Thomas Stravino

Thomas Stravino honed his considerable customer service skills by literally catering to some of the world’s biggest stars. As head of business development for a Hollywood catering company, he became a master at feeding and pleasing such VIPs as Bette Davis, Diana Ross, Bob Seger, Pete Townshend, Elton John, and Pope John Paul II.

In just a few years, Stravino grew gross annual revenue at Michael’s Epicurean, Inc. from $100,000 to $2.5 million. In the process, he set the company up with its first computer network and business software system and was bitten by the information technology bug.

In 1992 Stravino opened his own IT shop, CompNet CNS, in Burbank, California. Stravino’s client list soon boasted several Fortune 500 companies including Bank of America, The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Safeco Insurance, and Penske Automotive, many of whom still rely on CNS to keep their IT running.

CNS now serves major corporations across the country, helping them with everything from network and software upgrades to on-site engineers and project managers. Among the company’s many successful projects are a 50,000-user VOIP phone deployment, a Windows 7 upgrade for 40,000 users, and deploying servers and teller machines to 285 bank branches in five states.

CNS is also in demand as a subcontractor for such leading IT firms as Xerox and Dell. Among the clients CNS helps them serve are the Boeing Company and the United States Air Force.

As a result, CNS is one of the top full-service IT firms, providing repairs, software upgrades, hardware refreshes, staffing solutions, project management, network support, and help desk services. In 2013, CNSwas recognized by the prestigious Inc. Magazine 500|5000 lists of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Stravino is a trained singer and musician who graduated from the Crane School of Music with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a minor in education. He taught school and worked as a talent agent in the music business for several years prior to joining Michael’s Epicurean, Inc.