In October, Amazon announced plans to hire 6,500 workers in anticipation of seasonal demand, adding to the 11,000 it said it planned to hire regionally in September. And it’s not the only firm adding to its ranks.
While not with as large of numbers, other local tech and startup companies like Alphabet-owned life sciences firm Verily and Grapevine-based business automation software firm Sera Systems are looking to add smaller numbers – 115 and 44, respectively.
In total, NTX Inno and the Dallas Business Journal tracked 25 companies adding to their leadership, with 14 of those being in their C-suite. Of those, BackBox, VacationRenter and MedeAnalytics all named new CEOs.
On the flip side, two of Envy Gaming’s esports teams lost players during the offseason, while the McKinney EDC lost Danny Chavez, the architect of its Innovation Fund, to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.
To help you keep track of who is entering the North Texas ecosystem, we’ve rounded up the top hires and departures from October.
Pro tip: You can read daily updates on hires, departures, funding, M&A and VC activity in our newsletter, The Beat.
Hires & Promotions
BioLabs at Pegasus Park announced naming Gabby Everett as the site director in DFW. Before joining BioLabs, Everett served as a lead scientist at industrial maintenance solutions firm NCH Corporation.
BackBox, which assists with network management and other services, is shifting its global headquarters to Dallas from Tel Aviv. The move comes as it announced it closed a Series A round of funding of $32 million. It was led by Elsewhere Partners, which has offices in Austin. BackBox is getting new leadership as well. Andrew Kahl, Elsewhere Partners operating adviser, was named the new CEO. The two locations will collaborate, Kahl said.
San Francisco rental marketplace startup VacationRenter tapped local leader Heath Hammett as its new CEO. Before taking on the head role, Hammett served as the VP of product at Dallas online auto auction company Copart. He’s also held VP roles at Pizza Hut and Hotels.com. We reached out to Hammett to learn more, but didn’t receive a response before deadline. VacationRenter was launched in 2018 with $3 million in funding from California startup studio Wilbur Labs. Last year, the company said it saw more than $1 billion in gross booking value.
Crestline Investors, a Fort Worth-based alternative investment firm targeting credit and opportunistic investments, promoted Keith Williams to the role of co-chief investment officer. Williams joined Crestline in 2012 as its managing director and senior portfolio manager, and became a partner in 2016. Williams will serve alongside CEO and fellow Co-Chief Investment Officer Douglas Bratton. Crestline was founded in 1997 to focus on alternative investment strategies for the Edward P. Bass family, according to its website. It has a history of startup investing. This year, Crestline has participated in a $895 million funding round for SumUp, a $50 million round for GiGstreem, and a $35 million round for Cartessa Aesthetics.
The Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce has named an interim president, following the death of former CEO Devoyd “Dee” Jennings in July. Taking over the interim position is the chamber’s Board Chairman Sultan Cole, who has served on the board for about six years. Board VP Reginald Gates will fill Cole’s role on the board. There’s no word on when a new permanent leader will be named, but Cole has signaled his interest in the role.
After expanding to Dallas and Houston last year, Boston-based fintech Knox Financial, a residential management startup, hired local Chad Cox as its director of operations, overseeing the company’s growth in North Texas and six other states. He joins Knox from a previous role as the marketing, acquisitions and renovations manager for real estate firm Orchard in the DFW area. According to Knox, which raised a $10 million Series A round led by G20 ventures in April, it oversees a $10 million investment property portfolio in North Texas.
Plano-based property management software company ResMan promoted Nick Olsen as its new chief technology officer. Olsen joined the company more than a decade ago, most recently serving as its VP of development. The move comes amid a number of changes at ResMan. In August, the company was acquired by Tennessee’s Inhabit IQ for an undisclosed amount. That announcement came the same month ResMan was awarded $62.45 million from a federal judge in Sherman, following a spring jury trial that found Houston-based Karya Property Management and Expedien improperly accessed ResMan’s confidential software to develop a rival product.
Dallas-based sports private investment firm Arctos Sports Partners brought on Chad Hutchinson as a partner on its investment team and management committee. Before joining Arctos, Hutchinson was a managing director at investment firm Sixth Street. He also has a background in sports, serving as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears. Actos is dedicated to the professional sports industry and sports franchise owners, acquiring passive minority stakes in professional sports franchises and providing liquidity and growth capital solutions to sports franchise control owners and governors.
The Envy Gaming esports franchise is making more offseason moves. The Dallas Fuel, Envy’s Overwatch League team signed Kang “guriyo” Min-seo. They most recently played in the Overwatch Contenders Korea series, which helps develop aspiring pro players. With the addition of Min-seo, the Fuel’s roster now includes eight players.
Dallas-based Evolon Technology, a surveillance software solution for critical infrastructure monitoring, added Keith Archer to its board of directors. Archer also serves on the board of California-based CodeLogic, an application dependency mapping analysis startup. Last month, Evolon announced closing a $16 million Series A round from backers, including ReignRock Capital Partners, which led a $7 million round for the company in 2018.
Plano-base crypto mining and data center infrastructure company TMGCore named Nicholas Chaillan as an advisor. In addition to founding tech firms Prevent Breach and AFTER-MOUSE.COM, Chaillan previously served as the chief software engineer for the U.S. Air Force and as a co-lead of the Department of Defense Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative. Last month, TMGCore reported raising $20 million in debt funding and convertible promissory notes from five investors, per an SEC filing. According to Tech Crunch, the company already has around $70 million in funding, with principals of Pinchal & Company being one of its largest backers.
The Dallas Fuel, Envy Gaming’s Overwatch League team, announced signing Hyeonseok “ChiYo” Han, a former main support player for South Korea’s O2 Blast. According to Dot Esports, Han replaces Lee “Jecse” Seung-soo, who became a free agent earlier this month, alongside hitscam player Kim “Pine” Do-hyeon. It also notes that Han is the first rookie player on the Fuel roster, after playing in Overwatch Contenders League until he turned 18. Also joining the team is Tae-hoon “Edison” Kim, who also previously played in the Overwatch Contenders League in Korea. The Fuel roster also includes Dong-ha “Doha” Kim, Euiseok “Fearless” Lee, Hanbeen “Hanbin” Choi, Jun “Fielder” Kwon, Yeonghan “SP9RK1E” Kim.
Fort Worth-based telehealth provider TimelyMD named Jacki Craft as its new chief people office. Before joining the company, Craft served as the VP of human resources at local software firm Zix. Earlier this year, TimelyMD landed a $60 million investment from JMI Equity to expand in colleges and universities.
Argano, a Plano-based business and tech service provider formed in May out of three firms, is continuing to add to its leadership. The company named Frank Schettino as its chief of staff. According to his LinkedIn, Schettino also serves as a partner at basketball training company Shoot 360 Atlanta, as well as a board member of tech consultancy Arke. Last month, Argano hired Tim Harris as its chief strategy officer. Earlier this year CEO Chip Register said the firm could reach a headcount of 1,000 by the end of the year.
Dallas cybersecurity firm Cyber Defense Labs is bolstering its leadership lineup with two new hires. The company tapped Denisa Bravenec as its managing director and chief human resources officer and Lara Shane as its managing director of marketing and communications. Before joining Cyber Defense, Bravenec served as executive human resources business consultancy at Beacon People Group, while Shane previously served as a professional lecturer at American University. The announcements follow a $10 million investment the company landed in March, which it said it was using to expand with an additional East Coast office this year.
Video technology startup OneDay brought on Rachel Nader as its new assistant VP of client success, operations and enablement. Before joining OneDay, Nader worked as the regional manager of partnerships for North Carolina health tech company Matchwell. OneDay expanded its sales by more than 100% last year, and is looking to do more this year. Fueled by a $19 million Series B round led by Volition Capital in July, the company said its aiming to bring its headcount from 40 to around 60 by the end of the year. It recently moved into a new 10,000 square-foot space in the Design District, doubling the size of its previous locale.
Frisco-based esports firm Complexity Gaming is expanding its content creation efforts with three new hires. It brought on Bee Yancey as director of partnerships, Michael Zervos as director of video content, and John Williams as its art director. Yancey formerly served as an account director at The Marketing Arm, while Zervos previously worked as a film director and producer and Williams served as a creative director at Dignitas. The move comes after Complexity was acquired by Canadian firm GameSquare Esports in a $27 million all-stock deal in June. With that deal, Complexity shareholders, which include Goff Capital and the company’s CEO Jason Lake, along with the Jerry Jones Family, took about a 47% stake in GameSquare.
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed a handful of locals to the state’s Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee, the Fort Worth Business Press reports. Among the eight people named to the committee are Dallas Regional Chamber member and general manager at Bombardier Aerospace Tony Curry; Southlake’s Aimee Brunett, VP of F-16 production programs at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; and Jennifer Williamson, Southlake-based general counsel at Textron Systems.
Dallas esports franchise Envy Gaming brought on Chet Singh as its new coach for its Team Envy, which is currently competing in the VALORANT Champions 2021 tournament. He leaves Los Angeles esports organization TSM, which he joined in May. Singh replaces coach Michael “Mikes” Hockom, who announced he was leaving Team Envy earlier this month amid contract negotiation issues.
As the Frisco Economic Development Corporation aims to turn the city into an entrepreneurial hub, the organization named Gloria Salinas as its new VP. A former editor for The Dallas Morning News, Salinas most recently served as the VP of economic development and the Dallas Regional Chamber.
Fort Worth musician Leon Bridges is joining Technics, the brand name of Panasonic Corporation, as a brand ambassador and product advisor. He’ll be testing and hyping the launch of the brand’s two new lines of wireless earbuds.
After announcing plans to relocate its corporate HQ from San Diego to Allen in August, mobile infrastructure consultancy MD7 brought on Scott Belie as its new chief technology officer. He joins the company from a previous role as director of software engineering at Missouri-based tech firm Jack Henry & Associates. MD7’s Allen project is expected to create 218 jobs and over $6.8 million in capital investment.
Caris Life Sciences, an Irving-based molecular science firm, named Andreas Tsukada as a senior vice president, president of Japanese Operations and head of international, where he'll work to grow the company's international presence. Caris is currently working with the National Cancer Center Japan on a cancer genomic screening effort. Before joining the company, Tsukada led the Japan market entry team for Guardant Health. Earlier this month, Caris, valued at nearly $8 billion in May, named “Wall Street vet” Mike Weinstein as its new CFO. Last month, it also added to its C-suite, naming Milan Radovich its chief precision medicine offer.
After emerging from stealth last month with a $3.5 million seed round, Richardson-based fintech startup CollateralEdge added to its leadership. The company tapped Matt Mallett as its senior VP of product and Brandon Pabalate as its director of risk and compliance. Before joining CollateralEdge, Mallett served as a managing director at alternative asset firm Elm Park Capital Management. Pabalate most recently served as the enterprise risk officer for Vista Bank. Led by CEO and Co-founder Joe Beard, a former partner at local VC firm Perot Jain, CollateralEdge aims to reduce the cost and barriers around bank financing for small- and medium-sized businesses with a proprietary technology platform, according to its website.
Plano-based Tyler Technologies, a public sector-focused software service provider, brought Kevin Iwersen as its new chief information officer. He's held similar positions with the U.S. Air Force Reserve and Idaho's trial court system. According to the company, Iwersen will eventually take over for former CIO Matt Bieri, who has been with Tyler since 2010 and is retiring in 2022.
In the midst of a $4 million Series A effort, PlantSwitch brought on Jeff Yandian as its new chief product officer. Dallas-based PlantSwitch makes biodegradable straws and cutlery produced from agave plants leftover from tequila manufacturing. Before joining PlantSwitch, Yandian served as a senior category manager for Brinker International. The company was founded last year by SMU grads Dillion Baxter and Maxime Blandin. Since June of last year, the company has grown from just three clients to around 300, translating to a 350% revenue increase since January.
Former Trump Administration Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson joined the advisory board for Frisco social media startup FreeSpace. Launched in February, the platform bills itself as a space encouraging users to find common values and building healthy habits. According to Axios, the company is affiliated with SkyLab Apps, a sports training social media platform led by Matchstick Media CEO Jon Willis. According to FreeSpace, there are users from 176 countries on its platform. The company got a moment in the spotlight earlier this year when Trump announced he was eyeing a partnership with FreeSpace, while facing a ban on other social media platforms in the wake of Jan. 6. That deal appears to have never materialized.
OpenKey, a Lewisville-based app allowing users to turn their phones into digital hotel keys, brought David Dietz as its new chief technology officer. Before joining OpenKey, Dietz served as the VP of engineering for Austin job matching platform Crossover for Work. OpenKey was launched in 2014 and had offices in London and Shanghai. In 2016, the company raised an $8 million Series A round led by Dallas’ Ashford Group of Companies and joined by California financial services firm Phoenix American.
Plano-based NuVinAir Global, a company using scientific innovations to develop cleaning and sanitary products for the automotive and transportation industry, hired Marty Schoenthaler as its new franchise development officer. Before joining the company, Schoenthaler served as the CEO of independent Oklahoma tire dealer Tate Boys Tire & Service. This year, NuVinAir has announced franchise deals in Florida, St. Louis, Arizona and Colorado.
Caris Life Sciences, an Irving-based molecular science firm, tapped Mark Weinstein as its executive VP and chief financial officer. The move follows an $830 million growth equity round the company raised in May, which gave it a post-money valuation of $7.38 billion. Before taking on the new C-suite role, Weinstein served as senior VP of strategy at Minneapolis medical device company Medtronic. Last month, Caris named Milan Radovich as its chief precision medicine officer.
Excellarate, the tech solutions company formed from the 2020 merger of Pennsylvania’s Prime Technology Group and Dallas-based Agile software development provider Synerzip, is making some leadership moves. It named Vikram Bhalchandra as its new chief strategy officer, Lori Meyers as its senior VP of health care, and Jithendra Ganji as its senior VP of North American delivery. Bhalchandra joins Excellarate from a role as senior VP for Persistent Systems. Meyers is a former senior director of quality for Anthem's commercial and specialty business division. And Ganji is the former COO of software support and modernization company Lighthouse Software.
MedeAnalytics, a Richardson-based health care analytics SaaS provider has a new leader. It tapped Steve Grieco as its new CEO and board director. Based on LinkedIn information, Grieco takes over the lead role from Paul Kaiser, who left MedeAnalytics to join Missouri pharmacy software solutions company Transaction Data Systems as its president and chief commercial officer. Grieco has held similar roles at ConnectYourCare, which is owned by Optum Financial, a UnitedHealth Group division, and SourceHOV, which combined with Novitex and Quinpario Acquisition Corp. 2 to form Elexa Technologies in 2017.
Colorado automotive tech company Derive Systems brought on DFW tech ecosystem veteran Dan Speicher as its new CTO. Speicher has held similar roles at local tech firms Medecision, AsTech, Omnitracs, and Infogroup.
With the creation of a blockchain-focused work group approved by the Texas Legislature earlier this year to help guide future legislation in the state, Gov. Greg Abbott named four members to the Work Group on Blockchain Matters. Locally, members include Carla Reyes, assistant professor of law at SMU, and Fort Worth’s William Henning, executive professor of law at Texas A&M. Other appointees are Jennifer Buaas, director of strategic digital services at the Texas Department of Information Resources, and Dan Teczar, CIO and director of IT for the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. The formation of the group was supported by the Richardson-based Texas Blockchain Council and moved forward in the Legislature by Denton County District 63 House Rep. Tan Parker. The Texas Blockchain Council was also active in the passing of a law defining what represents a digital currency.
Departures
Envy Gaming’s Dallas Empire player Ian “Crimsix” Porter ended his two-year streak with the Call of Duty League team and joined the New York Subliners. Porter became a restricted free agent, alongside fellow Empire player Reece “Vivid” Drost, in late August.
Danny Chavez, the creator of McKinney EDC’s Innovation Fund, left the organization. Chavez has taken on a new role as the chief business recruitment officer for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance in North Carolina. According to LinkedIn, Chavez joined the McKinney EDC in 2019, most recently serving as its senior VP. The Innovation Fund has helped attract around 20 early-stage tech companies to the city.
After placing third in the global Overwatch League competition, the Dallas Fuel is making some roster changes. The Envy Gaming-affiliated team announced it didn’t renew contracts with players Seungsoo “Jecse” Lee, Gi-hyo “Xzi” Jung and Dohyeon “Pine” Kim. Also, Jun-keun “Rapel” Kim announced plans to retire. The team said it will be holding tryouts in the near future to find their replacements. The moves comes as the 2022 season will see the introduction of the title Overwatch 2, with competition moving to five-on-five play. Teams are still required to have a six-person roster.
