The Great Resignation may be slowing down as the economy worsens. Tech layoffs increased in 2022.
But despite these conditions, C-suite executives were still on the move this year, including in Houston’s tech and startup ecosystem. Here’s a look at some of those Houston hires in 2022.
GoExpedi names new CFO
In February 2022, supply chain analytics company GoExpedi named Jorge Ordonez as its new CFO, succeeding Tim Leong in the role. Ordonez previously served as CFO of medical equipment supplier US MedEquip LLC, having worked there since 2019.
Led by CEO Tim Neal, GoExpedi supplies industrial and energy customers with equipment for maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) through its e-commerce platform. The company raised a $25 million Series C round in 2020, which it then used to expand its services into construction and environmental, social and governance tracking.
Sigga Technologies sees leadership shake-up
Houston-area software company Sigga Technologies saw a leadership shake-up in August, with chief revenue officer Stephen Timms being promoted to CEO while then-CEO Warley Borges moved to the board. The move was notable as Timms had only been hired on as CRO in January.
"We are at a natural transition point with an innovative new product already launched and implemented," Borges said at the time of the move. "Stephen is a seasoned enterprise software executive and a passionate leader who will continue the customer-centric legacy that we have created with Sigga."
Brazil-founded Sigga is headquartered in Sugar Land. The company received a 2021 investment from Westport, Connecticut-based private equity firm Gemspring Capital.
Houston Exponential hires new CEO
In October, startup hub Houston Exponential announced its new leader, with Natara Branch taking over as CEO from interim Lawson Gow.
Branch, who was previously the first Black woman to serve as senior vice president of the NFL, joins HX in a year of transition, as the previously nonprofit company was acquired and changed to a for-profit company by Gow Cos. in May.
HX continued its work in developing Houston’s startup ecosystem by partnering with the Fort Bend Economic Development Council, the Houston startup hub The Cannon and startup development nonprofits Born Global Ventures and Code Launch to launch the Fort Bend Innovation Council Sept. 29 in Sugar Land.
Branch said she hopes to continue using Houston’s legacy industries in oil and gas and health care technology to spin off new startups and to amplify Houston success stories.
HungerRush promotes two internally, hires vice president of sales
Local restaurant software provider HungerRush announced a wave of hires and promotions in its leadership team in November. The move follows HungerRush’s majority acquisition by New York private equity firm Corsair in June.
HungerRush’s chief marketing and promotions officer Oliver Thierry was promoted to CRO while its chief marketing and sales growth officer Dean Thompson was appointed chief sales officer. The company also hired Josh Desmond as its vice president of sales to work alongside Thompson.
HungerRush made several acquisitions in the restaurant software space in 2021, with New York-based online ordering company 9Fold and Kansas-based e-commerce company Menufy joining its fold. A spokesperson confirmed HungerRush had 500 employees across all its U.S. locations.
Graylog Software makes shift in C-suite
Log management and security information provider Graylog Software announced in mid-November that one of its founders was moving within the company, with Lennart Koopmann taking the post of chief product officer after the company hired Robert Rea to replace him as chief technology officer.
Rea held positions at ShiftLeft and ArmorSecurity, with experience in endpoint telemetry, cloud native security, and data lakes, Graylog said. CEO Andy Grolnick said the restructuring came as part of an evaluation of how the company could ensure “optimum focus and capacity going forward.”
Graylog was recognized as a 2022 winner of Houston Inno's 2022 Fire Awards, seven years after it relocated its headquarters to the Bayou City from Hamburg, Germany. The company also opened a London office in March 2021 and announced an $18 million equity fund raise in June of the same year.
