About Us

"Cerius was a key ingredient in planning and executing an innovative approach to my problem."

Robin Hillery
CEO, LitCentral
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Executive Management

Pamela Wasley

CEO

Pamela Wasley is CEO and Co-Owner of Cerius Interim Executive Solutions. She is an expert at helping companies develop higher shareholder value through the strategic development of rapid growth and profitability opportunities with industry experience ranging from technology, medical device, textiles and business services. Her skills include strategic partnerships, customer acquisition and retention programs, sales and marketing team development and international distribution. Over the years, she has assisted companies in setting up worldwide distribution of their products and building large profitable service divisions or organizations. Pamela holds a BA degree in Psychology from the University of Auburn. She serves on several private company boards and was the former Chairman of the Board for Orange County Head Start, a $30M non-profit organization. She has authored several computer textbooks for SeniorNet and is currently an instructor.

Kristen McAlister

President/COO

Kristen McAlister is President/COO and Co-Owner of Cerius Interim Executive Solutions. She has extensive experience in leading major acquisitions, sales and operations initiatives with small and large privately-held companies to publicly-held international companies. Kristen has spent the last ten years facilitating companies on how to market, sell, present and execute their goals with clients and adding value through operations, sales, marketing and entrepreneur coaching.

Ms. McAlister's background in system design and process improvement includes certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt through Villanova University and has studied System Dynamics at MIT. Her experience and education in systems and process management allows for quick and effective insight to the operational challenges facing companies in today's market.

She received her undergraduate in business administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and completed her MBA at The Paul Merage School of University of California, Irvine. She has been involved with The Forum for Corporate Directors and has completed the requirements for ISS Certification. Ms. McAlister's background with community involvement includes: Marketing Co-Chair for the Dean's Leadership Circle at The Paul Merage School, High Adventure Teens leader with the Girl Scouts of America and the Board of Directors with Orange County Head Start, Inc.

Kathryn Gray

Board Advisor

Kathryn Gray is Chief People Officer for Cerius Interim Executive Solutions. She has over 25 years experience in operations, organizational and executive development, and human resources. She has held previous VP level positions, two in Fortune 500 companies, and served as internal consultant to a venture capital firm. Kathryn has implemented her proprietary programs and processes within billion-dollar, multi-national firms such as Levi Strauss, Wells Fargo, CB Richard Ellis and Ikea to small, entrepreneurial start-ups.

Kathryn's collective career experiences have placed her in a variety of industries, including distribution, manufacturing, construction and real estate, banking, professional services, health care, biomedical technology, non-profit and higher education. Her consequent business views provide unique perspective and enable her to combine practical business profitability requirements with genuine business needs in order to maximize an organization's "human assets" to their fullest potential.

Kathryn is involved in many professional and philanthropic organizations regionally and nationally. Kathryn received degrees from the University of Heidelberg and University of Maryland and attended law school at Boston University. She is a frequent topical Leadership, Organizational Development, Personal Development speaker to a wide range of regional and national organizations. She is presently authoring her first book, "Bedtime Stories for CEO's" with her second book, "Lived the Life You've Earned" on the drawing board.

Laura C. Drexel

Managing Director/Vice President, Philadelphia Office

Drexel brings over thirty years of experience as a trusted advisor to a wide range of corporations, ranging from Fortune 100 firms to mid-size companies in industries including accounting, real estate, energy, financial services, hotels and hospitality, law, transportation, telecommunications, technology, nonprofit, and education. In her role as President of Carey Ellis Company, one of the nation's leading full-service art investment and advisory companies, Drexel advised CEOs and senior leaders of numerous companies on investments including Price Waterhouse Coopers, AT&T, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Shell Oil Company, KPMG, Cushman and Wakefield ,Virgin Atlantic,USA and Texas Instruments. She succeeded in improving her clients' corporate brand and external relations by establishing innovative and strategic partnerships with policy-makers and community leaders and institutions. Ms. Drexel is also well-versed in the challenges and opportunities faced by leaders of small to mid-size firms.

In addition to Ms. Drexel's achievements in the corporate domain, she has an exceptional reputation in the area of arts and education. She has raised significant sums of money for arts institutions and educational organizations and has demonstrated a long time commitment to broadening public awareness of the nonprofits. Ms. Drexel is very well versed in the public and private arena having served on a number of the boards and committees including the Northwood Institute, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Oldfields School, Hill School and Drexel University.

Mike Manion

Regional Vice President, Client Solutions

Mike Manion brings over 25 years of experience to his position as the Regional Vice President of Client Solutions for Cerius Interim Executive Solutions. His focus has been on helping privately-held, entrepreneurial, small-to-midsize companies accelerate their growth trajectory. Mike has worked with CEOs in areas ranging from strategic planning and funding, to sales, operations, leadership development, and exit strategy. Mike has served as Regional Director for the Mid-Atlantic for Vistage International. For the seven years prior to Vistage, Mike founded and ran an architecture/engineering/construction industry marketing firm. At Cerius, Mike's primary responsibility is to oversee and lead the process of assisting CEO's and business owners to identify business solutions to help their organization grow. This includes contributing to Cerius' vision, building a strong team, and commitment to quality by assuring the appropriate resources are aligned and available and that projects are delivered in accordance with client expectations. Mike received his formal education at Indiana University, and his practical education both running his own business, and as a member of a Vistage Group for the past 5 years, learning from many of the Washington DC area's best and brightest CEOs.

Matt Sauer

Chief People Officer

Matt is a Senior Human Resources Executive who has extensive years of experience with two Global Fortune 100 Companies. He spent his last five years in corporate life as the Human Resource Officer for Ingram Micro Inc., in Santa Ana California.

Matt currently provides Human Capital Consulting to small to mid-sized companies. He assists the CEO in the establishment of the Human Resource's strategic goals to support the company's long term strategic plan. He is a trusted advisor to the senior executive team, bringing his years of problem solving experience to the CEO. A significant portion of Matt's work is in the area of Succession Planning. The assessment of the current management team, and their development into the company's future leaders. Matt is a respected advisor, coach and mentor to the executive team.

Matt is currently on a long term assignment as a Human Resource Interim Executive for Cerius Interim Executive Solutions. Cerius is a leader in delivering interim executive management solutions with the innovation and speed that small to medium size businesses need to tackle their business opportunities or to mitigate risk. Cerius leverages the skills and experience of its deep pool of interim Executives, who bring the broadest array of industry and functional experience, to deliver best-in-class leadership on-demand to their customers.

Matt is also the current President of the Board for Hi Hopes Identity Discovery Foundation, Inc. Hope U. was founded in 1979 as an institution to offer "arts-infused" curricula for adults with developmental disabilities having high degrees of talent and motivation in the fine arts. The school's slogan is to "train the talent and diminish the disability".

Maria Hillman

Director, Account Management

Maria co-owned a manufacturer's representative company in the home improvement industry for over 20 years. Representing companies from mid-market to fortune 500 in size. Focusing on sales, service and marketing in the home improvement industry. She was a pioneer with regards to service in the home improvement industry since 1986. The company has since been sold to the second largest Sales, service and marketing company in the United States.

She has an extensive background in real estate. As well as owning income and commercial property for 25 years she has sold, leased and managed property. She has held an active real estate license for over 30 years.

She attended Cal Poly Pomona and studied business finance. Maria is currently on the board of the "Womens Cancer Research Foundation" in Newport Beach. As well as member of the Orange County board of realtors.