In 1971, at the age of 19, John Licata—our founder and principal consultant—enlisted in the United States Air Force. Thanks to his high scores on pre-enlistment aptitude tests, John earned a position within a prestigious group of airmen responsible for maintaining the Minuteman nuclear-armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) system. It was during his nine years of service that John was first introduced to computers and relational databases, sparking a passion for technology that would shape the rest of his career.
For the next eight years, John applied his analytical skills from the Air Force across various roles where he managed teams of skilled technicians and large-scale IT deployments. In parallel, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Wichita State University, expanding his expertise to bridge the worlds of technology and business.
In 1989, John made a pivotal career shift, moving away from technical management to become Vice President of EFT Marketing for a major Midwest bank’s data processing firm. During this decade-long chapter, John spent five years in outside sales, which marked his introduction to SalesForce Automation (SFA)—a precursor to modern CRM systems. With his deep understanding of computers, databases, and project management, John naturally became the go-to expert in CRM.
By 1999, CRM had become more than a niche; it was John’s full-time focus. He took on the role of CRM Systems Manager for a promising company riding the Dot-Com boom, helping them grow from 300 employees to 18,000 in just two years. As the boom peaked, John also started "moonlighting" as a CRM consultant under his own firm.
However, no boom lasts forever. By mid-2001, the Dot-Com bust had arrived, and John’s department, Solutions Planning, was eliminated. Yet, as one door closed, another opened. Demand for CRM systems surged, and within two weeks, John was back on his feet as a full-time CRM and Issue Management Consultant. Over the next 18 months, John implemented 35 projects for high-profile clients, including the City of Saint Louis, AMC Theaters, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Commerce Bank. During this time, he earned certifications in Microsoft CRM, GoldMine, and, most notably, Salesforce.com.
In 2002, after completing his first Salesforce project, John foresaw the future of CRM in SaaS (Software as a Service). However, his firm remained entrenched in client-server technology, prompting him to strike out on his own. In October 2002, John launched a one-person consultancy dedicated to Salesforce.com.
Since then, John's CRM consultancy has grown exponentially. Over the first few years, he earned additional credentials, including Certified Sales Process Consultant from the International Association of Sales Process Consultants (IASPC) and Business Process Management Practitioner from The Association for Information and Management (AIIM). Over the past 13 years, John has overseen more than 100 CRM implementations, with the vast majority being Salesforce.com projects in partnership with Idealist Consulting in Portland, Oregon. Along the way, he also tackled a handful of Sage CRM, GoldMine, and Microsoft CRM projects.
Three years ago, John began expanding his team, laying the foundation for what is now Value Stream Consulting. Today, VSC includes nine dedicated team members—three Consultants, three Apprentices, and three Interns—each contributing to our mission of delivering exceptional value and driving success for our clients.
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