Spireon Inc. announced the appointment of Todd Abbott, Carla Fitzgerald and Rick Gruenhagen to Spireon’s Executive Team, leading sales, marketing and technology functions, respectively. Joining recently appointed CEO Kevin Weiss, the new leadership additions will be instrumental in driving Spireon’s transformative next phase of growth, the company said.
Abbott joins as chief revenue officer for Spireon, where he will accelerate revenue growth for the company’s current Vehicle Finance, New Car, Fleet and Asset businesses, as well as open revenue opportunities in new business segments. Fitzgerald joins as chief marketing officer, overseeing all corporate and product marketing functions, as well as Spireon’s brand evolution and entry into new markets. Gruenhagen joins Spireon as chief technology officer, responsible for driving product and platform innovation.
“Carla, Todd and Rick bring a powerful combination of technology industry perspective and global leadership experience to the Spireon team,” said Kevin Weiss, CEO. “Their collective experience will further propel the Company on its journey of explosive growth through industry-leading go-to-market strategies, best-in-class product offerings, and technology innovation in both existing and new business categories.”
Spireon said it is poised for transformative growth with new product offerings and platform innovation led by Gruenhagen. He brings technology expertise to the CTO position based on key leadership roles at PayPal, Amazon and Microsoft. He has a proven track record of building SaaS-based platforms that effectively monetize Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, the company added.
“It’s clear that Spireon’s industry leading vehicle telematics solutions are providing compelling value for transportation customers. I’m honored to be selected as Spireon’s CTO to further evolve our technology platform and products, and am excited to be part of this talented team and continue to push the boundaries of connected vehicle innovation,” Gruenhagen said.
As CMO, Fitzgerald will utilize experience in developing market-leading brands, thought-leadership initiatives, and demand generation programs to strengthen and extend Spireon’s brand and market reach, according to the company. Prior to joining Spireon, Fitzgerald drove marketing teams and strategies at top technology companies in the wireless, enterprise and consumer software arenas, including CA and Quest Software, most recently serving as chief marketing officer at Smith Micro Software.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to build on the tremendous success that Spireon has achieved in the vehicle telematics market to expand into new segments of the Connected Car and IoT industries. Spireon’s product brands are highly trusted, and we intend to maintain our reputation as the ‘gold standard’ and market leader in every market we enter,” Fitzgerald said.
According to the company, Abbott will drive accelerated revenue growth in the Vehicle Finance, New Car and Fleet and Asset tracking and intelligence business segments. With over 30 years of experience in sales, service and marketing roles with companies such as IBM, Cisco and Avaya, Abbott is “well suited to accelerate Spireon’s transformative growth strategy,” the company noted. Previously, Abbott was the president and CEO of Tely Labs.
“With over three million active subscribers on its connected vehicle platform, Spireon is a proven leader in the vehicle telematics space, with a tremendous opportunity for further growth. I’m excited to join this passionate team to help meet the needs of our customers and continue to build and lead a world-class global sales organization,” Abbott said.
