Power Moves is a recurring series where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us at pittsburgh@technical.ly.
New faces — and a familiar name — shaped Pittsburgh’s business landscape this past month.
Both the local branch of J.P. Morgan and autonomous vehicle company Seegrid appointed new leadership, each with more than two decades of industry experience.
Meanwhile, the University of Pittsburgh and city officials honored the lasting legacy of Joseph M. Katz, whose multimillion-dollar gift decades ago transformed Pitt’s business school.
Read on below the chart for more on these leadership changes and what they mean for the region.
Autonomous vehicle company taps new CEO
Seegrid Corporation, an autonomous vehicle company headquartered near the Pittsburgh International Airport, has named Chris Baker as its next chief executive officer.
Baker succeeds Joe Pajer, who retired from the role but will continue as an advisor for the company’s board of directors.
As the new CEO, Baker brings nearly 25 years of leadership experience in engineering software and industrial technology to the role. He recently led a Michigan-based company, New Eagle, that was also focused on automation.
Seegrid specializes in developing autonomous vehicles and software for industrial facilities. In a press release, the company said Baker’s background aligns with the company’s mission to make industrial operations safe and productive.
J.P. Morgan appoints new Pittsburgh market lead
J.P. Morgan Private Bank recently appointed Angela Platt as managing director and market team lead for its Pittsburgh office.
Platt brings 20 years of experience from Goldman Sachs Ayco, where she held multiple positions and recently led its Pittsburgh office. Native to the city, Platt serves on the board of the local Ronald McDonald House and the finance committee at Duquesne University.
“I’m excited to bring my Pittsburgh roots and passion for this community to J.P. Morgan Private Bank,” Platt said in a prepared statement. “Having the opportunity to focus on expanding and growing our business right here, alongside an incredible team, is truly energizing.”
J.P. Morgan opened a downtown Pittsburgh office six years ago, known for its specialized banking services for startups and entrepreneurs.
Pitt honors donor who transformed business school
Pittsburgh has a new holiday. Sept. 30 is now officially “Katz Day”, a time to celebrate Joseph M. Katz’s contributions to the local business community and the city as a whole.
Katz and his wife, Agnes, donated $10 million to the University of Pittsburgh in 1987. At the time, it was the largest single donation the university had ever received, and today, the donation would be worth $28.5 million. The gift was to instill “a sense of the entrepreneurial spirit” in Pitt’s graduate business students, according to Katz.
Katz was a businessman himself, starting the gift-wrapping manufacturing Papercraft Corporation in 1945 with just $10,000. The company was later acquired in 1996 for about $240 million.
Last week, the University of Pittsburgh held a celebration honoring the Katz legacy, which included a proclamation from the city declaring Katz Day.
“[Katz’s] legacy lives on in every student who walks through the doors of Mervis Hall, every alumnus who leads with an entrepreneurial mindset and every faculty member who is preparing and inspiring the next generation of business leaders,” said Dean Gene Anderson at the celebration. “The foundation laid by Joseph and Agnes has ignited innovation, transformed lives and set our school on an exceptional trajectory.”
More power moves:
- Allegheny Health Network appointed Richard Medford as its chief digital information officer.
- Eos Energy Enterprises, a Turtle Creek-based battery maker, tapped John Mahaz, a veteran manufacturing executive, as the company’s new chief operating officer.
- More than 800 nurses at Magee-Womens Hospital successfully unionized in August, the first in the UPMC hospital system to do so.
- Natural gas company CNX Resources announced CEO Nick Deiuliis will retire from his role at the end of 2025. Deiuliis will be succeeded by Alan Shepard, who currently serves as president and CFO of the company.
- First National Bank added new tech roles to its strategy leadership team in Pittsburgh. Santosh Sinha will be the bank’s director of AI and innovation and Sundeep Tangirala will be the director of data science.
- Lisa Schroeder, CEO of the philanthropic nonprofit Pittsburgh Foundation, will retire by March 2026 after leading the organization since 2019. During her tenure, the foundation’s assets grew by nearly $500 million.
- Carolyn Weber, longtime licensing associate and marketing manager for the University of Pittsburgh’s Innovation Institute, retired after 25 years in the role.
- UPMC named renowned researcher and clinician John C. Byrd as the new director of the Hillman Cancer Center, effective this November.
