Recruiting Sports Network

Bill Aulet is a highly accomplished business leader with a track record of success. He has raised over $100 million in funding for his companies and directly created hundreds of millions of dollars of market value. He started his career at IBM, culminating in being named a prestigious MIT Sloan Fellow in 1993. Bill then became a serial entrepreneur, running two MIT spinouts as the President/CEO of both Cambridge Decision Dynamics and then SensAble Technologies. The latter became a two-time Inc. Magazine 500 Fastest Growing Private Company.

In 2003, Bill was recruited as CFO to help turn around Viisage Technology, a security technology company with a dual focus in the areas of drivers' licenses and facial recognition. At the time of his arrival, Viisage was losing $2.4M per quarter. During his 2 1/2 year tenure, Viisage developed a new strategy, overhauled its operations, made three major acquisitions and executed two major fundraising rounds totaling over $55 million including a highly successful public offering. During this timeframe, the market value for Viisage increased from $50 million to over $500 million.

In October of 2005, Bill was appointed Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the MIT Entrepreneurship Center. In this capacity, Bill has been able to positively apply his knowledge and experience to assist students, new ventures and established firms associated with MIT to become more successful. He has also taught and worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Bill has also been engaged around the world to work with a full spectrum of companies ranging from single entrepreneurs trying to launch new ventures to large corporations such as Danfoss, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Mobilink and Saudi Aramco seeking to more effectively achieve their goals through effective use of entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and innovation.

Bill serves on the board directors or advisors of a number of highly innovative companies. He also conceived, developed and teaches a new graduate level class called "Energy Ventures" at MIT exploring the new brand of entrepreneurship and innovation required to meet the current energy challenge.

Bill graduated from Harvard University with honors in engineering. He also earned an MMS degree in business management from MIT Sloan School of Management as a Sloan Fellow. Bill also played professional basketball overseas. Bill is a regularly featured speaker at management leadership programs around the world on topics such as entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, entrepreneurial marketing, technology innovation, creating sustainable rapid profitable growth, financing strategies and operational excellence. He is also a contributor as an Xconomist on these subjects to the popular and respected blog.

Recently named one of the Most Influential People in Denver by 5280 Magazine, Shawn Hunter serves as CEO and Co-Chairman of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. This event has quickly become Colorado’s largest spectator event generating $83.5 million in revenue, and features 128 pro cyclists racing through 518 miles of the Colorado Rockies during a week-long tour. He joined the Pro Challenge with a deep background in sports management and marketing most recently as the former president and CEO of Chivas USA of the MISL. Previously, he was the Chief Marketing Officer and President of AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. Hunter’s experience with AEG included overseeing eleven sports teams worldwide and many of the brand’s marquee sporting events, including the Tour of California professional bike race. As one of AEG’s representatives on the MLS Board of Directors, Hunter has also been influential in a number of major business developments in Major League Soccer.

Shawn is also a former Executive Vice President of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and also served as President of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. He serves on the board of directors for Total Sports Asia, a company that has represented leading sports federations and rights holders from around the world including the US Open Tennis Championship, Badminton World Federation, Manchester United, and Real Madrid. Shawn is a former track athlete and graduate of the University of Kansas, where he also received his MBA.

“Parney” serves as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants. In that role he oversees all aspects of the Flying Squirrels’ day-to-day operations in Richmond, including the recent $1.5 million renovation of The Diamond, the Squirrels’ stadium.

During their inaugural season, the club quickly established itself as a leader in the community, while smashing corporate and ticket sales expectations as the Squirrels led the Eastern League in both overall and average attendance, welcoming 463,842 fans to The Diamond. Upon completion of the inaugural season, the franchise was recognized as the Richmond Business of the Year by the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce.

“Parney” also serves on the Richmond Chapter of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Board of Trustees as well as the Richmond Police Athletic League Board of Directors. With his flamboyant personality and 22 years’ experience in minor league baseball, “Parney” has become one of the most popular speakers and guest lecturers in the region.

Prior to joining the effort to return baseball to Richmond, Parnell served as the President of the Greenberg Sports Group (GSG), which provides management, consulting, and marketing services to the U.S. sports industry. GSG also manages the overall operations of Minor League Baseball’s Pennsylvania State College Spikes and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He held the title of President for both franchises.

The 43-year old “Parney” graduated from Messiah College in 1988 with a degree in physical education and a minor in business.