Hiring announcements and departures in the tech ecosystem are mentioned daily in the Atlanta Inno Beat newsletter, along with insights on how personnel moves may impact a startup’s future. Sign up for the Beat to get it each day in your inbox.
Check out the most important hires, promotions, departures and layoffs from Atlanta technology companies from August 2019. Know of a name that’s missing from this list? Email mhogan@americaninno.com.
Lisa Armistead, associate provost for graduate programs at Georgia State University, was appointed the new dean of the university’s new Graduate School. Armistead has led the university’s graduate program initiatives since 2014. The new school hopes to increase the number and quality of graduate students, enhance professional development opportunities for graduate students, boost financial support for graduate education and collaborate with the university’s colleges and schools to strengthen interdisciplinary academic programs.
Buckhead-based consulting firm and corporate events company Afterburner named a new CEO, Joel “Thor” Neeb. Afterburner was founded by veterans and comprised of elite military professionals including former fighter pilots, Navy SEALS and Army Rangers. Neeb replaced James D. “Murph” Murphy, Afterburner’s founder and previous CEO. Murphy will continue to serve as chairman of the board. Under his leadership, Afterburner has moved into providing on-going business consulting services for clients — essentially translating military skills to use in the business world.
LocatorX, an Atlanta-based company developing tracking technology, added Tom Watjen, former CEO and chairman of Unum Group, to its board of directors. Watjen has nearly four decades of expertise in insurance, asset management and financial services.
GreyOrange, a software and robotics platform, hired Jeff Cashman as the company’s new senior VP and global COO. Cashman joins CEO Samay Kohli, VP and CEO of North America Chris Barber and CMO Terrie O’Hanlon at GreyOrange’s U.S. headquarters here in the city. Cashman has more than 30 years of supply chain technology experience and was most recently the CEO of Ally Commerce, an e-commerce service provider for brand manufacturers.
The company also announced the hiring of Terrie O’Hanlon as CMO, according to a news release. In her role as CMO, O’Hanlon is responsible for global brand positioning and influencer strategies as well as for leading GreyOrange’s market development, communications and demand generation programs, according to a news release. She has previously worked for Manhattan Associates, a global provider in supply chain commerce, inventory optimization and omnichannel solutions, and for Steelwedge, a supply chain planning company acquired by e2Open in 2017.
Scout, an Atlanta-based consumer and B2B agency, hired Michael “Mash” Ashley as VP and managing creative director. In his new role, Ashely will lead the agency’s consumer creative department, working closely with management and brand teams to advance Scout’s vision and growth. He will also help integrate and expand the agency’s service offering and add to its expertise across categories.
Gravy, an Atlanta-based customer retention and revenue recovery solution, announced three new leadership hires and nearly doubled its staff this summer. Since raising seed funding in the spring, the company has added 17 full-time team members. Josh Angel joined the team as VP of sales and revenue. Angel has 11 years of experience leading business units and large sales team at Siemens Corp. John Cozad was hired to serve as senior VP of operations. In his most recent position, Cozad helped Atlanta’s Deputy launch and scale its presence in the Americas. Josh Rhodes was appointed as “lead generation guru” and VP of growth. Rhodes has experience launching successful startups in Alabama and Georgia, including The Rocket Company, Gravy CEO and co-founder Casey Graham’s previous organization.
Imcon International, an Atlanta-based connectivity solutions provider, appointed Chairman of its board of directors Dale W. Meyerrose as the company’s president. Meyerrose will continue in his role as Board Chairman, a position he has held since the company was launched in 2017, according to a news release. In his new position, Meyerrose will work with the Imcon leadership team to articulate the company’s vision for growth, identify new and emerging markets, define revenue strategies and play an active role in the development and marketing of new technologies.
Endeavor Atlanta announced that Kyle Porter, co-founder and CEO at SalesLoft, was selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur at the 89th International Selection Panel in Quito, Ecuador. The global Endeavor team will support Porter and the SalesLoft team. With his addition, Endeavor Atlanta now supports 13 entrepreneurs leading 10 of the region’s fastest growing companies, according to a news release.
Phobio, an Atlanta-based omni-channel trade-in service software company, created a second company from its product Rodio. The new startup will focus on workforce communications software using AI, specifically in the retail and healthcare space. General Manager of Rodio Dan Barton was named Rodio Inc.’s CEO. Phobio initially launched the Rodio platform in 2017. Rodio is a two-way communication platform integrating mobile devices and apps, with centralized controls to send and receive messages and bulletins to remote teams.
Surterra Wellness, an Atlanta-based medical marijuana startup, appointed former Coca-Cola executive Stevens J. Sainte-Rose as chief human resources officer. Sainte-Rose also joined the startup’s executive leadership team. The news comes following Brown’s hire earlier in the summer and the company’s $100 million Series D raise in June. The company recently announced it would reach 2,000 employees by the end of 2019. Prior to joining Surterra, Sainte-Rose served in international human resources roles for more than two decades. His former positions include CHRO at U.S. Walgreens, a division of Walgreens Boots Alliance Corporation with over 250,000 employees, and senior VP of human resources at Coca-Cola International. Most recently, Sainte-Rose was leading the HR department at Dawn Foods. In his new role, Sainte-Rose will lead Surterra’s global human resources department and be responsible for developing and executing human resources strategy in support of the company’s overall business plan and strategic direction.
ShootProof LLC, an Atlanta-based company that develops online gallery software and other services for photographers, named Lisa Hyde as its first CFO. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Hyde previously served as senior vice president of operations and vice president of financial planning and control at Bluefin, an Atlanta-based fintech company. She has also worked as senior VP of finance and accounting at Veracity Payment Solutions, a company that provides payment transaction processing services.
The University of Georgia kicked off a new Startup Mentor-in-Residence program, where a mentor will inspire and consult with staff, student and faculty entrepreneurs. Serial entrepreneur and former marketing executive at Chick-fil-A David Salyers will be UGA’s first Startup Mentor-in-Residence beginning this fall. As the startup mentor, Salyers will speak and meet with faculty and students on campus to provide expertise, new insights and encouragement for those looking to start new businesses and nonprofit ventures, as well as commercialize their inventions and ideas.
