Acertitude Recruits Chief Marketing Officer for Ping Identity
September 23, 2019 – Executive search firm Acertitude recently recruited Kevin Sellers as global chief marketing officer of Ping Identity, a provider of identity defined security. Co-founder and managing partner Rick DeRose led the search. Mr. Sellers will lead all aspects of the company’s marketing function, focusing on accelerating expansion in the enterprise market and growing Ping’s brand globally.
“Kevin Sellers is a highly experienced, accomplished marketing leader with a proven record of building global brands in the technology sector, making him a natural addition to our leadership team,” said Kris Nagel, chief operating officer of Ping Identity. “We’re pushing the boundaries to ensure that identity sits at the foundation of every enterprise, and with Kevin’s background we’re well positioned to propel Ping Identity to the next level.”
“Kevin is a highly experienced global marketing leader with an outstanding track record of building high impact brands and world class teams, making him a great addition to the team,” said Mr. DeRose. “It’s been a pleasure working closely with Kris and Aaron (Aaron Lapoint, Ping Identity’s CHRO) on this search, and we look forward to the bright future ahead for Ping Identity.”
An accomplished business leader with a strong track record of scaling global brands, Mr. Sellers brings more than 20 years of global marketing leadership experience in the technology sector, including 10 years living and operating overseas. His strategic knowledge of the marketing functions spans brand leadership, demand generation, digital marketing and transformation, and corporate communications. He previously served as CMO at Avnet, where he oversaw the company’s business-to-business strategies.
Mr. Sellers also held multiple leadership positions at Intel. During his tenure with the company, he led the historic re-branding that took Intel beyond its core personal computer market, and launched the award-winning “Look Inside” campaign. Mr. Sellers has garnered significant industry recognition over the years including B2B Magazine’s Top Digital Marketers Award and multiple Cannes Lions, EFFY and ADDY awards for creative excellence.
“Joining Ping Identity is a tremendous honor and privilege,” said Mr. Sellers. “The company is growing rapidly and plays a pivotal role in the ongoing digital transformation of our economy. What really stands out to me is the organization’s keen focus on the customer and its truly collaborative culture.”
Veteran Search Consultants
Founded in 2015, 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, London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Providence, Raleigh, Shanghai Tampa and Washington, D.C.
Chief Marketing Officers Gaining Momentum As Business Game Changers
Today’s CMO works with the CEO to accelerate the organization and drive transformation. CMOs also collaborate with other members of the C-suite, especially with a company’s top HR executive to shape the company brand.
Mr. DeRose advises leaders of technology and private equity firms on board and leadership selection, often consulting on how influential trends in digital, mobility, cloud, big data, security and the customer experience are redefining the skills and expertise needed at work. He has a strong history of recruiting successful sales, marketing and strategy talent for businesses that are growing rapidly and driving transformative change. He has proven expertise in telecommunications, technology, private equity and professional services.
Chief Marketing Officers
As business becomes more global and complex, and power shifts from producers of goods and services to consumers, the chief marketing officer’s job of planning and coordinating marketing activities has become more challenging, recruiters say. Yet executive search firms are seeing no shortage of assignments for this important C-level position.
Current business landscape demands have only increased the contribution from CMOs, according to the latest research report from both Forrester and Heidrick & Struggles. The survey found that CMOs are building strong relationships with the head of product and research and development to prepare the organization for digital disruption.
“We see CMOs moving beyond functional expertise to assume responsibility for driving overall growth within their organizations,” said Sheryl Pattek, VP, CMO executive partner at Forrester. “They are evolving into key strategic partners on the executive team, and know that collaboration with the rest of the C-suite will be instrumental to their success.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
