Acertitude Places Chief Technology Officer at DRB Systems

Acertitude Richard Harris CTO DRB Systems

May 10, 2018 – Executive search firm Acertitude has recruited Richard Harris as the new chief technology officer of DRB Systems, a provider of technology-enabled devices and software solutions to the car wash industry. Senior partner Scott Carberry headed the search. Mr. Harris was identified, evaluated and placed in 58 days. DRB is a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm which invests in high-quality leaders in growth industries and manages over $20 billion in assets.

“Richard excels at designing technology to enable better customer and consumer experiences,” said Mr. Carberry. “This strategic focus combined with his background developing innovative and competitive software and payment solutions make him an outstanding fit for DRB.  It was a true pleasure serving as a partner to executives at both DRB and New Mountain in identifying and attracting Richard to the company.”

Reporting directly to CEO Bill Morgenstern, Mr. Harris will play an integral role in shaping the company’s business and technology strategies for the new digital era. The automated car wash industry is expanding rapidly, driven by the booming automotive sector and rapid pace of technological innovation. As CTO, he is charged with innovating and scaling the company’s technologies to unlock significant value for car wash operators and enhance consumers’ experience.

Technology Veteran

Mr. Harris brings 20 years of technology leadership, strategizing and leading software development for start-up, high-growth and Fortune 500 companies. He was most recently vice president of design and innovation for globally connected commerce leader Diebold Nixdorf. He also spent five years in research and development, scouting, deploying, and integrating new products, tools and processes. Before that, Mr. Harris progressed in software development roles with Nexus Software and Xyratex.

Acertitude specializes in recruiting CEO, C-suite, and executive talent in the consumer, financial, healthcare and life sciences, industrial, private equity, professional services and technology sectors. Its consultants work from offices in Boston, Dallas, London, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Providence, Raleigh, Shanghai, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

Mr. Carberry brings more than 20 years of experience in sales, management and executive search. He leverages functional and industry expertise on assignments and brings a record that spans several industry verticals and functional areas. He has completed leadership assignments for a range of high-level roles, including president, COO, partner, practice leaders, service and business unit executives as well as executive sales and marketing talent. Mr. Carberry specializes in professional services spanning consulting, outsourcing, IT services, digital transformation and enterprise software.

Technology Executives in Demand

Demand for top technology executives continues to gain momentum. Chief technology officer hiring, in fact, is expected to grow 18 percent by 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. It’s a trend that is keeping executive search firms well occupied.

In addition, the booming technology sector, vibrant even when the economy was softer, shows little sign of retreat, according to a host of recruiters who service the talent needs of companies across the field. It continues to produce capabilities and services that few imagined just a decade ago.

Yet a recently conducted survey of global executives by Odgers Berndtson and Forrester Research revealed that 84 percent of companies lack the necessary talent base to execute a digital transformation.

Recruiting CTOs

A number of executive search firms have placed CTOs in recent months. Here’s a look at a few from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Assisted by search firm Polachi Inc., Henry Schein Inc., a provider of healthcare products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners, recently placed Christopher Pendergast as its SVP and CTO. Mr. Pendergast most recently served as CTO for VSP Global

Specialist recruiters Turnkey Sports and Entertainment has placed former Tampa Bay Lightning executive Sean Walker as the Philadelphia Phillies’ new CTO. Mr. Walker has 19 years of technology and information systems experience in highly visible sports environments where he was responsible for strategic IT planning and project execution. 

Rockville, MD-headquartered executive search firm JDG Associates recently recruited Vijay Desai as chief technology officer of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board in Washington, D.C. President Darren DeGioia led the assignment. Previously, Mr. Desai was head of IT operations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

CA-based search firm McDermott & Bull placed Jonathan Bourgoine as CTO with Nasdaq-traded Stamps.com, a provider of postage online and shipping software solutions. This executive recruiting engagement was conducted by partner Craig Lipus, principal consultant Garrett Lipus, and senior recruiting associate Brian Selvey. Mr. Bourgoine previously served as VP and chief …

Accelent recently placed Andreas Bayer as the CTO of Beam Solutions in San Francisco. Managing director John Boehmer led the assignment along with partner Maura McShane. Mr. Bayer has over 20 years of experience delivering software solutions to the financial industry. 

The Lancer Group, a La Jolla, CA-headquartered executive search firm, recently placed Bjorn Bjerkoe as CTO of Daxko, a provider of member-based health and wellness software solutions. Mr. Bjerkoe has over 15 years of experience leading operational and software development teams across the application software space.

ON Partners recruited Krishna Vedula as CTO of 365 Retail Markets. Mr. Vedula brings 20 years of experience leading global technology organizations in companies experiencing explosive growth, both organic and inorganic. He will be integral to 365’s efforts to increase its market share and new product introductions.

McDermott & Bull placed former IBM executive David Bartlett as CTO with Panasonic Avionics Corp. The search was conducted by Rod McDermott, CEO and co-founder; Craig Sabina, principal consultant; Jared Moriarty, associate principal consultant; and Amanda Lange, recruiting associate.

Search Solution Group placed Dr. Harish Hiriyannaiah as CTO of Sonavex. The search was spearheaded by Ashley Bowman, business development manager, and Josh Mensinger, recruiting leader. Dr. Hiriyannaiah has an extensive background in image processing, medical imaging and machine learning technologies.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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