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FindLaw Management Team

Chris Kibarian
President and General Manager
Chris Kibarian is the president and general manager for Thomson FindLaw. Chris previously served as senior vice president of Strategy and Development at Thomson Tax & Accounting in New York. He joined Thomson in 2001 as a member of the Thomson Legal & Regulatory Global Strategy group. Prior to joining Thomson, Chris worked in investment banking, international business development and strategic planning. Chris earned his BA from Brown University and his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Paul Fischer
Vice President of Finance
Paul Fischer is vice president of Finance for Thomson FindLaw. He and his team provide financial analysis and strategic operational support to ensure that FindLaw meets its business goals. Paul joined Thomson West in 1996 and has 20 years of experience in various financial leadership roles. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Dakota.

Jay Gast
Vice President, Sales and Account Management
In January 2006, Jay Gast was named Vice President, Sales and Account Management, for Thomson FindLaw. In this role, he leads the development and execution of sales and account management strategies to drive revenue growth. Jay has 25 years of varied experience in the information industry, more than 20 of them with Thomson. Before assuming his current role, Jay was Vice President of Business Information, News and Public Records for Thomson West, where he was responsible for developing the strategies that drove growth for the non-legal information services supporting legal end users. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Thomson & Thomson. Other positions held at Thomson & Thomson included Vice President, Planning and Development; Vice President, Copyright Research; and Director, Business Development. Before joining Thomson & Thomson, Jay held vice president positions and was a member of the executive management team at Jane’s Information Group, a former Thomson company specializing in defense and aerospace information and analysis. Jay earned an MBA from George Mason University in Virginia and a BA from the University of Iowa.

Wlodek Kubalski
Chief Technology Officer
As CTO, Findlaw, Wlodek is responsible for identifying and leading the business strategy of the technology area. Prior to joining FindLaw, Wlodek was Neometronis' vice president of engineering. He was responsible for strategic and tactical aspects of product development. Wlodek was previously employed by ParcPlace, where he founded the Distributed Systems Group and was responsible for joint projects conducted under the Customer Technology Program. Prior to ParcPlace, Wlodek directed the team that created the in-car navigation system for Navigation Technologies. At LDW Software, he held the position of director of product development and engineering. He graduated magna cum laude from Warsaw Technical University, with a M.S. in engineering and computer science.

Steve Noel
Vice President, Portal and Online Marketing
Steve Noel is vice president of Portal and Online Marketing. In this role, he is responsible for direction and strategy for FindLaw.com and for growing website traffic and online offerings. In addition, Steve works with FindLaw Strategic Marketing and Product Development to provide strategic direction around online advertising. Steve joined FindLaw in 2000. He received his bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College of California and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

Cecile Schauer
Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Product Development
In her role, Cecile is responsible for ensuring that FindLaw's marketing and product development efforts are aligned in driving innovative solutions that meet the "business of law" needs of our clients. Cecile joined Thomson West in 1993 and has held several senior business development and marketing positions. She recently served as senior director, Print/CD Business, for Thomson West, where she oversaw product development, pricing, customer retention and marketing strategy for the business's portfolio of print and CD-ROM products. Cecile has a master of business administration from the University of St. Thomas. She earned her juris doctorate from Hamline University School of Law in 1993 and her undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of St. Thomas in 1983.

Craig Yolitz
Vice President of Customer Operations
Craig Yolitz is the Vice President of Customer Operations for Thomson FindLaw. He is responsible for managing the fulfillment processes for clients' custom web solutions. Prior to this, Craig was with Thomson West for 19 years managing various aspects of the Manufacturing operation in Eagan, Minnesota. He holds an MBA in Management from the University of St. Thomas and a BS degree in Industrial Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.