Our Team
Leadership
Mission Ready has a strong leadership team with deep experience in the areas of military, defense and law enforcement, manufacturing, product engineering and finance.
Buck Marshall
Chief Executive Officer
Buck brings over 16 years of service within the commercial banking industry. During the past 12 years he has worked in tandem with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lending groups – through which he has developed an intimate knowledge of SBA programs – equipping him to efficiently navigate the credit standards and requirements for working with the US Government, and to leverage the specific programs available to enable small businesses to gain access to capital when conventional access is limited.
Most recently, as Market President of Northwest Bank, Buck worked alongside Northwest’s Board of Directors and Division Managers to develop policies and procedures that would ensure the successful realization of its long-term growth strategies and corporate vision. Additionally, Mr. Marshall presided over a significant restructuring and strategic turnaround within Northwest, while growing the team over a geographically dispersed region. A member of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL), Mr. Marshall holds a communications degree from Eastern Washington University and multiple specialized banking-industry certifications including a Certified Lenders Diploma.
Dong Shim
Chief Financial Officer
Dong H. Shim is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and a Certified Public Accountant registered in the State of Illinois, United States.
Mr. Shim has served as an audit partner on numerous audit engagements with a mid-size firm located in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he audited various publicly traded companies, primarily focusing on junior mining, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, and high-tech industries. As an audit partner, Mr. Shim also assisted various start-up companies in achieving public listings on the TSX Venture Exchange, Canadian Securities Exchange and the OTC Market.
Board of Directors
James Marks
Chairman
James A. “Spider” Marks is the President of The Marks Collaborative, an advisory firm dedicated to the development and transformation of corporate leaders and their organizations.
Since retiring from the military, General Marks has continued his engagement in national security as an on-air contributor to CNN and as a keynote speaker and author addressing our dynamic geo-political environment. He has led business ventures to include entrepreneurial efforts in education, energy, IT, and primary research.
General Marks spent over 30 years in the United States Army holding every command position from infantry platoon leader to commanding general and was the senior intelligence officer during the LA Riots, in the Balkans, Korea, Iraq. He is an Honor Graduate of the US Army’s Ranger School and a member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.
General Marks has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and a Master of Arts degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.
Paul Litchfield
Director
Paul began working in the athletic footwear industry at Reebok more than 30 years ago and is regarded as one of the most influential product creation experts in the industry. Mr. Litchfield has been responsible for numerous Reebok product innovations, one of the most noteworthy being the Pump. In 1998, Paul became President of Puma Footwear where he was responsible for product marketing, design and development for Puma’s global product line before returning to Reebok in 2000 as the Vice President of Reebok Advanced Concepts.
Paul received his B.S. degree in biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire and his M.S. degree in Exercise Science from the University of Massachusetts. He conducted post graduate research in human performance at the Institute of Offshore and Environmental Medicine in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Daniel Raczykowski
Director
Daniel Raczykowski co-founded Unifire, Inc. in 1987 and served as its President and Chief Operating Officer for 33 years. With 38 years’ experience in the industry, Mr. Raczykowski is widely recognized as a top Subject Matter Expert (SME) on rescue operations, tools, and equipment, a compliment to an extensive catalog of achievements in military operations, logistics, training/instruction, business development, and client relations.
Mr. Raczykowski holds multiple patents, including chainsaw depth gauges, carbide tipped chainsaw chain, positive pressure ventilators, water misting systems used for cooling first responders, athletes and for fighting fire, level 1-2-3 rescue harnesses, Talon FMC combat knives as well as many unpatented products that have been successfully brought to market.
Buck Marshall
Director
Mr. Marshall brings an impressive history of high-level management experience to the Company, including 16 years of service within the commercial banking industry. During the past 12 years, Mr. Marshall has worked in tandem with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lending groups – through which he has developed an intimate knowledge of SBA programs – equipping him to efficiently navigate the credit standards and requirements for working with the US Government, and to leverage the specific programs available to enable small businesses to gain access to capital when conventional access is limited.
Most recently, as Market President of Northwest Bank (“Northwest”), Mr. Marshall worked alongside Northwest’s board of directors and division managers to develop policies and procedures that would ensure the successful realization of its long-term growth strategies and corporate vision. Additionally, Mr. Marshall presided over a significant restructuring and strategic turnaround within Northwest, while growing the team over a geographically dispersed region. As the primary contact for all interactions with the U.S. Small Business Administration for exams/audits, program changes and delegated authority renewals, Mr. Marshall introduced and implemented a host of operational improvements using lean methodologies to drive efficiency and reduce costs.
A member of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL), Mr. Marshall holds a communications degree from Eastern Washington University and multiple specialized banking-industry certifications including a Certified Lenders Diploma. Mr. Marshall has helped hundreds of small businesses get the capitol needed to grow their companies. Mr. Marshall’s extensive nation-wide network of banking professionals provide for coveted access to a wide range of resources including government-guaranteed lending programs and conventional credit opportunities.
Mr. Marshall places a high value on the creation and implementation of effective and efficient policies and procedures that positively impact morale and productivity. Consistently recognized for improving operational efficiencies through innovative and logical approaches that ultimately reflect positively on the bottom line, Mr. Marshall excels in aligning a company’s organizational objectives with their corporate vision, building revenue streams, achieving profitable growth, facilitating team collaboration, and developing integrated strategies.
