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January 16, 2019

Big Data Career Notes: January 2019 Edition

In this monthly feature, we’ll keep you up-to-date on the latest career developments for individuals in the big data community. Whether it’s a promotion, new company hire, or even an accolade, we’ve got the details. Check in each month for an updated list and you may even come across someone you know, or better yet, yourself!


Bernd Gross

Software AG has announced that Bernd Gross will assume the position of chief technology officer.  Gross joined Software AG as CEO and co-founder of the IoT platform Cumulocity through an acquisition in 2017. CEO Sanjay Brahmawar said: “Bernd has successfully established Cumulocity and hence Software AG as a recognized leader in the IoT & Device Integration platform market globally. His business orientation, deep technology understanding, as well as anticipation of future market requirements puts Bernd in the perfect position to lead as our new CTO.”

“To me, IoT is more than just big data or device management,” said Gross. “We create an entire virtual world based on connected cyber physical systems. This ‘holistic connectedness’ needs integration, analytics and database technologies and new methodologies to operationalize the outcome. I feel very honored to lead Software AG’s activities in these areas to a thought-leadership position among our customers and in the market.”

Paz Macdonald

Software AG also announced that Paz Macdonald will join the company as chief marketing officer. Macdonald was most recently VP of marketing for EMEA and APAC at hybrid cloud database vendor MongoDB. Prior to MongoDB, Macdonald held marketing management positions at IBM, Cisco, Samsung, HP Software and Cognos.

“I am delighted to be joining the Software AG team to help expand and strengthen its leadership in the digital transformation space,” said Macdonald. “A key part of my role will be listening to our customers, prospects and partners so we can deliver superior customer experiences at every interaction. It’s never been a more exciting time to be involved in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and integration.”

Oliver Ratzesberger

Teradata has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Oliver Ratzesberger president and CEO. Ratzesberger joined Teradata in 2013 and has served as Teradata’s COO since February 2018.

“I am honored to serve as the next CEO of Teradata as we continue to challenge the market’s perceptions of how data can lead to answers and deliver the industry’s only pervasive data intelligence solution,” said Ratzesberger. “Over the last few years, we have revitalized Teradata by making significant advancements to our offerings while also working to transition our business model to provide the subscription-based services our customers prefer. As CEO, I look forward to continuing to work with our talented team to build on this momentum and create long-term value for our customers and shareholders.”

Zariana Lam Stanford

BackOffice Associates has named Zariana Lam Stanford as its chief marketing officer. Stanford was formerly CMO of SAP Asia Pacific and Japan. Prior to that, she was vice president at IBM. Stanford was named a CMO Fellow by Marketing Academy and serves on the Board of Directors at BD Foundation.

“Data as a currency is a global phenomenon that presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities for businesses of all sizes,” said Stanford. “I look forward to working with our regional presidents, the world-class BackOffice team of consultants, and the entire BackOffice team to advance our customers’ business goals and data journey to bring relevance and drive engagement along the way. With Dave and the executive team, as well as our blue-chip Board and fellow associates, I am in good company.”


To read last month’s edition of Career Notes, click here.

Do you know someone that should be included in next month’s list? If so, send us an email at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.

Datanami