Several prominent organizations announced key leadership changes today, with major moves at Starbucks, Avanade, and Tune Therapeutics leading the wave of executive appointments.
Starbucks has appointed Cathy Smith as its new chief financial officer, following Rachel Ruggeri’s departure after more than 20 years with the company. Smith brings extensive financial leadership experience from her previous roles at Nordstrom, Bright Health, Target, Express Scripts, Walmart, and notably, a lengthy tenure at Raytheon. The appointment comes amid significant changes at Starbucks, including recent corporate layoffs affecting 1,100 employees, with 612 positions eliminated in Seattle, as CEO Brian Niccol implements technological solutions to address business challenges.
Avanade, the Seattle-based technology consulting firm born from a partnership between Accenture and Microsoft, has strengthened its executive team with multiple appointments. The company welcomed Danielle Brady as Chief Operating Officer, bringing over 25 years of Accenture leadership experience from Dallas and Sacramento. Ashley Gatehouse, previously with Microsoft partner QUANTIQ, steps in as Chief Marketing Officer. Additional appointments include Rani Gopalakrishnan as global lead of advanced technology centers, Ruth Rowan as Chief Growth Officer, and Nisha Verma as Chief People Officer. These changes follow Rodrigo Caserta’s appointment as CEO in September.
In the biotech sector, Tune Therapeutics has named Dr. John
McHutchison as CEO, replacing interim leader Dan McHugh. McHutchison’s background includes CEO positions at Velia and Assembly Biosciences, along with significant contributions at Gilead Sciences, where he spearheaded breakthrough Hepatitis C treatments. The leadership change follows Tune’s recent $175 million funding round and the launch of clinical trials in New Zealand and Hong Kong for a novel Hepatitis B treatment using epigenetic editing technology.
Additional executive movements include Dr. Luke Walker joining Seattle’s Umoja Biopharma as chief medical officer, overseeing clinical research in CAR T cell cancer studies. Walker’s experience spans roles at Harpoon Therapeutics, Seagen, and various other biotechnology companies.
Siteimprove, a website functionality improvement company with significant operations in Bellevue, has appointed Nayaki Nayyar as CEO and John Damgaard as board chairman. Nayyar previously led Securonix to billion-dollar valuation status.
Seattle nonprofit Sage Bionetworks has brought on Andrea Varsavsky as chief operating officer, leveraging her two decades of healthcare technology expertise from positions at Evidation and Medtronic. The organization continues its focus on healthcare research collaboration and AI advancement.
IonQ, which recently established a quantum computer manufacturing facility in Bothell, has named Niccolo de Masi as president and CEO, replacing Peter Chapman after his six-year tenure. De Masi transitions from his board position and previous role as CEO of dMY Technology Group.
In additional moves, Shiftboard, a Seattle-based workforce scheduling software provider, has appointed Bill Phillips as vice president of professional services, succeeding the retiring Peter Draper. Greg Tito has also taken on the role of communications director at Ravensburger North America, bringing experience from Wizards of the Coast and the Washington Secretary of State’s office.
These leadership changes reflect ongoing evolution in the Pacific Northwest’s technology, healthcare, and business landscape, with organizations positioning themselves for future growth and innovation through strategic executive appointments.