About The Taff Partnership

We do more than just global travel program management and Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance consulting. Our team of experienced financial professionals can also help you reduce operational expenses for telecommunications and online travel technology implementation. Our experts bring over 70 years’ cumulative experience in financial disciplines, travel vendor relationships, negotiation expertise, and travel consulting to the table to achieve significant cost savings for you, and to make your global corporate travel programs easier to manage.

Meet Your Strategic Partners

	Hal Taff, Principal and Founder, The Taff Partnership Mr. Taff has been a recognized leader within the global travel industry for the last 29 years. He has successfully advised companies on how to lower the cost of their global travel spending by 30-40% annually. Clients include several Fortune 100 firms; global, national, and regional travel management companies, as well as start-ups. After 20 years at Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), Hal became Executive Vice President at Expense Management and Control, Inc, in Dallas Texas, which he helped take public in 1987 and grew to $100 million through acquisition and new account development. There he created a corporate travel management cost reduction and recovery structure that increased corporate revenue by 120% in two years. Since 1995, Hal has specialized in cost reduction and recovery at Sun Microsystems, ADAC Laboratories, and Persistence Software using "Best Practice" solutions for corporate travel management. At ADAC Laboratories, Hal directed the company’s $25 million global travel program. He has also performed advanced technology evaluations for numerous corporations and travel management firms. Hal has a B.A. in business from the University of Arizona.
	Ronald Rehberg, CPA, Telecommunications and Expense Reduction Specialist Ron has over 20 years of accounting and finance experience as a cost recovery expert in telecommunications and credit card processing fees, shipping, and freight and travel. He has experience in both public and private accounting, ranging in positions from auditor to CFO. His industry experience includes banking, high-tech, distribution, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, non-profits, and engineering. Ron has been involved in several successful turnarounds, start-ups, acquisitions, and in obtaining financing. He has published numerous articles and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal. Ron has a degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from the University of Texas. He is also a certified public accountant.
	Bill Pires, Finance and Operations Expense Analyst Bill has spent over 20 years working for small to medium size companies in a variety of industries including high-tech, pharmaceuticals, commercial testing, spirits, and food processing. His varied experience includes 28 years’ experience in financial planning and analysis, accounting, and internal auditing for several fortune 500 organizations. Since relocating to California in 1996, he has held several controller positions for small and medium sized companies. In his current role as an independent contractor, he advises clients in areas such as organizational restructuring, accounting software conversions, and SOX compliance policy implementation. Clients include Sun Microsystems, Applied Materials, Vtel, Insignia Solutions, Phoenix Technologies, Ditech Communications, Blue Martini Software, Persistence Software, and Photon Dynamics. He has a degree in Accounting and an MBA in Finance from Pace University in New York.
	Kate Carlin – Senior Business Travel/Expense Management and Sarbanes-Oxley Consultant Ms. Carlin has been affiliated with the travel industry for over 30 years holding senior leadership roles assisting corporations decrease their global operating & travel costs by an average of 36% on T&E expenses of $2.5M to over $900Million Kate began her career as a Cost Analyst & International Marketing Specialist for Pan American World Airways in New York. During her tenure at Pan Am, she was commemorated for her ability to negotiate and to save 60-75% on international ticket prices for large corporate and travel agency accounts headquartered in the Eastern United States. She saved one Fortune 100 manufacturer of glass and chemical products $774K on air travel to South America over a 6 month period during their new facility expansion. Among Kate’s major accounts: Pittsburgh Plate Glass, US Steel, General Electric, Carrier Corporation, Kodak and H. J. Heinz Company. After leaving Pan Am, Ms. Carlin used her training and connections with corporations and travel agencies to successfully build several national and international travel agency organizations headquartered in NY, CA and Japan. She held V. P. of Marketing & Operations Management positions and increased sales by as much as 180% by implementing enhanced marketing programs, training of frontline agents and aggressive sales campaigns. Kate was then recruited as Director of Global Travel & Expense Management for Denny’s Inc. headquartered in La Mirada CA. She created the international travel program for 7 divisions of the $1 Billion Corporation and saved Denny’s corporate division alone 42% on their T&E spend the first year. Since 1990, Ms. Carlin has been an independent consultant and President of K. H. Carlin & Associates, an Expense Management Consulting Firm, headquartered in the Silicon Valley. Her focus has been on all areas of travel and expense management consulting services including: business process improvements, Merger & Acquisition Programs, expense reporting and ERP system assessments/ implementations and, strategic cost reduction programs. Kate’s client portfolio includes Fortune 100 companies and a diverse sector of business industries including biotech, oil, computers, yield management, healthcare and semiconductor companies. Among her clients: Bio Rad Laboratories, Chevron, HP, KLA Tencor, McKesson, Solectron, Texas Instruments and Xilinix. Ms. Carlin has a BA degree in Business Administration from Alliant International University/California Western University Campus in San Diego CA. She also holds certifications in Oracle 11i and SAP R3 FI/CO. Kate’s other accomplishments: one of the key architects in developing the Certified Corporate Travel Executive Program (CCTE) at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY; charter member of the Orange County CA Business Travel Association; consultant/mentor for the Bay Area Executive Travel Advisory Board and; author of several analyses & surveys on Global Corporate Spending and Benchmarking Practices.
	Kathy Klotz-Guest, Marketing Consultant  Kathy Klotz-Guest is founder of a marketing firm that helps companies come up with new product ideas and then creatively market them to the world. She helps companies find their marketing "story" so they create the right messages that resonate with the right target audiences. Kathy also helps organizations increase innovation, and build relationships between customers and products. She combines 16 years' of strategic and tactical marketing experience in a fast-paced high-tech environment with a background in improvisation and writing. She has managed teams and launched products for companies such as SGI, Gartner, MediaMetrix, Excite@Home, and Dow Jones to name a few. She has an MA and an MBA from UC Berkeley, and writes and speaks extensively on the fun-creativity-innovation connection, and on the serious role of humor in marketing. Contact her at kathy@powerfullyfunny.com.
	Linn Marie Whiteside, Meeting Planning and Events Specialist, The Taff Partnership, Inc The Taff Partnership is delighted to introduce Linn Marie Whiteside, a corporate meeting planning and events specialist. Ms. Whiteside’s responsibilities will be to direct all client corporate meeting planning and events. With a background in business consulting and communications, Linn has worked with various Silicon Valley Companies over the past 12 years, Among them; VERITAS Software, REPLICUS Software, INTEGNOLOGY, RINC Org, and MediaMagic Design. Meeting planning, event and entertainment costs are soaring in today’s economy; meanwhile corporate needs still have to be met and kept within budget. There are many ways to reduce high costs while still delivering to your group or team a fabulous meeting or event. This is where we deliver results, we manage that for you, ensuring the highest level of professionalism, passion and enthusiasm to every detail. Top-level commitment to excellence, masterful negotiations, customized packages, managing vendor relations while incorporating your company’s brands, values and unique specifications. Details to demographics; specializing in innovative solutions to increase overall cost savings, providing superior attention to detail, worldwide, while fulfilling your company’s strategic meeting management planning (SMMP) needs. Destinations local or abroad, Linn and her team bring extensive professional relationships providing the resources needed to make every meeting or event a complete success. The Taff Partnership is the right solution for every corporate meeting and event. Linn@TaffPartnership.com