May 29, 2024

PitchBook

Morningstar announced that Rod Diefendorf will be appointed the next leader of PitchBook as president and chief operating officer, reporting to Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor. This appointment comes after PitchBook founder John Gabbert announced his plans to depart. Diefendorf has been COO of PitchBook since 2016 and has nearly 30 years of experience driving growth and increasing shareholder value at startups and large corporations in the technology sector. Since joining PitchBook, he has played an instrumental role in driving PitchBook’s strategic roadmap and enabling PitchBook to scale its operations globally. PitchBook is a financial data and software company that collects and analyzes detailed data on the venture capital, private equity, and M&A landscape — including public and private companies, investors, funds, investments, exits and people. Founded in 2007, PitchBook operates globally, with U.S. headquarters in Seattle. In 2016, Morningstar acquired PitchBook, which now operates as an independent subsidiary. Morningstar provides independent investment insights in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

May 24, 2024

Economic Alliance Snohomish County

Economic Alliance Snohomish County announced the Snohomish County Update will take place on May 28 at the Boeing Future of Flight Aviation Center. This annual event brings together community members and local businesses for a discussion on the economic landscape and the innovations shaping our future. Presented by Boeing and the Port of Everett, this event promises insights into the opportunities and challenges facing Snohomish County.

This year, the event will feature a panel discussion with esteemed speakers including Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers; Bruno Arnal, general manager of Pathways at Amazon; and Jason Clark, vice president and general manager of the Boeing 777/777X family of airplanes. Together, they will delve into crucial topics such as economic development, environmental sustainability, workforce development, and technological innovation.

Admission starts at $25 and includes lunch. The event will start at 11 a.m. at the Boeing Future of Flight, located at 8415 Paine Field Blvd., Mukilteo. Registration at https://tinyurl.com/SnoCoUpdate2024

Icertis

Bellevue-based Icertis has appointed Anand Subbaraman as chief operating officer and Jay Lee as chief marketing officer. A 25-year software veteran, Subbaraman joins Icertis from BrowserStack, where as president he was responsible for strategy, product management, operations and marketing. He also previously held leadership roles at Finastra and Oracle. As COO, Subbaraman is responsible for product management, product engineering, and customer operations, including consulting, partner services, customer support, and customer success. Most recently, Lee served as chief marketing officer at Avalara. Prior to Avalara, Lee held leadership roles at GE Capital, American Express and PayPal. The Icertis platform provides AI-powered contract intelligence.

Seattle Credit Union

Seattle Credit Union has announced a partnership with Tacoma-based William Factory Small Business Incubator to present workshops for small business owners and entrepreneurs. By providing training, capital, networking and coaching, William Factory Small Business Incubator has helped more than 200 entrepreneurs start their businesses, leading to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs over the past 33 years in the South Sound region. The company's focus is to work with historically underserved segments of the community. The events will be held at Seattle Credit Union's new community workshop space at the Hilltop branch. Seattle Credit Union offers numerous financial education workshops throughout the year. Through its Feel Good Checking program, Seattle Credit Union donates $20 each time a Feel Good Checking account is opened to a local nonprofit that is doing good in the community. The current nonprofit partner is Tacoma Community House, a community-based service center for immigrants, refugees, and long-time South Sound residents seeking pathways to self-sufficiency. William Factory Small Business Incubator will also continue to offer workshops at the Hilltop branch. Additional information is available at seattlecu.com/empowering-entrepreneurs.

May 23, 2024

Dark Light Design

Cornelius

Takagi

Dark Light Design added two lighting designers, Christine Cornelius and Kana Takagi, to its Seattle office. Cornelius brings six years of experience in lighting design for corporate and technology projects as well as eight years in interior design experience to the Dark Light team. As a project manager, she will provide in-depth design, delivery for project milestones and interdisciplinary coordination from concept through construction. Cornelius received a Bachelor of Fine Arts concentration in Interior Architecture from Cornish College of the Arts. Takagi joins Dark Light as an architectural lighting designer. She will be working to support design efforts through production support, developing lighting calculations, and product research. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Design form the University of Washington, and will soon graduate with her Master of Architecture with Lighting Design Certificate, also from the University of Washington. Dark Light is a certified woman owned lighting design firm with offices in Seattle and St. Louis. Established in 2008, Dark Light serves owners, developers, and the design community.

SSA Marine

SSA Marine, an independent marine terminal operator, appointed Nicolas Gauthier president of the company's global container division. In this new role, Gauthier will leverage his extensive executive level international port and logistics operations experience to oversee SSA Marine’s container terminal concessions across the United States, in Manzanillo, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Colombia, and Vietnam. Gauthier is a member of the Seattle-based executive team, where he reports to Uffe Ostergaard, CEO of Carrix, the parent company of SSA Marine. Gauthier joins SSA Marine from DP World, where he served as CEO of DP World Peru. He started with the company in 2019 as CEO of DP World Ecuador. Prior, Gauthier spent seven years as CEO of PortSynergy Group, the largest container terminal operator in France. SSA Marine is an independent, privately held marine terminal operator, with activities at more than 250 terminal facilities and rail yards in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, and Asia. Its subsidiary, Tideworks Technology, offers technology solutions for the transportation industry. Founded in 1949, the company has continuously expanded its global footprint, and now employs more than 19,000 people worldwide.

May 22, 2024

Rock Project Management Services

Gaspay

Renton-based Rock Project Management Services hired Francis Jordan Gaspay as a project assistant. RPM provides owner's representative services to public and private clients throughout Washington that have education, technology, health care, transportation, and municipal projects.

Jubilee Women's Center

Seattle-based Jubilee Women's Center named Elisabeth Jarrard as its new executive director. Jarrard brings extensive experience in the affordable housing and emergency services provider sectors. Over the past decade at Compass Housing Alliance, she has held multiple leadership roles including director of advancement, interim executive director, and director of human resources. Jarrard earned her Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology with a focus on trauma at Northwest University. Her background includes providing clinical support to women exiting homelessness and serving individuals facing domestic violence. For the past several months, Liz Swanson, senior associate with the Valtas Group, has served as interim executive director, providing leadership and stability during the transition. Jarrard officially joins Jubilee Women's Center at the end of May. Jubilee Women's Center, established in 1984, supports women experiencing poverty to build stable futures, and provides programs and services that empower women to make positive life changes.