Meet Our Team

Graph visualization is what we do

A passion for all things graph is at the core of all we do at Tom Sawyer Software. Since 1992, we've perfected our graph layout technology and gained a reputation as the leader in graph visualization and analysis technology.

Our staff of global graph enthusiasts work tirelessly to support our customers' graph visualization journey, whether that's combating fraud, making sense of complex systems, or analyzing social networks.

A graph of a criminal network.

Our journey

1992

We began in a small office in Berkeley. Though the nights were long and the menu was mostly takeout burritos, we developed our first graph layout algorithms and Tom Sawyer Software was born.

Early 1990s

We introduced Hierarchical layout, Circular layout, Symmetric layout, and support for nested drawings. Plus, we launched Graph Layout Toolkit, a library of graph layout APIs.

Late 1990s

We released Graph Editor Toolkit, the groundbreaking Orthogonal layout, and the first-ever incremental layout. We also received a NIST Advanced Technology Program Award for "Component-Based Software Technology Development."

Early 2000s

We received a patent award for Labeling Graphical Features of Drawings, released the Graph Analysis Toolkit, and unified our graph rendering products as Tom Sawyer Visualization.

Late 2000s

We opened a development center in Riga, Latvia and introduced Tom Sawyer Perspectives, a low-code graph and data visualization development platform.

Early 2010s

We opened a development center in Mexico City. Perspectives advanced with support for composite node UIs and new map, timeline, and chart views. We also received Red Herring's Top 100 Global Award.

Late 2010s

We released end-user applications: Model-Based Engineering, Business Process, and Graph Database Browser. We made our AWS Marketplace debut with Graph Database Browser.

2019

We're passionate about the environment and avid recyclers so we were thrilled to go solar at our Berkeley office.

2020

We opened up a third development center in Heraklion, Greece. Graph Database Browser was made available in AWS GovCloud (US) and we introduced Bundle layout and two-dimensional swimlanes.

Tom Sawyer Software is a place where innovation meets passion, and where our commitment to quality is as unwavering as our dedication to customer satisfaction. As a dynamic and forward-thinking company, we pride ourselves on the ability to rapidly evolve into an industry-leading force.

Our team of experienced professionals are not only experts in their respective fields, but also bring a unique set of skills and a common goal: excellence in everything we do, which fuels collaboration, mutual support, and a shared vision for the future. These are the faces behind the work, the stories behind the expertise, and the personalities that make our workplace vibrant and inspiring. We’re more than colleagues; we’re a family working together to make a positive impact. Welcome to the heart of Tom Sawyer Software – welcome to our exceptional team.

Brendan Madden
_CEO
_{As the visionary founder of Tom Sawyer Software since 1992, Brendan has transformed the company into a global leader in high-performance graph and data visualization. With nearly thirty years of experience, Brendan is one of the world's foremost experts in graph and data visualization, graph layout, and graph analysis. He is also an expert in user experience and software architecture.
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Kevin Madden
_{Chief Software Engineer}
_{With over three decades in the software industry, Kevin pioneers innovation as Chief Software Engineer and Board Member. Originally the third software engineer at Tom Sawyer Software, Kevin now shapes the company's server-based products, focused on cutting-edge technologies.
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Ulrich Foessmeier
_{VP of Engineering}
_{Ulrich is a key figure in Tom Sawyer Software's triumphs, who rejoined in 2017 as VP of Engineering. With two decades of software industry expertise, Ulrich has driven success through intricate projects and global teams, spanning roles from Orthogonal layout specialist to General Manager.
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Marilyn Drobenaire
_{VP of Finance}
_{Marilyn brings over 30 years of diverse experience in financial management, auditing, banking, forensic accounting, wealth management, tax preparation, and human resources. As VP of Finance and Board Member, Marilyn oversees Tom Sawyer Software's financial functions for optimal performance.
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Caroline Scharf
_{VP of Operations}
_{Caroline is a strategic leader at Tom Sawyer Software, who streamlines company processes, oversees day-to-day operations, and excels in administration with a corporate services focus. As VP of Operations, Caroline has a strong background in software leadership with a passion for optimization and continuous improvement.
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Anna Khachatryan
_{Associate General Counsel}
_{Anna is a seasoned legal professional, who spearheads the legal function at Tom Sawyer Software since 2017. Guiding the company through corporate governance, commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, and more, Anna ensures trust amid growth as Associate General Counsel.
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Patrick Madden
_{Principal Solutions Architect}
_{As a co-founder of Tom Sawyer Software and now Principal Solutions Architect, Patrick is a seasoned software designer with over two decades of expertise. His pivotal role in crafting the Tom Sawyer Perspectives web framework showcases his dedication to seamless integration in large-scale deployments, particularly in Enterprise environments and the cloud.
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Rudolfs Opmanis, Principal Solutions Architect

Rudolfs Opmanis
_{Senior Solutions Architect}
_{Since 2007, Rudolfs, a software engineer turned Senior Solutions Architect at Tom Sawyer Software, is a visionary in data visualization and image processing, drawing from extensive customer collaboration, shaping key features in the company's products.
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Wendy Feng
_{Principal Technical Design Architect}
_{A world-renowned expert in graph visualization techniques, Wendy serves as Principal Technical Design Architect for Tom Sawyer Software, notably contributing to Tom Sawyer Perspectives. As a key figure in design and development, Wendy leads the User Experience modernization.
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Ioannis G. Tollis
_{Chief Scientist}
_{Ioannis is a distinguished professor of computer science at the University of Crete, Greece, and former Director of the Center for ICT. Ioannis has held key roles at FORTH–ICS and Tom Sawyer Software, contributing significantly to graph visualization technology. Currently, he serves as Chief Scientist at Tom Sawyer Software since 2018.
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Austris Krastins
_{Senior Technical Design Director}
_{As Senior Technical Design Director, Austris spearheads software architecture design, collaborating with architects and designers. He has contributed significantly to Tom Sawyer Perspectives' evolution. From early development to strategic expansion and recent innovations, he defines excellence.
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Michael Newton, Senior Product Development Director

Mike Newton
_{Senior Product Development Director}
_{Michael is a cornerstone at Tom Sawyer Software since 1998, starting as a Software Engineer and pioneering the design of the first graph visualization product. Now, as Senior Product Development Director, he spearheads product releases, shapes roadmaps, and enhances operational processes.
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Corinne Koder
_{Product Development Director}
_{A former customer turned integral team member since 2018, Corinne brings over 20 years of software development expertise to Tom Sawyer Software. As Product Development Director, she guides globally distributed teams, oversees infrastructure systems, and ensures exceptional product development.
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Janet Six
_{Senior Product Manager}
_{With nearly three decades of experience in graph visualization, Janet, as a Senior Product Manager at Tom Sawyer Software, collaborates with cross-functional teams to shape product strategy, creating efficient data visualization solutions and advocating for innovation while addressing complex enterprise needs.
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Hugo Antunes
_{Associate Solutions Manager}
_{Hugo began his career with Tom Sawyer Software in 2014 as a Products Software Engineer. Evolving into a Solutions Engineer, he now leads the Solutions team, orchestrating tailored applications that address clients' intricate visualization challenges, driving product innovation to meet evolving needs.
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Rihards Opmanis
_{Senior Product Development Engineer}
_{As Senior Product Development Engineer at Tom Sawyer Software, Rihards leads the Graph Layout group in enhancing features, tackling functionality issues, and pioneering inventive algorithms for superior graph layout quality. He works on features such as routing and labeling.
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Thanos Giannakis
_{Senior Product Development Engineer}
_{Thanos Giannakis leads technical teams to develop robust software systems utilizing graph databases for complex data insights. He has over 9 years of experience in software development and graph-based solutions, with a specialty in web and Java applications, graph database technologies, and knowledge representation.
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Santiago Leon
_{Senior Product Development Engineer}
_{Santiago Leon excels in implementing product features using web technologies to meet customer needs. He has extensive experience supporting customers in aerospace, manufacturing, and systems engineering, and is passionate about making graph technologies accessible.
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Max Chagoya
_{Associate Product Manager}
_{Max Chagoya is a certified PMP, and excels in competitive research, market analysis, and team leadership. He has extensive project management experience leading implementation projects and business technology enhancements.
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Liana Kiff
_{Senior Consultant}
_{Liana Kiff brings over twenty years of software innovation and development experience, focusing on graph-based information management, ontology development, and cloud-based services and APIs for enterprise software development.
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Fabian Silva
_{Senior Consultant}
_{Fabian specializes in designing features and solutions for product development with a focus on quality. His background is in data analysis and he excels in coding, object-oriented programming, and creating high-level CI/CD pipelines for cloud services.
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Peter Eades
_{Technical Advisor}
_{Peter is a Research Professor at the University of Sydney, and has pioneered graph visualization since the 1980s. With over a hundred papers and acclaimed as a "Distinguished Researcher," he explores dynamic data sets, uncertainty visualization, and innovative graph drawing algorithms. He currently serves as Technical Advisor for Tom Sawyer Software.
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Paulis Kikusts
_{Technical Advisor}
_{Paulis is a distinguished professor and leading researcher at the University of Latvia's Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, and pioneered graph theory and computational geometry. His notable contributions include the GRADE project and groundbreaking graph drawing algorithms. He currently serves as Technical Advisor for Tom Sawyer Software.
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Meet Our Team

Graph visualization is what we do

Our journey

1992

Early 1990s

Late 1990s

Early 2000s

Late 2000s

Early 2010s

Late 2010s

2019

2020

Our passion may be all things graph, but these core values have fueled our longevity

Meet our team

We're lucky to live and work in these beautiful and culturally rich locations

Join our team of passionate graph enthusiasts today!

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