Experience: SeeWord Technology is owned and was founded by Peter Daniel Visel. SeeWord Technology was started as a Value Added Reseller (VAR), providing on-site sales and service for Apple Computer products. SeeWord Techology has also served as an authorized VAR for Adobe, Hewlett Packard, IBM, and GCC. Responsible for recommending, purchasing computer systems, components, peripherals; providing on-site sales and service for complete systems with emphasis in Small Business Administration, desktop publishing, Maconomy accounting and sales tracking systems, Ethernet & wireless network design/set up, Integrated network systems/ cross-platform FileMaker Pro database systems and CAD/CAM. Previously published and maintain web site with international upgrade service for Apple PowerBook laptops.
Mr. Visel served for ten years as the Information Systems Manager, Facilities & Operations Manager, for the world's largest provider of research antibodies, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, with locations in Santa Cruz and Paso Robles, California and Heidelberg, Germany. As the Manager of Information Systems, he provided team guidance and hands on work in a multiplatform environment, which covered not just primary Macintosh OS based computer systems, but also telephony, security and emergency power systems. In addition, he served as Manager, Facilities & Operations for numerous locations within the United States and Germany for Santa Cruz Biotechnology and multiple related businesses at a myriad of locations. He had overall responsibility for acquisition and deployment of computers systems, components, peripherals, storage and management of technical support staff. During his tenure, Mr. Visel retained overall responsibilty for multiple web sites which account for over a million hits every week day, (scbt.com, e-biomed-gmbh.com, san-juan-ranch.com, plus multiple related sites), with implementation and execution of external and internal sites, e-commerce, customer contact and related staff.
Overall responsibility for software, LAN, WAN systems at 9 separate physical locations and various interconnectivity methods to include extended intranet, infra-red laser, internet, dedicated broadband and IP telephony. Responsible for overseeing FileMaker database development, deployment and maintenance to include related reporting systems and backup of such. This included systems & reports programming for, FileMaker, Maconomy, SQL, MDL, MPL, MMUL, Unix, etc. Ultimately responsible for 100% uptime of all primary business software and hardware, maintenance and upgrades. Negotiated agreements for services with various vendors, suppliers and special provisions as required to support specific customer needs. Overall responsibility for asset control and software licensing requirements.
Mr. Visel served as General Manager, User Group Store, Soquel, California, part of the User Group Connection, an organization spun off from Apple Computer, which provided support for Apple affinity groups. He was tasked with the overall responsibility for general management of $10 million/year, start-up, mail-order catalog company marketing to Apple affinity groups. His responsibilities included purchasing of computers, components, peripherals, and managing others who did the same while maintaining relationships with vendors and developed consumer marketing groups. He was ultimately responsible for product selection, pricing, sales training, and motivation and general supervision of sales and warehouse staff, network setup and maintenance. In addition responsible for on-line database maintenance.
Peter Visel was the owner and founder of a part time business, SeeWord Graphics, in Santa Cruz, California during 1986. It started as a hobby and he concentrated on the Desktop Publishing market designing brochures, marketing materials, business helps, for friends and family. The hobby grew as a direct result of techical advancements by Apple Computer his association with companies such as Adobe. Due to his reputation with his peers and support he developed during those years, he felt there was a real need to reorganize the business to a more technical side of desktop publishing and SeeWord Technology was born in the early part of 1990.
During the years 1986 to December 1992 Mr. Visel was working as the senior estimator for Spacious Living Construction and Vice President, Powell Construction Group, Soquel, California, two separate multimillion dollar construction groups. He was responsible for purchasing production materials, establishing and installing computerized estimating, job tracking systems. It was there, that his first love for computer systems began to grow. Following an major earthquake, which hit Santa Cruz, he developed a simplified Excel spreadsheet based system for quickly estimating material needs for residential projects. In addition, with the advent of computerized drafting programs, he found that his initial foray into the drafting field was quickly accepted by the local building departments resulting in expeditious building permit processes.
Previous to this time period, Peter Visel spent 8 years with 84 Lumber Company rising from a salesman/trainee to a District/Regional manager over 17 multi-million dollar lumber, home repair & contractor resale outlets in northern California. He was responsible for all aspects of personnel and store management, profitability, purchasing, developing and maintaining inventory controls to suite each individual store requirement. It was during this time period that Mr. Visel was first introduced to computerized business systems as he managed the transition from an all manual data entry system to a completely computerized system. Although he had been trained in various computer systems in the past, it was during this tenure that he developed a vast appreciation for the capabilities of 1's and 0's.
Travel: Peter is an avid world wide traveller, whether it was for work or pleasure. He has lived, not just in the United States, but spent five years living in Germany and two in Italy. During his life span, his passport has been stamped in over 76 different countries and his size 11 shoes have kicked up the dust in 48 of the United States. It's a small world, after all!
Skills: Extensive experience in multiple ongoing project management, sales training, motivation and presentation, employee management, public speaking, purchasing and business management. Ability to provide self-motivated effective growth oriented leadership and overall management in a fast-paced business environment. Extensive experience in developing, negotiating and maintaining working relationships with a myriad of businesses while maintaining the highest of ethical standards. Extensive experience in Apple Macintosh systems setup, maintenance, repair, network installation, and hardware/software compatibility issues. Extensive involvement in setting up routers, firewalls, hubs, switches, Ethernet based networks and network servers, Twisted Pair and Fiber Optic systems, Inter/intranet systems, Infra-red Laser connectivity and backup systems. Trained others same. He was trained in a myriad of software systems to include but not limited to the use of MS Office, WordPerfect, FileMaker Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Quark, multiple Web publishing programs, FileMaker database development and modifications of existing systems; in addition to a long history of trouble shooting and maintenance of hardware and software programs, many on the Macintosh and PC environments
Extensive national and international travel, 48 states and 70+ countries.
Honors: Lifetime/Charter Member: MacNerd Society, 1993-present, Highest Sales: Spacious Living Construction, 1991, 1992
Highest Sales: Powell Construction Group, 1989-1990, 70% Gross Profit Increase in Sales for 84 Lumber region, 1985, Honor Graduate: 84 University, 1984, 3d Highest National Sales: 84 Lumber, 1980, 1981
Education: Recent continuing education courses in eCommerce, web publishing and design, Internet gateway programs and FileMaker Pro; 84 University, Apple Computer VAR, Vendor Related distributor purchasing programs, 1988 - 1997. 2000,2001, 2006-2007; Ongoing business and product related courses
University of Maryland, European Division, Business Administration
US Military Adjutant General's School, Business Administration, Medical Records, Hospital Administration
Parkland College, Champaign, Il, Computer Sciences & Accounting
Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA., Continuing Education Courses, VAR Training Workshops, Apple Server Products, Information Systems Management courses, Leopard Server, 1990-2008
Activities: Member, AITP, San Jose CA Chapter, American Information Technology Professionals, 2004-Present. Estrella WarBirds Museum, Advisory Board Member, Webmaster , Paso Robles, CA, 2005-Present; MaCruzer User Group, 525 member Macintosh User Group, Santa Cruz, CA, Past Editor, Vice Chairman, and Chairman,1988-2000; LeadMasters, Sales lead/referral organization, Aptos/Watsonville, CA, Charter Member, Past President, 1992-1995; Elm Street Mission, Santa Cruz, CA, Volunteer/Public Speaking/Associate Pastor/Pastor,1984-2002; Volunteer/Construction/Computer Maintenance, Various 3rd World Country Locations, 1989 - Present; Published Playwright, 2008 National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, Certified Food Safety Manager, 2008
Hobbies: Flying, deep sea fishing, construction, and, along with his wife, raising exotic reptiles and birds.
