About Us

Our History

Core Commissions is a leader in automated commission tracking software based in Vancouver, Washington. After managing complex sales commission plans for telecom companies in the Pacific Northwest for a number of years, CEO Kirt Phillips recognized immense inefficiencies in using spreadsheets for such critical functions. He founded Core in 2005 to develop the highest level of automation and efficiency available for any business performing this key function.

To this day, Core prides itself on offering the most powerful and flexible rules engine in the industry, bar none.

We believe we have achieved that with our proprietary RuleBot technology, which provides the optimal balance between specialized commission functions and rapid customization in an intuitive graphical designer interface.

What We Do

Core Commissions delivers an affordable web-based commission management software solution that fully automates the calculation and management of complex sales commission and incentive compensation plans.

Our specialized RuleBots from the graphical rules designer are configured to perform complex calculations through drop-down selections. Once built, any result can be audited from within a single view to see every calculation step performed. They also have the ability to:

Import data from any source and automate all the data relationship tasks.

Handle the most sophisticated data relationship and data massaging requirements.

Build plans of any complexity for fully automated calculations.

Economically meet complex commission requirements with Core’s efficient no-code commission software solution.

Generate and publish output to our web reporting platform, Core Portal, for salespeople to view pay statements and performance dashboards.

The Core of Core: Our Principles

Provide High Value

Strive to provide a great sales commission software at a fair price that helps make our users more successful.

Prove It

Be ready to back up any of our claims with results and let our customers decide if we delivered as expected with our commission tracking software.

Responsiveness

Do our best every time to respond rapidly to issues and requests in a way that outperforms our customers’ expectations.

Always Be Improving

Listen and keep an open mind for new and innovative ways to make our sales commission software and services better.

Core Leadership Team

Kirt Phillips, pictured here, is the founder and CEO of Core Commissions

Kirt Phillips

Core’s founder and CEO, Kirt Phillips, has over 25 years experience in sales commission management and BI software development. Under Kirt’s leadership Core has grown from a small custom development shop into an industry leader in incentive compensation management.

An engineering graduate of Texas A&M, Kirt is an expert in financial management systems and has previously served in executive and advisory positions at several leading-edge technology companies including New Edge Networks and GST Telecom. When not working on new ways to automate complex rules, Kirt may be found perfecting his neopolitan pizza recipes or hiking in the Columbia River Gorge.

Dave Havens, co-founder and chief product architect of Core Commissions, is pictured against a gray background.

Dave Havens

Dave brings more than 20 years of hands-on software development and data architecture experience. He has been involved with Core since its inception and headed up the design of Core’s industry-leading rules engine and commission tracking software. As Chief Product Architect, Dave is involved with all technology-related operations with oversight on best practices, software requirement specifications, and programming.

Dave holds a BS in Software Engineering Technology from Oregon Institute of Technology and in his spare time, you can find him running, exploring overseas business opportunities, and playing board games.

The Core Team

Jonathan Haas, Core Commissions Technology Manager, pictured against a gray background.

Jonathan Haas

Jonathan graduated with a computer science degree from Seattle Pacific University and joined Core after a position as a software developer at Faithlife, working on Logos Bible Software. Although he occasionally assists with customer implementations, Jonathan primarily works behind the scenes in a development role managing and maintaining servers, administering databases, and rolling out Core feature upgrades.

Outside of work Jonathan is very involved in his church as a youth group leader and Sunday school teacher, loves to sail the San Juan Islands, and is an accomplished mountain climber.

Shane Phillips, Core Commissions Senior Implementation Manager, is pictured against a gray background.

Shane Phillips

Overseeing the implementation team, Shane ensures that the Core toolset is being used in the most efficient and practical manner to meet the needs of our customers. ETL data mapping, report creation, troubleshooting and resolving complex technical issues are all under his domain. Shane holds a degree in Atmospheric Sciences with a minor in Applied Math from the University of Washington.

He joined Core Commissions after a summer stint as a line cook at The Bad Monkey in Ocean City, Maryland. In his spare time Shane enjoys traveling, camping and his Nintendo Switch.

James Johnston, Core Commissions Implementation Manager,

James Johnston

As lead of Core’s Managed Services Division, James is key in managing a full project lifecycle including requirements gathering, functional design, installation, user acceptance testing, issue resolution and production implementation. James works closely with clients making sure Core exceeds customer expectations. James graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Management Information Systems.

When not in the office, he enjoys playing guitar and participating in fantasy sports.

Austin Gallogly, implementer and UI strategist at Core Commissions, is pictured against a gray background.

Austin Gallogly

Austin started at Core after several years as a project manager in the healthcare IT industry. He works alongside customers to automate and streamline their commission plans using SQL queries among other tools, and he holds a degree in Mathematics and French from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Outside of the office, Austin enjoys hiking, biking, and birdwatching, as well as playing piano on rainy days.

Ryan Milem, Core Commissions software architect, is pictured against a gray background.

Ryan Milem

Ryan started as a System Implementer working directly with customers, but has since transitioned to software development. He has been focusing on adding more features to CoreNext, as well as maintaining the current Core Commissions platforms. In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing board games and video games with his family, as well as reading fantasy and sci-fi books.
Abbey Felley, Systems Implementer at Core Commissions, is pictured against a gray background.

Abbey Felley

As System Implementer, Abbey works closely with clients to gather requirements, build commission rules, write ETL queries, and troubleshoot issues. Originally from the small town of La Grande, Oregon, she holds a degree in mathematics and computer science from Whitman College. Abbey enjoys photography and uses her free time to go backpacking and hiking in the summer, or to stay home and read in the winter.

Josh Reiter, Core Commissions developer, is pictured against a gray background.

Josh Reiter

Having earned his computer science degree from Western Washington University, Josh provides implementation and development services and support to Core Commissions clients. Prior to joining the team, Josh spent five years as a QA tester and lead with Welocalize. He spends a lot of time outdoors running and hiking but also likes to read and play board games.
Samantha Phillips, Core Commissions project manager, is pictured against a gray background.

Samantha Phillips

As our Project Manager, Samantha is the primary point of contact for a customer during their software implementation. She is responsible for gathering requirements, answering questions, and providing training support. In addition, she keeps projects on schedule, within the budget, and Core’s customers happy. Prior to joining Core, Samantha graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Management Information Systems.

Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, painting, spending time with family, and frolicking with her dog Wallace.

Nathaniel Gurnee, data integration analyst with Core Commissions, pictured against a gray background.

Nathaniel Gurnee

From gathering rules to ETL applications and robust data visualizations, Nat is dedicated to helping clients utilize Core to its utmost so they can count on quality analytics and rapid incentive calculations. His role typically involves collecting information. Nat is a fan of all things pertaining to data science and received a degree in Business Administration with a focus in analytics and information systems from George Fox University.

On the weekends, he can be found rock climbing, hiking, golfing, and volunteering at his church in Portland as a men’s ministry leader.

Lynn Phillips, VP of Operations at Core Commissions, is pictured against a gray background.

Lynn Phillips

Lynn’s role is to equip the organization with systems and infrastructure to operate efficiently and within budget. She oversees HR, marketing, billing, and office administrative functions. Lynn learned the ropes in the telecom industry at Electric Lightwave and GST Telecom, where she was responsible for expanding market presence into new cities and strengthening the company’s existing footprint across the Western US and Hawaii.

Lynn graduated from Western Maryland College with an Economics Degree. Puzzles, wine tasting, and travel keep Lynn busy during off-hours.

Austin Yerroeck, Core Commissions implementer, is pictured against a gray background.

Austin Yerroeck

Austin works closely with Core Commissions clients to build out commission rules in order to help them process monthly sales data and commissions output. In his free time, Austin splits his time between PC gaming, listening to metal, and longboarding his way around the Pacific Northwest.
Wyatt Jackson, Core Commissions data support specialist, pictured against a gray background.

Wyatt Jackson

A Portland, Oregon native, Wyatt has his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Puget Sound and Portland State University. He works closely with customers as part of the Managed Services and Implementation teams.

In his free time, Wyatt enjoys performing opera and playing soccer, video games, and board games with friends.

Matthew Norvell, Core Commissions developer, pictured against a gray background.

Matthew Norvell

As an integral member of the development team here at Core Commissions, Matthew primarily develops features for our proprietary RuleBots technology while providing support on other projects as necessary. He graduated from Washington State University Vancouver with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science before joining Core.

When not developing advanced technology for commission automation, Matthew plays guitar and collects records.

Sandra Halbrook, Core Commissions Managed Services Specialist, is pictured against a gray background.

Sandra Halbrook

As part of the Managed Services team at Core Commissions, Sandra prepares and processes customer statements into the commission system. She has a background in order tracking system administration and billing. Outside of work, Sandra enjoys games and puzzles, road trips, watching sports, and spending time with her family.

Kris Kingsbury Core Commissions Account Manager is pictured against a gray background

Kris Kingsbury

As Account Manager, Kris works directly with sales organizations to understand their commission requirements and pain points. He guides prospects through the Core application demonstrating how Core can automate their unique commission plan rules. Prior to joining the team, Kris graduated from Portland State University with a degree in mathematics and communication studies.

He’s a connoisseur of puns and spends his free time golfing, mastering video games, and cooking up new recipes in the kitchen.

Conor Edgecumbe, a systems implementer at Core Commissions, is pictured in a collared shirt against a white background

Conor Edgecumbe

A graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, Conor has a degree in Computer Science with a focus on machine learning and data analysis. As a systems implementer for Core Commissions, he looks forward to analyzing data while building commission solutions tailored to customers’ specific needs. To achieve that goal, he writes ETL plans, creates data visualizations, and aims to effectively communicate with each customer. 

When not at work, Conor enjoys backpacking and playing with his English Shepherd.

Josh Reiter, Core Commissions developer, is pictured against a gray background.

Conner Batson

As a Software Testing Specialist, Conner works closely with Core’s developers and implementers to find, assess, and resolve any problematic features before each new release of Core. He also works with automation tools to improve testing coverage and develop documentation concerning the Core application. Originally from Woodland, Washington, Conner graduated from Washington State University with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics.

When not working, he spends his free time playing video games, and reading and watching anime.