Executive Leadership

Stu Stiles
President & Chief Executive Officer
Stu Stiles is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Advantage IQ bringing more than 20 years experience in sales, operations, finance and executive leadership. Prior to his current position, Stiles served as executive general manager at XO Communications,having responsibility for company operations in the Northwest Region. Prior to XO, Stiles was President of the Teknon Corporation and before Teknon held executive level positions with Ernest and Julio Gallo. Focused on technology and business development, Stiles serves as chair of the advisory board of the Whitworth University School of Global Commerce & Management, and is a member of the board for the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI), where he was also past board chair.  In addition, he’s currently on the board of Greater Spokane Incorporated.  He is a past board member of the Spokane Economic Development Council and served as a member of the board of INTEC of Spokane. Stiles is a graduate of the University of South Dakota, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Ken Brann
Vice President, Information Technology
Ken Brann is the Vice President of Information Technology for Advantage IQ, responsible for systems development and maintenance and support, systems quality assurance, and IT infrastructure management. Brann has more than 25 years experience in the field of information systems including systems analysis, software engineering, project management, software engineering management, quality assurance management, and technical problem-solving leadership. Prior to Advantage IQ, Brann was systems quality assurance manager at Worldwide Packets Corporation, a high-speed data communications equipment provider, specializing in the manufacture of gigabit Ethernet switches, routers, and network management systems. Additionally, Brann held various project management and engineering management positions at Itron, Inc., an energy management and utility meter reading company. During his 15-year tenure at Itron, Brann managed software engineering and software quality assurance groups, and the IT infrastructure that supported them. Brann is a certified Project Management Professional and a member of the Project Management Institute. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Colorado State University.

Kim Kelley
Vice President, Human Resources
As Vice President of Human Resources, Kelley is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the human resource function, including recruitment, hiring, training, benefits, compensation, and development and implementation of performance management systems. Prior to joining Advantage, Kelley spent 15 years with Avista Corp., where she held the positions of Training Developer, Corporate Trainer, Organization Development Consultant, Human Resources Business Partner, and Customer Service Manager. Kelley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (summa cum laude) from Eastern Washington University as well as various certifications for training, facilitation and leadership coaching.

David Porter
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
As Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Porter brings more than 25 years of sales, marketing and executive leadership experience.  Porter’s career has largely centered on the energy sector.  Porter has planned, directed and executed all aspects of the sales and marketing functions.  Most recently, he was Director of Marketing for an IT & management consulting firm.  Prior to that time Porter held a variety of management and executive positions at Florida Power Corporation, EPRI, Duke Power and in a telecommunications start-up venture.  He has an extensive international business background and is well versed in alliance and acquisition creation and management.  Porter is a licensed professional engineer and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Ed Schlect
Founder & Vice President, Corporate Development
Ed Schlect is vice president of corporate development for Advantage IQ and brings more than 20 years of utility experience to the company, including the development of alliances and new products. A founding member of Advantage IQ, Schlect is a Licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Energy Manager, with an emphasis on project management and construction contracting. His design experience in civil, mechanical, electrical and process control systems in power generation facilities has given him a broad perspective on technology issues. Schlect earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and did postgraduate work in Engineering at Washington State University.

Scott Simmons
Vice President, Operations
Scott Simmons is the Vice President of Operations, overseeing the client services and company operations for Advantage IQ. Most recently Simmons was the Director of Finance and Operations and acting Executive Director at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research & Technology Institute, an organization focused on the commercialization and acceleration of technology based startup companies. Prior to his involvement at SIRTI, Simmons was with XO Communications as the Director of Finance for the Northwest Region where he was responsible for managing the financial operating results of the business unit, developing pricing for the regional sales teams and analyzing and implementing process improvements in the sales order flow process. He is a member of the Spokane Community College Accounting Advisory Committee, a member of the SIRTI Foundation Finance Committee and has served as past treasurer and board member of the Spokane County Boys & Girls Club. Simmons earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Accounting at the University of Idaho.

Craig Urdahl
Vice President, Finance and Treasurer
Craig Urdahl is the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer for Advantage IQ, bringing over 26 years of financial experience in both public and private companies. Prior to Advantage IQ, Urdahl was Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and Controller for Pentzer Corporation, a private equity investment fund. During his decade-long career with Pentzer, Urdahl evaluated and performed financial due diligence on acquisition candidates, advised on accounting, tax and other financial matters, and was responsible for treasury management. Urdahl has also served on the board of directors for various portfolio companies. Before joining Pentzer, he held a financial management position with a Seattle-based wholesale distributorship and was a general practice audit manager with Coopers and Lybrand (currently PricewaterhouseCoopers). He is a Certified Public Accountant in Washington and Montana, and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Urdahl holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Montana.