Jessica Firestone
Chief Executive Officer
Jessica Firestone is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tempest Telecom Solutions. Jessica’s career began as a sales and customer support representative at Century Computer Marketing, a leading distributor of computer equipment and spare parts. In 1996, she joined Somera Communications, a pioneering provider of new and used telecommunications infrastructure equipment and services as a divisional sales manager responsible for sales to wireless carriers throughout the United States. From 1996 to 2002, Jessica was promoted several times, from Manager to Director and finally to Vice President of Wireless Sales, where she led the company’s largest sales division, managing a team of 27 people, with responsibility for $97 million revenue. Jessica left Somera Communications in 2002 to pursue other opportunities. She then joined Somera Ventures, a Santa Barbara based private equity investment firm where she worked with several of their portfolio companies as a Business Development Advisor. It was her vision and industry insight that ultimately led to the launching of Tempest Telecom Solutions.
Dan Firestone
Chief Operating Officer
Dan Firestone started his business career in 1978 when he was engaged in several small, high-growth private companies in the computer distribution, real estate, and manufacturing industries. In 1984, Mr. Firestone and a partner co-founded Century Computer Marketing, a distributor of computer products and spare parts, and served as its Chief Executive Officer until May 1994. Under Dan’s direction, Century Computer grew from start-up to $40 million in annual revenue with six offices in four countries before it was sold in 1994 to a small public company for $32 million. After spending a year providing management consulting services and searching for his next project, in July 1995 Dan and two partners launched Somera Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRA), which grew to $220 million in annual revenue. Dan served as Chief Executive Officer from 1996 to September 2001, and as Chairman of the Board from inception until September 2003. Along the way, Dan was responsible for raising $52.8 million in venture capital, $65 million in debt financing, and $120 million in the company’s initial public offering in November 1999. In September 2001, Mr. Firestone stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Somera Communications, Inc. to pursue his own venture investment and business consulting activities, as a principal and President of Somera Ventures, LLC, a Private Equity Investment firm that now holds seven companies in its portfolio. He sits on the board of, and provides strategic and operational consulting to, several of his portfolio companies, including Tempest Telecom Solutions.
Julie Lubin
Chief Financial Officer
Julie Lubin is a co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Tempest Telecom Solutions. Ms. Lubin also holds the same title at Somera Capital Management, where she is responsible for internal financial management, oversight of investment reporting, and company planning. She has more than 15 years of experience as a controller, chief financial officer, business manager, as well as the tax and financial adviser to many high net worth individuals and privately owned businesses. She has extensive experience handling sophisticated multi-million dollar financial transactions in both the real estate and non-real estate markets, ranging from sales and purchases, recapitalizations and reorganizations, venture capital investments and workouts. Ms. Lubin served as the Controller and Chief Financial Officer for Somera Communications, Inc., a worldwide distributor of telecommunications infrastructure equipment, where she managed the company.s growth from start-up to more than $100 million in revenues in less than four years. She instituted the financial reporting systems needed to facilitate a significant investment in the company by a venture capital firm, leading to the company’s eventual IPO and NASDAQ listing.
Jim Smith
Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Supply
Jeff Meskill
Vice President and General Manager of Technical Services Division
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and an Executive MBA in Entrepreneurial Finance. He has lived overseas for a major portion of his professional career which has helped form his diverse global background. Jeff has held key positions throughout his corporate and military career mainly aimed at setting up and running large global technical service businesses in the Telecom Industry. Jeff specializes in improving operational efficiencies, restructuring value streams and taking out cost. With 15 years of multinational experience he joined tempest in 2015 as the VP and GM of Tempest’s Technical Services Division. Jeff and his family currently reside in Dallas, Texas.
Richard Smith
Vice President of Business Development, Vendor Relations
For more than 25 years, Richard Smith has successfully led sales, marketing, and supply efforts in various technology-driven industries. Mr. Smith began his career in assorted sales and marketing capacities for DJC Corporation, a successful computer hardware distributor. He then spent 8 years serving as Vice President of Purchasing and Supply for Century Computer Marketing in Los Angeles, CA and then as Vice President of North American Sales for Aurora Electronics. Mr. Smith went on to serve as Vice President of Supply for Somera Communications, developing and managing their global sourcing and supply strategy. In 2005, Mr. Smith joined Global Power Supply as Vice President of Business Development. a provider of large power generation equipment. In October of 2009, Richard Smith joined Tempest Telecom Solutions as VP of Business Development and Vendor Relationships.
Michael Nelson
Director of TAC Support
With more than 29 years of professional experience in the telecom engineering and the internet industry, Michael has founded and personally managed several Engineering Corporations in the field of Wireless & Broadband Communications. He has leveraged his experience in leadership, research and development, systems testing and integration, and advanced engineering support, bringing a unique base of knowledge to Tempest. Michael’s technical career began in in the military in 1985, and afterwards continued in the field of product testing and engineering support with Ericsson in 1990. Here, he went on to lead Ericsson’s Global 2nd & 3rd Line Advanced Technical Support organization for 2G, 3G, datacom and wireline platforms. Aside from his technical background in North America, Nelson has also lead several long-term international projects in Brazil, Sweden, Hong Kong and China. Michael’s educational background includes Central Texas College (U.S. Army), Southern Methodist University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, & HBS. Michael is the sole inventor for the wireless internet patent 6,061,718