The latest from the frontlines of the world’s fastest growing companies and the teams doing the work.

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LEGO Ventures, the venture arm of the famous Danish toy company that funds startups focused on the innovation of creativity, learning, and play, has appointed Cecilia Qvist as its new Head. 

Cecilia Qvist. Courtesy of LEGO Ventures.

Cecilia Qvist

LEGO Recruits Ex-Spotify Exec to Lead Investment Arm

L Brands Chairman Emeritus and former CEO Leslie Wexner, and his wife, Abigail Wexner, will leave the L Brands board. They will not stand for re-election in the shareholders meeting in May. 

L Brands founder Leslie Wexner will step down from the Board, and Permanently Leave Victoria’s Secret. Image Source: Shutterstock.

L Brands founder Leslie Wexner will step down from the Board, and Permanently Leave Victoria’s Secret 

Her senior-level hire to Robinhood’s c-suite comes ahead of an anticipated initial public offering for the company that’s estimated to be valued at $11.7 billion.

Incoming CPO Aparna Chennapragada spent 12 years in leadership positions at Google. Image Credit: Robinhood.

Aparna Chennapragada

Google Exec Joins Robinhood as First-Ever CPO

The pandemic, and a months-long transport strike that succeeded it, has accelerated the transformation of how people move around Paris. The Org looked into the new players and projects reshaping mobility in Paris to give a glimpse at what the capital could look like in the near future.

A street in the Marais area in Paris. Credit: Pénélope Romand-Monnier

Marais, Paris

Reinventing Mobility in Paris

Sal's career has been about taking powerful, novel technologies and applying it to use cases where customers have pain. He's now leading one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in the IT management space. NinjaRMM has signed up 5,000+ customers, raised a $30M equity round from Summit Partners in 2020, and will be at close to 300 employees by the end of the year, up from 40 in 2018.

NinjaRMM co-founder and CEO Salvatore Sferlazza. Courtesy of NinjaRMM. 

Sal headshot landscape 2021

Sal Sferlazza Has Sold Four Startups - Here's Why He's Holding Onto NinjaRMM

Fadia Kader has joined  Clubhouse as head of media partnerships and creators. She will be reporting Maya Watson, the global head of marketing who joined the company this week after a 4-year stint at Netflix.

Fadia Kader Leaves Instagram, Joins Clubhouse as Head of Media Partnerships and Creators. Image Source: Shutterstock.

clubhouse

Fadia Kader Leaves Instagram, Joins Clubhouse as Head of Media Partnerships and Creators

Stephanie Ito, Paramount’s President of Post-Production, will leave the movie studio at the end of the week according to an internal memo obtained by Variety.

Paramount Pictures entrance and sign. Editorial credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com

Paramount Pictures entrance and sign

Paramount’s Post-Production President Resigns

Hodgins joins the software company at a time of recent departures in the senior leadership team.

Editorial credit: possohh / Shutterstock.com

VMware

VMware Hires HPE Exec to Help Lead Global Sales Team

Melissa Schoeb has joined Nokia as the company’s new Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, a position that places her at the forefront of the Finnish tech titan’s communications, government relations, brand, and sustainability efforts.

Nokia's new Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Melissa Schoeb. Image credit: Melissa Schoeb, LinkedIn

Melissa Schoeb

Nokia Names New Corporate Affairs Chief After Revealing Deep Job Cuts

The fitness industry has been one of the many hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic. An estimated  $15 billion has been lost in revenue, and multiple value gyms have filed for bankruptcy. Just days after the lockdown, ClassPass launched new features on its app allowing studio partners to live-stream fitness classes. The Org talked to leaders behind the growing fitness app and learns how the company has handled the pandemic.

The membership-based fitness app, ClassPass, allows users to access multiple gyms and studios. Image Source: ClassPass.

classpass

The Leaders Behind ClassPass - The App For All Things Fitness, Spa and Beauty

These are the most notable hires, promotions, and departures within the media community in the last week. For executive news updated daily, check out The Org's People on the Move.

ravi ahuja

The Biggest Moves in Media This Week

These are the most notable hires, promotions, and departures within the US retail community in the last week. For executive news updated daily, check out The Org's People on the Move.

Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta Beauty. Photo: Business Wire

Mary Dillon

The Biggest Moves in Retail This Week

These are the most notable hires, promotions, and departures within the US tech community in the last week. For executive news updated daily, check out The Org's People on the Move.

Magic Leap

The Biggest Moves in Tech This Week

Visa has a new member of its Executive Committee with the appointment of Michelle Gethers-Clark as the financial titan’s Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Corporate Responsibility. 

Michelle Gethers-Clark. Image credit: United Way of Greater Greensboro

Michelle Gethers-Clark

Visa Appoints New Diversity and Corporate Responsibility Leader

Okta, the identity and access management company, has named Steve Rowland as Chief Revenue Officer. He reports to Susan St. Ledger, President of Worldwide Field Operations.

Steve Rowland Joins Okta as Chief Revenue Officer. Image Source: Shutterstock.

Okta

Steve Rowland Joins Okta as Chief Revenue Officer

Right now the app is still only available on iOS and has a waitlist for users to join, but Watson’s hire signals the app is looking to market outside the club.

Maya Watson previously worked at Netflix as Director of Editorial and Publishing. Courtesy of Maya Watson / Twitter. 

Maya Watson Clubhouse

Clubhouse Builds Out Team by Poaching Senior Netflix Exec

Despite all the challenges and the competition from dominant role-players in the wine industry, there are significant small pockets of opportunity which are now budding for Black owners in South Africa's wine market.

Wine region near Stellenbosch looking at Simonsberg in South Africa. Image credit: ModernNomad / Shutterstock.com

Wine region near Stellenbosch looking at Simonsberg in South Africa

Seven Progressive Black-Owned Wine Brands in South Africa

Stark’s exit comes almost a year after he was extended a new contract that made him president of the newly created television label at MGM.

President of MGM Television Steps Down

Maine is well known for its natural beauty, lighthouses, lobster, and, of course, Stephen King, but that isn’t all that The Pine Tree State has to offer. 

The Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Image credit: Arlene Waller / Shutterstock.com

Maine coast

Ten Startups From Maine to Know in 2021

The Board of Directors at Danone, the French multinational food-products company behind Evian water, Activia yoghurt and Alpro soy milk, confirmed that Emmanuel Faber will step down as CEO and chairman. Gillies Schnepp, a Director who joined last year, is appointed as non-executive chairman, effective immediately.

Emmanuel Faber to step down as CEO and Chairman of Danone. Image Source: Shutterstock.