Andrea Chartock has been appointed to lead Washington’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness, which operates under the state Department of Commerce. With over 21 years at international development firm DAI, Chartock brings extensive experience working on United States Agency for International Development initiatives across multiple nations, including Moldova and Liberia. Before joining the state agency, her recent work centered on promoting economic growth in Ukraine until USAID funding ceased this year. Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn praised Chartock’s qualifications, stating she possesses the expertise and commitment required to enhance the existing business community and encourage innovative growth strategies. The department oversees more than 485 programs with a combined budget exceeding $8 billion, according to Nguyễn’s April statements. Earlier in the year, the department reduced a significant economic development program due to state budget constraints.

Julie Brill, who previously held the position of chief privacy officer at Microsoft, has been named to the board of directors at enterprise software firm Ethyca. Brill departed Microsoft in July following more than eight years with the company, where her role included serving as corporate vice president for Global Privacy, Safety, and Regulatory Affairs. In her statement, Brill expressed enthusiasm about Ethyca’s focus on integrating privacy, security, and policy into enterprise data infrastructure, noting her excitement to contribute guidance as the company assists global organizations in scaling AI responsibly. Brill is currently serving as an expert in residence at Harvard University and had previously announced plans to establish a consultancy this fall.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has appointed Rolf Harms, currently a corporate vice president at the technology company, to serve as an advisor on AI economics, working alongside the company’s senior leadership. According to a November memo obtained by Business Insider, Nadella informed Microsoft executives of Harms’ expanded
responsibilities. With nearly 20 years at Microsoft, Harms authored an influential whitepaper in 2010 that examined the economics of cloud computing. In the memo, Nadella emphasized the need to quickly reimagine AI economics throughout the company, drawing parallels to the earlier shift to cloud computing. He noted that the platform transformation involves constructing a new AI factory and developing a family of Copilots and agents to promote widespread adoption and usage across the entire technology stack.

Sean Coury has been announced as the chief financial officer for Seattle Reign FC and Seattle Sounders FC. Coury comes to the soccer organizations from Bezos Academy, where he held the CFO position at the educational nonprofit founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. His background includes financial leadership positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Apptio, where he contributed to the Bellevue, Washington company’s initial public offering. Last month, the Reign and Sounders brought on Ro Vega as their chief marketing officer.

Francois Ajenstat is departing from his role as chief product officer at software firm Amplitude. Before joining Amplitude, Ajenstat served as CPO at Seattle’s Tableau Software for 13 years, followed by a short tenure at Salesforce that concluded in 2023. His earlier career included a decade at Microsoft, where he held various positions including technical evangelist, product manager, and senior director of environmental sustainability.

The University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design has undergone several leadership transitions. UW biochemistry professor Neil King has assumed the role of deputy director as Lance Stewart, the former interim executive director, retires from the organization. King previously served as an associate professor at IPD, while Nobel Laureate David Baker continues as director. Stewart reflected on LinkedIn about his time since joining IPD in 2013, describing it as a unique opportunity to witness and contribute to the emergence of an entirely new industry built on computationally designed proteins.

The Institute for Protein Design has made three additional
appointments. Jenny Cronin has joined as director of translational research from AI2 Incubator, a Seattle-based startup organization, and also serves as a venture partner with Pack Ventures, which supports UW-connected startups. Roseanne Hampton Reich has been named assistant director of administration, bringing experience from positions at lululemon, UW’s Division of Nephrology, Seattle Children’s, and other organizations. Justin English has taken on the role of director of strategic development, previously working as an assistant professor at the University of Utah, where he earned a PhD in pharmacology.

Alex Pettit is returning to Oregon to assume the position of digital transformation projects director for the state. Pettit’s background includes top technology leadership roles in Oregon, Texas, and Oklahoma, with his most recent position being Colorado’s chief technology officer for nearly six years. On LinkedIn, Pettit expressed his honor at contributing once again to Oregon’s technology future, focusing on modernizing legacy platforms, evolving enterprise architecture, and preparing for upcoming challenges.

Brian Bishop has been named CEO of Skip Technology, a Portland, Oregon-based startup developing long-duration, grid-scale batteries. Bishop succeeds Brennan Gantner, who established the hydrogen bromine battery company seven years ago. With over three decades of experience in engineering, manufacturing, and management across various electronics-focused businesses, Bishop previously worked with Salt Creek Capital, which specializes in acquiring and recapitalizing small companies.

Kelly Goetsch has transitioned from chief operating officer to president at e-commerce logistics startup Pipe17. The Seattle-based startup secured a $17.5 million Series A funding round earlier this year. Additionally, Goetsch played a key role in developing the first open standard to unify commerce system communications, encompassing AI-powered selling channels, payments, logistics, and fulfillment. The Commerce Operations Foundation, a nonprofit organization, oversaw this initiative and released the initial standard this week.

Tom Mara, executive director of SIFF, has left the nonprofit after the organization decided not to renew his contract, as reported by the Seattle Times. Mara previously led the popular Seattle radio station KEXP before joining SIFF in 2022. The following year, he announced the organization’s acquisition of the historic Cinerama, a movie theater formerly owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen that closed during the pandemic. While the acquisition received widespread celebration, the venue has faced ongoing financial difficulties.