Paul Mathews, CPBA

Director of Marketing & Sales

Certified Professional Behavior Analyst

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Paul is a seasoned executive with a demonstrated record of success building careers, helping clients achieve long term career goals, establishing strategic alliances, and guiding, developing and implementing proactive strategies to achieve desired results.

He has held increasingly responsible leadership roles in Career Management, strategic planning, team building and success coaching, all in various industries. He "led the country" in terms of clients’ productivity several years in a row for a national career/executive coaching firm prior to joining the Birch Group.

Paul’s abilities to motivate others, develop and organize strategic plans, and recognize new opportunities are the main reasons he has consistently met or exceeded ambitious goals.

Before becoming one of the principals of Hire Aspirations, Paul was recognized as the highest performing Career Advisor at one of this area's largest career development agencies.

As an executive with significant management responsibility in Finance, Operations and Marketing in small and large corporations, Paul possesses a well-rounded background in business nationally and internationally. He has also been successful as an entrepreneur in retail, management consulting and marketing, creating and growing three separate enterprises while developing his career in business.

After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in accounting, Paul obtained a position in a mid-size public accounting firm. After a year, he was hired to create and implement an accounting and finance department for a new U.S. subsidiary of the multinational chemical giant Hoechst-Celanese, AG.

With accelerated advancement, the entire U.S. subsidiary came under his management. The scope of his career broadened, with additional responsibilities in areas away from accounting and into marketing, operations and technology. As the company grew in terms of revenues and employees, so did Paul's exposure to upper

management overseas. Paul eventually became the youngest officer in the company, being elected Treasurer in 1994. The U.S. subsidiary was recognized as the most efficient subsidiary three years in a row within the Hoechst-Celanese Group.

Paul accepted a position as Vice President, Operations, Marketing and Finance with Jord Construction, LLC in 1996. At Jord, he and the president spearheaded a marketing campaign, which would increase the revenues tenfold. He accepted the responsibilities associated with growing a business extremely rapidly. He created

strategic alliances nationwide, within the construction industry nationally, which caused this previously one-client operation to grow to twenty-six clients.

During his twenty-year career, Paul served two terms as a board member of the Associated Builders and Contractors. He was also involved with the Retail Contractors Association and the Chemical Manufacturers Association in various roles. He Chaired the Membership Services Committee of Associated Builders and Contractors and spearheaded an "affinity program" for new and existing members, which nearly doubled membership through retention and growth.

Susan D. Waskow

Administrative Manager

Susan, our Administrative Manager, comes to The Birch Group, LLC, with extensive experience in Office Management, Accounting and Customer Support.

She graduated from Boston University in 1988 with a degree in Business Management / Professional Studies. She ran her own service business, as well as supported various enterprises as a full time employee, for over 15 years prior to joining our team. Susan's greatest strength is ensuring that our clients receive first class products and support.

In addition to her demanding schedule, Susan has earned a reputation in animal rescue and has an interesting assortment of "family additions."

Charles Paulsen

Associate Director of Life Support & Sustainable Living Program

Charles (Chuck) Paulsen is the Associate Director of our Life Support and Sustainable Living Program, a National Science Foundation funded program. The LSSL Program was designed to provide community college and university engineering and technology students an opportunity to fine tune their technical skills while preparing them for leadership roles shortly after they enter the workforce. Chuck also helps out with the Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Program, a program developed to provide inner city and underrepresented high school students with an opportunity to be exposed to careers in science, technology, engineering and math so that they may understand their gifts and their potential in order for them to enroll in college and pursue STEM careers.

Chuck has been a part of the phenomenal growth in the application of computer aids to science, engineering, manufacturing, and information. Chuck is also a professor in mechanical engineering having taught since 1969 at several Connecticut colleges and universities. Fresh out of college, Chuck had a rich and rewarding 20 year career with E. I. DuPont Company, where he held technical and management positions in engineering and manufacturing. Chuck was able to take an early retirement and went on to found an engineering software company that later merged with Algor, Inc where he was the VP Sales. In 2001, Chuck helped start Knovel Corporation. Knovel is essentially an Internet portal (www.knovel.com) for engineers and scientists seeking information, reference works, and databases.

In his spare time Chuck enjoys writing having published many articles in leading engineering trade magazines and has written two chapters in two popular engineering books and is currently working on his own first book, Math Anxiety Relief, scheduled for publication in late 2010. Chuck received a B.S. from Purdue University and a M.S. from Stanford University, both in mechanical engineering. Chuck is active both professionally and in his community. At Purdue, Chuck was elected to the Pi Tau Sigma and Tau Beta Pi engineering honorary fraternities. He is also a member of the ASME.

Pankaj (PJ) Paneru

Associate

PJ serves as a research associate for The Birch Group, interning with us since the summer of 2009. He is a senior at University of New Haven pursuing his degree in Mechanical Engineering. PJ is also actively involved in our Life Support & Sustainable Living Program and is closely working on our Engineering Challenge for the 21st Century Program. He also serves as TBG’s computer systems guru and assists with our projects that have a key design facet.

Although, currently he’s pursuing an engineering degree, he carries an experience of working in an administrative and executive environment. He believes that when science & technology and business come together it creates a prolific combination. His motto of life is – “when you choose not to succeed, you automatically choose to fail.”