Leadership Transitions and Innovation in the Tech Landscape
In a dynamic shift within the tech industry, Amit Mathradas has announced his departure as CEO of Bellevue-based workflow automation company Nintex. After nearly three years at the helm, Mathradas will transition to lead Five9, a California software company specializing in AI-powered customer experience solutions, beginning February 2nd. With an impressive background that includes roles as chief operating officer at Avalara, general manager at PayPal, and a 14-year career at Dell, Mathradas brings substantial experience to his new position. “It is an honor to join such a dynamic company that I have long admired as being at the cutting edge of AI-driven CX,” Mathradas shared on LinkedIn, signaling his enthusiasm for this new chapter in his career. This move represents not just a personal transition for Mathradas but also highlights the continued evolution and importance of AI-driven solutions in the customer experience space.
The Raikes Foundation is undergoing leadership changes as well, with Zoë Stemm-Calderon stepping into the role of executive director starting January 1st. Having dedicated a decade to the foundation, Stemm-Calderon transitions from her current position as senior director of Youth Serving Systems, where she has managed annual investments of $20 million directed toward K-12 and higher education initiatives and youth homelessness programs. The foundation itself has deep roots in the tech world, co-founded by Jeff and Tricia Raikes in 2002. Jeff Raikes spent nearly three decades at Microsoft and later served as CEO of the Gates Foundation for over five years, while Tricia Raikes is co-founder of Giving Compass. Stemm-Calderon’s promotion reflects both her significant contributions to the foundation’s mission and the organization’s commitment to addressing critical social issues through strategic investment and leadership.
Several other notable leadership movements are reshaping the technology and business landscape. Emily Heffter has joined Workday as senior director of thought leadership and research, leaving her previous position as vice president of global communications at Qualtrics. Heffter, who also served as Zillow Group’s director of corporate communications, expressed excitement about helping “tell one of the most dynamic stories in the business world: the future of work,” including how people, technology, and leadership are evolving together. Meanwhile, Seattle’s Lance Ludman has taken on the role of chief financial officer at SurveyMonkey, bringing experience from his previous CFO positions at Benevity and DreamBox Learning, a Bellevue-based edtech company acquired in 2023. SurveyMonkey CEO Eric Johnson praised Ludman’s “unique leadership style” and “persistent curiosity and business-partnership mindset,” suggesting that these qualities will be valuable assets in his new role.
The board leadership landscape is also experiencing significant changes across various sectors. Matt White, executive vice president and CFO for Linde, has been appointed to the board of directors at Seattle-area rocket company Stoke Space, where he will serve as a representative for Industrious Ventures. Laurent Boinot, Microsoft’s head of power and utilities in the Americas, has joined the board of LF Energy, an open-source foundation supporting energy deployment—a move that highlights the increasing intersection between technology and sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, Vivek Ladsariya, general partner and managing director at Seattle’s Pioneer Square Labs, has joined the board of Seattle startup Tin Can, which produces Wi-Fi-enabled landline-style phones designed specifically for children, addressing modern parental concerns about technology access and communication for young users.
In the realm of research and innovation, the Washington Research Foundation has appointed Joe Albe as the new manager of grants and venture research. Albe, who recently earned his doctorate in immunology from the University of Washington, joins an organization dedicated to helping universities and nonprofits throughout Washington state commercialize and license their technologies. This appointment underscores the foundation’s commitment to bridging the gap between academic research and practical applications, fostering innovation across the state. The foundation’s influence extends further through its announcement of twelve postdoctoral fellows for 2026, representing diverse fields including software engineering, genetics, neuroscience, chemistry, entomology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and immunology. These fellows will conduct research at prestigious institutions including the University of Washington, Washington State University, the Institute for Systems Biology, and NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center.
The breadth of research being undertaken by these fellows reflects the cutting-edge nature of scientific inquiry in the Pacific Northwest. Their projects span from Stefany Cruz’s work on agentic AI technologies to Winston Dredge’s research on genetic variation in early human development, and from Nastacia Goodwin’s studies on climate change’s impact on bee behavior to Kunal Lodaya’s work on high-capacity redox flow batteries. Other fellows will focus on topics including pollinators in orchard settings, mammalian newborn development, harmful algal bloom detection, host-microbe communication, greenhouse-gas removal catalysts, immune responses to infectious diseases, protein design for cellular sensing, and DNA nanotechnology for targeted cancer therapy. This diverse array of research initiatives highlights the region’s commitment to addressing complex challenges across multiple disciplines, from climate change and environmental conservation to healthcare advances and technological innovation, positioning the Pacific Northwest as a hub for groundbreaking scientific discovery and application.
