Our Mission Is To Change The Way You Work
Skience® is a pioneer in harnessing the power of the cloud to transform businesses – from small firms to Fortune 500 companies.
Our Values

Skience is known for innovation, flexibility and a relentless focus on exceptional client service. We are committed to doing the right thing for our clients and leading the way for digital transformation of the financial services industry.
We have invested in building strong relationships throughout the past two decades with other technology firms, integration partners, consultants, and financial services firms, and we are dedicated to working collaboratively with our peers to build solutions that will serve our clients now and in the future.
Who is Skience?
Leader
20 years at the forefront of cloud-based solutions
Partner
“Doing what’s right” to build lasting client and partner relationships
Innovator
Inventive, reliable, and scalable solutions to help future-proof businesses
Connector
Bringing together applications, platforms, and data to reduce friction and enhance business performance
Recognition

Tech100 honoree by Northern Virginia Technology Council
Skience has been named a Tech100 honoree by Northern Virginia Technology Council for the second consecutive year.
Read more.

2020 WealthManagement.com Awards Winner
Skience was selected as a winner in the Technology Providers: Client Onboarding/New Account opening category.
Read more.

Skience Honored as Silver Stevie® Award Winner in 2020 American Business Awards®
Multi-Custodial Account Opening Solution, Available on the Skience® Platform, Recognized by Business Peers in FinTech Solution Category. Read more.

2019 NVTC Top 100
The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) recognized Skience as a 2019 NVTC Tech 100 honoree. The Tech 100 is a list of groundbreaking companies, leaders and innovators within the Washington, DC region’s technology community. Read more.

2019 WealthManagement.com Awards Finalist
Skience (formerly The Athene Group) was selected as a finalist in the Technology Providers: Client Onboarding/New Account opening category for our Multi-Point Digital Onboarding feature.
Read more.

Our Mission
Providing the technology and guidance to help financial services firms work better.
Our Values

We act with integrity
Since the inception of our firm, our guiding principle has always been to make decisions by "doing the right thing" as a company, and success has followed. We are courteous, professional, and kind at all times.

We are innovative
We enjoy breaking boundaries. We think outside the box, resist the status quo, and challenge beliefs. We have a pulse on current trends and best practices, while keeping a progressive eye on the future.

We are client-focused
Our clients are always top-of-mind, and we strive to exceed their expectations to deliver a remarkable service experience to every client, every time. We actively look for ways to “wow” our clients.

We are leaders
We invest time and energy in activities that have a measurable and beneficial impact on our company, our clients, and the industry at large. We encourage professional development and recognize and reward individuals who have achieved mastery in their fields.

We respect grit
Individually and collectively, we often face challenges in our jobs, but we never give up. As an organization, we are proud of our track record of achieving the impossible, and it gives us confidence to tackle any obstacle.

We take pride in our work
We are passionate about our individual areas of expertise, and feel a strong sense of ownership over our distinct roles and responsibilities. We recognize the performance of individual contributors and reward their contributions to our corporate success.

We leverage our collective genius
We are a diverse team, with different ideas, strengths, and backgrounds, which allows us to harness the power of a talented collective to collaborate on ideas and solve problems.

We celebrate often
We appreciate each other and celebrate our achievements as a firm, and our personal triumphs and important life events as individuals. We bring people together as often as possible, to build a sense of camaraderie among our teams. We strongly believe in the value of a positive work environment.

Sanjeev Kumar
CEO, Co-Founder
Sanjeev Kumar
CEO, Co-Founder
A self-declared “enthusiast for all I do,” Sanjeev’s passion for leveraging technology to solve business problems inspired him to found The Athene Group in 2001. With an extensive career in the IT business, he witnessed the evolution from mainframe computers to client servers to the cloud-based Internet age, and is excited to that Skience can continue to evolve in step with the industry’s many ongoing advancements.
Sanjeev has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University, India, although he never saw himself working in that industry. He found the world of technology to be much more challenging and fun. He was a developer and programmer before turning his talents to starting and running a business that has enabled him to build extensive relationships with financial services firms of all sizes, within the US and abroad.
While working with clients and inventing new solutions are Sanjeev’s top priorities, he also has many hobbies—including biking, hiking, and eating great food—all of which he enjoys with his wife and son. He also participates in fundraising bike rides each year, and sponsors education for several children who would not have the funds to go to school otherwise.

Kripa Shetty
CAO, Co-Founder
Kripa Shetty
CAO, Co-Founder
In 2001, Kripa saw an opportunity to form a company that could provide innovative technology solutions. Drawing on her experience working with business intelligence applications, she collaborated with Sanjeev to launch The Athene Group, taking on responsibility for the day-to-day general management of the company.
Kripa is respected for being a results-oriented problem solver who can build high-energy and efficient teams and keep everyone focused on the firm’s mission of delivering quality technology offerings to extremely satisfied clients. She ensures that each team has the right people, systems and infrastructure to deliver on the promise. Responsible for strategic planning, budgeting and operational success, Kripa has helped to lead the growth of the firm from a start-up to the thriving organization it is today.
Kripa enjoys music, reading, entertaining and, most importantly, spending time with her husband and daughter. She is also an executive member of a community chapter of a non-profit organization, and supports multiple charities in the US and India.

Marc Butler
President, COO
Marc Butler
President, COO
Marc oversees the business and technology teams at Skience. A respected global business and financial services executive, he has demonstrated success in driving accelerated growth in financial services and financial technology companies. With a people-first leadership style, Marc is expert in building organizations from the ground up, managing organizations through dynamic change and transformation, and improving company performance. He has held multiple financial technology leadership positions and has been involved in the development of numerous market-leading solutions throughout a 25-year career. Prior to joining Skience, Marc was chief operating officer at Albridge, an industry leader in aggregating multi-custodial, insurance, and direct-to-fund data from hundreds of sources to provide a consolidated view of assets.
Marc serves on the advisory boards of several technology companies, including WealthConductor LLC and AdvisorBid. In his free time, Marc enjoys skiing and biking, and for many years, was an enthusiastic participant in the Face of America bike ride, a charity biking event that raises money for and honors military veterans who have been wounded or disabled while serving their country. He and his family live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Kyle Van Pelt
EVP, Sales
Kyle Van Pelt
EVP, Sales
Kyle Van Pelt is responsible for leading the Skience sales team, accelerating revenue and contributing to the company’s marketing and business strategies. As a monthly contributor to Michael Kitces content, a keynote speaker at many industry events, and advisory board member to Fintech companies, Kyle is a sought-after mind on the future of financial advice.
Kyle launched his wealth management career as VP of Partnerships at Riskalyze, where he helped the company become one of the most recognized industry brands, growing over 300% in his time there. He then built out the enterprise function for SS&C Black Diamond by helping firms combine their direct at fund business with word class performance reporting and digital experience.
Kyle serves on the board of Hungry 4 a Day, a non-profit that helps feed the hungry and has averaged feeding over 25,000 people Thanksgiving dinner the last three years. He is also an avid golfer, coffee drinker and aspiring BBQ pit master.

Janak Mathuria
Head of Product Development
Janak Mathuria
Head of Product Development
Janak likes to say that he started developing software in pre-historic times—before the advent of the Internet. He worked in numerous areas, including assembler/compiler development, automated migration and reengineering tools, early AI and enterprise applications.
As head of product development at Skience, Janak is responsible for high-level design choices and dictates technical standards, tools and platforms for the firm’s continuous technology development.
Janak joined The Athene Group in 2014. He has a BA in Commerce from Sydenham College in Mumbai, India, and an MS in Computer Science from Virginia Tech.
In his leisure time, Janak enjoys traveling with his wife, son and daughter. He also finds time for gardening, swimming and cricket. In addition, he and his family assist children and support special needs events.

Damon Gladman
SVP, Product Management
Damon Gladman
SVP, Product Management
Damon has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. As head of product management at Skience, Damon is responsible for scaling the wealth management platform to address emerging technology needs, while implementing strategies to ensure a successful client experience. An accomplished speaker and thought leader, Damon has presented on the topic of digital transformation at Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual conference.
Prior to joining Skience, Damon managed technology strategy for a dually registered broker-dealer and Registered Investment Advisor organization, where he led multiple technology initiatives designed to drive efficiencies, improve reporting, and increase customer satisfaction. A graduate of Eckerd College, Damon holds Series 7, 24, and 66 securities licenses.
Damon has two daughters, and enjoys cheering them on at soccer matches, swim meets and community theater productions. When not on the sidelines, he stays active by running, playing basketball, and avidly following college sports.

Greg Starr
SVP, Salesforce Services
Greg Starr
SVP, Salesforce Services
Greg has been an agent of change for over 25 years. As a management and technology consultant for most of his career, he has led change initiatives for dozens of organizations. As the head of Skience’s Salesforce services division, Greg leads a team of professionals with expertise in management and technology consulting, Salesforce implementation, and financial services.
After graduating from the University of Michigan with a finance degree, Greg quickly found a passion for technology and consulting, initially learning system development and project management at Accenture. After almost two decades of leading CRM, billing and other technology consulting projects for telecom and government clients, Greg explored his interest in finance during stints with Freddie Mac and Capital One. During that time, he led initiatives to integrate Freddie’s capital markets systems with JP Morgan; scale and replace Freddie’s default and foreclosure systems during the housing crisis; and merge the ING Direct and Capital One online banking businesses.
Before joining Skience, Greg spent six years with Acumen Solutions, a Global Strategic Salesforce SI partner. During that time, Greg built and led a $30 million revenue industry vertical. Prior to that role, he was an Account Executive for Acumen, overseeing many successful Salesforce implementations and digital transformations.
In his free time, Greg enjoys playing roller hockey and poker, and watching University of Michigan sports and his son’s ice hockey games. Greg lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife and son.


Michelle Hester
SVP, Finance
Michelle Hester
SVP, Finance
Michelle has over twenty years of experience as a senior financial leader in SaaS and software technology companies. Michelle joined Skience in 2019 to lead the accounting and finance team as the company continues its strong growth trajectory. She has extensive experience working with high-growth technology companies to build the financial infrastructure and team needed to scale with the company’s needs.
Michelle holds a BS in Accounting from George Mason University and is a Certified Public Accountant. She started her career in public accounting, but soon thereafter, found she preferred the high energy and cutting-edge environment of technology firms.
In her free time, Michelle enjoys music, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two daughters. She also loves to try new restaurants with family and friends.


Sharon Ross
VP, Product Strategy & Client Success
Sharon Ross
VP, Product Strategy & Client Success
With more than 18 years of experience in financial services, Sharon Ross brings a passion for creating and maintaining lasting relationships and ensuring a successful client experience to Skience, where she is responsible for the Skience client experience, including support services.
Prior to joining Skience, Sharon spent a decade as a compliance director for a registered broker-dealer, and served as project manager for a multi-million dollar broker-dealer and technology company joint venture that was established to create software solutions for the alternative investments industry. Most recently, Sharon managed corporate governance and development for a financial services digital platform provider.
A graduate of Elon College, Sharon holds a CRCP from FINRA Institute at Wharton and previously held Series 7, 24, 99 and 63 securities licenses. She has three children, all black belts, that keep her busy. She enjoys fitness, including weight lifting and 5k races with her children.


Amaidhi Chandran
Managing Director, Skience India
Amaidhi Chandran
Managing Director, Skience India
In his career, Amaidhi has played both hands-on and leadership roles across multiple IT functions—development, testing, production, client support, and more. He brings this expertise to the supervision of Skience’s India organization, which employs 60 people and was founded a decade ago. Amaidhi has worked with a wide range of firms, from early-stage start-ups to corporate giants.
Amaidhi has a degree in Computer Science Engineering from The Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, India and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India. Through his education and work experience, he has come to believe that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things, if their innate potential is tapped correctly—and he has brought this positive “can do” attitude with him to Skience.
When not working, Amaidhi enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, as well as travelling, hiking and farming—yes, farming! In addition, he and his family sponsor education for underprivileged children, which they find to be a very rewarding endeavor.
2001
The Athene Group founded
Driven by a passionate belief in the power of technology to solve business problems, CEO Sanjeev Kumar and COO Kripa Shetty launch The Athene Group in 2001. Their consulting work helps clients leverage the cloud to become more nimble, mobile, and social.
2008
First version of Skience launched
A customized integration project for a broker-dealer inspires the launch of the first version of what will evolve to become a standalone wealth management platform.
2010
Salesforce partnership established
A natural extension of our cloud expertise, The Athene Group becomes a flagship Salesforce partner, helping clients capitalize on their CRM investment to build seamless, end-to-end workflow solutions.
2012
Skience platform launched
Responding to the needs of a changing industry, The Athene Group launches the Skience wealth management platform, an end-to-end workflow solution offering out-of-the-box integration with leading custodians and financial planning tools—without the costs of custom development.
2016
Skience Financial Solutions for Salesforce® Financial Services Cloud launched
Salesforce introduces Financial Services Cloud and reaches out to The Athene Group to develop a version of the platform that integrates with FSC, resulting in Skience Financial Solutions for Salesforce® Financial Services Cloud.
2018
Majority investment by private equity firms
New York-based private equity firms Sagewind Capital LLC and Berenson Holdings LLC lead the acquisition of The Athene Group, with additional investment by Insight Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures. Co-founders Sanjeev Kumar and Kripa Shetty continue in their leadership roles.
2019
Company unified under the Skience brand
The Athene Group unites the product and consulting services teams under the Skience brand name, underscoring a shared commitment to helping financial businesses boost productivity and provide exceptional experiences to their clients.