Leadership Team

Donald M. Swanson

CEO

Don Swanson, founder and CEO, oversees corporate strategy. Prior to founding VAST in 1989, Don was vice president at CAD/CAM software publisher, CIMLINC, where he managed sales and service in North America. Don received his BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, and began his career with Rockwell International, Graphic Systems Division, where he was instrumental in the development and implementation of cellular manufacturing processes. After his time at Rockwell International, Don served as Regional Sales and Service Manager at University Computing Company, and was actively involved in Computer Time Sharing Services, thought by some to be the forerunner to Cloud Computing. Don is the driving force behind VAST’s “Customer First” culture.

Robert Swanson

President

Robert Swanson, President, joined VAST in 2003 after starting his career in the Oil and Gas industry. He has held various positions at VAST, in both sales and technical services. As President, Bob manages all company day-to-day operations, including Technical Services Delivery, Sales, Marketing, and Field Operations. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University. He resides in Naperville, IL with his wife Lindsay and their two children.

 “Everyone at VAST works in the customer service department.  Great customer service is what sets great companies apart from the rest.”

Sam Petras

Vice President of Operations

Sam Petras, VP of Operations, joined dcVAST in 2006 to increase efficiency in the completion of operational and financial tasks for the company. Sam manages all business and financial operational functions. With over fifteen years of experience in auditing, banking and technology, he brings a diverse background which has proven to be very beneficial for the growth of the department as well as increasing overall customer satisfaction. Sam received his Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management, focused in Accounting and Management Information Systems.

Caleb Guinn

Senior Manager, Managed Services

J. Caleb Guinn, Senior Manager of Managed Services, joined VAST in 1999 as field engineer and UNIX support. His current management responsibilities include support and managed services for Cloud, Veritas and Oracle. Caleb is a former United States Marine who specialized in Aviation Logistics Computer Operations and has over 23 years’ experience in the technical field. In his spare time, Caleb enjoys golfing, working out, BBQs, Chicago Bears football, and spending time with his family.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

Allen Young

Senior Manager, Professional Services

Allen Young, Senior Manager of Professional Services, joined VAST in 2016 as the Professional Services Lead and Project Manager. He was a former VAST customer during his tenure as a Technical Engineer specializing in 3rd party software implementations and support. He then transitioned into IT infrastructure project management before joining VAST and leading many IT infrastructure and supply chain related projects. Allen also exhibits knowledge in the supply chain development area with focus on Business Intelligence KPI reporting and the DITL processes. His current management responsibilities at VAST include engagements in professional services for Cloud Data Protection, Information Governance, as well as, handling all partner related project services. Allen has 25+ years of overall IT knowledge and experience. During his free time, Allen enjoys traveling, hiking, fishing, and most importantly, spending time with his family.