NLX was forged in the cauldron of family and friendship. Founded in March 2018 by brothers Andrei and Vlad Papancea and long-time friend Peter Szerzo, NLX began developing its signature Conversational AI technology to help brands transform their customer interactions into automated, personalized self-service experiences.
Hear from Peter, NLX's Head of UI Engineering, about how it all started and how NLX grew to be the company it is today.
Andrei is CEO & CPO at NLX, our Swiss-army knife for all things natural language-related. He built the Natural Language Understanding platform for American Express, processing millions of conversations across AmEx’s main servicing channels.
Part of the Andrei-Vlad brother team, his first development was an app that delivered curated, high-quality gifts. Andrei is a creative guru, steering his ideas through 21st century technology to realize innovation.
As Director of Engineering, he deployed AWS across the business units of Argo Group, a publicly traded US company, and successfully passed the implementation through a technical audit (30+ AWS accounts managed). He teaches graduate lectures on Cloud Computing and Big Data at Columbia University. He holds a M.S. in Computer Science from Columbia University.
As Chief Strategy Officer, Brian is integral to helping grow the company’s client list across multiple sectors as well as implementing operational scaling to meet increased market demand.
He brings more than 25 years of company growth and team leadership experience across a range of diverse industry verticals. Most recently Brian led product development in healthcare analytics. He has also played product and business development roles in entertainment, energy, transportation, IT systems, financial services, and data analytics.
Brian enjoys surfing, hiking, biking, and sipping good tequila with friends.
He holds an MBA in Business Administration and Management from the University of Phoenix and has a Master’s in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from California State University Long Beach.
As CTO, Vlad has overall responsibility for the NLX platform and infrastructure as well as developing the technical strategy for the company. This includes implementing best practices in areas of engineering operations, security, monitoring, analytics, and automation.
He ran terabyte-scale data pipelines to facilitate AI-powered risk underwriting at Argo Group. He established DevOps standards for deploying new products on AWS, while migrating legacy applications to the newly prescribed architecture. Furthermore, he created reusable frameworks and pipelines for both actuaries and data scientists to deploy their statistical and machine learning models to the cloud.
Outside of NLX, Vlad likes to dine with friends at new restaurants in NYC and try to reproduce dishes at home. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Knox College.
As Chief Growth Officer, Derrick is responsible for scaling the impact our business has with new and existing enterprise customers.
He has spent the last 12 years orchestrating product and organizational design efforts on behalf of Fortune 500 companies. Most recently Derrick was the Managing Partner at Opus, an organizational design firm where he led multi-year transformations for Twitter, American Express, and Lululemon. He is an active angel investor, speaker, and advisor to startups across North America.
Georgina is the Director of Customer Success, which she says will be defined by overall effectiveness, growth, and "feel good" experiences.
She joins after seven years at IT services and solutions provider Affinity Inc, the last four of which as Director of Client Delivery and Engagement where she worked with Fortune 100 and midrange businesses.
Georgina holds an MBA from Woodbury University and a B.S. in Business Administration from The University of Phoenix.
Outside of work Georgina enjoys going for hikes with her friends and dogs. Additionally, she is fluent in Spanish and has been able to apply her language abilities with many of our Latin American customers.
As Senior Customer Success Manager, Cassie works closely with our customers to build conversational AI and multi-model solutions focused on improving automation and helping their business grow with the latest NLX technology.
Cassie has worked at SaaS companies including Invoca and Strategic Healthcare Programs and has over 10 years of experience in all areas of Customer Success including Support, Implementation, Project Management, and Technical Solutions.
Outside of work, you'll most likely find Cassie at the beach, golfing or playing with her pup. She also loves watching football and snowboarding in the winter.
Ian-Michael is the GM for LATAM and strategic accounts, responsible for the growth and operation for NLX in the region.
He has a decade of executive leadership in SaaS B2B GTM, Solution Selling, Revenue Generation, and Strategic Alliances focusing on bringing Automation and Digital Transformation within Enterprises, Mid-Market, and SMB verticals across North and South Americas and APAC regions. Notable Achievements in his last role include securing global MSAs with Hilton, IHG, Accor, and Virgin Hotels to incorporate new guest engagement channels and automation to improve the CX. He also had multiple publications and collaborations in his advisory board member role at Cornell Business School Center for Hospitality Research. Secured and build deep strategic partnerships with AWS, Salesforce, and Cisco marketplaces.
His true passion lies in the intersection between Technology, Hospitality and Sustainability. Recently he attended the Mastery Week: Regenerating Soil and Soul: People, Planet and Purpose which was led by Paul Hawken. He loves cooking for family and friends, and he's constantly seeking the outdoors, connecting with nature, and surfing. His most notable project and achievement is becoming a proud girl dad!
He holds a BA in Business Management at the University of Technology Sydney.
As a Senior Customer Success Manager, Michael Bingham helps develop and build strong customer relationships with key customer stakeholders, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and recognition of ROI, leading to client retention and growth opportunities.
Michael comes from a strong background in client services and people leadership, having worked for Strategic Healthcare Programs, Ergomotion, Inc, and Mentor Worldwide.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Purdue Global University.
Outside of work, Michael enjoys coaching his children’s sports teams, snowboarding, bowling, and playing guitar.
As Head of APAC, Doug maintains a go-to-market strategic focus on growing NLXʻs footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. He is responsible for aligning NLX products with growing demand and working with local businesses to develop new channels, partners, and pathways to market.
Originally from New Zealand, Doug lived, worked, and studied in Australia before heading to Seattle in 1995 to start his executive career helping build companies. He was responsible for marketing innovative products and services for software and technology firms for more than a dozen US, New Zealand & Australian startup companies. He successfully grew them to acquisitions by companies such as Intel, Sony Entertainment, and Demand Media, as well as an IPO for DocuSign.
Doug and his wife returned to Australia in 2022, settling on Queenslandʻs Sunshine Coast and back to a beach life sorely missed while living in Seattle. He holds a Business Degree in Marketing from the Queensland University of Technology.
Lee Mathers is our General Manager, Australia, helping to build our client base in the Asia Pacific region. With significant experience in conversational AI and having built several successful startups, Lee knows what it takes to launch a company like NLX into a new region. Lee's focus is on demonstrating the unmatched power of the Conversations by NLX platform and how it can deliver exceptional CX improvements and efficiencies.
Lee holds Bachelor's degrees in Law and Business from Queensland University of Technology.
Outside of work, Lee is busy raising his young family and ensuring his Golden Retriever, Huntley, goes on enough walks to counter all of the treats he manages to steal.
As Director of Business Operations, Ellie’s role is to scale the internal organization and leverage her deep love of math and analytics to shape the future of NLX operations and culture.
She enjoyed three years at a market-leading online event marketing platform, Splash, where she led in roles as diverse as Solutions Consultant and Information Security Manager. A former librarian and a certified yoga instructor, Ellie’s hobbies and interests include reading, skin care, yoga, and adventure seeking.
Ellie has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from North Carolina State University, a Master’s in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from Georgetown University, and another Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute’s School of Information.
Megan is the Director of Marketing, responsible for creating and implementing strategies to strengthen the company’s market presence and developing the company’s voice.
She comes from a strong background in Communications and Operations, having worked for Amazon, Axios, and POLITICO. She has experience in product launches, media relations, brand strategy, and internal/external messaging.
Megan holds an MBA from The George Washington University and a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Penn State. She is certified in Leadership Management, Marketing and Brand Management, and Google Digital Garage.
In her free time, Megan enjoys training for marathons and triathlons, hiking, traveling, knitting, and spending time with friends and family.
As Head of UI Engineering, Peter is responsible for crafting the user interfaces of NLX products.
He started his software engineering career after exploring algorithmic design in structural geometry, while working on architectural components for one of the Hudson Yards towers in New York City. He is an accomplished engineer, a gold-medaled physicist, and is passionate for math-driven design and highly interactive UX.
Peter spends his spare time coding for interactive visuals. He loves The Wire, rewatches Twin Peaks every other year, and enjoys old silent films with orchestra whenever he gets the chance. He likes electronic music and enjoys going to jazz shows.
He holds a B.S. in Structural Engineering from Princeton University.
Sam is a Cloud Engineer, responsible for building and maintaining APIs, driving cloud architecture, DevOps, and building new system components to support our NLX platform ecosystem.
Prior to joining NLX, Sam worked for Trane Technologies where, as Lead Architect, he was responsible for leading complex projects and ensuring the success for enterprise-level application rollouts. Sam holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, cycling, and playing tuba.
Cho So is a Cloud Engineer responsible for developing and enhancing new features and APIs for Voice Compass.
Prior to joining NLX, Cho worked as a Research Assistant in the Marketing Department at NYU Stern, where she was responsible for programming, designing, and implementing consumer behavior research studies.
Cho holds an MS degree in Computer Science from NYU Tandon, as well as a BS/BA dual-degree in Business and Economics/Asian Studies from Lehigh University. She is fluent in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
In her spare time, Cho enjoys foodie adventures with friends, online pc gaming, and experimenting with new baking recipes.
Avi is our Director of Engineering, overseeing and driving strategy in developing and improving engineering practices. He is a key contributor to the continuous automation improvement that provides a faster and more frictionless self-service experience for all customers.
His experience in software development at an IT digital consultancy included five years leading an integration team tasked to assist with the digital transformation of a financial institution.
Avi is fluent in English, Nepali, and Hindi. He is an avid enthusiast of the English Premier League and ardent follower of Liverpool Football Club. He also enjoys experiencing different cultures through food and travel.
He holds a B.A. in Computer Science and Economics from Knox College.
As a Product Manager, Sudharshan is responsible for managing and driving the product vision for Voice Compass, while working with his team to understand user needs and deliver a truly unique user experience.
Prior to joining NLX, Sudharshan worked as a Technology Consultant for four years at Deloitte, working across multiple projects with federal agencies and large commercial clients. His experience includes leading cross-functional teams and delivering in an Agile environment.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Finance from the University of Maryland.
Outside of work, you can find Suds playing basketball, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, or enjoying a round of golf. He also loves experiencing different parts of the world through food and travel and is always looking for his next adventure.
Roman Smunyov is a Senior Software Engineer, whose expertise brings brand new features and possibilities to multiply internal and external projects, like Voice Compass.
Roman comes from a strong background in the software engineering industry, having worked for big shots like Nord Security and a number of different startups across the globe. He has impressive JavaScript skills, including popular frameworks like Svelte, React, or Angular together with a strong front-end and UI/UX vision. All of it is backed by a bachelor's degree in Applicable Mathematics.
In his spare time, Roman likes to climb down the stairs on his bike and work on some personal projects. Roman is also a proud cat-mommy of three wonderful cats.