Vortex is driven to provide cost-effective, environmentally friendly infrastructure renewal.
Vortex Companies leadership is strictly dedicated to providing proven, trenchless infrastructure solutions to improve the quality of our water and wastewater infrastructure.
The Vortex Companies is guided by an experienced leadership team that continues to provide innovative products and services to municipal, industrial and commercial markets.
As President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike’s primary focus is fulfilling the corporate mission and ensuring Vortex delivers on its promise of delivering the broadest range of service solutions and proven products to customers around the globe. Since the company’s founding in 2015, Mike has strategically guided its growth and maturity in the highly competitive trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation. From its highly experienced and customer-focused services division, to the cutting edge products and technologies division, Vortex is a leader in providing an end-to-end solution to its customers.
Formerly, Mike was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for one of the largest privately held trenchless underground contractors in North America. His primary responsibilities included overseeing sales, marketing, and product development functions for all business entities. He was also in charge of forging strategic business alliances as part of the company’s vision of providing the widest selection of environmentally friendly trenchless underground repair solutions to its customers. During his five-year tenure, Mike used his vision and leadership to help measurably grow the company’s revenue.
From 2001 to 2009, Mike worked for Albany, New York-based Vellano Brothers, where he rose from the ranks from local Branch Manager to Vice President. During his tenure there, he helped streamline operations, grow accounts, and increase sales exponentially. Mike resides in Houston, Texas, along with his wife Lettie, and two daughters.
Matthew Samford is the Vortex Companies Chief Financial Officer and oversees the corporate financial, accounting, and human resources teams charged with managing the company’s day-to-day fiscal operations. Matthew has 18 years of professional accounting and finance experience, and prior to joining the Vortex Companies he served in various leadership positions after leaving Deloitte as an audit manager. In 2016, Matthew joined Vortex as its corporate controller. His construction and Big 4 accounting background quickly proved to be a tremendous asset and he was quickly promoted to EVP of Finance, before his eventual promotion to CFO.
A graduate of Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, Matthew holds both a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s in finance. He has been a licensed CPA in the state of Texas since 2005 and lives in The Woodlands, Texas, with his wife and three daughters.
As Chief Operating Officer, Ryan is focused on syncing Vortex’s Products and Services divisions for greater cross-company efficiency. Ryan is a proven leader with a history of delivering innovative customer solutions. With the company’s unique product and service contracting platform, Ryan works closely with both divisions to optimize internal partnering, cross-selling, and improved customer and technical support.
Previously SVP Services, Ryan has a history of driving the expansion and growth of the company’s extensive line of trenchless products and services. With over 12 years of experience in the trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation and water/wastewater industries, Ryan began his career working for one of the largest privately held trenchless underground contractors in the United States. Since joining Vortex at its inception, Ryan has held various roles across the company, which uniquely qualifies him for the position of COO. Ryan currently resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife Jessica, and their two children, Jack and Taylor.
As Chief Revenue Officer, Wes is focused on driving revenue and directing Vortex’s sales and business development teams. Using a traditional sales approach, combined with a comprehensive CRM platform, Wes and his team aggressively approach the market identifying new customers while improving relationships with existing ones.
Wes is a proven leader with a history of delivering innovative customer solutions. With the company’s unique product and service contracting platform, Wes works closely with both divisions to optimize internal partnering, cross-selling, and improved customer, and technical support.
As a former contractor, Wes understands Vortex’s customer needs and demands for proven solutions, reliable products, and equipment. In 2006, Wes and two other partners started VacVision Environmental and began focusing on CCTV cleaning, inspection, and CIPP lining. Over the next decade, his vision and direction helped fuel consistent company growth by focusing on innovation and client needs.
In 2017, VacVision was acquired by the Vortex Companies where his impact has helped the services division experience record growth each year since. Wes, and his wife Gena, live in Greenville, South Carolina with their four children.
As Chief Information Officer for Vortex, Victor leads an IT team that oversees the ongoing maintenance, implementation, integration, and cybersecurity for the company’s corporate and division offices to ensure seamless operation and communication across all IT platforms.
Prior to coming on board, Victor brings strong leadership skills and a deep understanding of technology from his previous tenured roles. Most recently Victor served as VP, Information Technology for a major water infrastructure solutions company serving the oil and gas industry.
Victor, who resides in Houston, Texas with his family, holds both a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) and Computer Science degree, and is certified CISO.
As Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Analytics, Ram is responsible for identifying and executing strategic acquisitions that support the Company’s growth strategy. Working closely with the CEO and other senior leaders to develop and implement its growth strategy, Ram oversees all aspects of the acquisition process, from sourcing and due diligence to closing and integration.
Prior to the Vortex Companies, Ram owned and managed a small business consulting firm based in Annapolis, MD, Vela Associates LLC. The company targeted clients that were pre-revenue or early in their revenue generation and aided in key areas such as implementing business development strategies, marketing and advertising, and private capital fundraising. Prior to that, Ram was a Senior Analyst at Greenspring Associates (acquired by StepStone Group Inc.), a full-service provider of venture capital solutions.
Ram is a 2010 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Economics. While there, Ram was also a standout varsity football player and Distinguished Graduate Award recipient. Ram lives in Houston with his wife, Jenny, and two children, Blake and Rambo Vela.
As Senior Vice President of Shared Services, Quin helps bridge the company’s products and service divisions to maximize knowledge, equipment, logistics, and materials to streamline processes and level out resources to be more responsive to the company’s customers. Quin works closely with the executive management team to create an environment that broadens the company’s middle management and sales personnel decision-making authority to keep processes moving forward and products going out the door.
Prior to this role, Quin served as Managing Director of Vortex Europe, where he played an integral role in its early growth. Quin also serves as the company’s General Counsel. Formerly a shareholder with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, he has extensive experience in entity formation and management, mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, lending/finance, and construction law. He has represented publicly traded and privately held corporations in complex mergers, stock and asset purchase transactions, corporate financing arrangements, distribution and supply agreements, and other transactional matters.
Quin received his Bachelor of Science in Management (double-major in Finance and Management) magna cum laude from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, and his Juris Doctor cum laude from Tulane University Law School. Quin resides in Munich, Germany with his wife, Martha Claire, and their three daughters.
As the Senior Vice President of Coatings and Rehab Materials, Matt oversees the development and formulation manufacturing of Vortex’s industry-leading polymeric and mortar materials used to repair and rehabilitate the most challenging water and wastewater projects. Matt began his career 20 years ago, working for his family’s business, Lusid Technologies, a manufacturer of industrial and automotive coatings and paints.
Matt then founded AFI Paint Supply in 2004, a distributor of industrial coating and paint products. In 2010, Matt started Stag Technologies, a polymerics formulation manufacturing and installation company. Acquired by Vortex in 2018, Stag Technologies was folded into the Company’s growing products division, where he stayed on as the VP/General Manager of the Polymerics group.
Matt’s ability to bring groundbreaking new materials to the market, and commercialize them faster and more efficiently, led him to his latest role at Vortex. Having introduced more than 100 infrastructure repair materials to date, Matt stands above the rest and demonstrates his value to each one of Vortex’s projects. Matt resides in Bluffdale, Utah, with his wife Brittany, and four children.
Pete serves as Vortex’s Senior Vice President of Technologies, where he oversees the company’s continued expansion of high-tech equipment solutions. This includes the company’s core line of Schwalm robotics and the more recent addition of CIPP curing monitoring systems and UV-CIPP curing technology. Pete’s in-depth knowledge of the practical application and sales of specialty technologies in the trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation space has been a tremendous asset to the company’s growth in the water and sewer technologies market.
Prior to joining Vortex in 2020, Pete worked for several industry-leading sewer technology companies where he held positions of Regional Sales Manager and Lead Field Engineer. This ground-level experience, where he worked closely with contractors, gives him unique insight into their needs and expectations.
Pete is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When not traveling, Pete resides in Chicago, Illinois.
Stefan, Managing Director for the Vortex Europe division located in Kempten, Germany, has been instrumental in building the company’s global presence. Since 2022, Stefan has driven aggressive change and growth for the company. His background and prior knowledge have helped grow the business in an extremely tight and highly specialized industry. Stefan has been pivotal in establishing regional connections and making headway into the critical German infrastructure rehabilitation market.
A hands-on leader, Stefan has worked hard to build trust and value in establishing the Vortex Europe brand. Stefan resides in XXXXX, with his wife and two children.
When Vortex acquired Applied Felts, Inc., Ferratex Solutions, and MaxLiner USA, Matt was tapped as the President of the new entity. Rebranded as United Felts, Inc., Matt is overseeing the reshaping and expansion of the nation’s largest manufacturer of dry and wet-out liners. A 27-year veteran of the underground utility industry, Matt is a third-generation member of the family-owned Ted Berry Company, Inc., where he served as the president until it was acquired by Vortex in 2018.
Over the course of his career, several industry associations have recognized Matt for his contributions to the advancement of trenchless solutions and underground utility repair. These include: the Northeast Trenchless Association Founders Award, the Maine Wastewater Control Association Presidents Award, the Maine Water Environment Association Communications Award, and the Maine Water Utilities Association with its Jim Doherty Award. Matt currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife, Christine, and children.
As SVP of MaxLiner USA, Connor heads up the United Felts’ lateral and vertical pipe rehab system solutions. Connor has been a mainstay at Vortex since its beginning holding numerous positions within the company that ultimately led him to his current role. His focus will be on developing a suite of system packages tailored to specific applications in high demand by commercial plumbers. As a division of United Felts and a part of Vortex, Connor will tap into a multitude of resources to elevate the MaxLiner brand while adding value to its customers.
Prior to his current position, Connor was VP of Vortex’s CIPP Corp. division where he was instrumental in growing the network and introducing new technologies to its members to help grow their businesses. With over a decade of experience in the trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation industry, Connor began his career at Vortex as Northeast Business Development Manager for the Services division, where he built trusted relationships and delivered innovative trenchless infrastructure solutions to some of the country’s largest public works entities. Connor now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife Kelly, and two children, Rory and Jack.
As Managing Director for Lining Division, Ltd. (LDL), Vortex’s UK-based installation contracting and services group, Paul brings over three decades of experience in the UK wastewater market.
Paul will be leading LDL in all aspects of its business, ensuring quality work and strategic expansion. In the business since 1993, Paul has spent the last nine years as LDL’s Director of Operations, during that time LDL grew from a three-vehicle business to the large operation it is today. Having grown up in the business working in both operations and management, in both the public and municipal sectors, Paul is a well-respected professional in the industry.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean faucibus id elit in congue. Suspendisse in ipsum ullamcorper, vehicula lorem eu, scelerisque magna. Suspendisse potenti. Etiam non vulputate arcu. Curabitur vestibulum neque at molestie porttitor. Fusce accumsan risus eget pretium auctor. Praesent vulputate laoreet condimentum. Ut est lorem, ultrices vitae ex quis, tincidunt sollicitudin dolor. Mauris finibus metus vitae nulla dapibus, id sodales tellus pretium. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Quisque mauris felis, commodo vitae pretium vitae, faucibus sed tellus. Sed at ultricies urna. Nullam molestie fringilla neque et vulputate.
Nullam euismod vitae dolor a auctor. Vestibulum ut suscipit nulla. Nunc vitae metus tincidunt, sollicitudin tortor eu, laoreet sem. Quisque id pellentesque elit. Cras sit amet orci augue. Duis tempus condimentum tempor. Sed ornare volutpat diam non consectetur. Nullam efficitur diam vel vestibulum rutrum. Proin luctus augue sed nulla rhoncus, eu lacinia lacus varius. Quisque ac tempus sem. Quisque sed velit eu felis posuere laoreet eget nec metus.
As Chief Commercial Officer, Dave is a 30-year veteran of the trenchless technology industry. He leads Vortex’s long-term commercial and expansion strategy for the products division. Working closely with the management team to assist in the identification and future development of strategic partnerships and potential acquisitions, Dave fills a vital role in the ongoing commercialization and expansion of the Vortex product line.
Prior to joining Vortex, Dave directed sales and all business development for Applied Felts Inc. and MaxLiner USA, both worldwide leaders in cured-in-place pipe liners and resins. Widely known and respected in the industry, his global industry knowledge, salesmanship, and negotiation skills are integral to Vortex’s long-term growth in key strategic market segments. Dave and his wife, Maura, reside in Newtown, Connecticut, and are the parents of four children.
Brooke Malone, Director of Human Resources, oversees the ongoing development and implementation of the company’s HR functions, strategy, and implementation enterprise wide.
Since joining in 2019, Brooke has built an HR foundation to support Vortex’s aggressive growth strategy, drives strategies to source and retain talent, and has led its teams through unprecedented times. Brooke has over 17 years of talent management, system implementation, and policy and compliance experience in several different industries and companies of all sizes, including Brinker International and National Oilwell/Varco.
Brooke earned a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) in affiliation with HRCI and SHRM. She lives in Houston with her husband of 14 years, and their Goldendoodle, Boodles.
