SPMB Recruits CFO for AbsenceSoft
May 18, 2026 – SPMB Executive Search has recruited Megan Wood as CFO of AbsenceSoft, a Denver, CO-based employee leave management and accommodations platform. Jon Landau and Laura Ayre led the assignment. “The market opportunity in front of AbsenceSoft is significant, and Megan brings the right financial and operational depth to meet it,” said Chris Murphy, CEO of AbsenceSoft. “Her proven track record at fast-growth, innovative companies on similar trajectories made her the clear choice. We are building something significant in this category, and Megan’s appointment reflects that ambition.”
Ms. Wood has spent her career building the financial and operational infrastructure that enables fast-growth, innovative technology companies to scale with confidence. Her experience spans strategic planning, pricing, M&A, and building the financial foundation required to scale effectively. Most recently, Ms. Wood served as CFO and COO at Peerspace. Prior to that, she was chief strategy officer at DigitalOcean, where she helped scale the business from $350 million to $750 million in annual recurring revenue. She has also held a variety of roles across NerdWallet, Maxar Technologies, Bain & Company, Citigroup, and others.
“Leave is one of the most personal and consequential moments in an employee’s life, and when it’s handled well, it changes the relationship between an employer and their people,” said Ms. Wood. “The compliance landscape is getting more complex, workforce expectations are shifting, and the cost of getting this wrong is real and growing for employers. AbsenceSoft is solving a problem that matters deeply, and there’s a significant opportunity ahead to help more organizations get it right. I’m excited to be part of that work.”
AbsenceSoft is a provider of leave and accommodations management SaaS solutions. The company delivers scalable, easy-to-use, and configurable software to easily and efficiently manage 200+ statutory policies like FMLA, ADA, and PWFA.
For over 40 years, SPMB Executive Search has worked alongside its clients to build executive teams that ensure venture capital and private equity-backed game-changers achieve scale, and position multi-billion-dollar public companies to unlock innovation. Specializing in technology and innovation, SPMB recruits upper management and board members to growth-oriented companies in tech, consumer, and sustainability industries. SPMB has also placed dozens of senior executives at the portfolio companies of leading private equity firm partners including Blackstone, KKR, and TPG.
Mr. Landau is a partner at SPMB, founder of the firm’s Colorado office, and a seasoned executive recruiter and global talent acquisition leader with 20+ years of experience in the industry. He and his team recruit CEOs and all functional reports to the CEO for PE-backed growth companies across the country. His primary areas of focus include placing CEOs, as well as go to market (CRO, CMO, customer success) and product development (CTO, CPO) leadership.
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Ms. Ayre joined SPMB in 2021 as a research analyst in Mr. Landau’s emerging markets practice and is now a director focused on recruiting VP and C-suite leaders for high-growth technology companies. She partners closely with Jon to lead executive searches across private equity and growth equity–backed businesses, with experience supporting companies across multiple stages of the investment lifecycle. Over her tenure, Ms. Ayre has supported and closed leadership searches across CEO, finance, go-to-market (CRO, CMO, customer success), and product development (CTO, CPO) functions. She has partnered with portfolio companies of leading investors including Rubicon Technology Partners, TPG, KKR, Audax Private Equity, Warburg Pincus, Madrona Ventures, Stone Point Capital, and Thomas H. Lee, helping build executive teams across sectors such as digital health, HR tech, insurtech, fintech, cybersecurity, and consumer technology.
AstraZeneca Search
SPMB also recently placed Chris Taylor as chief information officer of AstraZeneca. Managing partner Mike Doonan, partner Radley Meyers, and associate Fiona Gleeson led the assignment. “Some searches carry a different kind of weight,” Mr. Doonan said in a LinkedIn post. “Helping place technology leaders advancing cancer care is one of them. We’re grateful to have supported the senior management team of AstraZeneca in the recruitment of chief information officer, Chris Taylor.”
“This was not a typical CIO search,” Mr. Doonan continued. “It focused on how AI, data, and digital capabilities can accelerate scientific discovery and real patient outcomes. That responsibility changes the conversation. It raises the bar. And it reinforces why the CIO role is evolving so quickly – from operating the engine room to driving breakthrough innovation at the core of the business.”
Mr. Taylor is focused on driving business value from digital transformation with a track record of creating top line and bottom line value. He has 25 years of experience across multiple industries (aviation, manufacturing, telecoms, consulting) in Europe, Middle East and Australia as an IT service provider as well as client organizations, in top tier multinationals as well as regional businesses. Mr. Taylor previously served as chief digital and information officer at Stellantis, where he leads the company’s digital strategy and transformation efforts.
Related: SPMB Recruits Chief Customer Officer for Rivian
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
