years of refining tools and process in 2009 be brought his idea to the cloud. He is the co-creator of S3, CNC Strategy’s revolutionary tools and proprietary process for enabling strategic alignment and execution.
He is the author of two books, including “Entremaneur © - Business Simplicity. a sought after speaker to business groups in all industries and” a graduate of Lesley University. Mitch has been involved in successful strategic planning for M&A, start-ups, and established organizations in both the public and private sectors. Mitch has consulted to multiple businesses over the years, from start-ups to Fortune 500 and uses all of his experience to make CNC Strategy’s tools a simple yet effective answer to making sure that businesses are aligned and executing on their strategy.

Diane Gallo

Executive Vice President and Managing Director

Houston

Diane brings her multi industry, global business experience and passion for making quick progress and creating immediate value to our Houston office. Prior to joining CNC Strategy Cloud Solutions in 2009 Diane served as Chief Human Resources Officer, Vistage International (a global membership organization of CEOs); Vice President of Overland Storage (a publicly traded computer hardware/software company); Vice President, Culture and Talent, Centegy (supply chain software start-up); and various HR roles in healthcare and retail. Diane spent several years in the software industry, with both a start up and an established hardware company that was diversifying.
She has been point person on acquisitions, sought investment funding, worked with BODs and over her long and multi-in industry career Diane has executed due diligence, integrated numerous acquisitions, and divested businesses (through sales or closure) in both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. Diane also served on the board of the San Diego Data Processing Corporation for several years assisting with strategic initiatives and technical leadership. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Business, she also has a Master’s degree in Human Capital Management from Houston Baptist University. She was also selected by a former employer to attend, and obtained a certificate in Advanced Leadership, from the Kenan-Flagler Graduate School of Business, UNC Chapel Hill, Additionally she was an adjunct professor for both under graduate and graduate courses through Webster University.

Rob Sayre

Executive Vice President and Managing Director

Chicago

Rob Sayre runs the Chicago Office for CNC Strategy Cloud Solutions bringing his over 15 years of experience and a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives, orchestrating complex projects, and forging strong business partnerships that have generated millions of dollars in revenues and profits for multi-billion-dollar organizations. Prior to joining CNC, Rob was at Turnberry Advisors, a boutique turnaround consulting company where he was a managing director. While there Sayre worked with the marketing and sales executives of the client to develop a mission, vision, marketing strategy, marketing communications process, marketing communications plan, a digital marketing strategy, an alternative channel strategy, a retail strategy, and helped design and execute several major marketing campaigns.
Rob has deep experience working with executive teams, those that need to turn around under performing operations as well as those who recognize the need for a more effective and efficient execution of strategy. Some of his prior roles included enhancing the strategic plan, leading a marketing campaign to take additional market share, evaluating strategic partnerships, manufacturing optimization, supply chain optimization, international sales leader, and taking over the brand management of a product line.
Rob is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and has a bachelor of science in business management from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management with minors in International Business, Economics, & Spanish. He earned his master’s of business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Tom Baird

Executive Advisor

Tom Baird contributes a wealth of operational, start up and management experience to the CNC team. Tom has “been there, done that” successfully and is a willing coach and mentor to CNC. A veteran leader from complex aerospace and defense along with CEO roles in start-up technology, Tom is used to leading complex projects across a broad spectrum. With his diverse background in operations, corporate strategy, product management and mergers and acquisitions, Tom brings a unique and seasoned perspective to quality, process and senior level management. His career achievements also include leading successful software start-up ventures as the CEO, in which investors achieved a successful exit through a sale of the company. He has also led large international product management, marketing and business development teams and has held senior executive management positions with global firms, such as Reynolds and Reynolds International, and TRW, Inc.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master’s degree in Systems Management from USC.