Our Team
Our definition of asset management is keeping clients happy over the long-term. As a service-first technology firm, we are devoted to acting as an expert partner to our clients, delivering solutions and services that exceed their expectations year after year.
Because client happiness is our top priority, we hire only the best and brightest talent. If you’re interested in joining our growing team, visit our careers page.
Executive Team
John Toepfer
Chief Executive Officer
John Toepfer is a technology entrepreneur, investor and business owner with a 25-year background in building and supporting communication solutions for the financial services industry. He lives in Chicago with his wife and two sons.
Russell Daws
Chief Revenue Officer
Russell is the CRO at Synthesis. He joined the team in 2021 to enable growth and expand current client relationships. He holds degrees in marketing, finance, and theological studies and has 20+ years of experience in executive sales and marketing roles. Russell lives with his wife in Memphis, and they have 4 children. In his spare time, he enjoys all things sports, playing golf, and going to the beach with his family as often as they can.
Robert Juergens
Chief Technology Officer
Robert brings 18 years of Technology leadership and Enterprise Architecture experience to Synthesis Technology. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Robert lives with his wife and two young sons in the shadow of the Chicago ‘L’ train. He enjoys staying active and sampling all that Chicago has to offer.
Cheryl Gelfond
Chief Operations Officer
Cheryl is responsible for client relations and operations at Synthesis Technology. When she's not obsessing about process improvements, she enjoys spending time with her 11 year-old daughter and their two dogs. She aspires to attend all of the tennis grand slams someday (US Open four times so far).
Emilie Totten
Chief Marketing Officer
Emilie brings over 15 years of integrated sales and marketing experience working with financial services, SaaS, and health and wellness companies. Her passion is architecting holistic marketing strategies that align with each business function to achieve client experience, employee advocacy, and revenue goals.
Software Development Team
Sarah Hayden
Software Engineer
Sarah is a Software Engineer who joined Synthesis Technology in November 2017. She has a B.S. in Computer Science from University of Illinois at Chicago and over 5 years experience in Information Technology. She enjoys watching football, going to Bears and Blackhawks games, exploring the city and being outdoors. Sarah is also an avid fan of Starbucks, where she frequents 7 days a week!
Mike Gabel
Technology Project Manager
Mike was hired to help streamline the development process as a Project Manager in August 2018. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology. In his spare time Mike enjoys cooking, playing with (chasing) his two toddlers and playing video games with friends across the country.
Kunal Kolhatkar
Software Engineer
In August, Kunal joined our team as a Software Engineer to be a Java developer and work on back-end development. He went to the Illinois Institute of Technology where he earned Master's Degree in Computer Science. Some of his favorite pastimes include biking, watching action movies, spending time at the library and programming and working on his website!
Ashish Ashture
Software Engineer
Ashish is a Software Engineer who joined the team in 2018. He has achieved a Masters in Information Technology Management from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, and a Bachelors in Computer Engineering from Pune University, India. Ashish enjoys spending time with his friends, watching movies, and exploring new places. One day he hopes to travel the Historical Route 66 and take a road trip from Mumbai to London!
Pako Castillo
Lead Software Engineer
Pako joined our development team as a lead engineer in 2016. He brings with him a Computer Systems Engineering degree as well as a Masters in Information Management. He is a big fan of horror movies, programming, cooking, and playing piano. He is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do! When he's not working he stays busy spending time with his lovely wife, two kids, two dachshunds, and his cat.
Marshall Christopherson
Product Owner
Marshall holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) from the University of Northern Iowa. He has over 10 years of experience providing project management and technical client services. He is passionate about helping his clients use technology to solve problems, reduce costs, and boost efficiency. Marshall lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Eric Beville
Senior Systems Administrator
Eric has been with the company since 2013 as a Systems Administrator. He has an Associates of Science with a focus on Information Technology from The College of Coastal Georgia. Outside of work, Eric enjoys home brewing, baseball, road trips, and, at the moment, attempting to learn German.
Ben Kuo
Lead Software Engineer
Ben is a Data Specialist at Synthesis. He has been with the company since 2013. Ben has an impressive academic background with a Bachelors in Computer Science from Grinnell College, a Masters of Information Systems from Claremont Graduate University, an MBA from Claremont Graduate University, and a PhD in Management Information Systems from University of Illinois at Chicago. Outside of work, Ben enjoys fishing, diving, and competitive paintball.
Ranjeetha Jos'Land
Lead Software Engineer
Ranjeetha has been with Synthesis since 2013 as a Software Engineer. She has a Masters in Computer Science from DePaul University. Outside of work, Ranjeetha enjoys being with family and friends, going for walks, and getting some shut eye!
Client Services Team
Mark Postilion
Senior Project Engineer
Mark is a Client Services Engineer at Synthesis Technology, and has been with the company since 2014. He has a BA in History from Wesleyan University. In his spare time, Mark loves baseball - both real and fantasy alike. He also enjoys music and cooking. Fun fact about Mark - he comes from an Italian family and had a great uncle named Primo Buscarini - the most solid Italian name we've ever heard!
Bryce Bland
Project Manager
Bryce joined our team in July of 2018 as a Project Manager. After receiving a BS in Finance from the University of Nevada, he went on to work in financial services and software for 20 years. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially outdoors. Some of the outdoor adventures he likes include camping, fishing, hunting, mountain biking and skiing.
Andrew Holmes
Client Services Engineer
Andrew joined our client services team in 2016, bringing with him a Masters degree in Financial Services and Bachelor's degree in Economics from University of Limerick, Ireland. Before joining Synthesis Technology, he worked for 10 years in the financial technology sector spending time in both Dublin and Paris. Outside of work, Andrew keeps busy being a new dad to his baby boy. He also manages to carve-out time for his hobbies including running and photography.
Josh Greaves
Client Services Engineer
Josh has been with Synthesis Technology since 2016 as a Client Services Engineer. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Bath University in the UK. Josh moved to the US to live with his American fiancé, but he is looking forward to getting married in Brussels where he and his fiancé first met!
Charles Zhang
Client Services Engineer
Charles is a Client Services Engineer at Synthesis Technology, and has been with the company since 2015. He holds a BS in Management Information Systems from DePaul University. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, and playing ping pong!
Morgan Grainger
Project Coordinator
Morgan has been with the company since 2014. She has a Bachelor of Business of Administration with a focus on Marketing from University of Wisconsin. Outside of work, Morgan loves to travel and read.
Stoycho Stanelov
Senior Project Engineer
Stoycho has been with Synthesis Technology since 2006. He has three Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, and Business Administration. When not at work, Stoycho can be found at cultural events performing Bulgarian folk dancing. His other hobbies include international travel, working out, and ping pong.
Gary Lee
Senior Project Engineer
Gary graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and went on to complete the CCP (Computer Career Program) at DePaul University. Gary has worked with the Synthesis application for 14 years and been employed with Synthesis Technology since 2006. He is married with two kids.
Mark Gilson
Project Manager
Mark has 22 years of experience working in the financial services industry and 14 years with Synthesis Technology. He attended Drake University and earned a bachelors degree in Corporate Finance. He is married with three sons, enjoys spending time with his family and participating in many outdoor activities.
Jamie Mueller
Project Manager
Jamie has over 14 years of experience supporting and managing technology projects. She attended Western Michigan University and received a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on Computer Information Systems. She is married with identical twin daughters.
Paul Reid
Senior Project Engineer
Paul has been with Synthesis Technology since 2012 as Client Services Engineer. He has a BA in Theater Studies from Duke University and an MA in Management from Wake Forest Babcock Graduate School of Management. In his free time, Paul loves biking around town, woodworking, gardening, playing basketball, and hanging out at the dog park with his pup, Atticus.
Julia Kessler
Project Manager
Julia holds a Computer Science degree from Purdue and has almost 20 years of experience in IT. Prior to Synthesis Technology, Julia worked at IBM. She enjoys solving problems for her clients and in her spare time she roots feverishly for the White Sox. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter.
Quynh Skiven
Implementation Lead
Quynh is a Client Services Engineer for Synthesis who joined the team in 2015. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business, double majoring in MIS and Sociology, as well as an International Business Certificate from the University of Notre Dame. In addition, Quynh also holds a Juris Doctorate from Ave Maria School of Law. She is an excellent cook and foodie with a love of travel and immersive learning about different cultures.
Product Management and Business Development
Rachel Totten
Digital Marketing Strategist
Rachel holds a BBA specializing in Marketing and French and has 8 years of marketing experience within various industries. A native Oklahoman, Rachel fulfilled a lifelong goal in the Spring of 2018 when she moved to "The Windy City". In her spare time she loves traveling, going to concerts and festivals, and cooking (and eating) delicious food.
Tristan Pruss
Product Manager
Tristan has spent 12 years at Synthesis Technology designing, implementing and supporting custom solutions for some of the largest asset management companies in the industry. He holds a B.S.E. in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Tristan is a Wolverines fan and enjoys playing and listening to traditional Irish music.
