Power Moves: Women in Revenue’s new Philly board member calls its community ‘life giving’ in the pandemic

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

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National organization Women in Revenue, built to connect women in sales marketing and customer success, has welcomed five new board members this month. That includes Philly marketing pro Deanna Ransom.

The org has grown to more than 5,000 members since it was launched in 2018, and has goals of educating about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, providing mentorship, access and professional resources and finding upward trajectory in career paths.

Ransom is the head of global marketing for Las Vegas-headquartered software company Senzing, and brings to the org more than 20 years of experience in the sales and marketing sides of revenue teams at companies like SAP and Merck. She told Technical.ly she got involved in WIR because it felt like an effort to get women in sales careers to grow in an “authentic and inclusive” way. WIR also aims to bolster community for women in business careers, a resource desperately needed throughout the isolation and challenges of the pandemic, she said.

“No one is an island and success is not a solo sport, so community that you can access virtually while we navigate the way back to full physical connection is life giving,” Ransom said.

She said she’ll be working with other board members to creature future programing, and that her Philly roots are an important add to the table. Along with her other board members, they’ll also be hiring an executive director.

“Specifically as WIR was founded and led from a chair and lens of women from the West Coast (San Francisco) primarily from the tech industry, I see my seat on the board as an opportunity to bring not only new diverse perspective, but new regional perspective to the organization,” Ransom said. “I view it as one of my key responsibilities to shed light on the challenges that women in business experience in the Philadelphia region.”

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Independence Blue Cross has appointed Seun Ross as its first-ever executive director of health equity, a role focused on developing and implementing strategies for equitable “whole person health” across the org.

Ross is a licensed registered nurse and a nationally certified family nurse practitioner, with a dual bachelor’s degree in nursing and psychology and a master’s degree in nursing from Coppin State University, as well as a doctorate in nursing practice from Chatham University.

Ross comes to the company from InGenesis Inc., where she served as chief nursing officer and SVP, and was responsible for more than 200 employees as well as strategic planning, performance excellence and quality and the executive oversight of health care programs.

She’ll work under the direction of Richard Snyder, IBX’s EVP of facilitated health networks and chief medical officer, as well as Victor Caraballo, IBX VP of quality management.

“Dr. Ross brings extensive health care experience and a broad understanding of health equity, both of which are vital to Independence’s long-range efforts to address health disparities for our members, our providers, and the wider community,” Snyder said in a statement.

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AI company ZeroEyes, which uses its software to help detect and prevent active shooter situations, has added James Wilkins as its VP of government solutions.

The company, which originally promoted its software for schools, has recently expanded its business model to include retail, business campuses and government offices. It recently closed at Series A round to expedite its growth, with plans to grow to about 65 employees by the end of the year.

The company was built by veterans, and heavily recruits from veteran spaces, President and CEO Mike Lahiff told Technical.ly earlier this month. Wilkins himself comes to the company with 15 years of military and industry experience, making him “the perfect fit to develop key relationships within the federal government and lead our federal innovation projects at ZeroEyes,” the company said in a LinkedIn announcement.

Please join us as we welcome JT Wilkins to the ZeroEyes team as our Vice President of Government Solutions!

J.T.'s 15 years of military and industry experience make him the perfect fit to lead our federal innovation projects.
#innovation #publicsafety #schoolsafety pic.twitter.com/twt0zxdjBe

— ZeroEyes (@ZeroEyesAI) August 26, 2021

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Philadelphia Robotics Coalition, a nonprofit that is working to bring robotics programs to all Philadelphia public schools, has announced that Robin Walker will serve as its executive director.

Walker comes to the org from YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School where she served as its learning exchange director. The Coalition is in the process of implementing a strategic plan, with a focus on these five area: improve student leadership, strengthen its mentor ecosystem, support schools in growing robotics teams, elevate its own profile and expand its operational capacity.

“The Coalition is poised to really develop its vision and build on the momentum of the last three years,” Walker said in a statement. “I look forward to being a part of the effort to bring the organization to the next level, and to help ensure that Philly students have access to a high-quality robotics program in their school or community that will prepare them for college and careers.”

The org is also hiring a full-time program coordinator.

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Center City-based Medical Guardian has hired Brian Simmermon to be its new chief information officer. The exec previously worked as VP and CIP at Berwyn’s Advanced Call Center Technologies, as well as VP and CIO for Subaru of America, where he worked for 13 years. Simmermon is also a past president for the Society for Information Management Professionals and a board member for Hopeworks Camden.

Medical Guardian, a medical alerts and smart device company, kicked off 2021 with a $100 million raise, aimed at enabling acquisitions and expand healthcare partnerships.

We are thrilled to welcome our new Chief Information Officer Brian Simmermon! Brian joins Medical Guardian as we continue to strengthen our business operations and bring cutting-edge technology to our customers. https://t.co/CX3F3dqc6g pic.twitter.com/ZkJev1SohH

— Medical Guardian (@MedicalGuardian) July 7, 2021

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Rija Beares has been named advisory services market leader for Greater Philadelphia for commercial real estate services firm CBRE. Her new role, a promotion from first VP, includes oversight for downtown and suburban Philadelphia, Delaware, Southern New Jersey, the Lehigh Valley and Central Pennsylvania. She will continue to work from CBRE’s Radnor office.

Beares is a future of work pro who most recently talked to Technical.ly about Philly’s ranking on CBRE’s annual tech talent growth report. The city slipped to #26, but Beares doesn’t count that as a problem. Instead, she pointed to the high volume of venture capital and other funding entering Philly as a good sign of economic growth.

“If the funding comes in and we get growth, we’re operating and ready to grow,” she said.