Bespoke Partners Assists Princeton TMX with CEO Search
December 5, 2023 – San Diego, CA-headquartered executive search firm Bespoke Partners recently assisted in the recruitment of Mark McEntire as the new CEO of Princeton TMX in Fort Wayne, IN. Partner Katherine Baker and principal Chelsea Mansfield led the assignment on behalf of Bespoke Partners. He will assume the responsibilities of outgoing CEO and founder, Tim Minnich, who will remain on the board and be actively involved with the strategic direction of the company and its product. “We couldn’t be more proud to have partnered with such an elite team on this successful search,” Bespoke Partners said.
“We are delighted to have Mark’s extensive experience and forward-thinking leadership here at Princeton TMX,” said Mr. Minnich. “His industry knowledge is a natural fit for the team here and something we will capitalize on as we execute our growth plans as a formidable TMS platform.”
Mr. McEntire has spent more than 30 years in transportation and logistics. Most recently, he was senior vice president of customer success at Emerge, a digital freight marketplace. He also previously worked at Transplace, J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc., and Penske Logistics.
In an interview with FreightWaves, Mr. McEntire discusses the culture he is walking into at Princeton TMX and how he plans to leverage customer-centric approaches to improve on the company’s existing technology solutions. “Tim has done a great job of building the framework,” he said. “You couple that with my experience and aspirations, along with the familiarity I have with The Stephens Group, (the private equity company that purchased Princeton TMX in 2022), and we have an impressive foundation to move forward with.”
Princeton TMX offers the shipping community a cloud-based transportation management system (TMS) that automates, streamlines and optimizes all modes of transportation. The results are increased efficiency, ease of workflow, and demonstrative lower costs. Over 10,000 North American users manage $7 billion+ of freight spend through its configurable TMS that is built by freight practitioners with exception management capabilities prominently displayed in the control tower.
Bespoke Partners is an executive search and leadership advisory firm dedicated to partnering with top private equity firms, including Francisco Partners, Clearlake Capital, WCAS, Insight Partners, GI Partners, General Atlantic, CVC Capital Partners, and TA Associates, among many others, to recruit software talent and assess and evaluate teams at every stage of the investment lifecycle, from growth equity to buyout. Bespoke Partners is headquartered in San Diego, and operates other regional offices in Austin, TX, and Philadelphia.
The search firm has completed over 1,000 searches since its inception a decade ago. Its expertise includes all C-level searches across multiple functional domains, including financial officers, HR and people, marketing and technology, as well as board of directors and internal private equity operating partner searches. The firm’s expanding leadership advisory platform includes organizational due diligence as well as executive assessment and coaching.
Related: Bespoke Partners Recruits Chief Technology Officer for Greenphire
Ms. Mansfield joined Bespoke Partners in March 2021, based in the firm’s Austin, TX office. She was previously a senior executive recruiter in the professional services firms segment at Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). Ms. Mansfield is keen on being a strategic thought partner across clients and candidates alike.
Bespoke Partners Recruits CEO for Stax Payments
Bespoke Partners recently recruited Paulette Rowe as the new CEO of Stax Payments in Orlando, FL. The search was led by Brian Waivada and Alexandra Bossetta. “Following an extensive global search, we’re pleased to welcome Paulette to Stax,” said Ross Croley, founder and CEO of GSV and chairman of the board of Stax. “An accomplished executive with a breadth of experience, Paulette understands the complexities of the industry and inspires teams to greater success. We’re confident Stax will flourish under her leadership and remain grateful to John for his guidance and dedication.” Ms. Rowe is a global executive with strategic leadership experience across banking, payments and fintech. She has a track record in growing and transforming businesses, driving market growth, and building winning cultures with strong customer alignment. She previously served as CEO of Paysafe’s Integrated and E-commerce Solutions division. Ms. Rowe has also held senior leadership positions with organizations such as Barclays, Meta, Royal Bank of Scotland/NatWest, and GE Capital.
Based in Bespoke’s San Diego office, Ms. Baker helps build the executive teams for private equity backed software and technology companies. Prior to joining Bespoke in 2017, she spent four years focused on recruiting for the finance and accounting space across all industries including SAAS, biotech, energy, and defense from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups.
New Practice
Bespoke Partners recently launched a new people & talent leadership recruiting practice for HR leaders. The firm has named Alexandra Bossetta as a partner and leader of the new practice. “Talent is the most important lever for value creation in private equity portfolio companies. That’s why finding the best human capital leaders for these companies is mission critical,” said Eric Walczykowski, CEO. “Alex is second to none in her knowledge of the talent market and what it takes for a human resources executive to be a strategic leader in the drive toward the investment thesis.”
“She has quickly proven herself to be a trusted advisor and dependable partner for our top-tier clients in one of the most important leadership decisions they face,” Mr. Walczykowski said. “I’m beyond excited for her to lead this critical new practice for Bespoke.”
Related: Bespoke Partners Recruits CEO for AbsenceSoft
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media