OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
Ettienne van Vuuren
Chief Executive Officer
Ettienne brings over 15 years of industry experience to his role as CEO. With two decades in the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) industry, he has a proven track record of leadership and growth. Before joining the PEO sector, Ettienne served as Vice President of Business Development for Metro Courier, a dedicated payroll delivery company. He oversaw operations and streamlined secure processes, enabling the company to deliver over 10,000 payroll packages weekly, totaling more than $100M in payroll. Under his leadership, revenue doubled, and Metro Courier expanded to become Florida’s largest payroll delivery company before its acquisition.
Most recently, Ettienne served as Vice President of Sales for Synuity HR, where he became the top producer in 2020, selling over $20M in payroll despite the challenges of the pandemic. He continued to build on his success in 2021, increasing his sales to $35M. In 2022, Synuity was acquired by Vensure Employer Services, where Ettienne became the top national producer, generating over $100M in payroll sales.
Mark Ptolomey
President
Originally from England, Mark moved to Bloomington, IN, where he earned his BA in Telecommunications and Marketing from Indiana University. After relocating to Florida over 36 years ago, he has called Tampa home for the past 22 years, where he resides with his wife Cheri and their two children, Spenser and Lauren.
With a deep passion for insurance and over 30 years of expertise in the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) industry, Mark is known for his innovative and creative problem-solving approach. His specialty lies in benefits, where he has successfully attracted and insured over 40,000 employees in the past five years.
Mark was the top producer at his previous employer, achieving an impressive 95% retention rate. As one of the founders of Stratus, he is committed to delivering the same level of success and excellence to his clients of all sizes.
Michael A. Knox
Tax Accountant
Mike has over 25 years of experience in payroll and accounting. He is the sole owner of Michael A. Knox, CPA, PA, a Florida Corporation founded in May 1999. The firm provides a wide range of services, including management consulting, accounting, business and professional consulting, payroll, tax preparation and planning, and CFO/COO support.
Mike’s expertise extends to a variety of industries, including:
· PEO/ASO & Staffing
· Agriculture
· Manufacturing
· Medical Device Manufacturing
· Marketing & Advertising
· Insurance Agencies
· Import/Export
· Health Providers
· Publicly traded entities, offering quarterly and annual reporting
His firm serves businesses of all sizes, including individuals, partnerships, LLCs, and corporations.
Jennifer Hamilton-Lyons
Senior Vice President
With over 15 years of specialized experience in Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) and 25 years in human resources, staffing, recruiting, and business development, Jennifer brings a wealth of expertise to the table. She began her career in the early 2000s at Adecco, where she played a key role in recruiting, hiring, and managing temporary employees for Bank of America. Her success in this role led to an opportunity with Bank of America, where she continued to grow her career in recruiting and HR.
In 2009, Jennifer expanded her career with Ceridian, overseeing benefits administration for Fortune 500 companies such as Target, Volvo, and Mayo Clinic. Since 2013, she has focused exclusively on the PEO industry, where she has held a range of roles including Client Solutions Consultant, HR Business Partner, and Vice President of Client Relations. Throughout her career, Jennifer has demonstrated expertise with a variety of HRIS and timekeeping systems, including, Hiring Thing, Oracle, iSolved, TimeCo, Netwise, Prism, Taleo, and Darwin. Her depth of experience and strategic leadership make her an invaluable asset to our organization.