Management
Brett Humphrey
Chief Executive OfficerBrett founded Fairway Technologies in early 2002 as a means to support his desire to work directly with local high-tech businesses. Previously, he had worked as a senior consultant at a San Diego-based software company, and it was his endeavor to provide reliable and friendly software consulting services to clients in and around the San Diego area. Fairway's business model of low-cost, longer-term client engagements quickly evolved into more than what Brett could manage alone, and attracting more high-caliber technology professionals was a natural progression for the growing number of clients that relied on him for their technology consulting.
Brett contributes 12 years of IT industry experience, including certifications in several programming frameworks. He began his career engineering network systems but quickly gravitated toward the fluidity and creativity of software development. Brett likes to joke "I’m proof that any moron can code; it takes someone special to produce something useful." This helps illustrate some of the core philosophies behind Fairway - hire smart folks who are software rock-stars but who also understand the business need driving the software. Delivering effective software solutions starts with understanding business needs, and this has been the overarching philosophy Brett and Fairway have adopted since 2002.
Mike Mannion
Chief Operations OfficerMike has been involved in web-based technologies for over 15 years with roles ranging from programming to project and program management and Enterprise IT strategy. Prior to joining Fairway, Mike spent almost 10 years at Hewlett Packard as both a consultant and employee working in IT Program Management and IT Strategy. As the Director of Operations, Mike is responsible for the day-to-day business operations at Fairway including new business engagement and Human Resources.
Mike is a graduate of the University of California – Santa Cruz.
Jack Kelly
Director of Business DevelopmentJack has over 20 years of experience in Business to Business Professional Services Outsourcing and in Higher Education industries. A proven leader with a track record of success in under-developed organizations, he possesses exceptional strengths in team leadership, operational strategy, and business development from a variety of senior roles.
Previously, Jack served as the San Diego General Manager at Gevity, a human resource outsourcing company specializing in delivery of a comprehensive human capital management solution. During his two year tenure at Gevity, Jack repositioned the San Diego office from a client loss rate of 20% in 2006 to a net growth of 38% in 2008.
As the Senior Director of Alumni Relations and Constituent Development at the University of San Diego, his teams created and successfully implemented innovative strategies focused on the engagement of alumni and students. Responsibilities included running the National Alumni Board of Directors and nationwide outreach to over 40,000 alumni.
Jack holds both a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego.
Jack remains active in his community, having served as a board member for the chamber of commerce and the Crohns & Colitis Foundation of Los Angeles, and as a volunteer for the University of San Diego and other nonprofit organizations.
Noah Heldman
Director of TechnologyNoah brings 14 years of technology and consulting experience to Fairway, ranging from software development to enterprise architecture to team management. He has consulted on large projects for Hewlett Packard, Disney, Gateway, Toyota, Union Bank of California, SPAWAR, and many others. As Director of Technology, Noah is responsible for ensuring developers are given opportunities to innovate in a challenging -- not stressful -- environment.
Noah is also a professional musician, and performs regularly around the country.
Ray Mitchell
Director of Software EngineeringRay Mitchell received a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science from the University of California at San Diego. He has successfully completed projects for a wide range of clients including HP, NCR, Intuit, Vistage, and LPL Financial. He has in-depth knowledge in a variety of technologies including .NET, Java, and C/C++. This has contributed to his ability to apply conventional wisdom from many domains.
Ray has a special interest in software development processes. He has advised on and implemented these processes for multiple clients. This has resulted in the identification and correction of major issues that were visible or at risk of becoming visible in business-critical systems.
In addition to consulting, Ray teaches C/C++ and data structure courses at UCSD extension. He lives in San Diego with his wife Lisa and their dog Yippie.
