Ramana Thumu has recently taken on the role of chief technology officer for Expedia Group, a Seattle-based company known for its brands such as vrbo, Orbitz, Hotwire, Trivago, and Hotels.com, in addition to its flagship Expedia.com. Thumu, who was previously the chief product and technology officer for Fanatics, brings with him extensive experience in building and managing multi-tenant tech platforms. CEO Ariane Gorin expressed excitement about Thumu joining the company and praised his passion for solving challenges and making a meaningful impact, as well as his people-centric approach. Thumu will be based in San Francisco and will begin his new role in December.
Elsewhere in the Seattle startup scene, Tara Mitchell was appointed as the vice president of sales at Humanly, a company focused on automating recruiting functions for businesses. Mitchell has a background in the employment sector, having worked at companies such as Fountain, iCIMS, and CareerBuilder. Humanly recently acquired Teamable, a San Francisco startup that offers similar AI-boosted HR tools, further expanding its reach in the industry.
F5, a Seattle-based company specializing in application delivery and security technologies, made additions to its board of directors with the appointment of Maya McReynolds, chief financial officer at Dell Technologies, and Julie Gonzalez, senior vice president of Business Finance at Workday. The company’s board chair, Alan Higginson, highlighted the wealth of financial expertise and operational experience that McReynolds and Gonzalez bring to the table.
Viral Thacker has taken the lead in a new ad sales and product group for Amazon’s Twitch, a live-streaming service that Amazon acquired in 2014. Thacker previously oversaw the emerging business team at Amazon Ads, according to a report by The Information. Twitch, known for its video game and esports broadcasts, has reportedly faced profitability challenges and undergone multiple rounds of layoffs. Thacker will report to Alan Moss, Amazon’s vice president of global ad sales, as he navigates the new role at Twitch.
In Portland, Oregon, economic development agency Prosper Portland announced new roles within its organization. Andrew Fitzpatrick is now serving as interim economic development director, previously holding the same position for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. Mitch Daugherty, co-founder of Built Oregon, will manage Prosper Portland’s Office of Small Business, set to launch early next year. These appointments aim to further the agency’s mission of promoting economic development in Portland.
Kristen Hamilton, a general partner at Enjoy The Work, has joined formX as an advisor to the CEO. formX is a software company focused on designing accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Hamilton also serves as an advisor to the CEOs of various startups, including Seattle-based mental health startup Joon, Kranus Health, and Workhelix. Her experience and expertise will be valuable in supporting founders transitioning into CEO roles and driving growth for these companies.
