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Meet the Leadership Team

Clifton Thomas

SVP, Growth, Execution & Operational Excellence

Executive Leadership — Growth, Execution & Operational Excellence

Clifton Thomas

Growth strategy, sourcing and supply-chain execution, strategic partnerships,
and scalable operating discipline.
  • Leads SummAT Pro’s vision, growth strategy, partnership development, and execution model, with a focus on disciplined sourcing, supply-chain coordination, and measurable client outcomes.
  • Owns delivery discipline across client baselines, opportunity pipelines, sourcing strategy, supplier coordination, execution roadmaps, KPI cadence, and operating controls.
  • Led category, supplier, and commercial strategies across complex retail and CPG business units, combining sourcing discipline, supply-chain execution, private-label development, and go-to-market planning.
  • Brings hands-on experience across retail, CPG, foodservice, sourcing, supplier management, supply-chain coordination, account leadership, and strategic partnerships.
  • Developed international sourcing strategies and supplier relationships that strengthened availability, cost discipline, supply continuity, and commercial growth.

Leadership Profile

  • Proven leader with 20+ years across retail, CPG, foodservice, sourcing, supply chain, supplier strategy, sales execution, and partnerships.
  • Builds growth strategies and partnership models that connect business opportunity with disciplined execution and measurable outcomes.
  • Combines commercial leadership, sourcing expertise, supply-chain visibility, and operational discipline to deliver scalable, repeatable outcomes.

Vision + Execution

  • Aligns growth strategy to a disciplined execution engine with measurable outcomes
  • Ensures repeatable systems that scale with controls and reporting discipline
  • Strengthens lender confidence through governance, audit readiness, and accountability

Greg Armstrong

SVP, Market Strategy & Partnerships

Executive Leadership — Market Strategy & Partnerships

Greg Armstrong

Go-to-market execution through partnerships,
positioning, and disciplined qualification
  • Executes go-to-market strategy aligned to SummAT Pro’s vision and operating model
  • Builds and manages strategic partnerships (supplier network, referral channels, field relationships) to expand pipeline
  • Leverages small-business ownership experience and ties in construction/electrical to accelerate partner-led sourcing
  • Drives positioning and messaging that supports the Sprint entry offer and Sprint $\rightarrow$ Retainer conversion
  • Leads deal qualification discipline (ICP + Deal Desk) to protect margins, capacity, and delivery fit
  • Establishes partnership governance: mutual action plans, service expectations, and performance review cadence

Leadership Profile

  • Greg Armstrong is a founding leader of the company that ultimately became SummAT Pro, where his vision has driven growth from day one
  • Renowned for forging long-term client relationships and crafting balanced deals with strong attention to detail
  • Thrives under pressure and leverages technology to streamline operations and improve client efficiency
  • Empowers teams and drives continuous growth through disciplined leadership
  • Remains dedicated to advancing SummAT Pro’s mission, anchored in collaboration, ethics, and innovation

Market + Partnerships

  • Expands pipeline through partnership-led sourcing and trusted referral routes
  • Improves win rate with clear positioning, qualification discipline, and procurement-ready offers
  • Supports scalable growth with repeatable partnership playbooks and governance

Executive Leadership — Digital Operations & Cybersecurity

Digital Operations & Cybersecurity — Brain Jar Capability Integration

Hartford Matthews

VP, Digital Operations & Systems

  • Leads SummAT Pro’s digital infrastructure, automation, and systems architecture, enabling scalable execution
  • Owns end-to-end execution workflow: intake → CRM → execution → reporting, ensuring real-time visibility and performance
  • Builds and deploys automation workflows that reduce manual effort and support Sprint → Retainer scalability
  • Ensures platform reliability, uptime, and secure data operations across all client engagements
  • Applies expertise in contract structure, brand systems, and digital workflows to maintain audit-ready standards
  • Establishes consistency and control across all digital assets, including intake, workflows, and reporting environments

Leadership Profile

  • Brings 20+ years of experience in strategic planning, systems design, and process optimization
  • Known for building scalable, efficient systems that support execution without operational drag
  • Combines technical leadership and business process expertise to drive performance and reliability
  • Focused on automation, data integrity, and system accountability across all operations
  • Committed to strengthening SummAT Pro through secure infrastructure, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement

Market + Partnerships

  • Expands pipeline through partnership-led sourcing and trusted referral routes
  • Improves win rate with clear positioning, qualification discipline, and procurement-ready offers
  • Supports scalable growth with repeatable partnership playbooks and governance

Jason Matthews

VP, Cybersecurity & Operational Excellence

  • Leads SummAT Pro’s cybersecurity strategy and digital defense architecture, ensuring secure, scalable operations
  • Owns IT infrastructure, system performance, and workflow optimization, delivering resilient, high-performance workflows
  • Drives audit-ready governance and risk management, integrating financial controls, compliance, and operational discipline
  • Builds secure, scalable systems that support real-time execution and enterprise-level data integrity
  • Combines technical execution with financial oversight, strengthening decision-making, cost control, and risk visibility
  • Applies advanced cybersecurity training and modern threat defense to protect systems and client data

Leadership Profile

  • Brings 20+ years of experience across IT infrastructure, financial operations, and digital systems
  • Known for integrating security-first architecture with scalable business execution
  • Combines technical leadership and operational discipline to deliver reliable, high-performing systems
  • Drives performance through data, accountability, and system optimization
  • Committed to strengthening SummAT Pro through cybersecurity, governance, and operational excellence

Market + Partnerships

  • Expands pipeline through partnership-led sourcing and trusted referral routes
  • Improves win rate with clear positioning, qualification discipline, and procurement-ready offers
  • Supports scalable growth with repeatable partnership playbooks and governance

Key Advisors — Supplier Partnerships & Finance

Advisory support for supplier ecosystem growth and audit-ready financial operations

  • Leads supplier inclusion and partnership strategy across complex supply chains
  • Expands supplier ecosystem through diverse, high-quality partner networks
  • Former Kroger leader in supplier diversity and enterprise engagement roles
  • National speaker and board-level contributor across FMI, OMSDC, and U.S. Hispanic Chamber
  • Recognitions include Progressive Grocer (Top Women in Grocery)

Advisory Perspective (Supplier Partnerships)

  • Brings deep expertise in supplier diversity, partnership strategy, and ecosystem development
  • Strengthens commercial and public-sector credibility through trusted relationships, inclusive sourcing, and disciplined partnership models

Denise Thomas

Senior Advisor, Small Business & Supplier Partnerships

  • Advises on accounting structure and monthly close discipline (bank-ready reporting)
  • Supports cash conversion and working-capital visibility (billing, collections, and payables cadence)
  • Strengthens controls: approvals, segregation of duties, and audit-ready documentation
  • Guides forecasting, KPI dashboards, and lender reporting packages

Advisory Perspective (Finance & Controls)

  • Provides expertise in financial discipline, reporting structure, and lender readiness
  • Strengthens scalable growth through controls, governance, audit-ready processes, cash flow visibility, and financial accountability

Andy Hagemann

Senior Advisor, Financial Operations & Accounting

Advisory Impact

Supplier + Finance

  • Expands supplier ecosystem and partnership credibility across commercial and public sectors
  • Improves audit readiness and financial reporting discipline for lenders
  • Supports scalable growth through governance, controls, and operating cadence