With a diverse career in technology that spans from a senior executive to business development
head, co-founder, and board of director positions, Rick Varnell is a standout with a reputation for
delivering results, while infusing energy and passion that empowers big thinking and pursuit of goals
with intensity and focus.
Rick has extensive experience in developing businesses and managing companies from start-up
to critical growth stages, leveraging his deep technology relationships and talent for creating investment
value and revenue-generating business models.
As the Advisory Council Chairman of Nadsco, Rick is growing and leading a group of industry
stakeholders to focus on applying blue ocean, cutting edge technology to focus on real solutions to
some of the world's most challenging problems. Rick’s core focus is aligning stakeholders across hyper
scalers and technology companies to apply their solutions to these large initiatives , and enable Nadsco
and others in the business ecosystem to deliver on their respective objectives.
In addition to his role at Nadsco, Rick is also the Founder and Managing Partner for 5g LLC, an
aggregator of real estate for delivery and implementation of technology solutions beginning with roof
top sites, a critical area for provisioning 5G wireless technology. Before 5g LLC and Building Cyber
Security, Rick was the Global EVP of Building Technology Services at CBRE, the world’s largest property
management and leasing company, where he introduced new revenue generating models for
commercial real estate via technology services partnerships with companies like Intel, AT&T, Apple,
Google and others, converting technology into simplified, meaningful tenant and building services,
increasing new opportunities for net operating income.
Additionally, Rick now sits on several Advisory Services Boards and BOD’s including Partner
Engineering, JennyCo, 5GLLC, Building Cyber Security, and Google X Advisory roles.
Rick’s ingenuity and business transformation skills were cultivated in a multitude of leadership
positions over the past 35 years, where he served as an executive and a member of the board of
directors with IndoorVu and Telect, and founded companies, including One Degree North, Purcell
Systems, and Northern Technologies. He graduated from Kinman Business University in Spokane, WA,
and currently resides in Nashville, TN.
