Power Moves: WebLinc gets new CFO, ConsenSys gets more Philly folk

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.

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It was a courtship years in the making.

Old City software company WebLinc just brought on Guy Abramovitz, a Wharton grad with a background in business development and operation, as its new CFO after what Abramovitz describes as a years-long acquaintance process.

“This was not a standard interview process,” Abramovitz said. “We met a number of times over the years in the hopes of getting to know one another better. In order for this type of relationship to work, there has to be mutual respect and a cultural fit.”

Abramovitz was formerly the founder and managing director of North17 Advisors, a boutique finance and accounting consulting firm. Prior, he was VP of Finance and Accounting at Veterinary Practice Partners in King of Prussia, Pa.

Under his new title, Abramovitz said he’ll focus on driving improved margins by working closely with operations and business development. His appointment takes place two weeks after one of WebLinc’s key investors, Safeguard Scientifics, announced it would no longer invest in new companies and, instead, seek to sell its stake in some 25 companies. WebLinc said there was no connection between the new hire and the Safeguard news. it was more about a candidate-company fit, said COO Kylie Hill.

“We were set on finding a solid person with mutual respect, who anticipates the shifts in our growth phases and is strategic in nature,” said Hill. “At no point was filling the seat more relevant than landing a candidate to further the path of the company.”

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Jon Gosier, of South Philly incubator and VC firm Southbox Ventures, has joined TED.com’s Residency program for creators and artists. Gosier, who struck a chord with the company after joining their fellowship program in 2008, (and thanks to his 2014 TED talk), will be working on his first independent feature film.

“The film is a dramatic thriller inspired my time in digital activism in North and East Africa,” Gosier said. “Based on true events, it’s the fictionalized story of group of digital activists who find themselves in over their heads trying to take on oppressive governments during the Arab Spring. I wrote the Screenplay and I’m Executive Producing.”

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Kaitlin Bitting, former VP of PR at Philly and Boston-based creative agency Allen & Gerritsen, is stepping down after five years as comms lead. Cashman & Associates, with offices in Philly and New York, has drafted Bitting to be the VP of Public Relations and Corporate Communications.

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Is ConsenSys going all Philly Philly? Well, not exactly, but the Brooklyn blockchain company did just hire Igor Leygerman, formerly of Comcast, as lead designer.

“My goal at ConsenSys is to utilize my expertise in design, process, and technology to help build products that really transform the way software works today,” said Leygerman, who will be working remotely from Philly.

The company also employs Piers Duffell, a Campus Engagement Associate and organizer of the Blockchain for Social Meetup in Philly; and Mike McCoy, formerly of Launch Academy, in the area.

McCoy, in charge of “ecosystem development,” said ConsenSys employs six to eight staffers in the Philly area. In context, that’s not a tremendous amount for Consensys, whose staff count is around 600, but definitely a sign of interest in the Philly ecosystem and its talent pool.