Executive Bios

Richard W. Smith - ASC President and Co-Founder

Including the founding of ASC in 1980, President and Co-founder Richard Smith has more than 30 years of experience in applications programming and system implementation.

Beyond overseeing the direction of ASC, Richard manages the technical services areas, including customer support, system integration and system implementation. Combining a passion and expertise for evolving technologies, he remains the driving force behind the cutting-edge applications developed by ASC.

Always with a finger on the pulse of retail jewelry industry, Richard applies his extensive technical knowledge and years of practical experience to deliver personalized and successful solutions for the leading jewelry stores that use ASC software.

A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Richard holds a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical engineering.

Barry P. Kraft - ASC Vice President and Co-Founder

With more than 30 years in the information technology arena, Founding Partner and Executive Vice President Barry Kraft brings a broad range of technical and managerial expertise to ASC and our clients.

In addition to his primary duties of managing the financial aspects of ASC’s sales and marketing operation, Barry also provides consultative services to clients through ASC’s unique Advantage Program. Many of the nation’s leading jewelers rely on his business acumen to improve the performance of their staff, better manage inventory, maximize sales, improve customer service and ultimately manage their businesses better. In fact, it’s Barry’s unique ability to translate business needs into technical requirements that’s led to ASC’s innovative direction in product development and management.

A graduate of Union College in Schenectady, New York, Barry holds a bachelor’s of science degree in computer science.

Mark J. Dugan - ASC Director of Software Development and Co-Founder

Mark J. Dugan, co-founder of Applications Systems Corporation, possesses an extensive background in business software development from a variety of programming and technical management positions.

As director of Software Development, Mark manages three full-time programmers on ASC’s development team. He’s also responsible for software development and quality assurance of all ASC products, from day-to-day development to on-going enhancements. Mark and the programming team also take on the task of customized programming projects, from specification to software implementation to product testing.

A Harvard University graduate, Mark holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in applied mathematics.