Executive Team

Executive Leadership at IST

Hal Blackman - President & CEO

Hal Blackman

Hal Blackman is the founder, CEO, and owner of IST Management Services, Inc. He has more than 35 years of experience in sales and management. Hal’s vision is to create a national business process and litigation support company that is focused and passionate about exceeding client expectations and simultaneously reducing their costs.

 

IST has operations in over 40 cities throughout the United States. Serving both legal and corporate markets, IST has remained the partner of choice for organizational support services.

 

In addition to his role at IST, Hal is the developer, owner, and operator of the Halidom Eatery, Atlanta’s most unique food hall. Located on the first floor of IST’s international headquarters, the Halidom Eatery is home to eleven local chef-driven concepts and the beautiful art-deco bar, Bar La Rose.  

 

A cum laude graduate of West Virginia University, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a specialization in human resources. Hal lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, and his sons, Joshua and Sean, both graduated from the Naval Academy and are now veterans of the US Navy.  Hal is married to Rosa, the founder of one of Atlanta's premier kitchen design and remodeling companies. Together, Hal and Rosa raise Rosa’s 16-year-old son, Maddox. 

Andrew Addison - Vice President of Technical Solutions

Andrew Addison

Andrew’s purpose-driven outlook landed him with IST right out of college in 1999 and since that time he has risen swiftly from Service Specialist to Director of Project Management and then to his current position as Vice President of Technical Solutions.


His primary objectives are planning and execution of IST software systems and he works directly with the development team enhancing existing platforms. Andrew was also instrumental in the development and deployment of IST’s electronic Document Management platforms.


Andrew’s goal for IST’s technology is to have existing applications leverage more automated processes to reduce the number of clicks per user. He is also keen on introducing more analytical metrics for reporting and forecasting.


While working at IST Andrew also served his country for 12 years in the Georgia Air National Guard as an Engineering Assistant for the 116 Air Control Wing. Based in Warner Robbins, Ga, he is an active participant in IST charities, raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Lost-N-Found Youth and other local organizations.

Andrew earned an Associate’s Degree in Science, from the University of South Carolina. When not working to ensure IST’s cyber security Andrew takes pleasure in being with his family – his wife, son, and Great Dane, Xander and pug, Kubo.

Sydney Ayers - Vice President, Talent Acquisition

Sydney Ayers

As a driven individual seeking like minds to join the IST Management team, Sydney has been in talent acquisition since 2013, starting with an internship at a non-profit in Chicago, IL, teaching job seeking skills and interview skills to job seekers coming off of long-term incarceration.  Sydney's grit, way with people, and a bit of luck landed her an entry-level recruiting role at IST Management out of college, after graduating a year early with honors with her BA from DePaul University. 


Sydney's goals for IST Management include not only to continue to scale our talented teams, but to ensure candidate experience is positive and memorable. Sydney believes that empathy is the most important part of the recruiting process when it comes to candidate experience. 


Sydney relocated to Atlanta with IST Management in 2016 and loves it. She enjoys hiking, scary movies, and trying new restaurants with her husband John and sweet pup Toni Jean. She looks forward to IST Management's bright future!

Brad Burgess - Vice President of Marketing & Real Estate

Brad Burgess

Brad Burgess started his career at IST as a Service Specialist managing a file room at a client site.  As IST has grown so has his career and he now serves as IST’s Vice President of Marketing & Real estate. Brad leads a talented team of marketing experts handling the art and science of B2B marketing including; content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, digital marketing, event management, business intelligence, brand marketing, lead generation, sales support and graphic arts design. As the Vice President of Marketing, Brad has played a critical role in helping IST grow from a 5 million-dollar facilities management company to an 80 million-dollar business process outsourcing company.


Brad has an Associates in Liberal Arts from Young Harris College and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Georgia.  Brad lives in Duluth, GA with his wife and son where he enjoys running, photography, blogging and traveling.  Brad also services as an Assistant Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 143 and as a photographer and graphic designer for the Lambert Lacrosse Boaster Club.

Greg Caraway - Vice President of Legal Solutions

Greg Caraway

Greg Caraway is Vice President of Legal Solutions for IST Management Services. Greg has over twelve years of experience leading project teams in the management of extremely large document processing and review engagements involving multiple terabytes of data. Previous to his current position, Greg was a Director of Client Services at DTI and a Practice Support Project Manager with Jones Day LLP. Greg has also worked as a Litigation Trial Consultant for GDC Animation creating trial graphics and animations. Mr. Caraway is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in Software Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Design Computing.

Nicole DiBlasi - Senior Vice President & Partner

Nicole Diblasi

As the Senior Vice President and Partner, Nicole is based in Tampa, Florida, and is responsible for the oversight of the National Sales Team. Nicole collaborates with law firms, including Am Law 100, and large corporations to facilitate the implementation of eDiscovery best practices and processes through utilization of the industry's most innovative software and service solution. Through her interest in technology and law, Nicole has developed extensive knowledge of eDiscovery and litigation workflow, allowing Nicole to work with her clients to develop fully customized and strategic eDiscovery solutions according to their discovery requests and overall litigation support needs.


Nicole is a graduate of Boston University with a degree in communications and a concentration in sociology and violin performance. A Boston native, Nicole is also a classically trained, international prize-winning violinist, who has performed as a soloist with several orchestras. She is an advocate for music education and the importance of the arts. Nicole has worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the House of Representatives, and the U.S. Office of Pretrial Services. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys cooking, fitness training, DIY-ing, collecting Italian wines, traveling, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Melissa DiGiulian - Senior Vice President & Partner

Melissa DiGiulian

Recruited right after graduation, Melissa put her uncompromising determination to the task of doubling IST’s footprint in New York City, one of the most competitive marketplaces for facilities management. She has worked for IST for 15 years, rising quickly to Vice President & Partner through her hard work and long hours. Melissa now handles sales in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. From 2016 – 2021 she held the record for highest sales, including the largest client in her region. 

Melissa graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing.

As an advocate of the state of Maryland she was a spokesperson for approximately 200 promotional activities and 50 charity functions. She successfully raised funds for Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and other organizations. Melissa and her husband are supporters of SPTS (The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide) and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

A long-time lover of the seaside, Melissa currently lives on the beach in Little Silver, New Jersey with her husband and three children. She enjoys fishing/crabbing, golfing, decorating, running and working out.

Jordan McQuown - Chief Information Officer / Chief Information Security Officer

Jordan McQuown

Jordan McQuown serves as the Chief Information Officer/Chief Information Security Officer for IST Management Services. He has over 19 years of technology, security, and operations experience, with the last 10 years focused on delivering services and consulting to the legal market. Before joining IST, Jordan was focused on designing, deploying, and supporting secure, performant, and scalable eDiscovery platforms for AMLAW 100 firms, Service Providers, and Fortune 100 corporations globally. 

In these endeavors, Jordan accomplished the following:

  • Worked with a big four accounting to bring visibility of eDiscovery application operations to actionable security insight to their global eDiscovery environments.  
  • Implemented changes within with a big four accounting firms including national and local operations to meet or exceed security requirements for two of the three largest US Banks.
  • Supported development and design of security and technical systems to meet ITAR and FedRamp requirements.
  • Provided incident response for a branch of the US military.
  • Worked with hundreds of the AMLAW top ranked firms on security and technical architecture for big data solutions.

Jordan’s work has been published in numerous industry-specific publications, including the American Bar Association’s Cybersecurity Handbook and Information Security Magazine, and regularly speaks as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on the eDiscovery security, application, and legal conference circuits.  Jordan holds a B.S. in Computer Networking from Pennsylvania College of Technology and is accredited by CISSP, GCFA, GPEN, GCIH, GSEC, Azure, VCP, & CCNA.

Rachel Meyer - Chief Financial Officer

Rachel Meyer

Rachel Meyer is the Chief Financial Officer for IST. She brings over 25 years of experience in accounting, financial system integrations, acquisitions and change management processes to help drive profitable growth for IST. She has spent much of her career in leadership, where she has dedicated herself to fostering the growth and scalability of every company. 


Having honed her skills in diverse business environments and cultures, Rachel has developed a comprehensive expertise in business, accounting, finance, and HR operations management. Her approach is rooted in deeply understanding the intricate balance between an organization's financial and human capital. Rachel excels at financial system and human capital integration, enhancing processes, ensuring profitability, and a motivated and efficient workforce.


In her tenure, she has successfully navigated companies through complex financial landscapes, ensuring stability and growth through strategic planning, adept budgeting, and insightful financial analysis. Rachel is passionate about numbers, the stories they tell, and the futures they can forge.


Rachel is a graduate from Mercer University with a Bachelors in Accounting and an MBA from Argosy University.


In her spare time Rachel enjoys taking her dog Chief hiking and to the lake, she also enjoys cooking, traveling and kickboxing. She currently resides in Woodstock, GA.

Lori Mitchum - Vice President of Human Resources

Lori Mitchum

Lori Mitchum serves as vice president of human resources administration for IST Management Services, holding over 25 years of experience in the human resources and administration field. Lori is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the HR Certification Institute as well as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) by Society for Human Resource Management. 


As the vice president of human resources administration at IST, Lori’s responsibilities include proper administration and management of employee relations, benefits, payroll, policies, procedures, training and law. Lori also serves as FSO (Facility Security Officer) and ITPSO (Insider Threat Program Security Officer) for our organization, overseeing and maintaining our employee clearance program and compliance for government contracts.  In addition, Lori oversees all company functions including sales association conventions, employee recognition and training programs, and IST's community outreach and volunteer program, IST Gives Back. 


Lori attended Kennesaw State University, majoring in international business. Currently residing in Marietta, Georgia, Lori is happily married with two daughters.

Mike Nelson - Senior Vice President & Partner

Mike Nelson

Michael H. Nelson is a Senior Vice President and Partner with IST Management Services overseeing IST’s expansion into global eDiscovery markets. Michael’s passion is to provide the best customer experience and instills confidence in his clients and team by identifying the best solutions for their firm or corporation.  He combines 15 years of experience, working on the in-house legal team at MetLife as well as unmatched success on the vendor side, building eDiscovery companies from regional providers to national and global leaders. His outside-the-box approach is what clients appreciate the most, as Michael is an expert on emerging data management resources in an ever-changing legal technology environment. Michael also works tirelessly as an internal agent to break down silos so that sales, marketing and PM teams are aligned to create the best possible customer experience.  Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Management of Technology & Business Administration, from the State University of New York and studied his M.B.A at Long Island University C.W. Post. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, fitness, sports and is always up for an exciting new challenge.

Kim Oleniacz - Senior Vice President & Partner

Kim Oleniacz

Kim Oleniacz is the Senior Vice President/Partner of IST Management Services based in Pittsburgh, PA. Kim possesses over 35 years of experience in operations management and sales of on-site services, including copy, mail, production mail, fax services, records management, receptionist, forms management, and much more. Kim has experience working for Ameriscribe, Pitney Bowes, and Archer in operations and sales capacity.


After many proven years of accomplishments, she joined IST with a desire to continue to build a strong, focused outsourcing company that delivers the highest degree of service. Kim's passion is all about creating solutions for IST clients across the country! Kim enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Her family and work family are all very important and valued. This focus has led to her success within IST!

Tim Richardson - Vice President of Operations and Implementations

Tim Richardson

Tim Richardson specializes in project management, systems, procedures and technology enhancements while managing the operations of all IST sites throughout the U.S. He is also responsible for expanding client services, maintaining customer relationships and partnering with IST’s information technology department to enhance products and services. Prior to his promotion to vice-president of operations, Tim was the national director of operations.

 

He joined IST in 1999 as a service specialist and rapidly rose through the ranks, a true testament to IST’s career advancement opportunities. Tim lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and family.
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