Our Team
Kumar Shah, President & CEO
Our Chairman/CEO, Kumar Shah, is the visionary who founded Accelar to bring the power of the Internet, Web 2.0 and Social Media to the $95B Group Travel services market. With less than 30% of all Group Travel services market conducted on-line, he saw the opportunity to bring more sophisticated Web 2.0-based dynamic packaging and automation to the On-line Group Travel Services booking market. Kumar is a veteran of the high-tech industry and brings more than 15 years of experience in working with entrepreneurial start-up companies as senior executive and as an investor. Under his leadership, Accelar has become one of the leading providers of On-line Web/Internet solutions to the Group Travel services market, in general, and Ground Transportation services, in particular. Besides leading the Accelar venture, he is also the Managing Partner of an investment fund that has invested in a brick-and-mortar Group Travel services company, El Camino Trailways, to execute on the Click-and-mortar business model that has become his and our guiding principle. Kumar has led and guided many other ventures - Kasenna, Occam, AccessLan and others - and has been affiliated with several venture capital firms, including US Venture Partners. The companies Kumar has been affiliated with have delivered more than $1B of Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer products and services. Kumar has an MS from University of Massachusetts, Amherst and BS from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, India. Kumar resides in Silicon Valley and sets the strategic direction for our company and manages the most important capital assets for our company - technology, equity and human capital.
Sharad Dadbhawala, Director
Sharad Dadbhawala is associated with Accelar Inc as the Consulting CFO since October 2008. As a Finance professional he brings over 30 years of experience from IT, Manufacturing, services, Hedge fund, Entertainment and Publishing industries.He has been actively involved in raising institutional finance, negotiating strategic partnerships, tax planning and conducting training programs. He is engaged with the local community and has served as a Treasurer at the Jain Center in Milpitas, California.Sharad has earned his MBA from the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Institute Of Management Studies, University of Mumbai in India. He also received his Bachelor’s in Accounting and Audit from the same University.
Andy Beohar, VP Engineering
Andy has 13+ years of experience in the E-business and Software Development industry. He has strategized, architected and led the execution of numerous web portals, enterprise e-commerce applications, wireless applications and large-scale database solutions. He has a deep understanding of web based technologies and a successful track record of translating complex processes into intuitive e-business solutions. Prior to joining Accelar, Andy was founder and President of Infoscaler, a leading Santa Clara based e-business solutions firm. At Infoscaler, Andy was instrumental in bringing in Fortune 50 and global enterprise customers such as Sony, McKesson and Covance. He successfully managed distributed teams to create large-scale web portals and internet applications. Prior to Infoscaler, Andy held development management and software engineering positions at Client Server Designs, a developer of CASE tools, and Pittway (now Honeywell), a manufacturer of security access control devices. Andy has a degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin. Andy provides engineering management for our engineering team across the globe.
Allan Linden, Director of Marketing
Allan Linden marketing communications professional with over 20 years of advertising, marketing, public relations, investor relations and branding/messaging experience. Over his career he has helped to successfully launch over 100 products and services, and almost as many companies worldwide. Allan’s has worked with such companies as Foundry Networks, Kasenna, Occam Networks and agency giants J. Walter Thompson and Doyle Dane Bernbach. Most recently he founded and sold Software as a Service business, which focused on digital asset management. At Accelar, Al is responsible for managing all marketing, public relations, marketing communications and advertising activities.
Tinny Arora, Web Designer/Engineer
Tinny has over seven years experience in the field of Information Technology primarily in the field of web development.She worked as an Application Analyst in Allegheny Energy and PPG(Paint Glass) in Pittsburgh, PA. At Accelar, Tinny is responsible for development of new features for further enhancements and maintenance of site.
Ken Wong, Operations Manager
Ken is currently our Operations Manager for services operated by Accelar. He oversees the logistical aspects that is required to operate our services. He has an extensive logistical background with FedEx and is also currently a travel counselor with Mundi Travel in San Jose. Ken graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.
Advisory Board
Mike Edwards, Director
Mike Edwards is a Director at GCA Savvian and heads the firm’s Communications Infrastructure investment banking efforts. Mike brings 17 years of investment banking experience to his role. Prior to joining GCA Savvian shortly after the firms founding in 2003, Mike worked as a Vice President in Goldman Sachs Technology Investment Banking Group. Mike has worked on a broad range of financing and merger transactions with communications industry leaders including ADC, Ascend Communications, Bay Networks, Cap Gemini, Ciena, Cisco Systems, CoSine Communications, E-TEK Dynamics, Extreme Networks, Harmonic, Hitachi, JDSU, Juniper Networks, Lucent Technologies, NetScreen Technologies, Nokia, Nortel Networks, NovAtel, ONI Systems, QLogic, ShoreTel and Siemens. Mr. Edwards graduated from Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.
David Pickeral, Executive Advisor
Mr. Pickeral is a senior expert and strategist in the area of transport and telecoms, particularly in the area of technology and policy surrounding the operation and deployment of next-generation transportation systems. In addition to his work with Accelar Mr. Pickeral currently works as an independent consulting supporting US and international clients related to critical communications systems development. In this capacity he has managed large teams supporting successful efforts for nationwide interoperability initiatives working with transport public safety and emergency management entities at all levels of government. He belongs to a number of professional and academic societies related to his background in telecommunications and transportation management and policy as well as his military service.
Bill McFarlane, Advisor
Bill McFarlane is a senior travel industry executive/consultant with a proactive entrepreneurial spirit and significant achievements in both the corporate and consulting environment for companies from established Global 1000 firms to start-up ventures. He has successfully fulfilled roles as CEO and board member, as well as key leadership positions in strategic planning, M&A, marketing, sales, product and market development and operations for a variety of companies, including i-FAO, a German Corporate Travel Services Management company; TravelStora, a UK-based on-line, full-service B2B travel services site; and Galileo/North America, the joint venture between European Airlines and United Airlines for development of their GDS. Bill has Diploma in Management Studies from Abertay University, Scotland, and MBA from Edinburgh University, Scotland. Bill has been instrumental in helping Accelar formulate our strategic direction and in developing our strategic partnerships.
Michael Savod, Advisor
Michael Savod is the founder of TMC, a marketing consulting firm specializing in developing targeted communications and sponsorship opportunities for a variety of customers. He has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Oakland A's, Vice President of Sports Marketing for Nettaxi.com. General Sales and Marketing Manager for Ford Motor Company (Japan), Vice President of Maserati USA and National Advertising Manager for the Chrysler Corporation. He currently teaches various marketing courses for the University of California and Golden Gate University and has presented marketing seminars in many countries throughout the world as well as in the US.
