Tech Turnovers and Exec Opportunities (2024)

August 1st, 2019

Welcome to the 63rd Edition of the Open Tech Roles newsletter. This newsletter covers open technology roles as of July 22nd, 2019 and technology appointments for past 62 days ending July 22nd, 2019.

Titles are evolving and are specializing:

• The head of technology (IT) role has different titles, historically a CIO, is now either CIO, CTO or Engineering (including CIO role) and a Chief Digital Officer titles (or combinations thereof). Note: sometimes the head of IT is the EVP Tech & Ops with CIO type roots.
• The CTO role has multiple contexts and meanings: (1) CTOs that manage IT (where the CIO reports in); (2) CTOs that manage the tech infrastructure (a more traditional definition); (3) CTOs - Products/ Tech Strategy. They are essentially tech vendor CTOs and typically manage IT as well, but it is not their primary role or orientation.
• At Charter Communications the Chief Product Officer is adding Technology Officer to his title to oversee Engineering and IT along with Product Team. We have seen some of this trend recently in our Vell practice as well.

Geographic Distribution of Open & Closed Tech Roles

In this Edition

• Open Tech Function Roles - North America by Function
• Open Tech Function Roles - Rest of World by Function
• Tech Function Appointments - North America by Function
• Tech Function Appointments - Rest of World by Function
• Vell Executive Search Representative Placements
• About Vell Executive Search

Hope you enjoy this newsletter and find it useful. Suggestions and corrections are most welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks again and all the best,

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Vell Executive Search is a retained executive search firm that specializes in recruiting technology execs for boards and executive roles, including Board Members, CEOs, Presidents, GMs, CTOs/Chief Digital Officers/VP Engineering, as well as tech executives and board members for the technology industry. Vell has built a reputation for recruiting talented high-performing leadership teams globally.www.vell.com.

North American

Open Technology Roles

Technology & Operations Roles

• MetLife, NY, Mar 2019 - MetLife's EVP, Global Head of Technology and Operations, Martin J. Lippert, has retired. No replacement has been announced yet.

CIO Roles

• Post Consumer Brands, MN, Jun 2019 - The CPG firm is seeking a CIO who will be responsible for the team building and management of the IT team. In addition, the CIO will own the digital technology leadership and future state technology strategy.
• Wiley, NJ, Jul 2019 - Wiley is seeking an experienced and highly qualified CIO) accountable for Enterprise IT and Infrastructure and Security Services. Reporting to the CTO, the CIO will lead and formulate the execution of the strategic roadmap of enterprise applications and priorities and technology initiatives.
• Georgia Institute of Technology, GA, April 2019 -The Georgia Institute of Technology announced that U.S. Navy veteran James McGarrah will lead the university’s Office of Information Technology as its interim CIO and VP for IT. The decision comes a little more than two months after Georgia Tech’s former CIO, Mark Hoeting, resigned for a conflict of interest violation in which he conducted business with a cybersecurity sales representative with whom he had a personal relationship. The university says it will search for a new permanent CIO next year.
• OceanFirst Financial Corp., OceanFirst Bank, NJ, Jun 2019- The bank accepted the request of Joseph R. Iantosca, EVP & CIO, to retire, following a distinguished 15-year career. The Bank has asked Mr. Iantosca to be available as a resource during this transition. Mr. Iantosca has agreed to serve as a consultant through July 2021. Anthony Giordano, Senior Operations Officer, will serve as interim CIO.
• I.D. Systems, NJ, Jul 2019 - I.D. Systems is seeking a CIO who will work effectively at “C” level with cross-functional leaders from around the globe. Will work with the CEO, CFO and executives to formulate multi-year strategies, supporting business systems, infrastructure, Disaster Recover and Business Continuity and Security. The company announced in March that Michael Ehrman resigned from his position as CTO of the company. I.D. Systems produces wireless asset management systems.
• Washington State Gambling Commission, WA, May 2019 - The commission is seeking a highly skilled and qualified candidate to fill their CIO position.
• Department of the Treasury - Office of the Inspector General for Tax Administration, Washington, D.C., Jul 2019 - This CIO position is located in the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); Office of Information Technology (OIT)/Chief Information Officer (CIO). The incumbent serves as the CIO to the Inspector General (IG), with supervisory control over the OIT. OIT is responsible for all strategic and tactical planning, policy, budgeting, procurement, and administration for TIGTA IT programs.
• State of Washington, WA, Jul 2019 - The state is seeking a CIO with over six years of progressively responsible experience in business systems consulting, leading teams of IT professionals, and implementing strategic technology solutions.
• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, ID, Jul 2019 - The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is seeking a Chief Information Officer to provide leadership to the State of Idaho's largest Health and Human Service agency. This position will manage the Division of Information Technology Services (ITSD) and provide enterprise level strategic planning and support to business divisions such as Public Health, Welfare Programs, Child Support, Behavioral Health, Medicaid, and support units.
• HSBC, IL, Jul 2019 - HSBC is seeking a CIO for USA. This position has responsibility for all Information Technology portolio across US through geographic oversight of the following global IT functions; IT Development, IT Infrastructure Delivery, Cyber Security, Risk and Control Enviroment, Data Office, Financial Crime Compliance, IT COO function, Architecture, Operations IT, Global Business and Function IT in the country (RBWM, CMB, GBM, Corporate Functions and Risk IT).

Chief Technology Officers (Non Tech Vendor Product/ CIO/IT)

• McKesson Corporation, CA, April 2019 - Kathy McElligott, EVP, CIO and CTO, will also retire after a venerated career with McKesson, Emerson and General Electric. McElligott will stay on with McKesson until her successor has been named to ensure a smooth transition; the company will conduct an internal and external executive search.
• AutoNation, FL, Jan 2019 - EVP and CTO, Tom Conophy, left the Company amid restructuring. The restructuring comes as analysts forecast a dip in U.S. vehicle sales this year. New vehicle sales in the United States are expected to drop as higher interest rates and rising prices could prompt customers to hold off their car-buying plans, the National Automobile Dealers Association said.AutoNation, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States.

Chief Technology Officers - Tech Products/ Tech Strategy

• Wayfair, MA - Wayfair announced that John Mulliken, CTO, will retire from the company in 2019. With Mulliken’s planned departure, current Wayfair board member and former Google executive Jim Miller will serve as interim CTO while Wayfair conducts an external search. Miller brings invaluable expertise and decades of experience in technology and product innovation to the Wayfair team. He has served on the Wayfair board for the past three years. Mulliken will remain with the company to support the transition through October 15, 2019.
• Nutanix, CA, Jun 2019 - Sunil Potti notified Nutanix that he will resign from his position as the Company’s Chief Product and Development Officer to join Google. Unsure if the role is open. Brian Stephens, until recently the CTO of Google Cloud, has joined the Nutanix board.
• Shutterstock, NY, Mar 2019 - Martin Brodbeck, CTO of Shutterstock, notified the company of his decision to resign from his position. The Company has commenced a search for a CTO to succeed Mr. Brodbeck.Shutterstock is a photography, stock footage, stock music, and editing tools provider.
• Conformis, MA, Sep 2018 - Daniel Steines, M.D, M.S., CTO, of Conformis, announced his resignation from the company.
• FISION Corporation, MN, Jun 2018 - Effective Jun 15, 2018, Wade Anderson resigned as CTO (as well as Chief Product Officer).The Company develops proprietary cloud-based software solutions to automate the marketing functions and activities of its customers.
• Globalive Technology, ON, Canada, April 2019 - Globalive Technology announced that CTO Bhavin Shah has departed from the company to pursue other opportunities.Globalive Technology develops blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies, with the goal of commercializing artificial intelligence and blockchain.
• Gnoci, Washington D.C., Jul 2019 - The incoming CTO would have to bring to the table experience in Scaling Organizations. Work on expanding Fintech And Health Tech Operations. Looking for an accomplished Data Scientist heading Blockchain, Machine Learning & Virtual reality divisions. Gnoci is a management by design firm that helps sustain organizations by being strategic and adaptive in face of disruptive environments.
• FiscalNote, Washington D.C., Jul 2019 - The CTO at FiscalNote will be responsible for technical leadership and strategy across the company – reporting directly to the CEO. S/he has to have experience in information services and/or SaaS technologies and has a proven track record of aligning R&D teams towards stability and growth, this will require making global hires and hands-on mentorship regarding team management and effective delegation.

Digital Chiefs

• Nucor Corporation,NC, April 2019 - Nucor Corporation announced that Chief Digital Officer and EVP, R. Joseph Stratman, plans to retire in June 2019 after more than 29 years of service with the company.Nucor Corporation manufactures and sells steel and steel products in the United States and internationally.

Security Chiefs/CISOs

• Zoom Information, MA, Jan 2019 - In second quarter of this year, the CIO (appointed in January 2019) will be joined by a new chief information security officer (CISO). The CISO role is open.Zoom Information develops business-to-business (B2B) data and business information solutions for customers in sales, marketing, recruiting, or other businesses.
• State of Ohio, OH, Jul 2019 - The Office of the Secretary of State’s Information Technology Division is seeking a CISO to serve as Security Point of Contact; develop & implement policies, procedures, standards & best practices to ensure protection of critical infrastructure based on national security standards.

Rest of the World

Open Tech Chief Roles

CIOs

• Supreme Ventures Limited, Jamaica - Supreme Ventures Limited announced resignation of Ms. Cheryl Hylton as CIO. SVL further advised that in the interim period, SVP for Operations, Nicholas Browne, will assume responsibilities for the information technology portfolio. Supreme Ventures Limited engages in betting, gaming, and lottery operations in Jamaica.

Digital Chiefs

• Kingfisher plc, United Kingdom, Mar 2019 - Steve Willett, Chief Transformation, Digital & IT Officer, has decided to retire after nearly 20 years with the business. As a result of Steve’s retirement, a new role of Chief Digital and Customer Officer has been created, which will be part of Kingfisher’s Group Executive team. Recruitment for this role is well underway and it is expected that an appointment will be announced in the near future. Steve will oversee a full handover of his responsibilities.
• Wärtsilä, Finland - Wärtsilä Corporation announced that Chief Digital Officer Marco Ryan to leave Wärtsilä. Mr. Marco Ryan, Chief Digital Officer & EVP and a member of the Board of Management has resigned from Wärtsilä with immediate effect. Ryan will be appointed to a key position outside Wärtsilä. Wärtsilä’s Board of Management will evaluate how to organise the digital organisation for the future to provide increased value to customers and the society.

Notes:

• AT&T - Pam Parisian, 60, retired from AT&T as President of Technology Development. No replacement has been announced yet. Responsible for the development and operation of the software platforms that support the end-to-end customer experience for the Network, Consumer, Enterprise, and Internet of Things business segments along with Corporate Systems that support Human Resources and Finance.
• Taiwan Mobile - Tom Koh will temporarily serve as Acting SVP and CTO of the Taiwan Mobile Co., Ltd. from July 1, 2019. The official personnel change will be announced after being approved by the Board of Directors. Former Senior Director, Qualcomm.

Tech Chief Appointments in North America

Technology & Operations

• American International Group, NY - AIG announced that John Cusano has been appointed Chief Business & Technology Operations Officer, General Insurance. In this new leadership role, Mr. Cusano will be responsible for enhancing General Insurance’s business and technology operations infrastructure as well as aligning end-to-end processes with established target operating models. Mr. Cusano’s global portfolio includes General Insurance’s Shared Services, Information Technology, Project Management Office and Vendor Management operations. He will report to Peter Zaffino, President and CEO, AIG General Insurance, and Global COO, AIG, and serve on the General Insurance Executive Leadership team, as well as the AIG Global Technology Council. Mr. Cusano joins AIG from Accenture, where he spent the majority of his career serving the insurance industry.
• Regions Bank, AL - Amala Duggirala’s role as Enterprise CIO has been expanded to include Enterprise Operations. As the head of Operations and Technology, Duggirala will lead a team focused on enhancing Regions’ technology capabilities and operations to make banking easier for customers.
• Fox Television Stations, NY - FOX Television Stations announced Richard Friedel has been named EVP of Engineering, Operations and Technology. Reporting directly to Abernethy, Friedel will oversee all engineering, operations and technology functions for the station group. Prior to joining FTS, Friedel oversaw long-term technology strategy and day-to-day operations for the Fox Network Center in Los Angeles and the Fox Technical Operations Center in The Woodlands, Texas. Fox Television Stations owns and operates television broadcasting stations in designated market areas (DMA) of the United States.
• AllianceBernstein Holding L.P., NY - Karl Sprules, most recently Co-Head of Global Technology and Operations, has been named sole Head of Global Technology and Operations. Sprules will lead the firm's investments in new technology and infrastructure solutions to best serve clients. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. is publicly owned investment manager.

CIO Appointments

• Wells Fargo & Company, CA - Wells Fargo & Company named Steve Hagerman as head of Consumer Lending Technology. He will join the company’s Technology organization reporting directly to Saul Van Beurden, head of Technology. Hagerman, as head of Consumer Lending Technology, will be responsible for supporting Wells Fargo’s new and emerging technology platforms, allowing the consumer lines of business to evolve and grow their product sets. Most recently, Hagerman was CTO, managing director and head of Home Lending Originations Technology at JP Morgan Chase.
• MassMutual, MA - Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company announced that Gareth Ross has been named head of the new Enterprise Technology and Experience (ETX) organization, responsible for digital, brand, and data science as well as a number of large scale innovation projects for the company. Under Ross’ direction, MassMutual has invested in data science over the past six years, establishing an in-house data science group that creates knowledge and builds services from data that enable enterprise-wide data-driven decision making through science and applied research.
• MassMutual, MA - Arthur Riel joined as head of Core Technology & Initiatives, a newly created role that oversees the prioritization and delivery of strategic technology projects across the company, as well as internal and external information systems applications, platforms and infrastructure. He has worked in senior technology management roles at various organizations, including Moody’s, NYSE EuroNext, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Most recently, he served as Chief Enterprise Architect and CIO of Finance IT for The World Bank.
• Duke Energy Corporation, NC - Duke Energy Corporation announced that Bonnie Titone will join the company as CIO. Titone was most recently VP of information business technology at Pacific Gas and Electric. She will also contribute to the company's ongoing digital transformation efforts. Prior to her work at PG&E, Titone served in leadership roles at Volkswagen and Toyota, where she focused on software and project delivery.
• Avnet, AZ - Avnet announced the promotion of Max Chan to CIO, reporting to MaryAnn Miller, Chief Administrative Officer. Chan has been serving as the head of global information solutions (GIS) within Avnet since November 2018.
• BAE Systems, VA - BAE Systems announced Travis Garriss as SVP and CIO. Travis most recently served as CIO and VP of User and Functional Enablement at Honeywell. Prior to joining Honeywell in 2007, Garriss spent time at DHL and ran a consulting firm specializing in Internet services and network security for public service, communications, and other clients.
• Navy Federal Credit Union, VA - Navy Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Anthony “Tony” Gallardy to serve as the new EVP and CIO. Gallardy is taking the reins from Bill Hills, who is retiring after nearly a decade of service with the credit union. Gallardy began his career with Navy Federal 33 years ago. He has served as Navy Federal’s VP of Global Telecommunication Services, then as SVP of Consumer and Credit Card Lending prior to his role as the Deputy CIO.
• BBVA Compass Bancshares, TX - BBVA USA has named Kevin McMahon as its new U.S. Head of Engineering, where he will be responsible for the company's overall information technology strategy. A 13-year veteran of the bank in the US, McMahon will report directly to BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodríguez Soler and become a member of the bank's US Management Committee. McMahon's position is significant in driving the bank's digital transformation. McMahon was previously the Head of Business Software Engineering, where he led the bank's core banking and channel development activities. He was also the Manager of Channel Application, with responsibilities that included project management of capital projects and software development of Online Banking, Mobile, Wallet, ATMs, Contact Center systems, CRM, Online Account Origination, Teller and various other channel specific applications.
• Encore Capital Group, CA - Encore Capital Group announced that Monique Dumais has been appointed to the role of CIO (CIO) for both the parent company, Encore Capital Group, as well as for its U.S. business, Midland Credit Management (MCM). Ms. Dumais comes to Encore from Bank of America, where she most recently served as SVP, Technology Executive.
• Black Knight, FL - Black Knight announced that Peter Carrara has joined the company as Chief Information Officer. In his new role, Carrara will lead Black Knight's Information Technology Services group, where he will have overall responsibility for managing the technology infrastructure planning and deployment in support of Black Knight's clients and internal technologies. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Infrastructure at TradeWeb. Black Knight provides integrated software, data, and analytics solutions to the mortgage and consumer loan, real estate, and capital market verticals in the United States.
• TricorBraun, MO - TricorBraun has appointed Brett Hecker as CIO. Reporting to President and CEO Court Carruthers, Hecker leads TricorBraun's information technology function and oversees the company's technology strategy. Hecker succeeds Doug Bolen, who is leaving the company after a decade of dedicated service and numerous achievements. Hecker joins TricorBraun from Honeywell International, where he most recently served as VP and CIO, Commercial and Customer Enablement. TricorBraun. doing business as TricorBraun, designs and manufactures rigid packaging solutions.
• Luby's, TX - John Holzem named VP of IT. Holzem is an experienced IT foodservice executive specializing in leveraging technology investments and driving operational efficiencies with process improvements. Holzem has more than 30 years of experience at Sysco Corporation, where he was most recently VP of Business Technology. While at Sysco, Holzem centralized IT data centers into a hosted strategy model and served on several of Sysco's executive committees, including the Enterprise Risk Management Committee and Corporate Tactical Support Team, which focused on emergency response, business continuity and disaster recovery. Luby's provides restaurant services in the United States.
• Kinsale Capital Group, VA - Kinsale Capital Group appointed Diane Schnupp as SVP/CIO. She most recently served as Principal Consultant at Impact Makers, a management and technology consulting firm, a position she held since July 2016. Prior to serving in that role, Ms. Schnupp served as CIO and VP of Capital Center, a licensed mortgage lender and real estate broker in Virginia. Kinsale Capital Group provides as a casualty and property insurance products.
• QCR Holdings, IL - Ms. Reba Winter will assume the role of CIO for QCR Holdings. Ms. Winter was most recently VP, Information Technology at Qualcomm, a global semiconductor company. Prior to Qualcomm, she spent 26 years at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, with increasing leadership responsibilities to transform all areas of IT within the company. QCR Holdings, a multi-bank holding company, provides commercial and consumer banking, and trust and asset management services.
• Spelman College, GA - John B. Wilson has been appointed VP and CIO for Spelman Technology Services at Spelman College. Prior to joining Spelman, Wilson spent 17 years as a senior manager of information technology at Emory University. Most recently, he directed the enterprise information systems at Georgia Institute of Technology where he was responsible for strategic planning and operational oversight for a staff of 50 developers, analysts and administrators.
• LinQuest Corporation, CA - Rich Martin is new SVP and CIO. He is former CIO of LGS Innovations. LinQuest Corporation provides technical solutions to the U.S. government and commercial industry.
• Comprehensive Pharmacy Services, TN - Comprehensive Pharmacy Services (CPS) announced Karl Bedwell as its new CIO. While at Walmart, Bedwell spent nine years in pharmacy operations and then spent two decades on the executive leadership team of Walmart's Technology Division. His experiences with health care technology include store applications, logistics and transportation systems, IT operations, corporate systems, and emerging technologies such as blockchain. Comprehensive Pharmacy Services provides pharmacy support services.
• Cresco Labs, IL - Cresco Labs announced that Mo Dastagir has joined the company as its new CIO. Mr. Dastagir succeeds Zach Marburger, who is taking on a new role at Cresco as Entrepreneur in Residence. Dastagir joins Cresco from Sears Holding Corporation, where he served as VP & CTO with responsibilities for managing all technology programs designed to drive growth and improve profitability in the Sears Home Services (SHS) Business. Cresco Labs cultivates, manufactures, and sells medical cannabis and medical cannabis products in the United States.
• Seaborne Airlines; Silver Airways Corp, FL - Silver Airways has appointed Todd Sims as VP of Information Technology for Silver Airways and Seaborne Airlines. Sims is responsible for leading both Silver Airways' and Seaborne Airlines' information technology and security systems, including the airlines' information technology strategy, applications, cybersecurity and infrastructure, as well as managing technology interfaces with the airline's numerous worldwide codeshare and interline partners. Prior to joining the Silver/Seaborne team, Sims owned TS Computer Consulting where he provided IT services for small to mid-size companies.
• ProSciento, CA - ProSciento announced the appointment of Helge Guenther to the role of CIO. Mr. Guenther joins ProSciento from BIT Group, where he served as CEO of the US division and CIO of BIT Group Global. Guenther will lead ProSciento's global information technology strategies, including infrastructure expansion and continued innovation for technology platforms. ProSciento, a clinical research organization, focuses on diabetes, obesity, and NAFLD/NASH.
• Acreage Holdings, NY - Acreage Holdings announced the appointment of Alfred Miranda as SVP, CIO. Mr. Miranda joins Acreage after most recently serving as the SVP, Technology at MedMen Enterprises, where he developed an integrated and compliant Seed to Sale Platform. Acreage Holdings, formerly High Street Capital Partners, is a principal investment firm specializing in cannabis industry.
• MariMed, MA - MariMed named Mr. Jonathan Rider to the newly created position of CIO. At Monster.com he led its data warehouse and business systems teams handling 10 million transactions daily with over 50 million users and data spanning 20 countries. He was also CIO of Gilbane building company. MariMed provides consulting services for the design, development, operation, funding, and optimization of medical cannabis cultivation, production, and dispensary facilities.
• Interstate Hotels & Resorts, VA - Interstate Hotels & Resorts named Andrew J. Arthurs as chief information officer. Bringing with him more than 15 years in technology leadership in the hospitality industry, Arthurs was most recently chief information officer at Two Roads Hospitality and Lowe, where he oversaw the integration of Destination Hotels and Commune Hotels and Resorts to create the world's largest, independent lifestyle hotel management company, with approximately 100 hotels and resorts under management.
• ExpressJet Airlines, GA - ExpressJet Airlines has announced it has named Jonyt Meyer as VP and CIO (CIO). This newly created role will support the development of a scalable information technology infrastructure at ExpressJet as the company prepares for rapid growth after its January 2019 acquisition by ManaAir. Meyer joins ExpressJet with more than 20 years of airline and information technology leadership experience. He is a familiar face at ExpressJet, having previously served as VP and CIO until 2010. ExpressJet Airlines, a regional airline, operates scheduled flights to the United States, Bahamas, Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, VA - Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has appointed Reginal Bryant as SVP and CIO. Bryants responsibilities include providing leadership and strategic direction for a variety of information technology services and functions, as well as for the design, development, implementation and maintenance of application systems portfolios for business functions. Bryant joined the Federal Reserve in 2007. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond operates as a regional federal reserve bank for the Fifth Federal Reserve District, which includes Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
• Loop Insights, British Columbia, Canada - Loop Insights announced the hiring of Mr. Vern Kasdorf as CIO. Prior to his role at Loop Insights as CIO, Vern was the Director, IoT Delivery & Support at TELUS. Loop Insights engages in the development of automated artificial intelligence marketing platform for bricks and mortar retailers.
• vCOM Solutions, CA - vCom Solutions announced that Srihari Hosahalli has joined the company's Executive Team as CIO, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in software development and corporate IT management. In addition to his focus on building efficiencies through provider integration and process automation, Srihari will lend his extensive experience in data analytics to help vCom build its AI-based analytics engine. Prior to vCom, Srihari was Managing Director for Accenture, overseeing a team of 3,000 professionals supporting enterprises around the globe with managing their infrastructure and cloud migration. Srihari has also served as Director of Product Development for Bally Technologies, in addition to creating and operating a successful analytics firm. vCOM Solutions provides cloud-based telecom management software tools for small and mid size enterprise customers in the United States.
• EyeCare Services Partners Management, TX - Eyecare Services Partners (ESP) appointed Jon Morgan as CIO. Mr. Morgan leads Information Technology for ESP, which supports nearly 100 practice locations in seven states and the District of Columbia. Mr. Morgan was previously COO and CIO of STX Healthcare Management, a recently divested subsidiary of Guardian Life Insurance. EyeCare Services Partners Management provides financial liquidity, managerial infrastructure, and risk mitigation services to ophthalmologic, optometric, and ambulatory surgery centers.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. - The Department of Health and Human Services has found a new permanent CIO. Jose Arrieta, formerly the agency’s associate deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, assumed the CIO role. Arrieta, who has never held a CIO role before, is known to be a big believer in blockchain and other emerging technologies.

Chief Technology Officers (Non Tech Vendor Product/ CIO/IT)

• Wells Fargo & Company, CA - Wells Fargo & Company named Debra Chrapaty as CTO, making permanent a role she held on an interim basis since May. She will continue reporting directly to Saul Van Beurden, head of Technology at Wells Fargo. Chrapaty joined the company in 2018 as group CIO for core platform services.
• KKR & Co, NY - KKR named Emilia Sherifova as Chief Information & Innovation Officer. In this role, Ms. Sherifova will be based in New York and will drive KKR’s technology and data innovation vision and strategy. Ms. Sherifova joins KKR from Northwestern Mutual where she led the company’s digital transformation in the role of CTO and previously as Head of Enterprise Architecture and Engineering. Prior to joining Northwestern Mutual, Ms. Sherifova held CTO roles at LearnVest, an award-winning personal finance consumer startup, and at PulsePoint.
• TrueBlue, WA - Jeff Dirks was named TrueBlue’s Chief Information and Technology Officer, overseeing the company’s digital transformation. Dirks, who is replacing the retiring CTO Carole McCluskey, has spent nearly three decades developing cutting-edge technology solutions that help businesses and people. He will lead the expansion of TrueBlue’s AI-powered technologies that are bringing new possibilities to staffing and recruitment process outsourcing, including its popular JobStack and Affinix offerings. Dirks is a military veteran and entrepreneur who spearheaded two successful tech startups before joining TrueBlue in 2018 as the SVP of Corporate Technology.
• Blue Apron Holdings, NY - Blue Apron Holdings named Irina Krechmer as CTO. She will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s technology strategy, focusing on enhancing its platform to drive growth, and will report to President and CEO Linda Findley Kozlowski. Krechmer most recently served as VP of Engineering at XO Group. Blue Apron Holdings operates direct-to-consumer platform that delivers original recipes, and fresh and seasonal ingredients.
• Ameris Bank, GA - SVP, Information Systems Manager Lonnie Carter promoted to SVP, CTO in May 2019.
• U.S. Auto Parts Network, CA - Sanjiv Gomes who has been serving as interim CTO from January 2019, has been named CTO in June 2019. U.S. Auto Parts Network operates as an online provider of aftermarket auto parts and accessories primarily in the United States and the Philippines.
• Edmunds.com, CA - Edmunds recently promoted Stephen Felisan, a 14-year veteran of the company, to CTO. Formerly the company's chief information officer, Felisan will now take the helm of Edmunds' 152-person strong technology organization and oversee all engineering functions, cloud and security operations, data statistics, and enterprise services. Felisan began his career at Edmunds as a director of engineering before being promoted to the VP of engineering and operations and eventually his most recent role as chief information officer. Edmunds.com develops an online automotive information platform that enables users to research new and used cars, including car prices, incentives, dealer inventory listings, vehicle comparison, car buying advice, and reviews.

Chief Technology Officers - Tech Products/ Tech Strategy

• Walmart, AR - Walmart appointed Suresh Kumar to a new elevated CTO and Chief Development Officer role reporting directly to President and CEO Doug McMillon. Kumar joins at a time when Walmart is rapidly transforming its customer and associate experiences, and he brings more than 25 years of technology leadership experience coming from Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM. Kumar was most recently at Google, serving as VP and general manager of display, video, app ads and analytics. Kumar would be filling the position left vacant by former CTO Jeremy King, who moved to Pinterest in March.
• Charter Communications, CT - Charter Chief Product Officer Rich DiGeronimo will add Technology Officer to his title as he will oversee Engineering and IT, in addition to his current leadership of Charter's growing Product Team. DiGeronimo will continue to report to Charter President and COO John Bickham.
• DISH Network Corporation, CO - Dish has appointed Kannan Alagappan as SVP and CTO reporting to DISH President and CEO Erik Carlson. Alagappan has held technology leadership roles with major telecom and cloud services providers, including Reliance Jio, Telstra and Rackspace. In fact, he served as CTO and Head of Technology in his most recent role with Australian telecommunications leader, Telstra. As CTO, Alagappan will lead DISH Technologies, the DISH group that plays an integral role in defining the company's technology strategy, oversees its software and hardware engineering initiatives, and manages the organization's broadcast and satellite operations.
• State Street Corporation, MA - State Street Corporation named Spiros Giannaros as EVP, Head of Platform Strategies. In this newly created role, Giannaros will be responsible for ensuring an integrated and coordinated approach between the firm’s product offerings, its front-to-back platform development and the data that it manages. He will report to Lou Maiuri, COO. Giannaros was most recently the Global Head of Enterprise Data Management (EDM) and a Partner at IHS Markit (formerly Markit).
• eBay, CA - eBay announced appointment of Mazen Rawashdeh as SVP and CTO. He will be member of eBay's executive leadership team, reporting to President and CEO Devin Wenig. eBay veteran Rawashdeh spent eight years in technology leadership roles with the Company from 2003 to 2011 before departing to serve as Vice President, Infrastructure Operation Engineering at Twitter where he helped scale the business through its IPO., Infrastructure Operation Engineering at Twitter where he helped scale the business through its IPO.
• Weight Watchers International, NY - WW hired Don Kittle, VP, Engineering, previously with LoyaltyOne, Postmedia, Kijiji and Virgin Mobile, as its first Technology team member in Toronto. Kittle is building a team of engineering and data science talent to continue the technology transformation and personalization efforts underway. The team in Toronto will work collaboratively with the WW Product and Technology teams in New York and San Francisco, including designers, engineers, product managers, data scientists and researchers, on ways to personalize the WW experience.
• Cubic Corporation, CA - Cubic Corporation announced the appointment of former IBM Watson exec Jim Colson as VP & CTO. He will report to Kevin Eagan, SVP and chief digital officer. Colson retired from IBM as an IBM Fellow, VP and worldwide CTO for the AI and ML infused Watson Customer Engagement portfolio. Led a team of 40+ data scientists and engineers to create a set of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning capabilities delivered as part of the simplified platforms.
• Cineplex, ON, Canada - Cineplex announced that Shawn Mandel, an experienced technology executive with a track record for success, has joined the Company as its Chief Digital and Technology Officer. With proven experience in monetizing the value of data through analytics, Mandel will lead the company-wide digital, product and IT strategies to drive innovation across the entire Cineplex ecosystem of businesses. He joins Cineplex from TELUS, where he most recently served as the company's Chief Digital Officer.
• Digital Guardian, MI - Digital Guardian Named Debra Danielson CTO and SVP of engineering. She previously served as distinguished engineer/SVP of mergers and acquisitions strategy at CA Technologies. Digital Guardian provides data security solutions to protect data from insider and outsider threats.
• Support.com, CA - Support.com named Kevin Ruthen as its new CTO. Ruthen will be responsible for spearheading innovation and growth strategies for internal, enterprise-customer, SMB and consumer use, harnessing his extensive experience in digital transformation and delivery excellence. He previously served as Head of Technology for the American Institute of Physics Publishing, and prior to that was a Global Managing Director for Unisys. Support.com provides customer support services, end user software, and cloud-based software primarily in the United States.
• FuelCell Energy, CT - The Board appointed Anthony Leo, 62, to serve as the Company's new EVP & CTO. He has served as the Company's VP of Applications and Advanced Technologies since 2014. FuelCell Energy, designs, manufactures, sells, installs, operates, and services stationary fuel cell power plants for distributed power generation.
• Business Financial Services, FL - BFS Capital appointed Fred Kauber as CTO and Chief Product Officer. As a member of the management team reporting to CEO Mark Ruddock, Kauber will be responsible for leading a customer-focused product and technology organization whose mission is to help BFS re-imagine financial services for small businesses. Most recently, he served as CTO and Chief Marketing Officer at CAIS Group. Prior to CAIS Group, Kauber was CTO at TRANZACT. Business Financial Services doing business as BFS Capital which provides business cash advances to small business owners through accounts receivable financing in the United States.
• BrandMuscle, IL - BrandMuscle has hired Rakesh Rao as CTO. Rao will report to the CEO. Over the course of his career, Rao founded several successful venture-funded startups including Nanoscale.io and Clear Standards, where he also served as CTO, growing and managing both on-shore and off-shore development teams prior to acquisitions by TIBCO and SAP, respectively. He served as VP of Product Development at SAP Labs, where he managed a global engineering team and served as Director of Product Marketing at Oracle where he led efforts to merge disparate software systems following the acquisition of CRM leader, Siebel Systems. BrandMuscle provides web-based local marketing software and services to brands and their affiliates in the United States and internationally.
• Llamasoft, MI - LLamasoft appointed a new senior executive, Karthik Mani as EVP and Chief Product Officer. Karthik Mani will lead LLamasoft’s global product development organization to define the company’s product strategy and road map and to deliver an expanded product offering that enables LLamasoft to bring enterprise grade decision making software to market. Most recently he served as EVP (EVP) of products and delivery at Avitru. LLamasoft develops supply chain design and analysis software and solutions.
• Glebar Company, NJ - President, John Bannayan transitioning to CTO. Having been at the company for over 28 years and serving as CTO, John will continue to be instrumental in driving Glebar forward and with its product development efforts. He has earned several patents over the years. John's mix of executive and engineering saavy has been key in Glebar's efforts to collaborate and partner with its customers to deliver innovative solutions tailored to a customer's specific need. Glebar Company manufactures machine tools based on the principles of centerless grinding.
• VirtualArmour International, CO - VirtualArmour International promoted Tianyi Lu to VP of Product Development. Under this new role, Tianyi will work to improve VirtualArmour’s current suite of products and services offered to their end customers. Tianyi began working at VirtualArmour in March of 2016 as a Senior Security Architect. He was promoted to Chief Architect in April of 2018. VirtualArmour International provides network and cybersecurity products and solutions to enterprise and service provider markets in the United States.
• ProVation Medical, MN - Provation announced that Rick Jennings has joined the company as CTO. Jennings brings more than 20 years of experience in technology leadership and healthcare IT roles, most recently serving as Managing Director of CTO Teammate, which provides fractional CTO services to private equity and venture-backed companies across the United States. ProVation Medical provides clinical decision support and procedure documentation solutions.
• Snipp Interactive, ON, Canada - Snipp Interactive announced the promotion of Wayne Weng as its CTO. Wayne provides leadership for the ongoing development of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment at Snipp. He brings 20 years of software development and management experience and has actively led technical teams across multiple countries. He has been EVP, Engineering since August 2018 and served as VP, Engineering before that. Snipp Interactive, a loyalty and promotions company, provides digital marketing promotions, rebates, and loyalty solutions in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and internationally.
• HyreCar, CA - Abhishek Arora resigned from his position as CTO of HyreCar. Ken Grimes, VP of engineering, will be responsible for all technology initiatives for Hyrecar reporting directly to COO, Henry Park. HyreCar operates a Web-based car-sharing marketplace in the United States.
• Zenoss, TX - Ani Gujrathi has joined Zenoss as CTO, responsible for driving the company's long-term technology and product vision. Gujrathi has a 20-year track record of operating and scaling Fortune 10 enterprises as well as early stage start-ups. Most recently, he led engineering, architecture and operations teams for Kibo, a Vista Equity Partners company formed through the successful acquisition of six omnichannel retail companies. Prior to Kibo, Gujrathi served as VP of engineering at cloud e-commerce platform provider Volusion, where he led greenfield development of the company's enterprise platform to compete with Oracle ATG, Adobe Magento, Salesforce Demandware and SAP Hybris. Zenoss Inc. develops information technology (IT) operations solutions.
• Owl Cyber Defense Solutions, CT - Owl Cyber Defense Solutions appointed Brian Romansky as CTO. Romansky joined Owl in 2017 as Director of Business Development, bringing with him over 25 years' experience in security technology and innovation in automotive security, payment systems, healthcare, and logistics.
• Uniserve Communications Corporation, BC, Canada - Uniserve Communications Corporation named Mr. Owen Morley as its CTO. Mr. Morley is a former Director of Infrastructure with a passion for technology, starting his career in 1998 with his own web hosting venture. Owen later joined PEER1 Network as a Network Analyst and honed his skills and technique to quickly manage its Vancouver and Seattle data centres. Uniserve Communications Corporation provides Internet access, telecommunications, and commercial IT consulting services to residential and business customers primarily in British Columbia and Alberta.
• Kraken Robotics, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada - David Shea, P.Eng., will be promoted to SVP, Engineering, from his current role of VP, Engineering. Kraken Robotics, a marine technology company, designs, manufactures, and sells software-centric sensors and underwater robotic systems for unmanned underwater vehicles used in military and commercial applications.
• Squan Construction Services, NJ - SQUAN named Anand Gandhi as CTO and leader of its newest division, SQUAN Technology. Under the leadership of Gandhi, the Technology Division will place a greater focus on Advisory Programmatic Services, RF Engineering and AE services. Gandhi is the former VP of strategy of SmallCellSite.com. Additionally, Gandhi spent over 20 years as director of network for Verizon Wireless. Squan Construction Services provides telecommunications infrastructure services.
• Glance Technologies, BC, Canada - Glance Technologies named Mr. Gary Zhang as the Company’s CTO. Mr. Zhang replaces Angela Griffin in this role. Since 2010, Gary has been operating his own Software as a Service (“SaaS”) consulting company to help his clients build solid SaaS products, operate profitable SaaS businesses and complete successful digital transformations. Glance Technologies, a financial technology company, develops and operates mobile payment processing software and smart-phone applications in Canada and the United States.
• Calypso Technology, CA - Calypso Technology announced that Richard Bentley has joined the company as Chief Product and Engineering Officer. Based in London, he reports directly to Calypso's CEO, Didier Bouillard. For the last five years Mr. Bentley served as Chief Product Officer for Ullink (now part of Itiviti). Calypso Technology develops financial market software solutions.
• ReliaQuest, FL - Darin Bunker joined as VP of Engineering. In the VP of Engineering role, Darin is responsible for the company’s growing team of software engineers and developers. He joins the company with close to 20 years of experience in development and engineering management, with a focus on delivering software-as-a-service products known for exceptional analytics capabilities and user experience. At Domo, he led global engineering teams through the build and evolution of big data business management platform. Darin previously worked in leadership roles at both Symantec and Deloitte. ReliaQuest provides IT security solutions for organizations.
• Blink Health, NY - Bharath Chinamanthur joins as EVP, Engineering and Operations. He will be responsible for scaling Blink’s technology platform while also overseeing the company’s engineering operations. Most recently, he held the position of SVP for the Advisor Services Technology organization at Charles Schwab. Blink Health develops a technology platform that enables consumers to access the medications they need at prices they can afford at various pharmacies in the United States.
• FreeWheel Media, CA - FreeWheel appointed Utpal Kalita as CTO and VP, engineering, for Blockgraph, an industry initiative designed to create a secure way to use data and share information. Kalita joined Blockgraph in this newly created position earlier this year. In this role, Kalita is tasked with leading, mentoring and growing Blockgraph’s team of engineers. He also partners with FreeWheel leadership to build and drive the initiative’s blockchain-based platform, product development and overall strategy. He reports to Blockgraph General Manager Jason Manningham. The Blockgraph initiative is an incubation effort driven by Comcast, aimed at establishing the first ever industry-wide identity layer for the media, TV and video ecosystem. Previously he was CTO of Eyeview. FreeWheel Media provides an advertising management platform for ad management and monetization, a private marketplace for premium television inventory, and advisory services.
• Dispatch, MA - Dispatch announced that Scott Rudberg joined the management team as CTO. Rudberg was previously VP of Technology at Zipcar and served as SVP of Product Strategy at Passkey International. He has over 18 years' experience managing the development of software products and systems, with over 9 years developing web-based solutions for the Meetings and Hospitality Industry. Dispatch develops software solutions for field service businesses.
• Shadow Ventures, GA - Shadow Ventures announced that AEC-technology strategist and former Managing Partner of FiveBox Matt Ohlman has joined the company as the firm's new CTO. He has previously worked with Infotycoon, Kahua, Stellaro, and Compliance 360. While at FiveBox, a leading software services firm in Atlanta, Ohlman was responsible for leading in-house engineering, sales and operations teams to create and execute his clients' software vision. Shadow Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in start-up, seed-stage, and Series A investments.
• Appsheet, WA - AppSheet announced Thierry D'Hers as VP of engineering. As VP of engineering for AppSheet, he will focus on product and product development. Most recently, he was the chief product officer at FocusVision, and prior to that, he served as the VP of product development and product management at Tableau and ran several large product teams at Microsoft.

Digital Chiefs

• General Electric, MA - GE announced that Pat Byrne will join GE as CEO of GE's Digital business. Mr. Byrne will report to GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., and will be responsible for leading GE's digital strategy. Mr. Byrne has been a leader in digital for more than three decades and brings expertise in industrial technology and strategic business development. Mr. Byrne joins GE from Fortive, where he served as SVP, leading their Product Realization business.
• NIKE, OR - NIKE announced that Ratnakar Lavu will become the company’s first Global Chief Digital Information Officer. He will report to Eric Sprunk, Nike COO. Lavu will lead all of Nike’s global technology functions across the enterprise with responsibility for accelerating new digital capabilities for Nike. Lavu most recently was the Chief Technology and Information Officer at Kohl’s, where he led all of IT, digital and consumer technology. Prior to joining Kohl’s, Lavu was CTO at Redbox.
• Canadian National Railway Company, Quebec, Canada - CN has announced that David Trent, a global IT leader with over 20 years of experience, will be joining the company as part of the railway’s objective of modernizing its scheduled railroading model as VP & Chief Digital Officer. In his most recent role, David was appointed VP, Technology and Digital at Canfor Corporation, the producer of sustainable lumber, pulp, paper and energy in 2018. David will report to Michael Foster, EVP and chief information and technology officer at CN.
• BBVA Compass Bancshares, TX - BBVA USA has named Kevin McMahon as its new U.S. Head of Engineering, where he will be responsible for the company's overall information technology strategy. A 13-year veteran of the bank in the US, McMahon will report directly to BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodríguez Soler and become a member of the bank's US Management Committee. McMahon's position is significant in driving the bank's digital transformation. McMahon was previously the Head of Business Software Engineering, where he led the bank's core banking and channel development activities. He was also the Manager of Channel Application, with responsibilities that included project management of capital projects and software development of Online Banking, Mobile, Wallet, ATMs, Contact Center systems, CRM, Online Account Origination, Teller and various other channel specific applications.
• Nu Skin Enterprises, UT - Nu Skin Enterprises announced Vince Perfetti has joined the company as chief transformation officer and SVP of technology. He will lead the company's technology transformation to develop an industry-leading customer experience and further empower the company's sales force to build a socially enabled business to attract more customers. Perfetti comes to Nu Skin from Amazon Web Services (AWS) where he was a principal consultant on the cloud advisory team, advising enterprise executives on program development to maximize cloud adoption and transformation. He also has senior leadership experience from GE Digital and Dow Jones and Company, where he led the transformation of technology teams and culture.
• Simmons Bank, AR - Simmons Bank names Alejandro ‘Alex’ Carriles EVP and chief digital officer. Carriles’ responsibilities include direct oversight of Simmons’ digital banking strategy, customer experience through digital channels and customer acquisition through digital tools. Carriles joins Simmons from BBVA Compass, where he most recently served as EVP and director of Retail Customer Solutions Development. In this role, he led mobile and online banking channels, as well as digital account origination for all consumer and small business products.
• Cineplex, ON, Canada - Cineplex announced that Shawn Mandel, an experienced technology executive with a track record for success, has joined the Company as its Chief Digital and Technology Officer. With proven experience in monetizing the value of data through analytics, Mandel will lead the company-wide digital, product and IT strategies to drive innovation across the entire Cineplex ecosystem of businesses. He joins Cineplex from TELUS, where he most recently served as the company's Chief Digital Officer.
• Atlantic Union Bank, VA - Atlantic Union Bank has named Kelly P. Dakin, Chief Digital and Customer Experience Officer. In this role, she will lead the digital and customer experience teams and build out the omni-channel customer experience. Dakin was most recently SVP, Chief Digital Officer of Consumer and Business Banking for Santander Bank. Atlantic Union Bank provides banking and related financial services to consumers and businesses.
• The Petco Foundation, TX - Petco announced Darren MacDonald will join the company as Chief Digital and Innovation Officer. MacDonald brings 20 years of global digital strategy and business development experience to Petco, and has served in senior roles with Walmart, IAC and Avery Dennison Corporation.

Data Strategy/Data Science/ AI/ Machine Learning/Analytics

• Cubic Corporation, CA - Cubic Corporation announced the appointment of former IBM Watson exec Jim Colson as VP & CTO. He will report to Kevin Eagan, SVP and chief digital officer. Colson retired from IBM as an IBM Fellow, VP and worldwide CTO for the AI and ML infused Watson Customer Engagement portfolio. Led a team of 40+ data scientists and engineers to create a set of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning capabilities delivered as part of the simplified platforms.
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, RI - Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) has named Amar Gurivireddygari as chief data and analytics officer. In this role, Gurivireddygari will leverage his extensive experience in healthcare data and analytics to better align BCBSRI's technology capabilities with the company's data and analytics strategy. Gurivireddygari joins BCBSRI with two decades of finding innovative ways to build a responsive information technology organization that enhances the user experience. He is well versed in managed care transformation, population health management, clinical informatics, utilization and disease management. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island provides health insurance products and services.
• The NPD Group, NY - The NPD Group announced that Hal Danziger has joined the company as Head of Next Gen Platforms. In this role, Danziger will report to Chief Data Strategy Officer Darren Person, working on the design and development of a next generation data processing and delivery platform to support new data sets and analytics that address market changes. Danziger has held various technology and product leadership roles over his career from leading engineering organizations to helping develop digital platforms at several early stage startups. He was CTO for DNAinfo, where he launched an innovative subscription product for local merchants and a social network for neighborhoods. Before that, he was VP of Product for Cond Nast and CTO for New York Magazine. The NPD Group provides market information, tracking, analytic, and advisory services to help clients in making better business decisions in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific.
• Bullhorn, MA - Bullhorn has hired its first head of artificial intelligence to lead its recently created AI business unit. Javid Muhammedali, a longtime VP of product management at job search site Monster, joined Bullhorn as VP of A.I. after brief stints at McKinsey & Co. and Care.com. Bullhorn develops staffing and recruiting software for startups, SMBs, and enterprises.
• SpotX, CO - SpotX named Dr. Neal Richter as its first Chief Scientist. Richter will head up SpotX's new Salt Lake City, Utah office which will serve as a hub for research and development teams. Reporting directly to J. Allen Dove, SpotX's CTO, Richter will invest in SpotX data science and machine learning efforts as well as the greater RTL Group's work in artificial intelligence. Joining SpotX with 20 years of experience in software development and data science, Richter holds 10 patents and has published more than 15 academic papers on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Prior to his new role at SpotX, Richter served as CTO of Rakuten Marketing where he oversaw technology and data science teams across programmatic and affiliate systems. SpotX develops an online video advertising platform for publishers and advertisers.
• LPL Financial, MA - LPL Financial announced Ashish Braganza has joined the firm as EVP, Data, Analytics and Innovation. His role focuses on transforming data into a strategic asset to enhance advisors’ experience with LPL and to enable continued growth for the firm. He reports to Burt White, LPL Financial managing director, Investor & Investment Solutions. Braganza joins LPL with more than a decade of experience and most recently worked at OppenheimerFunds, where he was a SVP and head of Client Insights and Analytics. LPL Financial, an independent broker-dealer, provides an integrated platform of proprietary technology, brokerage, and investment advisory services to independent financial advisors, and financial advisors at regional and community banks and credit unions in the United States.
• Hitachi Vantara Corporation, CA - Hitachi Vantara announced that Dr. Pragyansmita Nayak has joined the company as chief data scientist. In this role, Nayak will empower customers to better leverage their data through machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics. Prior to joining Hitachi Vantara Federal, Nayak was the principal research engineer with Apogee Research. Hitachi Vantara Corporation provides data transformation, IoT, cloud, big data, and analytics solutions.
• Independent Community Bankers Of America, Washington, D.C. - LuAnne Roelike was promoted to VP of database/application development and services. Roelike is responsible for ICBA's data management resources and works across departments to ensure their technology-related issues are addressed. Her new role includes increased supervisory and oversight responsibilities for the department's database and application development initiatives as well as its ongoing customer service strategy. Independent Community Bankers Of America (ICBA) is a banking trade association that serves and protects the interests of the community banking industry.
• Blink Health, NY - Christopher Plambeck joins as SVP of Data Sciences and Monetization and brings a breadth of experience in marketing, pricing and core product analytics to help drive user adoption. He joins the company with over 20 years of industry experience at top companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook.
• Celsius Therapeutics, MA - Greg Ryslik has joined as chief data officer. Dr. Ryslik is a statistician, data scientist and artificial intelligence researcher with experience building and leading data initiatives in companies ranging across the biotech, autotech, healthtech and fintech domains. Prior to Celsius, he was VP of data science at Mindstrong Health. Celsius Therapeutics develops and researches drugs.
• True Influence, NJ - True Influence announced that data strategist and marketing technology innovator Ray Estevez has joined the company as chief data officer. Estevez will be responsible for leading the data strategy and data-driven product implementations for current and future products at True Influence. He is former CIO of V12 Data (Previously Datamentors) . True Influence provides intent data platform and lead generation services to improve account-based marketing and business-to-business (B2B) marketing performance.
• OspreyData, CA - OspreyData announced that Alex Lamb has joined as Data Scientist. Lamb brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to team. He was President of the Texas Geophysical Society at University of Texas at Austin. He has deep experience as a geophysicist at independent oil and gas companies including Devon Energy in Oklahoma City, working on rock physics modeling, seismic inversion, AI predictive models and reservoir characterization integrating multiphysics datasets with engineering to optimize well placement, completions parameters, and reservoir production. OspreyData harnesses the mass of sensor data generated by mechanical assets to predict and prevent failures, reduce downtime, and enhance operating efficiency.

Security Chiefs/ CISOs

• Wells Fargo & Company, CA - Wells Fargo & Company named Gary Owen as chief information security officer and head of Information Security. He will join the company’s Technology organization reporting directly to Saul Van Beurden, head of Technology. Most recently, he was chief information security officer at WarnerMedia, formerly Time Warner, where he was responsible for global information security strategy, technology risk management, information protection and compliance.
• MassMutual, MA - Jim Routh has been appointed head of Enterprise Information Risk Management. In this role, Routh will drive a holistic information risk management approach across the company, with a focus on managing cyber security risks, ensuring all cyber security related regulatory and compliance requirements are met, and overseeing the safeguarding of MassMutual’s information assets. Routh is a well-known visionary and recognized leader in the cyber security industry who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and a demonstrated track record for delivering security capabilities that drive business results. Most recently, he served as chief information security officer (CISO) for CVS Health, where he led the security integration for CVS Health in the acquisition of Aetna and developed a three-year plan for achieving enterprise level resilience.
• The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, WI - Northwestern Mutual appointed Fawaz Rasheed to VP, CISO, where he will lead the Enterprise Information Risk & Cybersecurity team and spearhead Northwestern Mutual's information security strategy to protect its brand and reputation. Rasheed previously served as CISO at Trustmark Companies and prior, he was the Global CISO at Johnson Controls.
• Pegasystems, MA - Pegasystems named Carlos Fuentes as CISO. Fuentes joins Pega from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where he served as VP of security and data for the U.S. Payment System.
• Bank Leumi USA, NY - Bank Leumi USA announced that it has named Carl Nelor its new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In this role, Nelor heads the bank™s Information Security Team and is responsible for leading the execution and ongoing development of its Information and Cyber Security programs. He reports to Martin Droney, EVP and CIO, and is based in New York. Nelor joins Bank Leumi USA after a decade at Société Générale, where he most recently served as Chief Information Security Officer for the Americas region. Bank Leumi USA provides commercial and private banking products and services for customers in the United States.
• Vacasa, OR - Vacasa has named Jeff Bryner as the company's first CISO. Prior to Vacasa, Bryner spent five years at Mozilla. He was most recently director of enterprise information security. Before Mozilla, Bryner spent a decade at Portland General Electric as a security architect. Vacasa provides professional rental management for buyers and sellers of vacation rentals in the United States, Central and South America, and Europe.

Infrastructure

• Target Corporation, MN - Target Corporation has named Hari Govind as SVP of infrastructure and operations for the company's technology team. In this role, Govind will oversee cloud-and-compute capabilities, network connectivity and operations for the technology that powers Target's stores, digital channels, distribution centers and office locations. He will report to Mike McNamara, Target's EVP and chief information officer. Govind joins Target from Facebook, where he was the group manager on the Infrastructure team, leading strategy and execution to help scale platforms for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus. Govind joined Target in July.

Rest of the World

Tech Chief Appointments

CIO Appointments

• Deutsche Bank, Germany - Deutsche Bank hired Neal Pawar as Group CIO. He will be based in New York and report into Bernd Leukert. Pawar will also join the Group Management Committee. Pawar joins from AQR Capital, where he was most recently a Principal and CTO. Al Tarasiuk, the current Group CIO, will become a senior strategic advisor to Bernd Leukert.
• Skanska AB, Sweden - Skanska AB announced on that Olle Jonsson will join the company as SVP of Information Technology. In his new role, Jonsson will report to Skanska CFO Magnus Persson. He replaces Jaroslaw Urbanczyk, who has left Skanska. Jonsson's prior experience includes CIO roles at major companies such as Caverion, which operates and maintains buildings and infrastructure, and SKF. Skanska AB (publ), a construction and project development company, develops and constructs commercial properties, and residential and public private partnerships projects in the Nordic region, Europe, and the United States.
• Fletcher Building Limited, New Zealand - Fletcher Building Limited appointed Daniel Anthony to the position of CIO. Dan has been based overseas for the last 18 years where he has gained extensive experience leading large-scale technology teams in Australia and the United States. Fletcher Building manufactures and distributes building and construction products in New Zealand, Australia, North America, Asia, Europe, and internationally.
• Liechtensteinische Landesbank Aktiengesellschaft, Liechtenstein - Stefan Alder, Avaloq Group CIO, becomes Head of Group IT at the LLB Group. He succeeds Stephan Schmidle who is set to retire after 32 years of committed service for Liechtensteinische Landesbank. As Group CIO at Avaloq, Stefan Alder (44) spent the last four and a half years in charge of the strategic and operational management of the global IT operations and service organisation, with entities in Asia and Europe, managing more than 250 members of staff in the process. Liechtensteinische Landesbank provides banking products and services.

Chief Technology Officers (Non Tech Vendor Product/ CIO/IT)

• IG Group Holdings Plc, United Kingdom - The Group's existing CTO Simon Myers will take on responsibility for IT as CIO, and will join the Executive Committee. IG Group Holdings Plc provides leveraged derivatives and spread betting under the IG brand worldwide.

Chief Technology Officers - Tech Products/Tech Strategy

• trivago N.V., Germany - trivago N.V. announced that James Carter has joined the company as its Chief Product and Technology Officer. In this new role, Carter joins the trivago leadership team as the head of hotel search. Carter, with 14 years of experience in the travel tech industry, was most recently an Engineering Director at Google working on its Hotel Ads product. trivago N.V., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a hotel and accommodation search platform.
• Avast Plc, Czech Republic - Avast announced it has appointed Michal Pechoucek to the position of CTO. Michal Pechoucek joins from the highly regarded Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) where he is an established professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering leading the Department of Computer Science and the Artificial Intelligence Center, which he founded nearly two decades ago. He will be joined by three leading fellow AI scientists, who will work to expand Avast's understanding of how artificial intelligence can radically improve society's ability to protect against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Pechoucek previously had co-founded several technology start-ups including cyber security firm Cognitive Security (in 2013 acquired by CISCO), AgentFly, which specializes in controlling autonomous aircraft traffic and BlindSpot Solutions. Avast Plc provides digital security products under the Avast, AVG, and CCleaner brands worldwide.
• Favor AS, Estonia - Favor hired Steve Romney as VP of engineering. Romney joins Favor with extensive experience across software engineering, technology architecture, and leadership roles in the financial services, e-commerce, and logistics industries. As VP of engineering, he will be responsible for all technology operations at Favor. Romney will work with Favor's CTO, Owen Samuels, to continue developing and scaling the company's engineering team, spanning web, data, mobile and infrastructure. Prior to Favor, Romney was the co-founder and CTO of on-demand delivery startup Shutl, where he built and led the product and engineering teams from inception to a successful exit. Shutl was acquired by eBay in 2013, and Romney then held several leadership positions at eBay, most recently leading the global shipping engineering team. Favor AS operates as a sheet metalworking company in Estonia.
• Firstport Limited, United Kingdom - Firstport has appointed Heather Payne as CTO. She will be responsible for Firstport's digital transformation programme. Heather has spent her whole career successfully delivering digital transformation across multiple sectors. She was previously CTO at Avon Cosmetics responsible for technical delivery, innovation, information security and enterprise architecture, including unlocking the business' digital and e-commerce capabilities across mobile and online applications. Prior to Avon, Heather held roles as CTO of engineering at DMG Media, and group head of software development and head of IT at Thomas Cook Group and Hotels4U.
• SUSE GmbH, Germany - SUSE announced Brent Schroeder has been named global CTO to lead SUSE's Office of the CTO. He replaces former CTO Thomas Di Giacomo, who is now president of Engineering, Product and Innovation for SUSE. Most recently CTO Americas for SUSE, Schroeder will continue to report to Di Giacomo. SUSE GmbH provides Linux and open source solutions.
• Neudata, United Kingdom - Neudata appointed Piers Thompson as CTO. Thompson joins the team in London from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he spent more than seven years in a range of roles, most recently as Head of Finance Technology for the global markets division. Prior to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Thompson worked at a range of financial institutions. He started his career at BAE Systems. Neudata develops a platform that offers data scouting services for fund managers and quant strategists.
• BABB, United Kingdom - BABB (Bank Account Based Blockchain) has announced a new appointment to its executive leadership team. Grant Van Wyk, who formerly served as the CTO for ICON as well as being the Global Head of Development for Zazoo (Net1 UEPS), has been named to the role of CTO. With his routes in mobile software development, Grant has been responsible for the delivery of mobile payment services and mobile financial engagement channels for a NASDAQ listed company.

Digital Chiefs

• ICA Gruppen AB, Sweden - Jan Prokopec, with a background in the Schibsted Group and a former CEO of Blocket AB, has been named as the new Chief Digital Officer of ICA Gruppen AB. Peter Muld, who previously served in the CDO role, has moved to a new position as head of strategy, new business and digital transformation for ICA Sweden. The CDO function is responsible for devising strategies for ICA Gruppens digital development and ICAx innovation hub, the Groups artificial intelligence function, and selected development projects that involve several of the Groups subsidiaries.
• MCH Group AG, Switzerland - MCH Group has appointed Andreas Oliver Eggimann as new Chief Digital & Innovation Officer (CDIO) and member of the Executive Board. The CDIO's main task will be to lead the development of digital and other exponential technologies as well as the development of new business ideas and business models. Andreas Oliver Eggimann has been Head Digital Management at the Swiss Post since 2014 and, as a member of the top management, holds responsibility among other things for the development and leadership of digital management throughout the group and for the realignment of Swiss Post in respect of market-orientated and internal digital channels. MCH Group AG operates as a live marketing company that provides a network of services in the exhibition and event market worldwide.
• Kiwibank Limited, New Zealand - Kiwibank appointed a new Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Hamish Rumbold. He will be joining the New Zealand-owned bank in August, from ClearPoint where he was CEO. He's also a Director at Fidelity Life and at a tech start-up called Fresho. Rumbold previously led Air New Zealand's global digital distribution channels, digital marketing capability and customer facing technology. Kiwibank provides retail and banking products and services to individuals, and small to medium-sized businesses in New Zealand, Australia, and internationally.

Security

• AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, Bermuda - AXIS Capital Holdings Limited announced that Kelly Isikoff has been named Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In this role, Ms. Isikoff will oversee enterprise-wide information security strategies. She will report to Global CIO Keith Schlosser. Prior to joining AXIS, Ms. Isikoff spent two-and-a-half years at RenaissanceRe, where she served as the firm’s CISO. Previously, she served as Executive Director, CISO, at JP Morgan Asset Management.
• Avast Plc, Czech Republic - Avast has appointed Jaya Baloo to the position of CISO. Baloo joins Avast from KPN where she held the position of CISO. Ms. Baloo has been working in the field of information security for 20 years with a focus on secure network architecture, and is a faculty member of the Singularity University, and also sits on a number of infosecurity boards.

Data Strategy/Data Science/ AI/ Machine Learning/Analytics

• LG Electronics, South Korea - LG Electronics has appointed Darin Graham as the head of the LG Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab in Toronto. Graham brings more than 20 years of experience leading innovative projects that take creative ideas to the marketplace. He has led numerous international R&D programs and been a pivotal force in building Canada's AI ecosystem.
• Avast Plc, Czech Republic - Avast announced it has appointed Michal Pechoucek to the position of CTO. Michal Pechoucek joins from the highly regarded Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) where he is an established professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering leading the Department of Computer Science and the Artificial Intelligence Center, which he founded nearly two decades ago. He will be joined by three leading fellow AI scientists, who will work to expand Avast's understanding of how artificial intelligence can radically improve society's ability to protect against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Pechoucek previously had co-founded several technology start-ups including cyber security firm Cognitive Security (in 2013 acquired by CISCO), AgentFly, which specializes in controlling autonomous aircraft traffic and BlindSpot Solutions.

Notes:

• IG Group Holdings Plc - Jon Noble, previously CIO, is appointed as COO of the Company. He will continue to serve as an Executive Director in his new role. The Group's existing CTO will take on responsibility for IT, and will join the Executive Committee.
• Syndio - Syndio appointed former PayScale executive Katie Bardaro to the role of VP of analytics and advice. In this role, Ms. Bardaro will be responsible for providing expert advice to clients regarding the use of the Syndio platform and analytical results derived therefrom. Ms. Bardaro was VP of Data Analytics and before that Lead Economist and Director of Analytics at PayScale.

Recent Vell Placements

For Specific bios and announcements, please refer to our Website -www.vell.com

Board Members

COO, Digital Media Co.

CEO, Unified Communication

CEO, $10m Software for media

President, $1.4b BPO business

Chief Digital Officer, Agero, $1b Connected Car Company

$5b market cap Payment tech company

CTO, $70m EdTech SaaS Co.

CIO, $2b Media company (NYC)

CIO & CISO, Secure Document Software Company (West coast)

CTO & CPO, $100m Mortgage Software

CTO, Security Software company (West Coast)

CFO, West coast tech company

CFO, Quantum Computing Company

CFO , $1b Media Company

SVP Sales, $22m Enterpise Software Co.

SVP Sales & Services, $70m EdTech SaaS Co.

EVP Sales, Marketing & BD, $500m Unified Communications Co.

CMO, SaaS Software Company

VP, Marketing, $50m software company

VP, Marketing & BD, Software company

CPO, HCIT Healthcare SaaS (Division of large co.)

VP Product Management, $120m SaaS Co.

VP & GM, Transportation and Logistics Software (SaaS, large public co.)