Category Archives: Business: Executives

News for Business Executives, current, trending, fresh , Press Releases about whats currently happening in the Business Place for executives.

Data Dynamics Welcomes Technology Leaders, Helen Johnson as CTO and Brijesh Kumar as VP of Development while Promoting Orooj Khan to VP Product Engineering


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We are excited to have Helen and Brijesh join our team as they bring strong leadership skills, years of experience and expertise, and a ‘get it done’ attitude.

Data Dynamics, the leader in hybrid cloud file management, announced today that technology industry leaders, Helen Johnson and Brijesh Kumar, have joined the Data Dynamics family. Helen is responsible for the technology vision and world-wide R&D teams based out of the US, UK, and India. Brijesh is responsible for Data Dynamics’ product development efforts globally.

Helen is focused on building product offerings which simplify and accelerate the enterprise movement to a hybrid cloud while providing new levels of unstructured data insight and analytics with business impact measured by operational risk reduction and optimization of the underlying infrastructure. Most recently serving as Chief Data Officer at AIG, Helen brings over 25 years of FinServ application development and IT technology leadership to Data Dynamics.

Data Dynamics’ Founder and CEO, Piyush Mehta, said, “We are excited to have Helen and Brijesh join our team as they bring strong leadership skills, years of experience and expertise, and a ‘get it done’ attitude. It is the combination of their skills and personalities that make them the perfect fit for our organization. Their joining, in conjunction with a well-deserved promotion for Orooj, will help continue to drive our thought leadership in how enterprise customers look to extract value out of their unstructured data in an optimized hybrid cloud environment.”

Joining Helen’s team is Brijesh Kumar who will lead the global software development team. Brijesh has been developing successful solution offerings for leading technology companies for the last 20 years. Brijesh is a 16 year veteran of developing innovative platforms for Zensar Technologies where he held multiple positions including: Delivery Leader for Retail and Consumer Services and AVP/ Group Delivery Head for Digital Commerce and multiple other positions. Prior to that, he was a Senior Software Engineer for Infosys.

Data Dynamics also announced that Orooj Khan has been promoted to Vice President of Product Engineering. Orooj previously held the position of VP of Engineering and is instrumental in the development of Data Dynamics’ product offerings for 8 years. She previously held engineering positions with Brocade and Intel.

Data Dynamics will open its Development Center of Excellence in Pune, India in July when local authorities permit COVID work restrictions to be lifted. The Pune development center will support a team of over 50 product management and development team members.

About Data Dynamics

Data Dynamics is the pioneer of unified unstructured data management software. With more than 350 customers around the world, Data Dynamics enables organizations to analyze, manage, move and modernize their data anywhere. Data Dynamics accelerates the adoption of hybrid, public and multi-cloud strategies, builds higher quality SLAs, and improves business process modernization. For more information, visit http://www.datadynamicsinc.com

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Raventós Codorníu Announces Hire of Mike Jackson as President, Raventós Codorníu North America


Mike Jackson

Raventós Codorníu, Spain’s oldest producer of wines and Cavas with a history dating back to 1551, announces today the hiring of Mike Jackson as President, North America. “We’re very excited to announce Mike as the president for Raventós Codorníu North America. Mike is an expert in the wine industry with a proven track record that convinced us he was the best man for the job,” said Frank Scheepers, International Sales Director, Raventós Codorníu. “We’re at a critical moment in our growth path and we believe that Mike will ensure a successful implementation of our strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities ahead.”

Mike Jackson started his career in the wine business with E&J Gallo, quickly rising through the ranks over a 10-year span, before joining Delicato Family Vineyards in 2000. During an 18-year career at Delicato, Jackson held various executive leadership positions in sales and marketing, successfully leading teams, introducing brands and driving growth. In his career, Jackson also launched the Napa operations of a premier custom winemaking company, Summerland Wine Brands. “I’m excited by this new challenge of growing sales and awareness for the Raventós Codorníu wines in North America,” said Mr. Jackson. “We have a great, international winery portfolio, an iconic global brand and the right team to drive growth in the world’s largest wine consumption market.”

Mike will be responsible for the entire business in North America. Susan Sueiro, President of the Artesa Winery and Oriol Gabarró, Sales Director for Raventós Codorníu North America, will both report directly to Mike. “We strongly believe North America is a market with a great potential for Raventós Codorníu.”

About Raventós Codorníu

Raventós Codorníu is Spain’s oldest producer of wines and Cavas and is a symbol of continuity, innovation and of remaining true to its origins. The company has five centuries of history (since 1551) and experience that combine tradition and modernity. This has resulted in the creation of leading wineries in the respective wine regions where they are located, capable of innovating and meeting the growing demand for exceptional Cavas and wines. With close to 7,500 acres of estate vineyards and 15 prestigious wineries spread across Spain, Argentina and California, Raventós Codorníu is one of the world’s leading companies in viticulture and winemaking expertise. http://www.raventoscodorniu.com/en

About Artesa Vineyards & Winery

Artesa Vineyards & Winery sits high on a hilltop overlooking the renowned appellation of Carneros in southern Napa Valley. The winery’s roots date back to the 1980’s when the Raventós family, heirs of the Spanish winemaking dynasty Codorníu, began acquiring land in Napa Valley. In 1997 it was named Artesa, from the Catalan word for handcrafted. Today, Artesa focuses on producing small lots of the varietals for which Carneros and the Napa Valley are best known and aims to capture the essence of terroir through exceptional winemaking. Artesa hosts thousands of visitors each year in their artfully-designed tasting room, and offers over twenty wines for direct purchase from the winery. Artesa wines are nationally represented by Raventós Codorníu. https://www.artesawinery.com/

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SteelBridge Solutions Becomes Sapient Insights Group, Acquires HR and Finance Research Team


Sapient Insights Logo

People strategy and workplace technology will be critical to navigating the complex challenges facing HR leaders in this volatile environment. We’re excited to bring the wisdom and expertise of this team, along with our data and research, to help our clients tackle those problems with confidence.

After seven years of helping clients achieve dramatic results in HR performance, change management and organizational transformation, SteelBridge Solutions, Inc., is substantially expanding its team and offerings to better serve its clients and relaunching as Sapient Insights Group.

The newly formed research and advisory firm will focus on equipping clients, as well as the HR and finance communities, with data and insights to drive enterprise-wide outcomes across a spectrum of industries, including financial services, energy and utilities, manufacturing, technology, telecom, healthcare, insurance and the public sector.

As part of this shift, Sapient has acquired the Sierra-Cedar research group and will continue to publish its annual HR and Finance Systems surveys, which tap user-driven data to help companies make better investments in people, process and technology. This new entity allows Sapient to combine 23 years of technology trends from thousands of unique organizations and blend it with unparalleled strategic consulting and technology expertise.

“Sapient has the experience, the knowledge and most importantly the data to help our research community make informed people and technology decisions,” said Stacey Harris, chief research officer of Sapient. “No other Systems Research has this much depth of information coming straight from users on the ground. We have surveyed more than 18,000 unique organizations covering 290 million employees over the life of the surveys. It is truly the voice of the customer.”

Sapient Insights Group will be led by:

Susan Richards, SPHR, chief executive officer. Richards has been leading change management, HR technology, strategy, organizational effectiveness, and transformation engagements for more than 20 years. Previously, she founded SteelBridge and worked at Mercer, Buck Consultants, Deloitte and IBM. She earned an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA from Maryville College.

Teri Zipper, chief operating officer. Zipper has more than 25 years of experience in global human resource consulting and systems. She specializes in helping organizations improve their HR technology strategy, process, change and execution. She has expertise in M&A, compensation, talent management, and product management and strategy. She previously served as SteelBridge’s COO, served in multiple roles at Mercer including Software Business Leader, Product Strategy and Client Success, and led the brand rebuild for compensation at PeopleFluent. She has a BS in business administration and finance from the University of Louisville.

Stacey Harris, chief research officer. Harris has been a leading member of the HR practices and technology research community since 2007, producing groundbreaking research on high-impact HR organizations, enterprise HR technology, and key practices across the talent management spectrum. She previously served as vice president of research and analytics for Sierra-Cedar, where she oversaw Sierra-Cedar’s Annual HR Systems Survey and Research. Prior to joining Sierra-Cedar, Harris held executive level roles with Bersin & Associates and Brandon Hall Group; and worked as an industry advisor and HR leader at multiple fortune 100 organizations around the world. Harris is included in Human Resource Executive® and the HR Technology Conference’s Top 100 HR Tech Influencers list and sits on the IHIRM (International Human Resource Information Management) Board of Directors, overseeing strategy and education in her role as Vice Chair. Harris holds MA and BA degrees from Kent State and Ashland University in Education and Communications.

Kim Seals, strategic adviser and board member. Seals has more than 25 years of experience in leading M&A transactions, service delivery transformation, talent, compensation, benefits and recruiting program design, as well as technology development, selection and implementations on a global level. She is currently a General Partner of The JumpFund, a micro-VC fund investing in startups in the southeast, a role she will continue hold. Seals previously spent 15 years at Mercer in several positions including Atlanta market leader, Global Talent Technology Solutions Leader and HR Effectiveness Global Practice Leader. She received her BS in Psychology from Louisiana State University.

“People strategy and workplace technology will be critical to navigating the complex challenges facing HR leaders in this volatile environment. We’re excited to bring the wisdom and expertise of this team, along with our data and research, to help our clients tackle those problems with confidence,” Richards said.

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American Mortgage Network’s President and CEO Joseph Restivo Named HousingWire Rising Star


American Mortgage Network

We created a new ESOP model which empowers employees to think and act like owners, making decisions to benefit the whole team and their clients. It has the power to change the landscape in mortgage banking

HousingWire recently announced its 2020 Rising Stars, shining a spotlight on 50 leaders under the age of 40, who are shaping and propelling the future of the mortgage, real estate and fintech industries. Joseph S. Restivo was selected as one of those 50 leaders for his willingness to tackle existing problems within the traditional mortgage industry and come up with fresh solutions to these challenges. The result is the establishment of the new American Mortgage Network as a 100% employee-owned company (ESOP).

Before starting American Mortgage Network, Restivo was the founder, owner and operator of two mortgage broker firms and one mortgage bank as well as a top originator. He was the CEO of California Mortgage Direct, which offered residential and commercial loan services to San Diego residents, including the resources and support normally associated with a large corporation while providing personalized service. He was the Vice President at Castle Mortgage and founded Rite Way Mortgage.

“We created a new ESOP model which empowers employees to think and act like owners, making decisions to benefit the whole team and their clients,” noted Restivo, President and CEO. “It has the power to change the landscape in mortgage banking. All of the company’s staff and executives are $15 or $16 per hour employees although there is an opportunity to earn additional compensation.“

Restivo continued, “I want to personally thank Housing Wire for this honor. AmNet is not a traditional ESOP founded, for example by a leveraged buyout. Rather, it is completely new with earnings power to benefit all team members now and in the future.”

This is the seventh year that HousingWire has recognized these innovative leaders for their Rising Stars program, and the nominations grow more competitive each year.

“This year’s Rising Stars are shaping and innovating the housing industry through one of the most difficult times since the Great Recession,” HousingWire Magazine Editor Kelsey Ramirez said. “This year’s list was more competitive than ever, and I am proud to recognize HousingWire’s 2020 Class of Rising Stars.”

“The first half of 2020 has been stressful and tumultuous for our country and the housing economy. This is an extremely special group of Rising Stars winners,” said Clayton Collins, CEO of HousingWire. “Not only have they demonstrated success in their careers and professions, they have also demonstrated the agility, fortitude and creativity to help lead their teams and clients through this time of change.”

About American Mortgage Network

American Mortgage Network (AmNet) is an Employee-owned company (ESOP) whose core business is originating primary residential mortgages. AmNet offers a full suite of purchase and refinancing products, including Conventional/Conforming, Government and Jumbo loans. AmNet targets all qualified borrowers for product offerings and is committed to fair lending practices in all licensed states. Visit https://amnetmtg.com/ to learn more.

About HW Media

HW Media is the leading digital community for real estate, financial services and fintech professionals to engage, connect and gain knowledge. Founded in 2016 through the acquisition of HousingWire, HW Media is based in Dallas, TX with team members across the country. HW Media is owned by Riomar Capital.

About HousingWire

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 1.0 million unique visitors each month. Our audience of mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals relies on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit http://www.housingwire.com or http://www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

Media Relations Contact:

Corinne Forti

PR/Communications

Corinne.forti@amnetmtg.com

https://amnetmtg.com

Contact

Caren Karris

Marketing Manager, HousingWire

ckarris@housingwire.com

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Corporate Diversity & Inclusion Leaders to Come Together in Dialogue Group to Accelerate Change in Corporate America


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Group and social change happens in a clear process: 1. form, 2. storm, 3. norm and 4. perform

Best Practice Institute (BPI) will host Chief Diversity Officers from leading organizations for dialogue groups to accelerate diversity and inclusion practices into their Talent Management programs. Following a week of protests and many statements from the world’s largest corporations supporting change, this important discussion will provide Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) leaders a platform to co-create what they and the field of talent management ought to do to accelerate D&I inside of their corporations.

“Group and social change happens in a clear process: 1. form, 2. storm, 3. norm and 4. perform,” says BPI’s Founder & CEO Louis Carter. “Some storming processes are more brutal than others, as we have been experiencing in America during the past weeks and throughout our history. The best change happens with a process which should include empathy, emotional regulation, alignment of common human beliefs, an offer to help and walk beside those in fear and anger, and an invitation to facilitate dialogue.”

Best Practice Institute’s Senior Executive Board, a consortium of Chief Human Resource Officers and Chief Talent Officers from some of the world’s leading organizations such as CVS Health, TIAA, KeyBank, Celanese, Sallie Mae, and others will be joined by the top Diversity & Inclusion executives for this collaborative session.

“In many ways, these are not new discussions within large corporations and our Senior Executive Board has been talking about strategies to integrate D&I programs into their people strategies for the 15-year history of the Board,” says Carter. “However, the events of the past week have pushed the need to accelerate and continue to improve these programs for the benefits of employees and customers alike.”

The invitation-only session will take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 12:00 pm ET, and is only open to corporate D&I professionals. Any D&I executive who wishes to attend is requested to reach out directly to Best Practice Institute’s CEO Louis Carter at lou@bestpracticeinstitute.org.

For more information, or to arrange for an interview, please contact:

NAME Louis Carter, CEO

PHONE 800-718-4274    

EMAIL info@bestpracticeinstitute.org

WEB http://www.bestpracticeinstitute.org

http://www.louiscarter.com

http://www.resultsbasedculture.com

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Brian Tracy, George Fraser Lead Other Global Leaders for GOTNI Global Leadership Masterclass


The GOTNI Leadership Centre, Nigeria’s foremost leadership development centre located in Abuja, Nigeria, is hosting global leadership experts at the GOTNI Global Leadership Masterclass from the 29th to the 30th of June, 2020 to prepare leaders to handle the challenges of the post-COVID-19 era.

Themed Facing the Future Without Fear: Leading in Uncertain Times, The GOTNI Global Leadership Masterclass will be hosted via Zoom on the 29th and 30th of June 2020. It will feature global leadership experts like acclaimed public speaker & self-development author, Brian Tracy; Leadership coach & human capital development consultant, Linus Okorie; renowned American business executive and Chairman of FraserNet, Inc., George Fraser; Executive Coach and Behavioural Change Catalyst, Lanre Olusola, and Investor & Real Estate Broker, Kristen Cripps.

Leaders and business executives will join the masterclass from across Africa, Europe, America and all around the world. The Masterclass costs $100 for participants who register before the 15th of June and $199 for participants who register after the 15th of June, 2020 at http://www.gotni.africa/ggm2020

“As the world faces the challenges of a pandemic, leaders around the world are looked upon to show leadership and to chart a sustainable growth path for the future.” said Linus Okorie, founder and president of the GOTNI Leadership Centre. “The hallmark of great leadership is its ability to turn challenging times into opportunities. This is why this masterclass is a must-attend for forward-thinking leaders.”

The GOTNI Leadership Centre is poised to raise world-class leaders who understand the art and practice of leadership.

CONTACT

Chijindu Umunnakwe

Head, Corporate Communications

GOTNI Leadership Centre

Chijindu.umunnakwe@gotni.africa

http://www.gotni.africa

08157919770

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BizWorth Managing Director Appointed President of NACVA’s Houston State Chapter


Darby’s leadership will be of great benefit to our members by helping them elevate their status, credentials, and esteem within the community.

BizWorth is pleased to announce that managing director Shelia Darby, MBA, CVA, MAFF, is the newly appointed President of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) Houston State Chapter. Shelia is a longstanding member of NACVA and currently serves as BizWorth’s managing director of the southwest region, based in Houston, Texas. During Shelia’s tenure, BizWorth has experienced accelerating innovation and growth.

“NACVA has seen a steady increase in demand for business valuation and financial litigation advisory services in the greater Houston area. To further serve the needs of our members, we are pleased to appoint Shelia Darby to lead our Houston State Chapter,” says Jonathan Jackson, Executive Director at NACVA. “Darby’s leadership will be of great benefit to our members by helping them elevate their status, credentials, and esteem within the community.”

“It is a tremendous honor to be named as President of NACVA – Houston State Chapter and I am thrilled to be able to work alongside other leading business valuation and financial litigation experts to continue making progress towards our chapter’s goals,” said Darby.

The NACVA Houston State Chapter provides valuable resources for members to enhance their status, credentials, and esteem in the field of performing valuations, financial litigation, and other related advisory services. To further this purpose, NACVA offers these services by establishing standards for membership in the Association, providing professional education and research, fostering practice development, upholding ethical and professional practices, enhancing public awareness of the Association and its members, and promoting working relationships with other organizations.

State Chapter events provide NACVA members valuable opportunities to: (1) promote CVAs, MAFFs, and NACVA within the community; (2) create an opportunity to network and develop mentoring relationships with other members; (3) deliver relevant, industry-related information, and educate members on the range of support services available as benefits of membership; and (4) receive CPE on timely and relevant topics pertinent to valuation and litigation forensic services.

About BizWorth

Headquartered in Houston, TX, BizWorth helps business owners and professionals across industries value ownership interests. From business acquisitions and divestitures to partner buyouts and litigation, BizWorth provides certified valuation reports that deliver the insight and credibility needed to facilitate deal making and successful resolutions. BizWorth certified appraisals are conducted by certified valuators who adhere to the high standards set forth by well-recognized, accredited organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.bizworth.com.

About NACVA

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) is a global, professional association that delivers training from the nation’s leading experts in consulting fields such as business valuation, financial litigation forensics, expert witnessing, forensic accounting, risk fraud management, mergers and acquisitions, business and intellectual property damages, fair value, healthcare consulting, and exit strategies. Along with its training and certification programs, NACVA offers a range of support services, reference materials, software, and customized databases to enhance the professional capabilities and capacities of its members. The Certified Valuation Analyst® (CVA®) is the only business valuation credential accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). To learn more, visit http://www.NACVA.com.

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Dan Fairfax Joins StorCentric Board of Advisors


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StorCentric, a global provider of world-class and award-winning storage solutions, today announced it has added Dan Fairfax to its Board of Advisors. Fairfax brings over 25 years of technology experience, including executive roles at Brocade Communications Systems, acquired by Broadcom in 2017, and currently serves on the Board of Directors at Super Micro Computer, Saama Technologies, and Energous.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome someone of Dan’s caliber to the team. His business acumen, particularly his finance background, will be instrumental as we accelerate our growth strategy with both product innovation and acquisitions,” said Mihir Shah, CEO, StorCentric. “We are committed to providing our customers the solutions to access, manage and protect their digital information. Dan joins us during a pivotal time as we introduce new solutions to market and capitalize on our software and hardware expertise to address the astonishing levels of data growth.”

StorCentric recently introduced several new products including high density QLC-based solutions designed to deliver enhanced performance and unbeatable economics for the most demanding enterprise platforms.

“I am honored to have been invited to join StorCentric’s Board of Advisors,” said Fairfax. “StorCentric has garnered the attention of the storage industry in a very short period of time with a rapid pace of four acquisitions in the past two years, and is seen as a trusted storage solutions provider with its reputable Drobo, Nexsan, Retrospect and Vexata brands. StorCentric provides a broad set of data management solutions with world-class products, IP, and professional expertise focused on helping customers scale their businesses, and I am excited to be part of this journey.”

Fairfax served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Brocade Communications from June 2011 to November 2017. Fairfax previously served as Brocade’s Vice President of Global Services from August 2009 to June 2011 and Brocade’s Vice President of Business Operations from January 2009 to August 2009. Prior to Brocade, Fairfax served as Chief Financial Officer of Foundry Networks, Inc. from January 2007 until December 2008. Prior to joining Foundry Networks, Fairfax served as the CFO at a number of technology companies, including GoRemote Internet Communications, Ironside Technologies, Inc., ACTA Technology, and NeoVista Software. Before those appointments, he held a variety of senior financial management and operations positions at Siemens and Spectra-Physics.

Fairfax holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Whitman College. Additionally, Fairfax is a certified public accountant in the state of California with an inactive license.

Tweet this: @StorCentric Adds Finance & Operations Leader Dan Fairfax to Board of Advisors (BOA) http://www.storcentric.com @Nexsan @Drobo @RetrospectInc @Vexata

About StorCentric

StorCentric provides world-class and award-winning storage solutions. Between its Drobo, Nexsan®, Retrospect and Vexata divisions, the company has shipped over 1M storage solutions and has won over 100 awards for technology innovation and service excellence. StorCentric innovation is centered around customers and their specific data requirements, and delivers quality solutions with unprecedented flexibility, data protection, performance and expandability. For further information, please visit: http://www.storcentric.com.

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SteelBridge Solutions Becomes Sapient Group, Acquires HR Technology Survey


People strategy and workplace technology will be critical to navigating the complex challenges facing HR leaders in this volatile environment. We’re excited to bring the wisdom and expertise of this team to help our clients tackle those problems with confidence.

After 7 years of helping clients achieve dramatic results in HR performance, change management and organizational transformation, SteelBridge Solutions, Inc., is changing its name to Sapient Insights Group and substantially expanding its team and offerings to better serve its clients.

The newly formed research and advisory firm will focus on equipping clients with data and insights to drive enterprise-wide people and financial outcomes across a spectrum of industries, including financial services, energy and utilities, manufacturing, technology, telecom, healthcare, insurance and the public sector.

As part of this shift, Sapient is partnering with Sierra-Cedar to publish its annual HR Technology Survey, which taps user-driven data to help companies make better investments into people, process and technology. This partnership allows them to combine data from 23 years of technology trends from thousands of unique organizations annually and blend it with unparalleled consulting and technology expertise.

“Sapient has the experience, the knowledge and most importantly the data to help companies to navigate these challenges,” said Stacey Harris, chief research officer and managing partner of Sapient. “No other HR Tech Survey has this much depth of information coming straight from users on the ground. We have surveyed more than 18,000 unique organizations covering 290 million employees over the life of the survey. It is truly the voice of the customer.”

Sapient Solutions Group will be led by:

Susan Richards, SPHR, managing partner. Richards has more than 20 years of experience leading HR technology, strategy, organizational effectiveness, change management and transformation engagements. Previously, she has served as CEO of SteelBridge and worked at Wipro Consulting Services, Mercer HR Consulting, Buck Consultants, Deloitte and IBM. She earned an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA from Maryville College.

Teri Zipper, chief operating officer. Zipper specializes in helping organizations improve their HR technology strategy, process, change and execution. She previously served as SteelBridge’s COO, and she also worked at Mercer and PeopleFluent. She has a BS in business administration and finance from the University of Louisville. She is also a member of WorldAtWork.

Stacey Harris, chief research officer and managing partner. Harris has been a leading member of the HR practices and technology research community since 2007, producing groundbreaking research on high-impact HR organizations, enterprise HR technology, and key practices across the talent management spectrum. She previously served as vice president of research and analytics for Sierra-Cedar, where she oversaw Sierra-Cedar’s Annual HR Systems Survey and Research. Prior to joining Sierra-Cedar, Harris held executive level research roles with research organizations Bersin & Associates and Brandon Hall Group. Harris has MA and BA degrees from Kent State and Ashland University.

Kim Seals, strategic adviser. Seals has more than 25 years of global experience in human resource consulting, M&A, as well as corporate and leadership roles. She is a founding member and co-chair for the Atlanta chapter of Golden Seeds, where she has been a managing director at Golden Seeds since 2013. In addition to her role with Golden Seeds, she also serves as a General Partner of The JumpFund. Seals previously served as a senior partner with Mercer, responsible for leading their overall go-to-market strategies in the southeast region. She received her BS in Psychology from Louisiana State University.

“People strategy and workplace technology will be critical to navigating the complex challenges facing HR leaders in this volatile environment. We’re excited to bring the wisdom and expertise of this team to help our clients tackle those problems with confidence,” Richards said.

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Mike Filliben Promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Ranker


“In this expanded role, Mike’s proven leadership skills will be exactly what we need to fuel Ranker and Watchworthy’s continued growth.” -Clark Benson, CEO and founder of Ranker.

Ranker, known as the world’s leading publisher for fan-powered rankings on just about everything, today announced that Mike Filliben has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Filliben was the first analytics hire at Ranker in 2014, and most recently served as Senior Vice President of Audience Development and Analytics leading the inception and development of several initiatives that have driven consistent growth and gone on to become core competencies of the company.

With almost 15 years of experience in technology and digital media, Filliben has been fortunate to experience the business from many different angles, holding roles in sales, customer success, product, marketing, operations and analytics.

“Mike is a trusted professional that has been committed to the development of Ranker’s strategic initiatives and business goals for several years,” said Clark Benson, CEO and founder of Ranker. “What we’re seeing in this pandemic is that most digital media publishers are moving to subscription paywalls in a panic, whereas we are fearlessly adapting to the changes with innovations and employee growth. In this expanded role, Mike’s proven leadership skills will be exactly what we need to fuel Ranker and Watchworthy’s continued growth.”

As COO of Ranker, Filliben will oversee publisher and business operations, working with his team to lead the data driven improvement of tactics, processes, and technology in pursuit of consistently superior execution. Those efforts will support the further advancement and evolution of Ranker and Watchworthy, a free personalized TV recommendation app launched in March 2020.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to lead Ranker to the next level of growth and operational inventiveness,” Filliben said. “These are unstable times for the digital media space, but we feel good about the opportunities in front of us and about our ability to execute on them. We’ve got a passionate team that is invested in the future of the company – I’m looking forward to the challenge and what we can accomplish together.”

Prior to his career at Ranker, he was the head of analytics at Military.com, the nation’s largest online Military and Veteran membership organization. He has a B.S. in Business Economics from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

More information about Ranker and its leadership can be found here.

About Ranker

Ranker, a Quantcast Top 50 site in the US, attracts more than 20 million monthly unique visitors worldwide and is the leader in fan-powered rankings on just about everything. Whatever the topic – TV, movies, video games, sports, brands, food, lifestyle – Ranker puts the vote into the hands of millions rather than a few critics to answer the questions we are most passionate about. Over 1 billion votes now power Ranker Insights, a treasure trove of psychographic correlation data that delivers personalized consumer recommendations (“if you like X, you’ll also like Y, Z”), and also audience insights to marketers, studios, and platforms seeking a deeper understanding of consumer tastes and preferences. Launched in 2020 and powered by Ranker Insights, Watchworthy is the only statistically relevant, crowd-sourced TV recommendation app available to consumers. Ranker made #187 on Deloitte’s 2019 Technology Fast 500 featuring the fastest growing companies in North America and Built In LA’s Top 50 Mid-Sized Companies To Work For in 2020. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Ranker also has offices in Chicago and NYC.

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