The Pacific Northwest’s technology scene is humming with fresh energy as a wave of seasoned executives steps into new roles across drones, health research, enterprise software, and clean energy. These moves reflect not just individual career shifts but a broader momentum—companies are doubling down on innovation, data, and customer trust. The region has long been a magnet for talent, and this latest round of appointments feels less like a reshuffling of names and more like a deliberate gathering of people who’ve spent years solving hard problems, from battlefield logistics to multi-billion-dollar supply chains. What ties them together is a shared belief that technology can make the world safer, healthier, and more efficient—and that the right person in the right seat can make all the difference. That’s what makes these announcements more than just press releases; they’re stories about where the industry is headed, and the people who are choosing to lead the way.
Take Joe Levy, the newly named chief revenue officer at Brinc Drones. Levy’s resume reads like a study in resilience and discipline: early in his career, he served as a drill sergeant and combat engineer for the U.S. Army Reserve, experiences that likely shaped his approach to building teams and navigating chaos. After that, he moved into the public safety technology world, most recently at Peregrine, a platform designed to help law enforcement and first responders work smarter. Now he’s bringing that grit to Seattle-based Brinc, which makes drones that fly to 911 calls, giving responders eyes on the scene before they arrive. Levy’s enthusiasm is palpable—he talks about the team’s passion and the vision that will “change the public safety landscape.” And the company has the backing to match that ambition: a $125 million funding round in July brought Brinc’s total raised to over $280 million, and it ranks No. 6 on the GeekWire 200, a solid benchmark of startup success. For Levy, this isn’t just a job; it’s a chance to scale a product that could make emergency response faster and more effective.
In the health and enterprise software sectors, two leadership shifts stand out for their depth and strategic timing. At Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, Jessie Minton is stepping in as vice president and chief digital and information officer, a newly created role that merges digital and information leadership. Minton spent years as CIO at the University of Oregon and, most recently, as vice chancellor and CIO at Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned a reputation for modernizing complex technology organizations, tightening cybersecurity, and steering massive Epic environments—the software backbone of many health systems. Her appointment comes on the heels of another new hire: Shawn Stapleton, now VP and chief AI and innovation officer. Together, they signal that Fred Hutch is serious about integrating data and AI into its research and clinical mission. Meanwhile, the outgoing chief data officer, Jeff Leek, hasn’t retreated; he’s simply pivoted to a professorship in the Public Health Sciences Division and taken the helm at Synthesize Bio, a startup he co-founded in 2023. It’s a reminder that even as leaders move on, they often stay close, carrying the institution’s DNA into new ventures. And over in Bellevue, Acumatica, the enterprise software company acquired by Vista Equity Partners, has named Jason (JJ) James as its chief information officer. With 25 years in technology leadership—including CIO stints at Aptos Retail, Net Health, and Optima Healthcare—James is laser-focused on putting AI to work across Acumatica’s platform while keeping security at the core. His words reflect a balancing act that defines modern tech leadership: move fast, but never break the trust of the customers, partners, and developers who rely on you.
The marketing and data center worlds are also seeing notable moves. Andrew Bennett, who spent a decade at Smartsheet, leaving as its CMO in 2024, has joined Motive as chief marketing officer. Motive, headquartered in San Francisco, builds software and AI-powered tools to help businesses manage fleets of vehicles and heavy equipment—an area where clear communication and trust are everything. Bennett, who is also a limited partner at Stage 2 Capital, brings a blend of operator and investor perspective that should help Motive tell its story as it grows. Meanwhile, Steven Chen has made the leap from LinkedIn, where he served as director and head of corporate legal and sustainability, to Rubrik, the data security company, as a senior director. It’s a move that suggests the expanding importance of legal and sustainability expertise in the tech security space. And in the energy sector, LevelTen Energy—a Seattle startup that’s simplifying the deployment of clean energy projects—has appointed John Barrow to lead a new initiative around buying and selling data center projects still in development. Barrow comes from CyrusOne, a global data center developer, and he spent over 15 years at CPS Energy. He puts it plainly: the data center boom means companies are scrambling to secure sites and power quickly, and LevelTen is positioned to solve that friction at scale. For someone who’s had a “front-row seat” to that boom, it’s a natural next chapter.
Supply chains and global payments are also getting fresh leadership. Certivo, a Seattle startup automating supply chain compliance, has added Jeffrey Bornstein to its board. Bornstein spent nearly three decades at GE, rising to vice chairman and CFO—experience that Certivo’s CEO Kunal Chopra extols with a wink: “He has run the numbers for some of the most complex industrial supply chains in the world while regulators checked every one of them.” It’s a savvy pick for a company aiming to make compliance less painful. Meanwhile, Convera, the Seattle-based fintech helping businesses transfer money across borders, has significantly expanded its leadership bench. Mike Cahill, who joined in June as interim chief product and technology officer, is now EVP and chief operating officer. His background includes stints at Early Warning Services (the company behind Zelle), PayPal, Boku, and American Express. Jon Southall is stepping in as SVP and chief technology officer, also from PayPal, with earlier stops at Boku and Braintree. Tui Allen joins as SVP and chief product officer, bringing experience from Ticketmaster, Shopify, and Blackbaud. And Chris Steinig, who’s led Convera’s technology operations for four years, has been promoted to CIO. All four work out of Convera offices outside Seattle, a reminder that leadership can be distributed even as the company is rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Together, they’ll be steering the company through the increasingly complex world of cross-border payments, where reliability and security are paramount.
Beyond the headliners, a number of smaller companies are quietly strengthening their teams. Portable Consultants, a Redmond-based provider of enterprise telecommunications and data connectivity, has made two key hires: Carrie Ferrero as VP of product and marketing development, coming from Connectbase, where she was VP of sales engineering, and Troy Brockway as director of client development, joining from SpikeUp Media. These roles may not make headlines, but they reflect a company investing in both its product vision and client relationships. In Portland, Reperio Health, which makes at-home health screening kits, has added Brad Nations to its board. Nations, the CEO and founder of JB Advisory, brings a founder’s perspective and advisory experience to a startup that’s helping people take charge of their health from their living rooms. Up in Vancouver, B.C., iQmetrix—which builds point-of-sale and retail management software for cell phone and wireless stores—has appointed Beniamin Longodor as VP of global growth. Longodor, based in Austria, previously worked at NTS Retail, so he’s no stranger to the global retail tech landscape. Each of these appointments may seem like a small footnote, but they’re all part of a larger pattern: companies of every size are doubling down on experienced leaders who can navigate change, whether that’s in connectivity, home health, or retail software.
Taken together, these leadership moves tell a story of a region that remains a magnet for talent with a purpose. From the battlefield to the boardroom, from cancer research to clean energy, the people stepping into these roles are united by a willingness to take on complex, high-stakes challenges. They’re not just filling seats; they’re bringing decades of hard-won insight, a knack for building trust, and a clear-eyed view of what technology can—and can’t—do. The fact that so many of these appointments are happening in and around Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver speaks to the Pacific Northwest’s outsized role in shaping the future of tech. And for the rest of us, it’s a reminder that behind every product and every investment, there are human beings making choices about where to put their energy and experience. As these leaders settle into their new roles, they’ll face no shortage of challenges—regulatory hurdles, technical debt, market volatility. But if their pasts are any indication, they’re exactly the kind of people you want in those moments of uncertainty. They’ve been in the trenches before, and they know that the best way to predict the future is to build it—together, with clear eyes and steady hands. That, in the end, is the real story here. It’s not just about new titles; it’s about a community of problem-solvers, choosing to stay in the game and make their mark.
