Senior Management

Michael Milligan, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,  joined NES in January, 2002. Before joining NES, he served as Chief Financial Officer of the Telenisus Corporation in 2000 and 2001. From 1986 through 1999, Milligan was with Price WaterhouseCoopers, LLP as a staff accountant, senior, manager, senior manager and promoted to partner in 1996. His responsibilities included due diligence investigations, transaction structuring, financial analyses, SEC reporting and related audit support in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and debt/equity financing transactions.

Christopher Bowers, serves as Senior Vice President, Customer Strategy, Sales and Marketing. Prior to joining NES, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau from 2004 to 2005. He also successfully ran his own management consulting firm with an emphasis on marketing, sales development and strategic planning. Mr. Bowers spent 30 years at United Airlines where he held various positions including Senior Vice President – International, Senior Vice President – North America and Senior Vice President – Marketing and Sales. A former U. S. Army Captain, he earned a B. A. degree in Business Administration from Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois.  

Ananda Rakhit, VP and Chief Information Officer has an extensive background in technology, business process, operations analysis and analytical modeling. He also served in a coal mining company in India in production and mine safety. Prior to NES, Ananda Rakhit was VP of Product Development at Automatic Data Processing (ADP) based in Atlanta, where he led global teams to develop internet-based, hosted, Benefits and HR systems for ADP customers. Ananda Rakhit was a Chief Technology Officer at Cadence Design Systems in San Jose, Calif. where he focused on streamlining information assets using Portal and Web Services architecture. Dr. Rakhit was with United Airlines in Chicago for 12 years developing operational models and leading United’s Flight Operations and Cargo systems development. He was a key player in bringing United’s internet technology, especially internet bookings, to the marketplace through united.com. Dr. Rakhit earned his Ph.D in Systems Engineering from the University of Arizona in Tucson after receiving his BS in Mining Engineering and MS in Industrial Engineering from the Indian School of Mines, near Calcutta.

Michael Disser, serves as the VP Marketing and has held this position since May 2002. Mr. Disser is responsible for developing sales and marketing strategies for NES, including promoting the NES brand, development of market intelligence to support sales and fleet efforts as well as lead-generation programs to enhance the overall sales efforts. Mr. Disser was the VP of Sales and Marketing at Grandoe Corp., a New York-based apparel accessory manufacturer. Prior to that, he spent five years in national marketing roles for Levi Strauss & Co., a San Francisco-based apparel company. Mr. Disser has also worked in a national marketing capacity for Sears Roebuck and Co., Chicago-based retailer and other regional positions since 1976. Mr. Disser studied business administration and marketing at North Central and Empire State Colleges. 

Rick Juster, joined NES in June 2004 as VP Assets and Planning. Mr. Juster has an extensive background in financial planning and analysis, logistics, purchasing and accounting. Mr. Juster’s career included twenty years at United Airlines, five years as a consultant at Touche Ross and seven years at Inland Steel as a Project Manager. Mr. Juster holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Cornell University, a M.S. in Operations Research from Northwestern University, and a M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Chicago.

William Doucette, serves as the VP of Human Resources and has held this position since January, 2002. Mr. Doucette is responsible for all facets of the Company’s human resources functions including, training and development, compensation, benefits, labor/employee relations, recruitment, affirmative action and HR management systems. Prior to joining NES, Mr. Doucette was VP Human Resources at Edward Don & Company, a Chicago based food equipment distributor, for five years. Prior experience includes over twenty years of progressive responsibility in HR including a partnership in a leveraged buyout of a food manufacturing firm dedicated to supplying the McDonald’s restaurant chain. Mr. Doucette received his B.S.B.A. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and M.S.I.R. from the Institute of Industrial Relations - Loyola University of Chicago. In 2000, he received his SPHR.

Karen Ospalik, VP and Controller, joined NES Rentals in January, 2002. Prior to NES, Ms. Ospalik served as Senior Finance Manager of Telenisus Corporation, a rapidly growing technology company where she had direct responsibility for all accounting and financial reporting processes of the organization. From 1995 to 2000, she was with Price WaterhouseCoopers, LLP as a Senior Accountant in Audit and then as a Manager in Transaction Services. Her responsibilities included leading professional teams who provided audit, consulting and transaction support services as well as financial due diligence and acquisition consulting services for financial and strategic acquirers. Ms. Ospalik graduated with honors from the University of Illinois where she earned her B.S. in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant.

DIVISIONAL MANAGEMENT

Brent Mumford, serves as Regional VP, North. He has served as VP for both the Midwest and South Regions. Mr. Mumford began his professional career with Insituform East in 1996 as a sales representative. Mr. Mumford then took a position in 1998 as a strategic account manager for Comstor where he was promoted through several positions to Director of Networking Sales. In 2002, he moved to Advanced Navigation & Positioning Corporation as Director, Business Development. Mr. Mumford came to NES in November, 2002 as Director of Assets. He received a B.S. in Operations Research from the U.S. Military Academy in 1993 and an MBA from George Mason University. Mr. Mumford served in the U.S Army for two years as a Lieutenant.

Don Irwin, serves as Regional VP, South. He has held this and other regional positions since March, 2001. Mr. Irwin is a 25 year rental industry veteran holding senior management roles at both Choctaw Machinery Sales and Brambles Equipment Services, Inc. He currently manages 33 locations throughout the Southeast Region. Mr. Irwin attended the University of Memphis.