When I Work, a Minneapolis-based tech company that offers an employee scheduling platform, has appointed Blake Adams as its next CEO.
The 2010 startup has switched CEOs twice in the past couple of years, as its founder, Chad Halvorson had transitioned from the position to chief marketing officer in 2020 to be replaced by Martin Hartshorn. However, Halvorson returned as interim CEO this past summer while the company was looking for his replacement.
Adams' corporate background has included leading strategic and operational initiatives with Bain Capital, Intuit and Google. In his roles, he partnered with small business, especially in the technology sector, providing corporate strategy, product development, sales execution, and strategic partnerships. Most recently, he served as an operating partner at Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, Bain's investment fund in growth-stage software enterprises. In this role, Adams partnered with portfolio companies, including When I Work, as part of Bain Capital's $200 million growth investment in the company.
"Blake has been a critical When I Work partner over the last year and has brought key expertise in product-led growth and the small business market," said Halvorson, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Advisor at When I Work. In his statement, Halvorson said that Adam's enthusiasm and empathic leadership style will fit their company's culture and lead their long-term goals.
One of Adams' notable initiatives was involvement in the launch of Intuit's QuickBooks Advanced. Adams was also the former CEO of Clarity Service Group, a behavioral health therapy provider.
"We did all of our scheduling with pen and paper, so I have a very deep connection to the problem When I Work solves," said Blake Adams about his time at Clarity Service Group in the press release. Adams continued stating that he is proud to join a team that helps small business owners and their employees flourish through technology.
When I Work has been used by over 10 million hourly employees. It's currently used by more than 200,000 workplaces, including manufacturing companies such as Siemens and national health care providers. In January 2021, Greg Wallace became the company's first chief financial officer. And in May, it hired Octavian Tarcea to serve as chief technology officer. In December 2021, the Business Journal reported that the company had been experiencing significant growth and had raised over 24 million in funding.
