Smartsheet Bolsters C-Suite; Armoire Taps ML Lead; Ex-Microsoft

Bellevue, Wash.-based enterprise software leader Smartsheet has announced significant C-suite restructuring, including two new executive hires and two internal promotions. These moves come as CEO Rajeev Singh, appointed in October, continues to reshape the company following recent layoffs. Elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest tech scene, Seattle fashion rental startup Armoire has brought on a new head of product and machine learning, while a long-time former Microsoft director has unveiled his new AI-focused venture.

Smartsheet Undergoes Major Leadership Reshuffle

Smartsheet, known for its work organization and tracking software, revealed four key C-suite changes on Thursday. These appointments and promotions are closely tied to CEO Rajeev Singh, who has a history of recruiting from his previous professional networks, aiming to build what he calls “an incredible team ready to seize that opportunity.” The adjustments follow two rounds of workforce reductions at the company over the past six months.

Robson Grieve steps in as the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), joining from San Francisco-based software company Motive. Grieve previously worked alongside Singh at Concur Technologies, where Singh served as co-founder, president, and chief operating officer.

Toyan Espeut takes on the role of Chief Customer Officer. Espeut spent over a decade at Seattle-area enterprise software firm Apptio, where Singh was a past board member. Her extensive tenure at Apptio included roles as executive vice president of sales for the Americas and previously as chief customer officer.

Internally, Pratima Arora has been promoted to Chief Product and Technology Officer, expanding her responsibilities to include technology after less than a year as Smartsheet's Chief Product Officer. Her career history includes leadership positions at prominent companies like Chainalysis, Atlassian, Salesforce, and Concur, where she also overlapped with Singh.

Kelsi McDonald Harris is now Smartsheet’s Chief Business Officer. Harris previously served as senior vice president of business operations and Singh's chief of staff, having also been chief people officer at Accolade, another company where Singh was a past leader. This strategic overhaul signals a determined effort by Singh to solidify his leadership team and steer Smartsheet's future direction.

Armoire Enhances Product and Machine Learning Focus

Seattle-based fashion rental startup Armoire has appointed Morgan Cundiff as its new head of product and machine learning. Cundiff brings significant expertise from LTK, a shopping app and platform for online creators, where she spent nearly four years developing and scaling its data science and machine learning capabilities. She also held a prior role at the e-commerce tech company ShopRunner, later acquired by FedEx.

Armoire, which holds the No. 40 spot on the GeekWire 200 list of top Pacific Northwest startups, has experienced rapid growth. Since launching its flagship product earlier this year, the company quickly achieved viral status, sold out its initial two production runs, and accumulated a waiting list nearing six figures. Cundiff's addition is expected to further innovate Armoire's offerings through advanced machine learning applications.

Former Microsoft Director Launches AI Consultancy

Veteran tech leader and entrepreneur Javier Páramo has launched AIQLinea, a new Redmond, Wash.-based startup dedicated to assisting companies in navigating the complex landscape of AI adoption. AIQLinea aims to transform disparate AI experiments into clear, actionable strategies and governance frameworks for enterprise clients.

Páramo brings nearly two decades of experience from Microsoft, where he was a senior director focusing on worldwide field strategy for education products until his departure in 2010. His career also includes a stint as executive director of information services strategy at the Providence healthcare system. Páramo stated on LinkedIn, “We help enterprise leaders turn fragmented AI experimentation into clarity, aligned strategy, governed execution, and decision-ready roadmaps,” positioning AIQLinea as a crucial partner for businesses seeking to effectively integrate AI.

Other Notable Personnel Movements Across the Pacific Northwest Tech Scene

• Barry Padgett, former CEO of Seattle's consumer data startup Amperity, has been promoted to President and Chief Operations Officer at SentinelOne, a cybersecurity platform based in Mountain View, Calif. Padgett, who joined SentinelOne a year ago as chief growth officer, also shares a past connection with Smartsheet’s CEO, having spent over two decades at Concur Technologies before its acquisition by SAP.

• Jake Silsby has been named head of industrial design for Seattle startup Tin Can. The company, which sells landline-style, Wi-Fi-enabled phones for children, recently raised $12 million from investors. Silsby previously worked as an industrial design manager for tms and contributed to Rad Power Bikes and Starbucks.

• The Washington Roundtable, a prominent business advocacy organization, has appointed two new members to its board: Dr. Christopher Longhurst, CEO of Seattle Children’s since January, and Dominic Carr, executive vice president and chief communications and corporate affairs officer at Starbucks, who is also a former Microsoft leader.

• Ian Haydon is departing his role as director of communications and AI policy at the University of Washington Institute for Protein Design. Haydon, who joined IPD as a graduate student in 2012, noted the transformative impact of deep learning on protein design, but did not disclose his next career move.

• Jonathan Hunt has transitioned from his role as corporate vice president in AI business solutions at Microsoft to become the global head of commercial operations and strategy at Anthropic. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hunt's prior experience includes positions at Databricks and Salesforce.

• Ric Sinclair has been appointed CEO of Cotiviti, the Utah-based healthcare giant that acquired Bellevue, Wash.-based health software company Edifecs last year.

• Margaret Cheung, a computational scientist and biological physicist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been honored as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society.

These leadership shifts and new ventures reflect a vibrant and continuously evolving technology sector across the Pacific Northwest, with a particular focus on AI integration and strategic team building.

FAQ

Q: What prompted the significant C-suite changes at Smartsheet?

A: The changes at Smartsheet are part of CEO Rajeev Singh's strategy to build a strong leadership team, following his appointment in October and two rounds of company layoffs in the preceding six months. All new executives have prior professional ties to Singh.

Q: What role will Morgan Cundiff play in Armoire's future?

A: As the new head of product and machine learning, Morgan Cundiff is expected to leverage her experience in data science and ML to drive innovation in Armoire's fashion rental services, building on the startup's recent success and rapid growth.

Q: What kind of services does Javier Páramo's new startup, AIQLinea, offer?

A: AIQLinea, founded by former Microsoft director Javier Páramo, helps enterprise leaders develop clear strategies, governed execution plans, and decision-ready roadmaps for the adoption of new AI technologies, aiming to bring clarity to fragmented AI experimentation within organizations.