AVANT's World Class Engineers
Niko O'Hara
Senior Director | Head of Engineering Department
As the first engineer at AVANT in 2013, Niko was truly born in the cloud. He uses his technical background in Electrical Engineering to dissect complex technologies like SD-WAN/SASE, Backup/DR, and Security.
When I'm not working with the best engineers on the planet, you can find me at home with my wife and two French Bulldogs, watching Marvel movies, playing PS5, hosting game nights, or shooting hoops.
Brent Wilford
Senior Director | UCaaS, CCaaS
Brent has 21 years of SE experience across UCaaS, CCaaS, Cellular Networks, Distributed Antenna Systems, Enterprise Sales Process, and Proof of Concept Design. He’s held previous roles as a Senior Sales Engineer at Fuze and T-Mobile, and Sales Engineer with Nextel and Sprint.
I knew I wanted to be an SE while working in a technical sales role at Nextel. Our Sales Engineer impressed me with the questions he could answer with ease, and the trust he built immediately with the customer. I asked him to mentor me, and 20 years later here I am!
Chip Hoisington
Senior Director | WAN, Colo
Chip brings more than 25 years of technology, engineering, and sales experience to the AVANT team. While he specializes in connectivity, global wide area networks, colo, TEM, and Mobility, Chip also holds certifications in Security, Data Science, and IT Support.
My colleagues would describe me as a story teller who uses analogies to simplify complex subjects. People say that I love to teach. When not working toward global domination, you can find me near the water fishing and teaching other people to fish.
Stephen Semmelroth
Senior Director | Security
Stephen is a vCISO, CISSP, and Army Ranger who led cyber teams and infantry platoons in Afghanistan. After retiring from the Army, he founded and sold a cyber recruiting company.
Coming to AVANT allows me to roll up my sleeves and truly build the industry. This is an opportunity to grow the security program and allow TAs to be there when customers need them, and to build a plan that turns fear into rational planning and execution.
John Paullin
FSE / Director | UCaaS, CCaaS
John has 14 years of industry experience in UCaaS, CCaaS, SD-WAN and Conferencing/Collaboration. He’s held previous roles as a Solutions Engineer at Stratosphere Networks, as well as a Sales Engineer and Web Collaboration Specialist with InterCall.
The best part of being an SE at AVANT is that I learn something new EVERY SINGLE DAY. Whether it’s a new vendor’s offering, an update from one of our long-time partners, or a challenge by a Trusted Advisor’s customer, there is never a dull moment in this role.
Dave Watson
Field Sales Engineer | UCaaS, CCaaS
Dave has 25 years of experience in the industry, selling, installing, and maintaining UC Platforms and Contact Centers. Prior to joining the team, Dave was also a Trusted Advisor. This depth of experience gives him the ability to see deals from several perspectives.
When not assisting Trusted Advisors with opportunities, or sharpening my craft with peers and providers, you can find me competing in pickleball or racquetball, or somewhere in the Caribbean 60 feet below water.
Tom Croft
FSE / Director | UCaaS, CCaaS, WAN
Tom’s journey to AVANT has been full of diverse experiences, from decoding complex customer problems to sculpting seamless user experiences. While his focus areas are UCaaS and CCaaS, he is also well-versed in Connectivity, SD-WAN/SASE, and Security.
I am beyond excited to take the foundations of what is already built at AVANT and really drive the international business, starting with Europe and then beyond!
Peter Callowhill
FSE / Director | WAN, Colo
Peter has more than 25 years experience with specialties in Connectivity, Colo, Mobility, and Telecom Expense Management. Before AVANT, Peter founded a CLEC (carrier) and TEM provider.
As an AVANT engineer, I get to be an integral part of an amazing team of highly knowledgeable professionals, dedicated to helping clients make best decisions, and supporting TAs to win a lot of business.
Dane Menke
Senior Sales Engineer | Cloud, Security
Dane brings 13 years of industry experience to AVANT with an emphasis on Cloud, IaaS, Security, and Backup/DR. His previous roles include Solutions Architect at Singlehop and INAP, and Systems Engineer with Hipskind and in the military.
As a former sysadmin, troubleshooting is in my nature. There’s nothing I enjoy more than digging in with a customer on a complex IT initiative to craft a solution unique to their needs.
Eric Cooke
Senior Sales Engineer | WAN, Colo
Eric has 25 years of experience in the industry and 15 years supporting the channel. He has held various roles in technical sales, provisioning, and project management, specializing in Connectivity, Colo, SD-WAN, Voice, and UCaaS.
Being an Avant SE gives me and our Trusted Advisors the opportunity to explore such a deep array of offerings. Having the team, tools, and providers to find the right fit for your customers is the best part of the job.
David Bjerke
Sales Engineer | Cloud
David has been in the industry since 2013 and specializes in Cloud, IaaS, DaaS, and Backup & DR. He’s held previous positions at AVANT in Operations, Commissions, and IT.
When I'm not helping Trusted Advisors or honing my cloud expertise, you can find me agonizing about another disappointing season for a Wisconsin-based college/professional sports team, and subsequently trying to find the appropriate Spotify playlist to help me cope.
Sarah Arnstein
Sales Engineer | UCaaS, CCaaS, WAN
Sarah has been in the industry since 2018 and specializes in UCaas, CCaaS and SD-WAN. She has held the previous roles of Patent Engineer at Hanley, Flight and Zimmerman and Mechanical Engineer with the Ford Motor Company.
The best thing about being on the SE team at AVANT is the caliber of people I get to work with. These are some of the most intelligent, clever, and helpful people I know.
Amanda Bean
Sales Engineer | UCaaS, CCaaS
With over 15 years in the industry, Amanda’s held leadership roles in Contact Center, Engineering, and IT. Experience in retail (250 agents) and healthcare (9000!) help her understand the entire CCaaS process: deploying media channels, programming, support, development, and process automation.
My entire career has prepared me to be an SE at AVANT. I feel blessed to work with such incredible, intelligent, passionate people. I’m inspired every day to learn, grow, and make a difference, empowering businesses to meet the demands of the modern workplace.