ABOUT
We manage the partnerships and create value for you.
AQUABLUE is a leading communications provider specialized in responding to enterprises’ most complex connectivity needs. We unify network custom design, engineering, implementation, cost optimization and account management into a single, managed and transparent service model that financial and enterprise organizations rely on to perform.
Our tagline “Designed-to-Perform,” encompasses both our core essence and value proposition to customers. Focusing on three key tenets, we deploy “Designed-to-Perform” infrastructure, “Designed-to-Optimize” cost management, and “Designed-to-Simplify” account services.
A LEGACY OF ENTERPRISE EXPERTISE
AQUABLUE’s executive team has serviced leading Enterprise customers for decades. Through years of dedicated service and success, the team has become subject matter experts in the infrastructure and network design field.
Working with organizations in healthcare, financial services, media and content, government, education, and large enterprises, the AQUABLUE team provides customized network design, deployment and account services to drive the highest levels of performance for customers.
We are dedicated to respond to the market’s two key issues – consolidation in the carrier space and internal client resources at an all-time low. Continuing our customer-first culture and taking a bold approach to simplification, transparency and bespoke services, we are now structured to provide customers with greater intelligence and support as an extension of their team.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Chris Marino
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Chris has extensive experience providing network services and leading innovation for the financial services industry for over 34 years. During this time he started several successful companies including Wall Street Network Solutions, a niche connectivity provider to the financial markets, acquired by GTT in 2014 and TRM Solutions acquired by CS Technology in 2010.
Prior to these ventures, Chris was the Sales Leader for Con Edison Communications, where he developed the company’s first financial sales vertical building a business with over $32 million in revenues within 5 years. He joined his first entrepreneurial venture IXnet in 1995 leading sales efforts, and growing revenues to $100 million in less than six years.
Chris began his career as an individual contributor at MCI and went on to lead the financial services vertical as Sales Director at TRT/FTC Communications.
Jim Erickson
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
Jim is a founding principal and Chief Commercial Officer. Prior to AQUABLUE, Jim launched ITL Global Services in 2017 to offer professional managed services and network solutions to the enterprise marketplace.
Starting his career as an investment advisor with the boutique bond house W.J. Nolan in New York City, he honed his financial market skills, joining Waterhouse Securities as an investment advisor, eventually moving into their Institutional Services Division.
Jim decided to make a career change into financial markets technology where he joined IXnet, as part of their financial markets division where he managed large enterprise customers. He also worked for Con Edison Communication’s (CEC) financial markets group, helping to build that division into a multi-million-dollar operation that was eventually sold to RCN Business Solutions.
Jim has an Economics degree from the University of Rhode Island.
Tamir Barsik
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Tamir is recognized for his customer-first approach, creative problem-solving and leading technical expertise.
He began his career in 2000 at Everest Broadband Networks, a provider of high-speed Internet access, long-distance voice, VoIP, digital broadcast satellite TV and broadband applications in commercial buildings and hotels.
In 2009, Tamir moved on to head engineering and operations at a telecom startup focused on financial markets technology services. He was tasked to design, build and maintain global transport and IP networks, as well as direct the Network Operations Center.
In 2018, Tamir joined ITL Global Services to head Engineering and Infrastructure. He is a principal member of AQUABLUE. In his role of overseeing solutions architecture, he and his team are able to design and support unique network solutions across multiple verticals.
Joseph Sestito
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Joe has held senior level positions at Citibank, Mocatta Metals and Standard Chartered Bank, where he was Senior Vice President of Technology for the Americas. Prior to joining AQUABLUE, he was SVP of Service Delivery and Assurance for ITL Global, and held positions as Manager of Service Delivery for BGC and Director of Engineering for Wall Street Networks.
Joe has also worked as an independent consultant for large banks and brokerages with mission critical projects, including Prudential, NYSE and Citigroup. He founded MJI Communications, a specialized company providing niche, point-to-point telecommunications solutions to the financial services industry.
Gary Prestipino
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
OF SALES
Gary began his career in 1976 working for SPC (Sprint) as a NOC technician. In 1985 he joined trt/ftc to head the sales engineering group and develop international direct dialing services for financial market clients.
In 1995, Gary joined his first entrepreneurial venture, IXnet and managed the sales engineering department globally. IXnet was acquired by Global Crossing for $3.8 billion in 2000. Gary left Global Crossing to join KGM Circuit solutions a start up offering Tradervoice services. At KGM Circuit solutions Gary was VP of operations and Client services. KGM Circuit solutions was sold to One Equity partners (Wescom) in 2006. Gary’s next start up was at Avanti Network group where he managed the day to day Operations. Avanti Network Group was acquired by GTT in 2016. There, Gary supported the transition with business and strategic clients.
Byron Pollard
VICE PRESIDENT OF NETWORK OPERATIONS
Byron is a proven technical leader and operations manager with extensive telecom sector experience. Byron started his career as a network engineer in 2003 at MetTel communications. There he provisioned and turned up customer DSL, HDLC, and T1 circuits. He conducted onsite Verizon Central Office testing of OC3, DS3, T1, and On-net DSL circuits and maintained radius, email, web, and DNS servers and network server issues. Byron accepted an even more challenging role at Everest Broadband in 2005 where he was quickly promoted to Chief Network Engineer. He led engineers in all aspects of network design, development, and support and oversaw the technical team in network operations center (NOC) management. Byron is well respected among his colleagues and has a proven track record of providing quality service.
Priscilla Grainger
VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Priscilla comes to AQUABLUE with over a decade of telecom experience in both Business Operations and Customer Service. Priscilla began her career in telecom in 2010 working for Hibernia Networks (then Hibernia Atlantic). At Hibernia she worked on all aspects of the business as the company grew, with roles ranging from Global Sales Assistant, Business Operations Executive to Client Relationship Manager. She continued her career in telecom as a Customer Account Manager at GTT when Hibernia Networks was acquired in 2017. In 2018, Priscilla moved to the voice arena where she became a Senior Customer Success Manager at Vonage, managing some of the top customer accounts; most recently finishing 2020 over 100% to plan. Priscilla is recognized for her attention to detail, customer-first approach and relationship-building skills.
Jason Coyle
DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE
& BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Jason is a 2021 graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in finance and quantitative finance. Upon graduation, he began working for AQUABLUE as an Infrastructure Solutions Analyst where he started and scaled the Quote Desk. He was promoted to Director of Infrastructure and Business Development, where he built and ran a team responsible for identifying and procuring technology solutions for our clients. Jason has since taken on a number of new responsibilities, developing and managing client relationships for several of AQUABLUE’s key accounts. He is focused on strengthening existing partnerships and identifying new business opportunities across several industry sectors, and is committed to fostering attentive and results-driven partnerships.
Hui Jin
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Hui Jin started his career in finance 2010 joining Wall Street Network Solutions as Financial Analyst. He handled all billing related activities, including invoicing, collections and billing disputes. Jin was also instrumental in sales support and assisting in various operations projects as IT support. In 2014 when Wall Street Network Solutions was acquired by GTT, Hui joined the GTT Sales Operations team as an IT support for all sales reps globally. He also trained and directed his peers. He is considered an expert in CMD, an in-house developed software by GTT. Hui was a member of the GTT Presidents Club. In 2018, Hui decided to join ITL Global Services to further his career in finance to take on a broader range of responsibilities, such as financial reporting and human resources.
Nicole Browne
DIRECTOR OF SOLUTIONS ARCHITECTURE AND PROCUREMENT
Nicole started at AQUABLUE in May of 2021 as an Infrastructure Analyst Intern while attending Stevens Institute of Technology, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Technology with concentrations in Information Systems and Finance. In December of 2022, Nicole became a full-time AQUABLUE team member as an Infrastructure Solutions Analyst.
Since then, Nicole was first promoted to Senior Solutions Architect and then to her current role as Director of Solutions Architect and Procurement. During her time at AQUABLUE, Nicole has been pursuing her MBA with a concentration in Network Communication and Management Services through Stevens’ Accelerated Master’s Program.
Nicole leads the Quote Desk, collaborating closely with our vendors to successfully identify and acquire the appropriate technology solutions for our clients. Nicole is recognized for her meticulous attention to detail, high-quality work, and collaborative team spirit.
Ernie Del Gizzo
DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE OPERATIONS
Ernie is a proven business owner and leader with over 30 years of experience. He has a track record of success in business development, with a focus on the lighting industry and construction field.
During the 1990s, he was the owner and president of Fidelity Contractors, a successful residential and commercial construction company. In 1997, Ernie started BarDel International, a global company that has been manufacturing custom-designed decorative lighting products with global distribution for over a quarter century. In addition to this experience, he has worked as a real estate consultant for Keller Williams in Northern NJ for the last several years.
His extensive business experience has earned him a reputation as a highly respected professional. Ernie joined the AQUABLUE team in 2023 and was promoted to Director of Executive Operations in February 2024. He attended the University of Rhode Island, where he got his Bachelor of Science in Consumer Affairs.
Carli Castellano
SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER
Carli graduated from Pace University with a degree in Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications in 2019. Soon after, she started working for AQUABLUE as an Account Coordinator and has since been promoted to Senior Marketing Manager. Carli and her team work with our external marketing firm to produce social content, campaigns, and all internal and client-facing materials. She works with all departments in AQUABLUE to ensure proper company branding. Carli also organizes and facilities all company events, including employee and client gatherings. With each month’s end, she assists the finance department with accounts receivable. Carli is best known for being meticulous with her work and a team player.
Tamala Harris
SERVICE DELIVERY
MANAGER
Tamala comes to AQUABLUE with over 27 years of telecom and customer service experience in various industries, including Brokerage, Transportation, and the US Army.
Her telecom career began at Sprint Communications in 1994 as a Customer Service Representative. From there, she spent 18 years with MCI/Verizon, where she gained expertise in all aspects of the business, from Customer Care, Global Sales, and Service Delivery. Her last position was with Lumen Technologies, where she spent seven years as a Service Delivery/ Project Management Professional.
Tim Kim
SERVICE DELIVERY
MANAGER
Tim Kim is a Service Delivery Project Management professional with a technical background in network engineering. He has over ten years of experience in solutions delivery project management and successfully delivered multiple large-scale projects.
Tim began his career at Locus Telecommunications as a NOC/Field technician to managing global high scale projects as a Service Delivery Project Manager. He led and delivered VOIP solution projects as well as internal infrastructure renewal and upgrade projects. At LUMEN (formerly CenturyLink/Level3), Tim was a Service Delivery Project Manager, managing Large Enterprise customers as well as mentored and guided other Service Delivery Project managers with the delivery process.
Timothy E. Corriston, Esq.
OUTSIDE COUNSEL
Timothy Corriston, of Connell Foley LLP, combines a strategic outlook with efficient planning to represent insurance carriers, municipalities, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and individuals in a broad array of environmental and complex commercial matters. Tim ‘s extensive experience includes litigating cases in federal and state courts throughout the United States, as well as representing clients in various alternative dispute resolution forums, including mediations and arbitrations. An active participant in his community, Tim is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Highlands Lacrosse Association and the Co-Chairman of the Fordham University School of Law William Hughes Mulligan Scholarship Fund.BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chris Marino
Chris has extensive experience providing network services and leading innovation for the financial services industry for over 34 years. During this time he started several successful companies including Wall Street Network Solutions, a niche connectivity provider to the financial markets, acquired by GTT in 2014, and TRM Solutions, acquired by CS Technology in 2010.
Prior to these ventures, Chris was the Sales Leader for Con Edison Communications, where he developed the company’s first financial sales vertical, building a business with over $32 million in revenues within 5 years. In 1995 he joined IXnet, his first entrepreneurial venture, leading sales efforts and growing revenues to $100 million in less than six years.
Chris began his career as an individual contributor at MCI and went on to lead the financial services vertical as Sales Director at TRT/FTC Communications.
Jim Erickson
Jim is a founding principal and SVP of Sales. Prior to AQUABLUE, Jim launched ITL Global Services in 2017 to offer professional managed services and network solutions to the enterprise marketplace.
Starting his career as an investment advisor with the boutique bond house W.J. Nolan in New York City, he honed his financial market skills joining Waterhouse Securities as an investment advisor, and eventually moving into their Institutional Services Division.
Jim decided to make a career change into financial markets technology where he joined IXnet as part of their financial markets division where he managed large enterprise customers. He also worked for Con Edison Communication’s (CEC) financial markets group, helping to build that division into a multi-million-dollar operation that was eventually sold to RCN Business Solutions.
Jim has an Economics degree from the University of Rhode Island.
Brett Diamond
Brett advises on strategic corporate initiatives to drive revenue growth. Through his many years of voice and data management experience, Brett is adept at all aspects of telecommunications management, from network services and implementation to project management and hardware consultation services.
He began his career with Atlantic Communications, and later Teligent and Net2000 Communications. As co-founder and president of Hudson Fiber Network, a premier data transport provider offering high-bandwidth, low-latency fiber networking solutions, Brett guided the company through to acquisition by ExteNet Systems.
Originally from Huntington, New York, Brett attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Timothy E. Corriston, Esq.
Timothy Corriston, of Connell Foley LLP, combines a strategic outlook with efficient planning to represent insurance carriers, municipalities, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and individuals in a broad array of environmental and complex commercial matters.
Tim ‘s extensive experience includes litigating cases in federal and state courts throughout the United States, as well as representing clients in various alternative dispute resolution forums, including mediations and arbitrations.
An active participant in his community, Tim is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Highlands Lacrosse Association and the Co-Chairman of the Fordham University School of Law William Hughes Mulligan Scholarship Fund.
Neal Rotenberg, CPA
Neal brings deep experience as a tax advisor to clients in a variety of industries, including private equity, manufacturing, real estate, professional services, healthcare, life sciences, electrical contracting, publishing, advertising, and chemical production.
He has been extensively involved with foreign investment firms over the last 20 years, helping to structure their investments in both privately held and public companies in the U.S.
Neal consults with medium-sized service, manufacturing and distribution companies to minimize their overall tax burdens. He coordinates U.S. and foreign tax liabilities by considering differing tax rates, foreign tax credits, tax treaties, and inter-company pricing issues. In addition, he resolves Internal Revenue Service international pricing audits and has represented large investment banking groups to resolve the financial and tax aspects of troubled entities.
AQUABLUE CARES
AQUABLUE takes pride in giving back to our community by supporting extraordinary people and organizations with the sole purpose of improving life and humanity for all.
AQUABLUE is an independent supporter of the following organizations:
To reinforce our mission to protect natural resources and restore environmental quality, AQUABLUE pledges to support the following practices at our offices:
- Minimization of waste generation through source reduction, re-use, and recycling
- Conserve energy/water and improve the energy/water efficiency of our operations
Check us out on social media to follow along our donation journey or email us for more info at abcares@aquabluenetwork.com.
Simplify Your Infrastructure
The AQUABLUE team is standing by to streamline and optimize your network infrastructure.
