Leadership

Mark P. Marron
Director, President and CEO, ePlus

Mr. Marron became the Chief Executive Officer and President of ePlus inc. on August 1, 2016, and was appointed to the Board on November 14, 2018.  He began his career at ePlus in 2005 as Senior Vice President of Sales and became COO in 2010. A 30-year industry veteran, he was formerly with NetIQ where he held the position of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Services. Prior to joining NetIQ, Mr. Marron served as General Manager of Worldwide Channel Sales for Computer Associates International Inc., a provider of software and services that enables organizations to manage their IT environments. Mr. Marron has extensive experience throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Montclair State University.

John E. Callies, A and B
Retired, IBM

John E. Callies joined the ePlus Board of Directors in July 2010. Mr. Callies was employed by IBM in various capacities for 34 years. Most recently, he served as general manager of IBM Global Financing from 2004 until his retirement in June 2010. With operations in 55 countries supporting 125,000 clients, he led the world's largest information technology financing and asset management organization and Mr. Callies was responsible for business direction and management of a portfolio of nearly $35 billion in total assets. Previously, as vice president, marketing, On Demand Business for IBM, Mr. Callies had company-wide responsibility for all marketing efforts in support of On Demand Business, along with leading the marketing management discipline for IBM. In 2003, Mr. Callies was appointed vice president, marketing and strategy, of IBM Systems Group. Prior to that, beginning in 1996, when he was named general manager, small and medium business IBM Asia Pacific Corporation, based in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Callies filled roles in marketing and marketing management. His career at IBM Credit Corporation began in 1985, when he progressed through various executive positions in sales and operations. Mr. Callies is a former Chair of the Board of Governors of Fairfield Preparatory School in Fairfield, Connecticut and former member of the advisory board of Lehigh University. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. Mr. Callies is a 1976 graduate of Lehigh University. 

C. Thomas Faulders, III, A and B
Retired, University of Virginia Alumni Association

C. Thomas Faulders, III joined the ePlus Board of Directors in July 1998, and was appointed Chairman of the Board in September 2019. Until his retirement in June 2017, Mr. Faulders was the President and CEO of the University of Virginia Alumni Association since 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Faulders served as the Chairman and CEO of LCC International, Inc., from 1999 to 2005, and as Chairman of Telesciences, Inc., an information services company, from 1998 to 1999. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Faulders was Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer of BDM International, Inc., a prominent systems integration company. Mr. Faulders is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia. He has served on numerous boards in the past and has held roles as chairs of compensation, audit and governance committees. He is a 1971 graduate of the University of Virginia and in 1981 received a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Maureen F. Morrison, A and C
Retired, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Maureen F. Morrison joined the ePlus Board of Directors in June 2018. She is a highly-accomplished senior executive leader who retired in 2015 from a career as an audit partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. At PwC, Ms. Morrison worked with prominent, private equity backed entities and multibillion-dollar global technology corporations. She has diversified experience in software, IT-enabled solutions and consulting, hardware, and manufacturing. As a highly-respected financial and accounting professional, Ms. Morrison has extensive experience in corporate boardrooms, advising Audit Committees of midcap public companies, private equity-backed entities, and Fortune 500 companies.

Ms. Morrison currently is a member of two other for-profit boards: Asbury Automotive Group, where she is on the Audit Committee and the Capital Allocation & Risk Management Committee, and Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., where she serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation and the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees. She also presently serves on the Education Committee for The Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, and previously served on their Finance Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Rutgers University.

Bruce M. Bowen
Retired, ePlus

Mr. Bowen founded ePlus in 1990 and served as its executive vice president, as well as president of ePlus Group, inc., its leasing company subsidiary until March 28, 2014, at which time he transitioned to a business development position. Mr. Bowen continues to serve on the board of directors. Mr. Bowen has over 20 years of finance industry experience and is an expert in federal and municipal government finance. From 1982 through 1990, Mr. Bowen was senior vice president of PacifiCorp Capital, Inc. He is a 1973 graduate of the University of Maryland and received a Master of Business Administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in 1978.

Eric D. Hovde, B and C
Chief Executive Officer, Hovde Capital Advisors LLC

Eric D. Hovde joined our Board in November 2006. Mr. Hovde is the Chief Executive Officer of Hovde Properties, LLC, a real estate management company. In addition he is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hovde Capital Advisors LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser, which manages private investment funds and managed accounts focusing primarily on the financial services and real estate-related industry. In this capacity, Mr. Hovde provides the investment team with strategic direction and guidance in their investment decisions. He is also President and Chief Executive Officer of Hovde Private Equity Advisors LLC, a private equity firm also focused on the financial services industry. Mr. Hovde has served as a director on numerous bank and thrift boards and currently serves as the Chairman of Sunwest Bancorp in Orange County, California and as a director of Bay Bank based in Lutherville, Maryland. Mr. Hovde has also served on the boards and various committees of both public and private companies.

Mr. Hovde’s career has provided him with an expertise in the financial services industry and the investment management areas and, as such, he has been featured on numerous occasions on financial television and in national print media publications—including CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and The Wall Street Journal. His familiarity and understanding of the interplay between the economy and the financial and real estate markets has provided him with a knowledgeable perspective enabling him to act in multiple capacities – that of an executive, an industry commentator, and a financial industry expert. 

Mr. Hovde is also the co-founder and a trustee of The Eric D. and Steven D. Hovde Foundation, a non — profit organization that actively supports clinical research to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis, finances safe homes that provide shelter, supportive services, education and love to vulnerable street children, and charitable relief in devastated areas around the world. Mr. Hovde received his degrees in Economics and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin. 

Gus Hunt, B and C
Managing Director and Cyber Lead, Accenture Federal Services

Gus Hunt joined the Board of Directors in September 2014.  Mr. Hunt is Managing Director and Cyber Lead for Accenture Federal Services.  He is responsible for building Accenture’s new cyber security practice focused on novel and differentiated approaches to address the cyber security needs of Accenture Federal Services’ diverse client portfolio.  Previously, he was Chief Architect for Bridgewater Associates, and  President and CEO of Hunt Technology LLC, a private consulting practice focused on strategic IT planning, cyber and data-centric security, big data analytics, and cloud computing.  Mr. Hunt retired from the CIA as their CTO in October 2013 after a 28-year career.  As CTO, Mr. Hunt set the information technology strategic direction and future technology investment plan for the CIA.  He holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Masters of Engineering in Civil/Structural Engineering from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ben Xiang, A and B
Managing Director, Crescent Group

Ben Xiang joined the ePlus Board of Directors in July 2019. Mr. Xiang is currently the Managing Director of Crescent Group. Through September 2019, Mr. Xiang was the Global Head of the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Mixed-Reality business at Ingram Micro, the world’s largest IT distributor. In this role, he is responsible for creating a new global business unit while overseeing solution development, engineering, and go-to-market. In addition to previous roles at Ingram Micro in corporate development, his extensive background in cross-border M&A, post-merger integrations, and business operations includes execution of global transactions in cloud computing, e-commerce, and mobility services. Prior to joining Ingram, Mr. Xiang was Managing Director of Fortress Consulting, a management consulting firm supporting Fortune 500 companies in the US, Europe, and China. In 2009, he joined the CITIC Group as a Director focusing on investments in technology and media. Prior to that, Mr. Xiang worked for Sony BMG in the areas of digital strategy and transformation. Mr. Xiang holds a degree in Finance and Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.