VU Custom - Our Team

VU Custom Team

At VU Custom, our strength lies in our dedicated and visionary team. Each member, from our CEO to our dynamic VPs and directors, brings a unique blend of expertise, passion, and innovation to the table. As you delve deeper, you’ll discover the remarkable journeys and achievements of our top-tier leadership, who collectively drive our mission to achieve unparalleled excellence. Dive in to meet the individuals who make VU Custom the industry frontrunner.

Colin Woolford

CEO

Colin serves as our Chief Executive Officer, leading the charge in steering our company's growth and operational excellence. Previously overseeing our Sales, Marketing, and Account management channels, Colin was appointed as CEO in 2023. His primary focus is on scaling our operations responsibly and systematically to achieve our firm's objectives while ensuring the satisfaction of our valued customers and shareholders. Before joining VU Custom, Colin held the role of Assistant Vice President at Barclays Bank, where he specialized in Collateralized Loan Obligations within the syndicate team. Prior to that, he excelled in Institutional Equity Sales at Barclays, effectively presenting the extensive capabilities of the bank to institutional investors. Colin is a passionate entrepreneur and a proud alumnus of the University of Denver, where he earned a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Beyond his professional achievements, Colin played a vital role as an offensive midfielder on the Denver Pioneers' 2015 National Championship Team. Originally from Norwalk, Connecticut, Colin now resides in Wilton, Connecticut, with his wife and son, contributing to both his professional endeavors and the local community.

Warren Trent

CTO

Warren oversees VU Custom's proprietary software development. Warren manages a team of developers with access to additional, vetted, developers to scale in size as needed. Warren is an avid entrepreneur, initially building a software company called TrentOnline, which he later sold, and is currently the founder of CodeFactory, a firm specializing in custom, interactive website design and development. Over the last ten years, Code Factory has morphed from a custom application mill into what is currently a product-oriented custom shop. Product ideation and refinement are the goals, and they participate in everything from client-related sales to application support. Warren has extensive software engineering experience, with roles at Sony, Interactive Marketing Group and Perry Systems in his resume. Prior to starting his second company and joining JTB Custom’s team as the CTO, Warren was the vice president of Engineering at NamePerry Systems, where he architected solutions and ran a large group of domestic and off-shore developers.

Cory Lund

VP of Customer Succes

Cory serves as VP of Customer Success and is responsible for VU Custom's overall customer obsession practice and building strategic client relationships. He serves as a customer liaise between the "analog" (factory experience) and the "digital" (end-user customization experience) across VU Custom Customers. Since joining VU Custom, Cory has focused on bringing an enterprise-class experience to and helping to monetize customization for well-known industry brands like Taylor Made Golf, Vera Bradley, BruMate, Corkcicle, and The Sak. Cory has over 20 years of working with retailers delivering both software and services focusing on digital marketing and advertising where he has led Customer Success, Professional Services, Sales Engineering, and Sales organizations. Within the last decade, he's driven top-line revenue opportunities within pioneering e-commerce companies like Dell, HP, Logitech, Hallmark, Colgate-Palmolive, Bosch, Revlon, Avery, Hamilton Beach, TaylorMade Golf and more. Cory lives just North of San Francisco (Marin County) and is an avid out-of-doors enthusiast and enjoys spending time with his family up on Tahoe or Yosemite as often as he is able. Cory received a Bachelor's degree of Computer Engineering w/Honors from Northwestern University, with a minor in Artificial Intelligence.

Cindy Roethel

Director of Finance

Cindy serves as the Director of Finance and is responsible for the overall financial management and human resources of VU Custom. Cindy has over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, accounting, and operations working in the technology industry. She is a proud alumnus of St. Joseph's University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and graduate of Dowling College with a MBA in Business Management. Cindy and her husband have three grown children and live on the beautiful north shore of Long Island, New York. She enjoys spending time with her family, drives on the outer beaches of Long Island, donating her time for her local community and spending time with her Banter Bulldogge.

Julie Mondro

Director of Account Management

Julie ensures VU Custom’s clients receive exceptional service by acting as the client’s advocate within the organization. Julie is also responsible for helping clients maximize the value and growth potential of their custom programs. With over 15 years of experience with major brands such as Coach, Ann Taylor, and Reed Krakoff, as well as NYC-based creative and production agencies, Julie has a unique understanding of the challenges, pressures, and opportunities brands face. This enables her to effectively and empathetically champion clients’ priorities, propose solutions, and build trust. Her breadth of experience at the intersection of brand and vendor relations has allowed her to effectively manage diverse partnerships through major transitions based on business needs. This has resulted in healthier, stronger partnerships—ultimately benefiting all parties involved.

Kent Deverell

Company Adviser

Kent is a seasoned executive with a focus in ecommerce, product customization, user experience design, emerging technologies and digital agency management.In addition to his role as strategic advisor for VU, Kent is also a partner at Luxey Custom, the holding company for on-demand driven brands like UpperPlayground.com. Previously, Kent Co-founded and served as CEO of Fluid, a highly regarded provider of ecommerce design and technology solutions that drive conversion, satisfaction and brand loyalty for major global brands including The North Face, Vans, Puma, Michael Kors and Stance Socks. He is a recognized as an industry innovator and oversaw the development of Fluid’s collaboration with IBM Watson to develop the Fluid Expert Personal Shopper (XPS), an AI-based shopping recommendation engine, and also lead the development and expansion of Fluid’s market leading solution for mass customization, Fluid Configure. Kent has been a frequent speaker at events such as Shop.org and featured in outlets like Fast Company, Bloomberg, Business Week, and Internet Retailer.