Our Executive Team
Working together to make companies succeed
Patricia Griffin / Chief Executive Officer
Patricia Griffin has created a successful career by solving customer problems. As the CEO of ICon Professional Services, Griffin oversees the strategic direction, vision and market development for the leading Independent Contractor Compliance company in the nation. Combining a vision for technology design, with a propensity for action, Griffin launched ICon Professional Services in 1997. Its award winning technology, the iConnect™, delivers workforce solutions to the desktop of corporate management world-wide.
Prior to ICon, Griffin held various executive positions within the Employment and Staffing Industry. Griffin was greatly rewarded during her 17 years with the world’s largest staffing company, Adecco. While at Adecco, Griffin held numerous executive positions, including Vice President of Global Sales and Vice President of North American Operations setting a new benchmark in profitability, specifically in Outsourcing Solutions. Among her most noted accomplishments during that time was the design of the first Contingent Workforce Management technology, which set a new standard in the staffing industry. Griffin attended the University of San Francisco and majored in Marketing.
The Microsoft workforce litigation caught the attention of every Corporate CFO in the mid 1990’s. In response to the growing concerns raised by the case, Griffin and a small group of investors formed ICon Professional Services in 1997. Griffin worked closely with the nation’s leading employment law firm and a big 4 accounting firm as advisors on the building of a web based contractor evaluation process. The result was an application that puts the company back in control of risks associated with misclassifying contractors. The iConnect™ technology fulfills the important task of keeping the possibility of costly back taxes, fines and penalties in check, protecting companies’ profits against government assessments for misclassified workers.
Griffin and ICon have received numerous recognition and awards over the years for their growth and success. In 2000 ICon was ranked the 6th Fastest Growing Privately Held Company in the Silicon Valley. Griffin has also received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Business Services, and the San Jose/Silicon Valley Business Journal ranked ICon two years in a row as one of the top 15 fastest growing, privately held companies. Today, ICon provides risk management solutions to corporations nationwide and has a track record of a 100% success rate in government worker classification audits.
In addition to her dedication to ICon, Griffin actively participates in fundraising campaigns including the Leukemia Society of America and the Breast Cancer Foundation.
David E. Branch / Vice President of Business Strategies
David Branch brings more than 12 years of Staffing & Human Capital Management experience to ICon Professional Services. As the Vice President of Business Strategies, he is responsible for developing client services and products, revenue growth and strategies, and expanding the channel partner program.
Prior to ICon, Branch served as Vice President of Internet Development at Adecco. In this role he was responsible for the development and implementation of several global SaaS initiatives including their Vendor Management and Assessment platform. During his tenure at Adecco, Branch served in a variety of key roles within Strategy, Marketing and IT in both the US and Europe.
Branch was founder of Rezume.com, a web 2.0 career management web site and is also an Alumnus of KPMG LLP.
Branch earned a Bachelor of Science in business management from the Walter Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Michael Soffel / Vice President of Operations
Michael Soffel has over 18 years experience covering sales, operational and strategic activities. Since joining ICon in 1999, Soffel has held various management positions and responsibilities including National On-site Program Manager and Vice President of Strategic Accounts. He has played a primary role in the development, execution and growth of ICon. As Vice President of Operations, Soffel is responsible for managing strategic operational activities which include; corporate compliance, client program design and deployment, product design, pre-sales support, sales strategy, post-sales support systems and training programs to strengthen ICon’s competitive positioning.
Prior to joining ICon, Soffel was the Northern California Business Development Manager for Sea-Land Service Inc., a subsidiary of CSX Corporation. At Sea-Land he was instrumental in leading his team into new markets in the six western states and surpassing $70M in revenues.
Soffel received his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Widener University.
Warwick Allen / IT
Warwick Allen brings more than 18 years of hands-on IT experience to ICon. His experience includes specification, development, support and management of numerous different IT implementations across a wide range of global industries.
Warwick is in charge of all aspects of Information Technology at ICon. His main focus is the management of the continual improvement and support of the iConnect suite of applications. Warwick and his team are always striving to add functionality, increase efficiency and provide users with the best possible iConnect experience. Warwick is also responsible for all ICon’s internal systems, networking, and IT policies & procedures.
Warwick holds a Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Computer Science from De Montfort University in England and a Master of Arts postgraduate degree in Computer Animation & Visualization from Bournemouth University in England.
Robert G. Mishler / Controller
Robert G. Mishler has over 33 years experience in finance, accounting and management. His experience includes tax auditing, multi-state payroll management, utilizion of both in-house and vendor based systems, and accounting activities in the retail, real estate, and human resources industries.
As Controller, Mishler is responsible for the full scope of financial and record-keeping activities for ICon, including banking, receivables, payables, payroll, lines of credit, audits and employee benefits programs. Mishler joined ICon in 1997 and played an important role in establishing the accounting systems and financial policies of the company.
Prior to joining ICon, Mishler was Senior Accountant for KG Land California Corporation, a real estate developer, where he spearheaded the accounting and payroll operations for the development and construction of two high-rise office projects valued at over $100 million.
Mishler holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Akron, in Ohio, and pursued post graduate studies at The University of Texas at Dallas.
Catherine Chidyausiku / Compliance / Legal
Catherine Chidyausiku is ICon’s lead Contracts/Compliance Manager and has been with ICon for nearly six years. Chidyausiku holds a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of South Africa, and has ten years of varied international legal experience.
With this solid legal background, and an in-depth understanding of ICon’s clients, and the compliance process in particular, Chidyausiku’s administration of compliance policy is exemplary and she serves our clients well in resolving complex issues quickly and confidently.