As the year comes to a close, December 2024 marks a month of significant transitions. In this blog series, Chief Executives Council will spotlight 11 CEO appointments that took place in December 2024.
Washington Commanders Names Mark Clouse as New President
The Washington Commanders have named Mark Clouse as their new president who will oversee all facets of the team’s business operations. Clouse joins the Commanders after serving as president and chief executive officer at the Campbell’s Company.
PGA of America Names Derek Sprague as New CEO
The PGA of America turned to a very familiar face for its next Chief Executive Officer, naming past president Derek Sprague to the position. He will be the first to have served as both president and CEO. In succeeding Seth Waugh, who was the PGA’s CEO from 2018 to June of this year, Sprague enters the job in arguably the most tumultuous time in the history of golf leadership, with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf searching for CEOs amid talks of a working relationship, and the DP World Tour naming its own fresh leader.
Dallas Mavericks Name Rick Welts as New CEO
The Dallas Mavericks basketball team will go from one historic CEO to another. The organization named Rick Welts, a hall-of-famer, to replace Cynt Marshall. Welts has made his own mark on NBA history, creating the NBA All-Star Weekend in 1984 and being part of four NBA championship teams, two in the WNBA and one in the NBA G League. He was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
GoodRx Names Wendy Barnes as New CEO and President
GoodRx Holdings, Inc., the leading prescription savings platform in the U.S., announced that Wendy Barnes has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer. Wendy will join GoodRx following her role as CEO of RxBenefits, where she led the company in providing pharmacy benefit support to more than 2,000 self-insured clients comprised of more than three million lives. Under her guidance, RxBenefits became a leading entity providing tailored pharmacy benefit solutions that promote affordability and transparency.
Graycor Names David Wing as New CEO
Graycor has tapped David Wing as the company’s new CEO. Prior to his appointment, Wing was the president and chief operating officer of Graycor for five years. Wing started work with Graycor as a project engineer in 1991, according to the announcement. During his 33-year tenure, Wing was promoted several times, including to his most recent position of COO. Wing’s appointment also carries a historically significant milestone for the builder — he’s the first CEO who isn’t a member of the Gray family, which founded the company in 1921.
Parallax Names Jeff Eckerle as New CEO
Parallax, a leading provider of predictive forecasting and resource management software, announced that Jeff Eckerle has been appointed as the company’s new CEO. Eckerle brings extensive industry and leadership experience, as well as a proven track record in scaling technology companies. His leadership will support Parallax as it continues to introduce new features and improvements, including recently launched timesheet capabilities that streamline time-tracking and billing within the platform, adding another layer of functionality for clients.
GAMA Names James Viola as New CEO
After leading GAMA for 20 years, Pete Bunce will be retiring in April. His successor, James Viola, is no stranger to the demands of leading a major aviation organization. Over the past four years, Viola has led Vertical Aviation International (formerly Helicopter Association International) through several milestones including a massive rebranding effort to recognize the expansion of the vertical industry, as well as representing the evolution of the industry on a global scale.
Cyclyx Names Chris Yandell as New CEO
Cyclyx International LLC has appointed Chris Yandellto serve as its CEO. According to the company, Yandell has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the specialty chemicals industry, with a proven ability to navigate complex domestic and international markets.
Lightwave Logic Names Yves LeMaitre as New CEO
Lightwave Logic announced the appointment of Yves LeMaitre as chief executive officer. LeMaitre joins Lightwave Logic with a wealth of experience in the laser, optical communications, and consumer electronics industries. He has served as a strategic advisor to companies in the photonics and optical communications markets and held executive roles at Astrobeam.space, Luna Innovations Incorporated, Lumentum Holdings Inc, and Oclaro, Inc. The appointment comes at a crucial time, as InvestingPro analysis shows the company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 24.48, though it faces profitability challenges.
Western Asset Names Thomas Gahan as New CEO
Western Asset Management Co. named Thomas Gahan chief executive officer in a leadership shakeup following more than $50 billion of redemptions and US government allegations that once-star manager Ken Leech engaged in a three-year fraud.
Foundant+SmartSimple Names Josh Mallamud as New CEO
Foundant+SmartSimple announces the appointment of Josh Mallamud as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This leadership transition reinforces the company’s exceptional growth and unwavering commitment to client success. Over the past few years, Foundant and SmartSimple have experienced remarkable growth, further solidifying their position as a leader in purpose-driven technology solutions for the philanthropic sector. The appointment of Josh Mallamud signals the next chapter in driving innovation and delivering even greater value to clients.
Additional CEO’s on the Move
CEO’s on the Move: November 2024
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