There have been plenty of newcomers to the region this year, building on 2020, when everyone began to flock to Florida.
But some of the standouts went beyond snowbirds and new college graduates — they were the soon-to-be heads of some of the area's most innovative tech companies.
We've rounded up every CEO appointed throughout 2022, ranging from industry titans to fresh-faced rookies.
- Dunedin-based SecureAire Technologies LLC named Ben Rizzo as its new CEO in January. The company provides air purification for residential and commercial clients. Rizzo previously founded Hartwood Point, a Pittsburgh-based private investment firm, and was president of Hadfield Elevator LLC.
- Tony DiBenedetto, a longtime pillar in the tech scene, was hired as the CEO of Appspace, a Tampa-based SaaS company, in February. He has served on the board for the last two years as an adviser and will essentially be switching places with now-former CEO Brendan Miles. Miles will serve on the company’s board in an advisory role, with DiBenedetto taking over the day-to-day operations. The Tampa Bay Business Journal's got the story.
Tony DiBenedetto
- SOMA Global, a Tampa-based software solution for first responders, appointed Nick Stohlman in May as its co-founder and chief client officer. He previously served as the company's chief growth officer. In the new role, he's expected to focus on partner success, onboarding and long-term retention.
Team from SOMA Global
Nola Laleye
- In May, Ashish Kachru was named CEO of Tampa-based DataLink Software, a solutions provider focused on the health care industry. He replaces Kevin Steele, who is retiring. Kachru previously served as president of Virginia-based Altruista Health, which he founded in 2007. In the new role, he's tasked with spearheading growth and business strategy.
- Tampa-based Spectrio's CEO Dax Brady-Sheehan quietly stepped down in July, according to a company spokesperson. He served in the CEO spot since 2018. Tamara Bebb, Spectrio's CFO, was named interim CEO and eventually took on the permanent position.
Dax Brady-Sheehan, CEO, Spectrio
Courtesy photo
- Jill St. Thomas, the longtime leader of Tampa Bay Tech, stepped down from the executive director role in August after spending the last six years as CEO. Meghan O’Keefe, a business development manager for the St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corp., was chosen as executive director in November. Tampa Bay Tech has 150 member companies, which, according to the organization, represent more than 11,000 tech-focused employees.
Meghan O'Keefe
- The CEO of St. Pete-based iQor stepped down in October. Gary Praznik will retire in 2023 after 23 years with the managed service provider company. He has served as president and CEO since 2018 and will work with the company on a “smooth transition” and to find his replacement.
Gary Praznik, CEO, iQor
Reginald D. Walton
- St. Petersburg giant Jabil will have a new CEO at the helm come 2023. The company, best known for manufacturing parts of iPhones, announced in November they planned to appoint Kenny Wilson to the role in May 2023. He has been with the company since 2000, recently serving as executive vice president of Jabil Greenpoint. Jabil’s current CEO, Mark Mondello, will serve as executive chairman when Wilson takes on the new role.
Jabil headquarters in St. Petersburg
- Peter Bellini, son of ConnectWise co-founder Arnie Bellini, announced he is the CEO of Tampa-based ConnectSecure. The company was founded by two former ConnectWise employees, who tapped Peter Bellini as its new CEO as it wanted to boost its U.S. presence.
Peter Bellini, CEO of ConnectSecure.
ConnectSecure
- Tampa-based medtech company Neurolief announced in December Scott Drees will serve as its new CEO. Drees previously served as CEO of Texas-based Neuromodulation Ventures LLC and, before that, was CEO of Nuvectra, a Texas-based publicly traded company.
