Power Moves: 5 newbies for Rosslyn’s Shift5

Power Moves is a column where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us: dc@technical.ly.

Shift5’s new starting five

Rosslyn, Virginia-based onboarding data company Shift5 has added five new company leaders after expanding its offices late last year.

Here are the five new appointees:

• Ellen McDonald, general counsel
• Mitchell Plonski, chief revenue officer
• Amanda Lampert, chief people officer
• Colby Proffitt, VP of marketing
• Andy Oare, head of federal marketing

Plonski and Lampert were both promoted to their C-Suite roles from executive VP and VP of people positions, respectively.

“Supporting and enabling people to be successful has been the center of each job I’ve held, and I’ll continue to leverage my successes and learnings in this new role,” said Lampert in a statement. “The landscape for talent is competitive in the technology sector and Shift5 remains committed to being a rewarding and flexible place to work, particularly as it grows.”

The operational tech data and cybersecurity company for planes, trains and tanks was founded in 2019 — the same year it wrapped a seed round led by Squadra Ventures; it followed up with a $20 million Series A in 2021 and a $50 million Series B in 2022. In December, the 85-person company said it’s expanding its Northern Virginia office by 67% to keep up with growth.

Throughline’s new CEO

Brandon Jones. (Courtesy photo)

As of this week, Brandon Jones is the new CEO of DC-based enterprise design strategy firm Throughline, Inc. Jones takes over for Scott Williams, who moved on to the role of CEO at Throughline Enterprises — the entity that owns NimbleStory, Topo and Throughline-Hana.

Jones was previously the CIO at Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies, where he led the nonprofit’s strategic initiatives and digital evolution work. He was also a management consultant at PwC, heading up cybersecurity and the company’s work with the Navy. In a statement, the company said his previous defense, commercial and nonprofit experiences will help Throughline and its clients.

“Our company was born out of a need for executives to visualize and communicate complexity. Brandon wholeheartedly understands the importance of what we do and how we do it,” said Williams in a statement. “My trust in Brandon began eight years ago and has deepened in recent months as he has become a key partner and advisor. His vast experience, knowledge and network will enable Throughline to grow and expand our work and impact.”

Here’s who else has a new role for February:

• Security company Trinity Cyber has appointed Frank Koehl as VP of product development. He’ll be heading up the company’s product strategy, definition and design for its service lines.
• Arlington, Virginia-based Deloitte named Jason Salzetti its leader of the government and public service practice, which has over 26,000 employees. Salzetti, a former principal at Deloitte Consulting and board member, will succeed Mike Canning.
• Falls Church, Virginia-based Women in Technology, which supports local women in tech, released the 40 finalists for its Annual Leadership Awards. Selectees were nominated in nine categories: Corporate Large-Market Sector, Corporate Mid-Market Sector, Corporate Small-Market Sector, Government and Defense, Non-Profit and Academia, Rising Star, Small Business/Entrepreneur, STEM Leadership and Unsung Hero.
• DC investment firm Paladin Capital Group appointed Jamil Jaffer as a venture partner. Jaffer previously held several senior federal government roles in places like the White House, National Security Division and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
• Patrick Zeitouni is the new chief strategy officer at HawkEye 360, the Herndon, Virginia space analytics company. He was the former head of space mobility at Blue Origin.
• Cameron Deemer will be the new CEO of DrFirst, a Rockville, Maryland health tech company. Deemer succeeds James Chen, who will serve as executive chairman. Anthony Brooke was also promoted to the role of chief tech and innovation officer. Brooke joined Dr.First in 2020 as CIO.
• McLean API Security company FireTail has appointed Timo Rüppell as VP of product. He’ll be leading the company’s new office in Helsinki, Finland.
• Sanjay Sardar is the new president of the civilian and health operating group at ASRC Federal. Previously, Sardar held leadership roles at NoVa’s SAIC.