Board of Directors

3E Company’s board of directors is a group of experienced investors and seasoned executives with backgrounds in rapid corporate growth and leadership, the application of technology to traditional industries, scaling companies to meet the growing needs of their customers, and business process outsourcing (BPO).

Robert S. Christie

President & Chief Executive Officer

With more than 25 years of executive management experience, Christie joined 3E in 2004 as a seasoned CEO with a successful track record as a leader of information service providers. In his role, Mr. Christie is building on 3E's success by drawing from his experience in order to strengthen 3E's leadership position and accelerate growth at a global level.

Mr. Christie joined 3E from Credit Suisse First Boston, where he served as an acquisitions consultant responsible for identifying, investigating and acquiring companies in the service industry sector. Prior to Credit Suisse, Christie was president and CEO of Thomson Learning, the second-largest global education and learning company. While at Thomson, Christie transformed a business division from a domestic book publisher into a global learning company, while increasing revenues from $550 million to over $1.4 billion in less than three years. He built and developed a world-class management team that ultimately led a group of 18 global operating companies. During his tenure, Mr. Christie improved profits and doubled net margins over a three year period.

Prior to Thomson Learning he served as president and CEO for Thomson and Thomson Corporation, the world's leader in trademark and copyright services and information. During his tenure at Thomson & Thomson he had revenue responsibility in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and managed a staff of 700 people globally. He also served as president of McGraw-Hill Higher Education Company and group-vice president of Standard & Poor's Information Company in New York. Earlier in his career, he held senior-level positions with McGraw-Hill publications, Publex Publishing and Beatrice Foods Co. He is Chariman of the Board for Brightstar Education and serves on the board of directors for Alternative Technologies.

Mr.Christie received a B.S. in Management of Organizational Behavior with a minor in Marketing from Rider University.

Ron Taylor

Chairman, 3E Company and Founder and Former CEO of Pyxis Corporation

In addition to his position as Chairman at 3E Company, Mr. Taylor also serves as a Director of three NYSE-listed companies, Red Lion Hotels, ResMed, and Watson Pharmaceuticals. Throughout his career, he has been active as a Director in regulated industries such as EH&S, pharmaceuticals and health care. Mr. Taylor is actively involved in the community as a Trustee of the University of California San Diego Foundation and as a member of the Board of the Century Club, which operates the Buick Invitational Golf Tournament. Mr. Taylor holds a BA from the University of Saskatchewan and a Masters degree from the University of California, Irvine.

Jess Kraus

Founder and Vice-Chairman, 3E Company

Jess F. Kraus started 3E at 27 years of age in 1988. Identifying a need for full-service solutions to companies' hazardous material information management, Kraus set to work building 3E from the ground up with the help of his wife and brother. For sixteen years he served as President and Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, 3E grew from a two-person shop run out of his home to a NASA-style "Mission Control Center".

In 2004, Kraus assumed the role of President of 3E Solutions, where he continues to focus his entrepreneurial skills on market expansion and customer relationships by spearheading all strategic relationship activities, M&A strategy and new business development for the company.

A graduate of University of California San Diego, Kraus holds degrees in mathematics and chemistry. An environmental engineer by training, Kraus joined General Dynamics in 1985 and was responsible for managing pollution control programs for three divisions. The impetus for 3E came from a desire to blend environmental and ecological engineering into a comprehensive on-demand service to offer corporate America. Hence, the three E's.

In his spare time, Kraus manages to continue his tenure as a seven-year member of The Executive Committee, a San Diego organization of CEO's. He has been a member of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Business Innovation Center and served as president of the board from 1998-1999. BIC is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting small business in the under-served communities of San Diego. He is also a member of Young President's Organization (YPO). Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Trustees for the San Diego Repertory Theatre (REP), one of San Diego's premier theatrical companies specializing in culturally diverse and adventurous productions. Kraus has lived in the San Diego area since 1982 and is married with two children.

James E. Cowie

Managing Director of Frontenac Company

James E. Cowie is a Managing Director of Frontenac Company, a private equity investment firm based in Chicago that has invested in more than 150 companies across nine private equity funds. Mr. Cowie has more than 20 years of investing experience in technology solutions companies. He currently serves on the boards of Rasmussen College, Systems Maintenance Services, Wausau Financial Systems in addition to 3E Company. Mr. Cowie is also a Trustee of Colby College and the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of Colby College and received a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Stanford University.

David Ryan

Managing Partner, Mission Ventures

Mr. Ryan has been a founding Mission Ventures Managing Partner since 1996. He has 20 years of venture capital experience focusing on early-stage information technology and service companies. Prior to Mission Ventures, beginning in 1983, he served as General Partner of Copley Venture Partners, a Boston-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage investing in information technology, business services and healthcare. Prior to Copley, Mr. Ryan held positions in strategic planning, business development and plant modernization with Medusa Corp, a Midwest-based manufacturer of industrial materials.

Ryan holds a Bachelor's degree from Northeastern University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University. He is currently also Director for BMS Reimbursement Management, dock3 and WorkWell Systems.

Jane DiRenzo Pigott

Managing Director, R3 Group LLC

Ms. Pigott is Managing Director of R3 Group LLC and specializes in providing leadership, change and diversity/inclusion consulting to organizations. From 1993 until 2002, Ms. Pigott served as the Chair of the global Environmental Law practice at Winston & Strawn, one of the largest global law firms. Prior to that, Ms. Pigott was Chair of the Environmental Law Department at Katten, Muchin & Zavis. At Winston, she served as the Relationship Manager for the firm's third largest client. Prior to being a partner at these large global law firms, she was employed by MidCon Corp., the natural gas transmission subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum.

Ms. Pigott serves as an independent director of CitiStreet Funds, Inc., a mutual fund joint venture of CitiGroup and State Street Financial Advisors headquartered in East Brunswick, New Jersey. She has served as Chair of this Board's Governance and Audit Committees.