Leadership That Puts Merchants First

Decades of payments experience, driven by a unified team with one clear mission: to deliver the best payment services to our merchants.

Team Built on Transparency, Experience, and Real Support

Host Merchant Services was built on the promise that merchants would always understand what they’re paying for and always be able to reach a real person who can help instantly.

Our leadership team blends deep payments experience with hands-on technology and operations expertise. That’s what enables us to deliver fast onboarding, reliable platforms, consistent service, and the transparency merchants expect.

Executive Leadership at Host Merchant Services

Lou Honick

Experience: 28+ years building technology companies (since 1997) • 16+ years in payments & merchant services (since 2009).

Lou Honick is the CEO of Host Merchant Services. A serial technology entrepreneur, Lou founded HostMySite.com in 1997 and grew it from a two-person operation into a major web hosting company with 240 employees and more than 100,000 customers at the time of its acquisition in 2008.

After briefly stepping away from day-to-day operations, Lou returned to the payments industry in 2009 with a clear mission to make merchant support straightforward, honest, and human. At Host Merchant Services, he’s focused on transparency, long-term partnerships, and service that helps merchants stay profitable without feeling trapped in confusing pricing or hidden fees.

Lou’s work has been recognized through multiple Inc. 500 awards, Inc. Magazine’s “Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30,” SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year.

Andrew Forrest

Experience: 21+ years in technology & operations (since 2004) • 13+ years with Host Merchant Services (since 2012).

Andrew Forrest serves as HMS’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing day-to-day execution across operations, support, and internal systems. With a career that began in technical infrastructure and client support, Andrew has spent more than two decades building scalable processes that keep customers supported and platforms running smoothly. He previously worked closely with Lou Honick at HostMySite.com, where he gained extensive experience in technology, infrastructure, and operations.

At Host Merchant Services, Andrew has held senior leadership responsibility since 2012 and previously served as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. Today, as COO, he aligns people, process, and technology. He helps us streamline workflows, improve reliability, and ensure the HMS experience stays consistent as the company grows.

Eric Katz

Experience: 30+ years in software engineering & platform architecture.

Eric Katz is Vice President of Technology at Host Merchant Services, leading engineering and software development across the company’s payment technology stack. He’s responsible for platform architecture, performance, security best practices, and the technical foundation behind HMS products and integrations.

Eric brings three decades of hands-on experience building and modernizing software systems. At Host Merchant Services, he partners closely with operations, support, and sales to ensure technology decisions translate into real outcomes for merchants. For our clients, this means faster implementations, stable processing, and dependable tools that teams can rely on.

Chris Clements

Experience: 19+ years in merchant services & payments sales leadership (since 2006).

Chris Clements leads Host Merchant Services’ sales strategy and national revenue growth, with a focus on matching merchants to the right solution. He ensures all sales operations are free of confusion or pressure. He joined Host Merchant Services in 2022 after building a long career in the payments space across inside/outside sales leadership and multi-channel business development.

Chris is known for building disciplined, service-minded sales teams. At Host Merchant Services, he emphasizes training, clear communication, and strong partner relationships. He is the reason our merchants and agents get consistent guidance, accurate expectations, and support that lasts beyond onboarding.

Ryan Dosen

Experience: 9+ years in consulting, coaching & team leadership (since 2017).

Ryan Dosen supports HMS’s national sales organization with a strong focus on agent and partner enablement. As National Sales Director, he works directly with our partners to onboard new relationships, deliver product training, and keep the field up to speed on tools, programs, and new releases.

Ryan regularly leads educational sessions and webinars designed to help partners sell confidently and support their merchants effectively. His background in consulting and coaching brings structure to training, clarity to messaging, and momentum to national initiatives.

Eric Laskowski

Experience: Nearly a decade of experience in partner relationship management.

Eric Laskowski is HMS’s Partner Relationship Manager, responsible for cultivating and supporting ISO/agent and affiliate partnerships. He helps onboard new partners, coordinates enablement resources, and serves as a dedicated point of contact, so partners can move faster, get answers quickly, and grow their portfolios with confidence.

At Host Merchant Services, Eric ensures the partner experience is responsive, organized, and profitable, and that all processes are transparent and backed by continuous support.

Vishal Kulkarni

Experience: 14+ years in digital platforms, marketing technology & technical leadership (since 2012).

Vishal Kulkarni leads the intersection of marketing and technology at Host Merchant Services. He brings together the brand, performance marketing, content, and the digital systems that power them. He oversees campaigns, messaging, and platform optimization, all while supporting Host Merchat Service’s web presence and internal digital tools.

With a background that spans technical leadership and marketing execution, Vishal focuses on turning strategy into measurable results, helping us communicate clearly, reach the right merchants and partners, and continually improve the online experience.

Nyle Mediate

Experience: 11+ years in operations, service coordination & support environments (since 2014)

Nyle Mediate oversees the operational workflows that keep Host Merchant Services responsive and organized day-to-day. As Operations Manager, he supports internal coordination across teams, helps improve processes, and reinforces service standards so merchants and partners receive timely, accurate support.

Nyle’s role is centered on consistency. He ensures the right tasks are completed at the right time. Issues are tracked and resolved promptly under his leadership, and teams have clear processes that scale with HMS’s growth.

Partner with a Team You Can Trust, Partner with Host Merchant Services

Ready to work with a payments partner that values clarity, access, and long-term support?

Connect with Host Merchant Services to see how our experienced leadership team, transparent pricing, and hands-on service can support your business as it grows.