Cindy Rose, Microsoft’s chief operating officer for global enterprise sales, is making a significant career move by leaving the tech giant to become the CEO of WPP, a London-based advertising company. Rose has been with Microsoft for nine years, serving in various roles including CEO of Microsoft UK and president of Microsoft Western Europe.
In a statement on LinkedIn, Rose expressed her excitement for the new opportunity at WPP, calling it “a company I know and love.” She mentioned that she has served on WPP’s board for six years and has been a client and partner with the business. The move comes at a crucial time for WPP, as it faces challenges from artificial intelligence and aims to overcome recent client losses.
Meanwhile, Christopher Niederman has taken on the role of senior vice president of alliances and channels at Snowflake, a Montana-based cloud giant specializing in data storage, processing, and analytics services. Niederman brings with him 11 years of experience at Amazon Web Services, where he most recently served as managing director of AWS Industries and Solutions. Snowflake recently expanded its operations by opening a new office in Bellevue, Washington.
Mary Szela, a seasoned executive with nearly 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, has joined the board of directors at Absci, a Vancouver-based company that uses AI to develop drugs. Szela has held CEO positions at multiple corporations and played a key role in overseeing the development of Humira, a popular drug for treating autoimmune diseases.
In the tax compliance software industry, Avalara has made two significant appointments to its C-suite. Adrianna Burrows, previously with Shopify, is now the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Avalara. She brings a wealth of experience from her time at PayScale, Microsoft, and We. Communications. Shahan Parshad, who joins Avalara from Airtable, is now the senior vice president and chief information officer. Parshad has held leadership roles at Confluent, Salesforce, and McKinsey & Company.
Avalara, which was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2022, recently relocated its headquarters from Seattle to North Carolina.
Boltive, a Seattle startup focused on helping brands and publishers comply with online privacy laws, has announced a change in leadership. CEO Dan Frechtling is stepping down after more than four years, allowing Pamela Slea to take over as president. Frechtling expressed gratitude for the journey at Boltive, highlighting the company’s growth and successful acquisition. Slea, who has held leadership roles at InMobi, Index Exchange, AppNexus, and Google, is poised to lead Boltive into its next phase of growth.
Funko, an Everett-based pop-culture collectibles company, has appointed Michael Lunsford as interim chief executive, replacing Cynthia Williams. Lunsford, who previously served in the role from 2023-24, will also retain his seat on Funko’s board of directors. Williams, who came to Funko from Hasbro and held leadership roles at Wizards of the Coast, Microsoft, and Amazon, was named CEO last year. The decision to replace Williams was made to deliver full shareholder value, according to Funko’s board chairman Charles Denson.
In the gaming industry, Dan Ayoub has taken on a new role leading the Dungeons & Dragons franchise at Wizards of the Coast. Ayoub, who spent 11 years at Microsoft working on Halo, expressed his love for D&D and the impact it has had on his life and career.
Dean Ditto has been named chief financial officer at Banzai International, a Seattle-based marketing tech company. Ditto brings a wealth of experience from his previous CFO roles at companies based in Denver, including Akerna, Mydecine Innovations Group, and Sigue. Banzai CEO Joe Davy praised Ditto’s financial skill set and expressed confidence in his ability to serve as CFO.
AdventureTripr, a Seattle startup focused on group travel experiences, has appointed Jessica Sahney as chief operating officer. Sahney, who spent 15 years at Amazon with a focus on data center infrastructure planning and operational efficiency, brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Her passion for adventure aligns with AdventureTripr’s mission to support active travel such as mountaineering, sailing, trekking, and other activities.
Lastly, Washington State Green Bank has named Eli Lieberman as its first executive director. The nonprofit bank is focused on developing financial products to support the deployment of clean energy technologies, including residential clean energy loans and commercial offerings. Lieberman’s appointment marks a significant step for the organization as it works towards its mission of promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility.
— Scowtt, a startup specializing in customer acquisition based in Kirkland, Washington, has appointed Eric Schwartz as its inaugural chief revenue officer. Schwartz, who hails from New York City, brings his experience from leadership positions at MiQ and Scibids to the role. Scowtt’s marketing software is designed to analyze potential customer leads, predict successful sales, and utilize AI for prospect interactions and call scheduling.
— Stephen Poole has been named the senior vice president of Addison Avenue Investment Services. Poole takes over from Kelly Corah, who is retiring after 27 years with the Hillsboro, Oregon-based company. Poole, previously with Columbia Wealth Advisors, will report to Greg Mitchell, President and CEO of First Tech Federal Credit Union.
— Parker Burke has been appointed to dual roles at Fluke as the president of the company and the group president of Fortive’s Connected Reliability Group. Fluke, a subsidiary of Fortive based in Everett, specializes in tools and software for measuring and monitoring applications in various industries. Burke, with nine years of experience at Fortive, including leadership roles at Industrial Scientific, brings valuable expertise to the positions.
— Cherodeep Goswami, the chief information and digital officer at Providence, has been selected to serve a three-year term on the board of directors for the American Board of Surgery. The organization is responsible for providing board certification to surgical clinicians.
— Karina Martija-Harris has been appointed as the director of community partnerships at the Youth Marine Foundation in Tacoma, Washington. With previous experience as a program manager at Washington Maritime Blue and a role with Defense Innovation Unit, Martija-Harris brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, supporting the foundation’s mission of promoting maritime skills.
