Who We Are

Aja Martinez Chief Product Officer
Aja Martinez brings over two decades of experience in the consumer electronics and wireless industry to her role as Chief Product Officer for FocusPoint International. Her career is marked by a passionate commitment to product innovation and strategic leadership. Aja's unique ability to blend user insights with technology and design has led to the creation of groundbreaking products and has positioned her as a visionary in the field.

Before joining us, Aja served as Chief Technical Officer at Bullitt Group Ltd, where she was the driving force behind the company's long-term technology strategy and innovation. Her tenure at Bullitt Group also saw her spearhead the product strategy, ensuring the delivery of comprehensive solutions for brand partners. Aja's leadership skills were further demonstrated in her roles as Senior Vice President of Innovation and Vice President of Product Portfolio, where she managed teams to deliver significant growth and developed a robust IP portfolio.

Aja's journey in the tech industry began at T-Mobile USA, progressing through roles that showcased her versatility and strategic thinking. Her achievements include implementing product changes that resulted in exponential sales growth and enhancing user experiences to increase Data ARPU.

Aja holds a Master's in Project Management from George Washington University School of Business, underlining her expertise in leading complex projects and her commitment to continuous learning.

At our company, Aja is poised to steer our product strategy towards new heights, leveraging her extensive experience and innovative mindset to drive sustainable growth and deliver exceptional value to our customers. Her leadership is instrumental in defining our technological direction and ensuring our products not only meet but exceed market needs.

Edward Zukowski Vice President of Human Resources
Mr. Ed Zukowski is the Vice President of Human Resources for FocusPoint International. Ed brings over 25 years of human resources, training, and employee development experience to his role at FocusPoint. Prior to joining the FocusPoint International team, Ed held the top HR role for a Cleveland based corporation for over six years with earlier career roles in operations, training, and management. Core competencies include experience in conflict resolution, employee counseling, workplace safety, accident investigation and documentation, benefits administration, government compliance, corporate-level recruiting, policy and procedure creation & adherence, culture, and employee engagement.

Mr. Zukowski is a member of The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and served for three consecutive years on the business advisory committee for United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management with a human resources option from Penn State University and completed management continuing education classes at Cornell University.

David Mace Senior Advisor, Indemnified Solutions
Mr. David Mace is a Senior Advisor for Indemnified Solutions and responsible for managing the company’s product strategy and the insurance and financial services vertical. David was formerly a market entry consultant for a UK-based boutique specialty lines facility supported by Lloyd’s of London. David brings over 15 years of experience in crisis and risk management services marketing, underwriting and advisory of kidnap for ransom, international casualty, high-limit personal and occupational accident, and product contamination/recall risk exposures. He is trilingual, speaking Spanish and English both as a mother-tongue, and French.

David’s career in Crisis Management began at AIG, where he became Zonal Assistant Vice President for the Southwest United States. David has advised multinational companies primarily in the oil and gas, food and beverage, and technology industries, large non-profit entities with diverse international projects, and small businesses, and high net worth individuals requiring risk management advice on hostile environment operations and asset protection preparedness. His work experience and geographic areas of expertise include North, Central and South America, Europe, and North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

David received an International Politics & Economics (IPE) degree from Middlebury College in Vermont. His IPE work also involved a semester program in Comparative Politics and Middle Eastern culture studies at the Paris Institut d’Études Politiques “Sciences Po”. After working for Deloitte & Touche Consulting and the United Nations Development Program in Honduras and Central America, Mr. Mace later earned his International MBA from ASU’s Thunderbird Graduate School for International Business in Arizona, where he was distinguished with Pi Sigma Alpha honors for political science studies. David holds the following insurance advisor/solicitor licenses; general lines agent, surplus lines broker, re-insurance manager, and continuing education state-approved provider.

Manny Fernandez Vice President, Global Operations
Mr. Manny Fernandez is the Vice President of Global Operations at FocusPoint International. As VP of Global Ops, Manny is responsible for the execution of medical, security, travel risk intelligence and crisis response operations. Mr. Fernandez has over 28 years of law enforcement experience, including a 21-year career as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service (USSS). Manny is an engaging executive leader, possessing a winning blend of subject matter expertise, skill in risk mitigation strategies, and practical experience in mission-critical environments.

As part of the USSS, Manny was charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting the nation’s leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state. Manny has a proven history of delivering results on investigations, physical security, and executive protection for subjects that have included the President of the United States. Over the course of his career in the USSS, Manny has had several assignments to include 6 years in the Dignitary and Presidential Protective Divisions, Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) with the Protective Intelligence Division and an Assistant Attaché assignment in Paris, France.

Mr. Fernandez has trained numerous domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies on investigative and protection techniques. He is an accomplished professional providing vulnerability and threat assessments for sites of all sizes in advance of the President’s visit, from small town hall venues to large capacity stadiums.

Manny is a United States Army Gulf War veteran, where he served with distinction as an Air Traffic Controller. Manny holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia College and is fully bi-lingual in English and Spanish.

Chris Palmieri Senior Director, Strategic Development
Christopher Palmieri is the Senior Director of Strategic Development at FocusPoint International, where he is responsible for enterprise and channel sales, strategic development, client implementation, and account management. Christopher’s areas of expertise are focused and centered around customizing travel risk and crisis management response programs for corporations, educational institutions, tour operators, and channel partners, as he brings just under a decade of experience in the global security and crisis response industry.

Prior to entering the travel risk and crisis management industry, Chris spent over 15 years in executive management positions, ranging from the director to chief sales officer level, while working for such companies as Wells Fargo, Option One (a former division of H&R Block), Monster Worldwide and AlphaGen Systems.

Chris is a lifelong resident of New England, growing up in Rhode Island and currently residing in Massachusetts. He is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Salve Regina University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and served in the United States Naval Reserves, receiving an honorable discharge in 2003.

Randy Haight Senior Director, Crisis Response
Mr. Haight plans, directs, supervises, and executes the delivery of evacuations and personal protective operations for high profile corporate and private sector clients traveling in the United States and high-risk environments abroad. As well, he provides security and business-related consulting for corporate and private sector clients, government contractors, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). With a significant background in Crisis Management and Crisis Response, Mr. Haight assists clients in developing crisis management and crisis response plans and training. Mr. Haight manages the Crisis Assistance Team (CAT) in support of Crisis Response to clients globally. He has participated in multiple evacuations of clients from hostile environments throughout the world. Mr. Haight has traveled to various high-risk countries in support of the US Government, its contractors, and FocusPoint International clients, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Mr. Haight has traveled extensively on every continent except Antarctica. He has over 30 years of law enforcement and security experience, having served as a Police Sergeant in a major California metropolitan police agency and as a Supervisory Special Agent with the US Departments of Treasury and Justice. Doc has extensive experience in conducting Protective Operations, having served on various Protective Details in support of the United States Secret Service and the US State Department. He has also provided security for a variety of high-profile celebrities and high-net-worth individuals in the US and abroad. Mr. Haight served as a Hospital Corpsman (medic) with the United States Navy and served as a Platoon Corpsman with both Navy and Marine Corps Units. His last assignment in the Navy was to a Naval Security Group.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from the University of the State of New York and a master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence from the American Military University. Doc is bilingual in English and Spanish. Mr. Haight is a member of a Northern California Search and Rescue Team and is a certified military freefall parachutist and combat swimmer.

Anavel Mercedes Director of Product Administration
Anavel Mercedes is the Director of Product Administration for FocusPoint International, based out of the company’s operational headquarters in Sunrise, FL. Ms. Mercedes manages a team of product support specialists responsible for addressing inbound product-related questions, product demonstrations of the company’s flagship mobile assistance app, CAP Advantage, and onboarding new customers and channel distribution partners. Anavel works closely with FocusPoint’s insurance relationships for risk finance purposes and the proper placement of indemnity to support CAP Tripside Assistance and Overwatch & Rescue plans.

Ms. Mercedes joined the company as a product support specialist in 2020 and quickly demonstrated her ability to take on additional responsibilities and managerial tasks. Anavel recently completed the Management Essentials program at Harvard University’s School of Business to round out her previous management experience in administration. Her exposure and experience in the medical and insurance industries, combined with the skills acquired as a product support specialist and education, have contributed to her success as the Director of Product Administration at FocusPoint International.

Sarah Spolander Operations Director - Cape Town, SA
Sarah Spolander is the Director of Operations in Cape Town, South Africa. She has 18 years of proven experience in the crisis management and assistance industry with a 13-year focus on building an operations center and leading multidisciplinary teams, including intelligence analysts, security, customer services, and IT.

Ms. Spolander’s core competencies include building highly motivated and resilient teams to service clients requiring intelligence, crisis management, travel management, and security assistance. She successfully implemented the Information Security and Quality Management Systems, ISO 27001 and 9001 qualifications, ensuring continuous improvement in process and service delivery and a commitment to information security. For a year, Sarah lived abroad and was involved in supporting the sales team on the implementation front, gaining valuable knowledge and understanding of the banking and insurance markets.

Sarah completed her Bachelor of Social Science in Political Science from the University of Cape Town, which got her into the industry as a political risk analyst. She subsequently enrolled in the Accelerated Directorship Programme (ADP) and joined the Institute of Directors (IoD).

Stephanie Kluver Operations Director - Sunrise, FL
Stephanie Kluver is the Operations Director at FocusPoint International. In close consultation with FocusPoint’s Chief Medical Officer, she is responsible for the execution of all medical intake, triage, case management, and transports globally. Stephanie is well versed in all aspects of air medical transportation, with over 25 years of combined experience in emergency medical services and fixed-wing critical care air ambulance transports.

Stephanie is a native Floridian that began her Emergency Medical Services career in 1993 as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and progressed to a certified Paramedic. She served as a Field Training Officer for new EMTs and paramedics and, in 2004, was awarded Paramedic of the Year for Outstanding Service to the Community.

Ms. Kluver spent a considerable amount of time in the air ambulance sector as a Senior Flight Paramedic for a world-renowned fixed-wing company providing global critical care. In her role as a Senior Flight Paramedic, Stephanie provided education to paramedics, critical care paramedics, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and doctors in critical care transport. Before joining the FocusPoint team, Ms. Kluver was the Transport Manager for a membership-based company that provided air ambulance evacuation, commercial medical escorts, and repatriation benefits. Stephanie received her Associate Degree in Nursing and is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.