Seattle tech executive named Dropbox CPO; Xbox VP amid layoffs; C-suite changes at T-Mobile – GeekWire
– Mike Torresa former executive at Amazon, Microsoft and Google, joined Dropbox as the company’s first chief product officer.
“As a product leader, joining a company that is facilitating growth led by a pioneering product is empowering…” Torres said on LinkedIn. “In this role, I will focus on: helping Dropbox deliver the right things at the right time to our customers.”
Seattle-based Torres comes to Dropbox from Google, where he served as vice president of product for Chrome. Before that, he spent more than a decade at Amazon, most recently as VP of Kindle. At Microsoft, he led teams working on OneDrive, Windows Movie Maker and other products.
– IT-Mobile the nominee Chris Sambar as chief business officer, will begin work before October 14. Sambar will lead the Bellevue, Wash.-based company’s small and medium business units, business and government.
Sambar joins from Public Storage, where he served as chief operating officer. He was previously at telecommunications giant AT&T for more than two decades, most recently as president of the company’s global network organization overseeing architecture, engineering, construction, operations, tower strategy and program management.
“Chris is a wireless industry leader with a proven track record of growing high-growth businesses and seizing market opportunities,” said Srini Gopalan, CEO of T-Mobile.
– IT-Mobile and he announced that André AlmeidaThe C-suite role has expanded and his title has been updated to chief marketing officer, brand and broadband. He previously worked as a Broadband executive, business and emerging business executive. In the new position, Almeida will help oversee the company’s consumer wireless and broadband businesses.
– After 37 years with MicrosoftVice President of Xbox Kevin LaChapelle was among those laid off this week, with the cuts affecting the games division the most as the company aims to overhaul the division.
LaChapelle was hired by the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant in 1989 as a software engineer and joined the Xbox team in 2012.
“I would say my best memories are leading a team of talented engineers building the Xbox Backward Compatibility program,” LaChapelle said on LinkedIn. When Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, announced the program at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2015, LaChapelle added, “The reaction from the audience was unbelievable.”
– Adam Schoenfeld resigned from the position of chief marketing officer Inflection.io. In April, the B2B marketing automation company acquired Keyplay, a Seattle startup founded and previously led by Schoenfeld. The deal reunites Schoenfeld and Inflection CEO Aaron Bird, who have known each other for years and have worked together and invested in each other’s companies.
Schoenfeld said on LinkedIn that he had “very good intentions” when he committed to the purchase, but then lost his nerve. “I was ashamed and disappointed. I was afraid to tell the team. I didn’t want to bail and let people down… I’m sure others have been in this place,” he added. “After going through some tough conversations, I’m excited to look forward.”
Schoenfeld is now a part-time CMO consultant for the business and also produces Adam’s GTM Report, which provides data-driven research, maps and tools for leaders and builders in the space.
– Kent, Wash.-based Stoke Space Technologies named after a former OpenAI executive Kevin Weil on its board. Weil has held leadership roles at Planet, Meta, Instagram and Twitter and serves on the boards of Cisco and the Nature Conservancy.
Stoke Space develops reusable rockets and raised $860 million from investors in its latest round. It’s No. 6 on the GeekWire 200, a ranking index of the Pacific Northwest’s top startups.
– Skippy Shaw joined the fusion startup Helion Power as Washington’s director of government affairs. The Everett, Wash.-based company is working to build what could be the world’s first commercial integration facility in Central Washington. Shaw joins Helion from The Nature Conservancy, where she led state government relations for TNC’s Washington chapter.
– David Langworthy announced that he has resigned Microsoft after nearly 25 years, he is leaving the role of architect for Azure OpenAI. Langworthy, who has served as a founding member of Azure OpenAI, GitHub Copilot, GenAI, MAC, and Azure AI Services, is the founder and CTO of the Bellevue-based startup.
– Carissa Allen he is gone too Microsoftacting as strategic director of the company’s events, including Ignite and the AI Tour. On LinkedIn, Allen called his resignation after nearly 30 years “my Valiant Resume Project (no “retirement” here) because you know I’m not done yet.”
– And if you missed it:
- Bill Collerana tech veteran who previously led Impinj, has joined the Seattle-based AI coding startup. Adronite as CEO. Edward Rothschildwho previously founded and led the company, is transitioning to chief technology officer. Read more in this GeekWire story.
- Nick Parkera 26-year Microsoft veteran who led the company’s global commercial sales business, is leaving to be Nvidia‘s new sales chief, working on Aug. 24. Read more here.
