About Us

About Us

U.S. Based Visionaries Making Hybrid Cloud Environments Achievable

Our team of experts spans 42 states united by one mission: to create affordable, integrated data information systems for organizations around the world.

How We Came To Be

VSO was founded in 2017 by Stephen O’Keefe and John Birch. Their vision was to create a company that would be the world leader in hybrid and multi- cloud managed services industry. In order to build the highly effective and responsive team required, VSO tapped into the most disciplined and deserving workforce out there: US military veterans.

We leverage this military veteran workforce to support managed services, monitoring, steady state, and service management engagements. Our team provides reliable, secure, and cost-effective service delivery.

While military veterans, and their advancement, are a large part of the VSO mission; what really distinguishes VSO is its enthusiastic embrace of continuous improvement and innovation at all levels of the company and with all employees – veteran and civilian alike.

The History of “No Jerks”

VSO is not the first company startup for Steve O’Keefe and John Birch. Steve famously stated that all we need is “No Jerks…We don’t want to employ them or work with them if we can avoid it.” So when starting VSO they recognized this immutable truth as they drafted the founding documents. Over the course of time, No Jerks was expanded to VSO’s Seven First Principles.

First Principles

VSO is not like every other company. We’re building a valuable company by building a company of values.

VSO culture is one of virtue. The common values of Trustworthiness, Loyalty, Respect, are attained through the practice of the virtues of Morality, Discipline, Self-Control, and Dignity. Regardless of our backgrounds, these values are common to everyone, but set apart those people and companies that actually practice them.

1.

We develop leaders and are serious about their role in coaching others. We are owners – owners of problems who take responsibility for finding solutions. We have relentlessly high standards. We are continually raising the bar and driving our teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes. We assume first our own leadership, and then delegate-versus assuming someone else’s ownership, and waiting for things to break.

2.

Our customers are always our partners and our partners are never the enemy. There are always challenges in any human relationship. But VSO leaders will always maintain a positive outlook, remove negativity, and pursue improvement obsessively. If our customers did not need our help, they wouldn’t have hired us. We are hired because of our content, we are brought back because of our values, culture and execution.​

3.

Time is the most valuable commodity. We honor the dignity of others to the degree we honor the value of their time. We value others time the same as our own. We value our customer’s time. We value time by finding the meaning in what we are doing; by ensuring that what we have delegated has meaning; that those we have invited to a call are all necessary; and that what we are doing is being done by the right people.

4.

That which can be automated, should be automated. We work smarter not harder. That which can be delegated, should be delegated. Our culture is a virtuous cycle of learn, do, and teach. We continually ask: What am I doing now? What am I teaching others? What should I be learning next?​

5.

We will always be direct and honest with ourselves and others. We are never complacent, and we always seek to improve ourselves, the company, our customers, and those we lead. Trust, Loyalty, and Respect are earned.

6.

VSO aggressively recruits leaders of value at all levels and fosters their continued growth. VSO will always strive to grow “B” players in to “A” players. We will always seek to set clear, measurable goals, and be direct in our feedback to ourselves as to how we are doing towards those goals. VSO is not like every other company. We will build a valuable company by building a company of values.

7.

First Principles

VSO is not like every other company. We’re building a valuable company by building a company of values.

1.

VSO culture is one of virtue. The common values of Trustworthiness, Loyalty, Respect, are attained through the practice of the virtues of Morality, Discipline, Self-Control, and Dignity. Regardless of our backgrounds, these values are common to everyone, but set apart those people and companies that actually practice them.

2.

We develop leaders and are serious about their role in coaching others. We are owners – owners of problems who take responsibility for finding solutions. We have relentlessly high standards. We are continually raising the bar and driving our teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes. We assume first our own leadership, and then delegate-versus assuming someone else’s ownership, and waiting for things to break.

3.

Our customers are always our partners and our partners are never the enemy. There are always challenges in any human relationship. But VSO leaders will always maintain a positive outlook, remove negativity, and pursue improvement obsessively. If our customers did not need our help, they wouldn’t have hired us. We are hired because of our content, we are brought back because of our values, culture and execution.​

4.

Time is the most valuable commodity. We honor the dignity of others to the degree we honor the value of their time. We value others time the same as our own. We value our customer’s time. We value time by finding the meaning in what we are doing; by ensuring that what we have delegated has meaning; that those we have invited to a call are all necessary; and that what we are doing is being done by the right people.

5.

That which can be automated, should be automated. We work smarter not harder. That which can be delegated, should be delegated. Our culture is a virtuous cycle of learn, do, and teach. We continually ask: What am I doing now? What am I teaching others? What should I be learning next?​

6.

We will always be direct and honest with ourselves and others. We are never complacent, and we always seek to improve ourselves, the company, our customers, and those we lead. Trust, Loyalty, and Respect are earned.

7.

VSO aggressively recruits leaders of value at all levels and fosters their continued growth. VSO will always strive to grow “B” players in to “A” players. We will always seek to set clear, measurable goals, and be direct in our feedback to ourselves as to how we are doing towards those goals. VSO is not like every other company. We will build a valuable company by building a company of values.

A Culture of Excellence

VSO’s US-based veteran workforce is mentored by our Cloud Center of Excellence (CCOE). VSO’s CCOE serves as our engine for technology innovation, consulting, solutions design, and Level-4 point of escalation for managed services and operations engagements. Our Level 2 and Level 3 engineers mentor VSO’s veteran workforce pushing more and more responsibility to them as they grow and improve, handing off everything from steady state tasks, like managing ticket queues, to on-call support, to even building servers, allocating storage, and doing backup restores. This virtuous cycle completes when the veterans themselves become the mentors, training those who are newly retired.

While military veterans, and their advancement are a large part of the VSO mission; what really distinguishes VSO is its enthusiastic embrace of continuous improvement and innovation at all levels of the company and with all employees – veteran and civilian alike.

Meet our leadership

Steve O’Keefe

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

About Me

I have the privilege of leading the team here at VSO. My duties as CEO range but I’m at my best when I am collaborating with customers and teammates developing new ideas or solving meaningful problems.

John Birch

Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer

About Me

I serve as the CIO of VSO. In this capacity, I am responsible for innovation, maturation, and go to market approach for the VSO offerings. These days, that means a primary focus on our FogLifter® software suite. I am the Executive Sponsor for VSO relationships with Kaiser Permanente, HCL, ExxonMobil, and Stanford Research Institute.

Karla Hester

Chief Operating Officer

About Me

As Chief Operating Officer of VSO, I guide the organization in making strategic decisions that support long-term profitability and sustainability. With a strong background in Human Resources, I ensure teams are aligned with the overall business strategy and equipped to meet their goals. I also oversee daily operations, driving efficiency, service excellence, and continuous improvement across the organization.

John Blackburn

Chief Revenue Officer

About Me

As the Chief Revenue Officer at VSO, I provide our clients with high-quality products and services and drive long-term relationships with these clients. In addition I am responsible for new business and the development of our go to market strategy and offerings.

Laura Richardson

Chief Technology Officer Commercial Sector

About Me

I am the Chief Technology Officer at VSO. In this role, I guide the company in decisions that ensure technology serves and catalyzes VSO’s and our clients’ business success by delivering practical results that scale well.

Gary Hix

Chief Technology Officer Public Sector

About Me

As Chief Technology Officer for Public Sector, I focus on our Federal book of business. I work hard with our delivery and sales teams to focus on innovative services solutions that can help our customers deliver on their mission, regardless of agency.

Ethan Watts

Vice President of Strategic Accounts and Managed Services

About Me

As the VP of Commercial and Channel business here at VSO, I own sales and delivery for our Commercial and Channel business. I lead other Business Development, Sales and Delivery leaders and teams across dozens of successful contracts and engagements, while staying in consistent contact with our Commercial and Channel clients and partners to develop and achieve their IT goals.

Darby Mee

Vice President of Strategic Accounts and DOD Capture

About Me

As the VP of Strategic Accounts and Defense Capture at VSO, I am responsible for sustaining growth and opening new markets within our public sector business. I lead all aspects of sales and delivery on our major federal accounts and direct business development and capture activities in our largest federal market (Defense and National Security).

Nitsa Ferentinos

Vice President of Business Operations

About Me

As Vice President of Business Operations at VSO, I help ensure a seamless client experience by aligning our executive, sales, and delivery teams for the effective execution of services and solutions. I streamline processes and communication behind the scenes to support smooth project delivery, clear coordination across teams, and consistent high-quality outcomes.

James Mead

Vice President of Customer Success

About Me

As VP of Customer Success at VSO, my responsibility is ensuring successful outcomes for our FogLifter® customers from pre-sales engineering, through delivery to steady state support. My focus is across the organization to develop, build and support solutions ensuring high value outcomes that continue to deliver to our customer’s growing needs. I also drive a collaborative process to interact with internal and external stakeholders to deliver a qualified product roadmap with our Chief Architect, Dan Jost.

Dan Jost

Chief Architect

About Me

As Chief Architect at VSO, I lead the technical vision and strategy behind our flagship software product, ensuring it remains robust, scalable, and aligned with client needs. I oversee architectural decisions and guide our engineering teams to deliver innovative features and seamless integrations. My commitment to technical excellence and collaboration drives the ongoing success and evolution of our product.

Steve O’Keefe

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

About Me

I have the privilege of leading the team here at VSO. My duties as CEO range but I’m at my best when I am collaborating with customers and teammates developing new ideas or solving meaningful problems.

John Birch

Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer

About Me

I serve as the CIO of VSO. In this capacity, I am responsible for innovation, maturation, and got to market approach for the VSO offerings. These days, that means a primary focus on our FogLifter® software suite. I am the Executive Sponsor for VSO relationships with Kaiser Permanente, HCL, ExxonMobil, and Stanford Research Institute.

Laura Richardson

Chief Technology Officer Commercial Sector

About Me

I am the Chief Technology Officer at VSO. In this role, I guide the company in decisions that ensure technology serves and catalyzes VSO’s and our clients’ business success by delivering practical results that scale well.

Karla Hester

Chief Operating Officer

About Me

As Chief Operating Officer of VSO, I guide the organization in making strategic decisions that support long-term profitability and sustainability. With a strong background in Human Resources, I ensure teams are aligned with the overall business strategy and equipped to meet their goals. I also oversee daily operations, driving efficiency, service excellence, and continuous improvement across the organization.

Ethan Watts

Vice President of Strategic Accounts and Managed Services

About Me

As the VP of Commercial and Channel business here at VSO, I own sales and delivery for our Commercial and Channel business. I lead other Business Development, Sales and Delivery leaders and teams across dozens of successful contracts and engagements, while staying in consistent contact with our Commercial and Channel clients and partners to develop and achieve their IT goals.

Nitsa Ferentinos

Director of Business Operations

About Me

As Director of Business Operations at VSO, I help ensure a seamless client experience by aligning our executive, sales, and delivery teams for the effective execution of services and solutions. I streamline processes and communication behind the scenes to support smooth project delivery, clear coordination across teams, and consistent high-quality outcomes.

James Mead

Vice President of Customer Success

About Me

As VP of Customer Success at VSO, my responsibility is ensuring successful outcomes for our FogLifter® customers from pre-sales engineering, through delivery to steady state support. My focus is across the organization to develop, build and support solutions ensuring high value outcomes that continue to deliver to our customer’s growing needs. I also drive a collaborative process to interact with internal and external stakeholders to deliver a qualified product roadmap with our Chief Architect, Dan Jost.

Gary Hix

Chief Technology Officer Public Sector

About Me

As Chief Technology Officer for Public Sector, I focus on our Federal book of business. I work hard with our delivery and sales teams to focus on innovative services solutions that can help our customers deliver on their mission, regardless of agency.

John Blackburn

Chief Revenue Officer

About Me

As the Chief Revenue Officer at VSO, I provide our clients with high-quality products and services and drive long-term relationships with these clients. In addition I am responsible for new business and the development of our go-to-market strategy and offerings.

Darby Mee

Vice President of Strategic Accounts and DOD Capture

About Me

As the VP of Strategic Accounts and Defense Capture at VSO, I am responsible for sustaining growth and opening new markets within our public sector business. I lead all aspects of sales and delivery on our major federal accounts and direct business development and capture activities in our largest federal market (Defense and National Security).

Dan Jost

Chief Architect

About Me

As Chief Architect at VSO, I lead the technical vision and strategy behind our flagship software product, ensuring it remains robust, scalable, and aligned with client needs. I oversee architectural decisions and guide our engineering teams to deliver innovative features and seamless integrations. My commitment to technical excellence and collaboration drives the ongoing success and evolution of our product.

Steve O’Keefe

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

About Me

I have the privilege of leading the team here at VSO. My duties as CEO range but I’m at my best when I am collaborating with customers and teammates developing new ideas or solving meaningful problems.

John Birch

Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer

About Me

I serve as the CIO of VSO. In this capacity, I am responsible for innovation, maturation, and got to market approach for the VSO offerings. These days, that means a primary focus on our FogLifter® software suite. I am the Executive Sponsor for VSO relationships with Kaiser Permanente, HCL, ExxonMobil, and Stanford Research Institute.

Karla Hester

Chief Operating Officer

About Me

As Chief Operating Officer of VSO, I guide the organization in making strategic decisions that support long-term profitability and sustainability. With a strong background in Human Resources, I ensure teams are aligned with the overall business strategy and equipped to meet their goals. I also oversee daily operations, driving efficiency, service excellence, and continuous improvement across the organization.

John Blackburn

Chief Revenue Officer

About Me

As the Chief Revenue Officer at VSO, I provide our clients with high-quality products and services and drive long-term relationships with these clients. In addition I am responsible for new business and the development of our go-to-market strategy and offerings.

Laura Richardson

Chief Technology Officer Commercial Sector

About Me

I am the Chief Technology Officer at VSO. In this role, I guide the company in decisions that ensure technology serves and catalyzes VSO’s and our clients’ business success by delivering practical results that scale well.

Gary Hix

Chief Technology Officer Public Sector

About Me

As Chief Technology Officer for Public Sector, I focus on our Federal book of business. I work hard with our delivery and sales teams to focus on innovative services solutions that can help our customers deliver on their mission, regardless of agency.

Ethan Watts

Vice President of Strategic Accounts and Managed Services

About Me

As the VP of Commercial and Channel business here at VSO, I own sales and delivery for our Commercial and Channel business. I lead other Business Development, Sales and Delivery leaders and teams across dozens of successful contracts and engagements, while staying in consistent contact with our Commercial and Channel clients and partners to develop and achieve their IT goals.

Darby Mee

Vice President of Strategic Accounts and DOD Capture

About Me

As the VP of Strategic Accounts and Defense Capture at VSO, I am responsible for sustaining growth and opening new markets within our public sector business. I lead all aspects of sales and delivery on our major federal accounts and direct business development and capture activities in our largest federal market (Defense and National Security).

Nitsa Ferentinos

Director of Business Operations

About Me

As Director of Business Operations at VSO, I help ensure a seamless client experience by aligning our executive, sales, and delivery teams for the effective execution of services and solutions. I streamline processes and communication behind the scenes to support smooth project delivery, clear coordination across teams, and consistent high-quality outcomes.

James Mead

Vice President of Customer Success

About Me

As VP of Customer Success at VSO, my responsibility is ensuring successful outcomes for our FogLifter® customers from pre-sales engineering, through delivery to steady state support. My focus is across the organization to develop, build and support solutions ensuring high value outcomes that continue to deliver to our customer’s growing needs. I also drive a collaborative process to interact with internal and external stakeholders to deliver a qualified product roadmap with our Chief Architect, Dan Jost.

Dan Jost

Chief Architect

About Me

As Chief Architect at VSO, I lead the technical vision and strategy behind our flagship software product, ensuring it remains robust, scalable, and aligned with client needs. I oversee architectural decisions and guide our engineering teams to deliver innovative features and seamless integrations. My commitment to technical excellence and collaboration drives the ongoing success and evolution of our product.

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