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November 16, 2020

Big Data Career Notes: November 2020 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!


Michelle Archuleta

Michelle Archuleta, Ph.D., joined RS21, a big data analytics and visualization vendor, as its director of Data Science. She will be will responsible for leading RS21’s team of data scientists and product development. Archuleta has over 15 years of experience working with artificial intelligence technologies and has six patents pending.

“I’m excited to use AI for good and tackle high impact projects at RS21,” said Archuleta. “I am looking forward to collaborating with the data science team, UX/UI design experts, and developers to identify those aha moments that lead to new knowledge, a better path forward, and ultimately, make a difference in people’s lives.”

Shahar Bar-Or

Infinidat, a  provider of enterprise-class storage solutions, appointed Shahar Bar-Or as its chief product officer and general manager of its Israeli operations. Bar-Or will be lead research and development, quality assurance/validation, product innovations, operations and IT.

“I admire Infinidat’s focus on addressing enterprises’ pain points by developing scalable and reliable products, such as InfiniBox, which has the lowest TCO and offers flexible elastic pricing to democratise data,” Bar-Or said. “I’m looking forward to applying my experience and drive and accelerating this journey. Infinidat, with its industry-leading architecture and scalability, truly has a transformative vision for the market.”

Amir Ameri and Paul Jenkinson

MariaDB Corp. appointed Amir Ameri and Paul Jenkinson to leadership positions at the company. Ameri joined the company as its chief financial officer. He has over 25 years of experience in finance and management, including fundraising. He has held executive leadership positions at various technology companies such as CollabNet VersionOne, Precise Software, and EnergyConnect.

Jenkinson, who is joining MariaDB as a board member and audit committee chair, brings years of corporate finance and leadership experience. He also serves on the board of AIVITA Biomedical, an immuno-oncology company. Before MariaDB, he held the CFO role at Kite Pharma and has served senior roles at Allergan and The Black & Decker Corp.

Greg Bruno

Greg Bruno joined SoftIron Ltd., a software-defined storage provider, as its chief architect. Bruno will be responsible for managing SoftIron’s software and hardware integration strategy. He comes from Teradata, where he held the engineering fellow’s role on the Technical and Innovation Office Research Team. Bruno has over 20 years of engineering experience, including his work in developing the Rocks cluster toolkit at the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

“There has been a certain level of stagnation in the data center and server industry when it comes to the way that hardware is designed and sourced, which has, disappointingly, become an almost acceptable status quo,” said Bruno.

Dominick Delfino

Pure Storage, a storage-as-a-service provider, announced Dominick Delfino as its chief revenue officer and global head of sales. Delfino has built a 20-year career in managing software and hardware sales and system engineering teams. He comes from VMware, where he most recently held global sales leadership positions, including in VMware’s Software Defined Data Center unit.

“Pure has an enviable reputation in the market of being customer obsessed and I could not be more elated to join the team,” said Delfino. “Pure provides an unrivaled experience and helps customers make their ambitions a reality. I see tremendous opportunity to advance and expand the business.”

Julia Fare

Julia Fare joined BigID as its senior vice president of Alliances and Channels. Before BigID, Fare held the role of global VP of Acoustic’s Partner EcoSystem. Fare has an extensive background in developing partnerships and has held senior leadership positions at Salesforce, Oracle, and SAP.

As the SVP of Alliances and Channels, Fare will oversee a team aiming to accelerate and cultivate BigID’s partnerships. Before BigID, Fare held the role of global vice president of Acoustic’s Partner EcoSystem after it separated from IBM.

Eliano Marques and Scott Fleming

Eliano Marques and Scott Fleming joined Protegrity, a data security provider, as its executive vice president of data and artificial intelligence unit and EVP of its services and support unit, respectively.

Marques will be responsible for managing the company’s data and AI capabilities. He comes from Emirates Group, Deloitte, and Teradata, where he helped to design and managed the development of data products. Fleming will be responsible for the services, support, and IT teams at Protegrity. He has over 25 years of experience primarily in growing startups and providing cloud and open-source data and analytics solutions.

Peter Gadd, David Noy, Daniel Bounds

VAST Data appointed Peter Gadd as its vice president of international sales; David Noy as its vice president of product management; and Daniel Bounds as its vice president of marketing. The new leadership team will be responsible for supporting VAST Data’s plans for expansion and development of its Universal Storage platform

Gadd, who comes from EMC (DELL), will be responsible for growing the company’s across EMEA and Asia Pacific. Noy, a 25-year veteran of the storage industry, will oversee the development of the Universal Storage platform roadmap and take on the company’s product management initiatives. Lastly, Bounds, a 20-year veteran of the technology industry,  will be responsible for VAST’s brand awareness.

Karin Golde

Artificial intelligence technology provider CLARA Analytics tapped Karin Golde as its vice president of data science. Golde will oversee the development of an AI and machine learning-based portfolio. Before CLARA, she was VP of AI research & development at NetBase Quid.

“CLARA has broken new ground in practical uses of AI in ways that will redefine commercial insurance for decades to come,” said Golde. “I am very excited to be a part of this change, particularly as CLARA extends its applications in ways that empower people with the tools to make their work easier, faster, more rewarding, and more interesting.”

Kevin Goldsmith

Kevin Goldsmith joined data science platform provider, Anaconda, Inc., as its chief technology officer. Goldsmith, a 28-veteran in software development and engineering management, will manage Anaconda’s open-source and commercial product portfolio and help to develop new offerings for the data science field. Before Anaconda, he was CTO of Onfido.

“Anaconda makes a real impact in the lives of data scientists around the world every day, and I’m excited to be part of the future of the company as it continues to expand that impact,” said Goldsmith. “Millions of data science practitioners rely on Anaconda’s solutions, and I’m proud to be part of a team that’s obsessed with increasing the value it delivers to a growing community.”

Ashley Gorakhpurwalla

Western Digital Corp. announced the addition of Ashley Gorakhpurwalla, serving as executive vice president and general manager of the company’s HDD business unit. Gorakhpurwalla comes from Dell Technologies, where he spent 20 years, most recently in the Servers and Infrastructure Systems division of Dell EMC.

“Western Digital’s customers are no longer just creating, processing and archiving their data. Now they have to manage it across clouds, analyze it in real-time and develop insights quicker and more efficiently than ever before,” said Gorakhpurwalla. “As our customers continue transforming to take advantage of the explosion of data and information, Western Digital’s innovation, intellectual property and world-class engineering and manufacturing position the company at the very core of this transformation. My role at Western Digital gives me a new opportunity to continue my part in this exciting new era, and I look forward to working with the team.”

Erica Hausheer

Data warehouse provider Teradata named Erica Hausheer as its chief information officer. Under this role, Hausheer will oversee the company’s Information Technology division’s strategy and operations. Before Teradata, she held the role of senior vice president and CIO of 3D Systems.

“I’m excited to be joining Teradata – a company whose legacy in the data analytics space is well known throughout the industry,” said Hausheer. “As CIO, I understand the power of data to transform business operations, and I look forward to collaborating with other Teradata leaders to use Teradata’s own technology to propel the business forward for greater customer value and profitable growth.”

Rani Johnson

TIBCO Software Inc. announced the addition of Rani Johnson as its senior vice president and chief information officer. Johnson will be responsible for working with customers, partners, and the company’s management team to accelerate the innovation that organizations need to achieve. She brings with her 20 years of experience in IT and most recently served as senior vice president and CIO of SolarWind.

“I see enormous potential for companies of all sizes looking to leverage their data and cement their relevance in a digitally transformed business landscape,” said Johnson. “It’s a passion of mine to create business environments that support positive change; develop IT leaders, women, and people of color; and lower the socioeconomic barriers inherent in this industry. I believe TIBCO has a great story to tell, and we will continue to shake up the status quo while striving to become part of the solution by supporting our customers’ businesses.”

David Mather

Alegion Inc. tapped David Mather for the role of president and chief executive officer of the company. He comes from MTPV Power Corp., where he served as the president and CEO. He has also served in multiple senior executive positions at Compaq Computer Corporation, Hewlett Packard, and Unisys. Mather currently holds a seat on the board of directors at RealMassive Inc. and is the managing director of Ensys Capital, LLC.

“It is quite an honor to be part of this team,” said Mather. “It’s a very exciting time for Alegion as it prepares to launch a version of its compelling platform for self-service use by customers and teams of all sizes and complexity, which includes the next generation of the industry’s most advanced video annotation capabilities.”

Melinda Smith

ChaosSearch appointed Melinda Smith as its chief financial officer. Smith comes from Venmo, a subsidiary of PayPal. She’s also held the role of CFO at Paydiant, Expressor Software, and edocs.

“Successful businesses run on data and, increasingly, on AI and machine learning apps that leverage that data. But because analyzing the tsunamis of data companies generate is so difficult and expensive, most companies limit what they retain and analyze,” said Smith. “ChaosSearch has a breakthrough, customer-proven solution that makes it extremely easy to retain, search, and analyze unlimited amounts of data at a cost that is often 80% less than competitive approaches. I believe they have the potential to be a unicorn, and the team to make it happen. I’m really excited about joining such a dynamic, world-class group.”

Michael Trzupek

AI and blockchain vendor Core Scientific appointed Michael Trzupek as its chief financial officer. Trzupek will be responsible for the company’s financial activities, including EY audits, acquisitions, finance, tax, and accounting. Before Core Scientific, he served as CFO at Premera Blue Cross and interim CFO at Sound Transit.

“Core Scientific is led by an experienced leadership team with a long-standing record of success, and I am honored to be joining the company,” said Trzupek. “I sincerely look forward to building upon its strong foundation by working closely with our auditors, suppliers, and customers to capitalize on the exponential growth in digital asset mining in North America.”

Dennis Via

Splunk Inc. appointed retired Army General Dennis Via to its board of directors. Via has over 40 years of experience with a diverse background, including in military and technology. He also has public sector leadership experience. Currently, he serves as executive vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton.

“I am honored to join the Splunk Board,” said General Via. “Splunk’s customer-first focus, along with the company’s exceptional reputation for delivering actions and outcomes that positively impact the world through data, is truly admirable. I look forward to the opportunity to support the company’s vision of creating lasting data outcomes for its customers.”


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.

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