Power Moves: Foundation Direct nabs another Google alum to lead as COO

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 at dc@technical.ly.

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Last month, we reported on former Google employees Andrew Diffenderfer and Tim Mueller teaming up to launch Foundation Direct. The company manages a platform to help auto dealers advertise directly to large media companies like Facebook and YouTube.

Less than a month after launch, the Herndon, Virginia-based startup has added another former Google employee to its leadership team, bringing its employee count to three: Ashley Lepczyk joins Foundation Direct as COO, after previously working for 12 years in the automotive sector at Google. She’s a founding member of the tech giant’s Automotive Retail team, where she on advised on designing digital advertising programs for dealers. She also led the release of Google’s first Dealer Guidebook.

“My time at Google provided me the privilege of collaborating with automotive agencies and demo’ing the technologies that execute a large portion of dealerships’ digital marketing dollars,” said Lepczyk in a statement. “While there are some admirable options out there, nothing provided both the power and simplicity that I felt automotive marketers need to succeed in today’s digital environment. The solution that Foundation Direct has architected delivers the most impressive performance against true business outcomes and is intuitive and easy to use.”

As an advocate for working women, Lepczyk also cofounder of Mama In The Making, an online program that helps expecting mothers transition to motherhood and advises organizations on how to support their top women talent after starting families.

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Arlington, Virginia-based Accenture has promoted Vince Vlasho as its Accenture Federal Services (AFS) defense portfolio lead. The U.S. Naval Academy grad brings more than 30 years of experience to the team, including spending seven years on active duty as an intelligence officer.

“I’m excited to lead the AFS defense team as we accelerate the next phases of innovation and transformation for our defense community clients,” said Vlasho in a statement. “I look forward to working with all of AFS’s defense and intelligence clients to help them take advantage of new, emerging technologies that accelerate our national security advantage for the next generation.”

Prior to this new role, Vlasho served as the lead for AFS’ defense agencies sector and he led the company’s Navy client account.

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D.C.-based Optoro added three C-suite executives to its team last month: Katy McCarthy joined Optoro as CFO, Peter Spellman was hired as CTO and Pankaj Kulkarni was added to the team as SVP of product.

The nine-year-old company manages a platform that uses data analytics to help brands determine the best way to sell off excess inventory.

“Over the past few years, we have continued to expand our client base and now work with some of the biggest retailers and brands in the U.S., including Best Buy, Target and Staples,” Optoro cofounder and CEO Tobin Moore in a statement. “As we enter this next phase of growth, I’m thrilled to welcome Katy, Peter and Pankaj to the leadership team.”

McCarthy previously served as CFO and then chairman and CEO of Geeknet, the parent company of ThinkGeek.com. She also worked in various roles at GE for 18 years, where she ran corporate audit and served as CFO of GE’s healthcare division.

Spellman is a startup founder himself, previously launching a group of companies, iWant, SupplyScape and TraceLink, and serving as CTO at all three. In his new role at Optoro, he will oversee the tech team and product advancement.

Kulkarni has previously led product and mergers and acquisitions for Bethesda, Maryland-based GetWellNetwork, where he was part of building an enterprise product platform. He brings his expertise of product marketing and partnerships to the Optoro team.

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Comscore’s board of directors have appointed Bill Livek as the company’s new CEO and executive vice chairman. The Reston, Virginia-based company provides digital audience measurement services.

Livek previously served as vice chairman and special advisor to the CEO at Comscore for a year before landing this role.

“I am excited about the prospects that lie ahead for Comscore and the opportunities we continue to believe are ripe for disruption, Livek said in a statement. “I look forward to capitalizing on these opportunities and creating meaningful value for our stakeholders.”

Livek succeeds board member Dale Fuller, who was serving as interim CEO since last spring when previous leader Bryan Wiener departed from the company. Fuller’s LinkedIn page states that he’s still with Comscore, serving as the chairman of the audit committee.

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Reston, Virginia-based QOMPLX, an intelligent decision platform provider, has hired Andrew Jaquith as its chief information security officer and general manager of its cyber business unit. He most recently served as a managing director at JPMorgan Chase, where he was responsible for regulatory affairs and second-line cyber risk management.

QOMPLX also recently hired William Solms as president and general manager of its new government solutions division. Bringing more than three decades of experience to the company, the commercial and government sector veteran will lead the division that has a focus on helping mission critical organizations with their tech transitions.

These key hires come after QOMPLX closed a $78.6 million Series A funding round in July. This funding raise is one of the largest in the D.C. tech market that we’ve seen in recent years.