Rick Watkin

Rick Watkin became president and chief executive officer of KUBRA, a customer experience management company, in 1999 after working for the organization since 1995.

KUBRA delivers customer experience management solutions to some of the largest utility, insurance and government entities across North America. Its portfolio includes billing and payment, mapping, mobile apps, proactive communications and artificial intelligence solutions for customers. With more than a billion customer experiences annually, KUBRA services reach over 40% of households in the U.S. and Canada. KUBRA is an operating subsidiary of Hearst.

Under Watkin’s leadership, KUBRA has experienced significant organic growth, a management buyout with private equity and several acquisitions that led to the private sale of 80% of the company’s shares to Hearst. In 2020, KUBRA achieved a milestone, surpassing more than 10 billion interactions with its customers. All of these interactions were managed through KUBRA’s comprehensive customer experience platform.

Watkin was the recipient of the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010 in Ontario. During his tenure as CEO, KUBRA was named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for four consecutive years, from 2011 to 2014, and was recognized as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ by Waterstone Human Capital in 2014 and 2018.

Watkin is a member of the KUBRA board of directors and sits on various advisory boards including the Kids’ Health Links Foundation, AlsoEnergy, Inc. and publicly traded Clairvest Group Inc. He is a member of the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) and the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Watkin has participated as a judge for Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.