Two Toronto-based startups have announced major additions to their teams and advisory groups. BetaKit pulled together this roundup to give you the latest on these company developments.
Financeit expands executive team with two new VP’s
Toronto-based Financeit, a cloud-based point-of-sale platform, has appointed Ryan D’Souza as its vice-president of sales, and Jennifer Honey Brannon as its vice-president of human resources.
Brannon, who first joined Financeit in 2016 as director of human resources, has previously served in leadership roles at PSB Consultants, MWC Group, and CARA Operations. As VP of sales, Brannon will be responsible for managing Financeit’s human resources functions, as well as fostering a productive company culture.
D’Souza was previously the vice-president of sales at HomeStars, where he helped the organization experience profitable growth. Before that, D’Souza served in senior roles at Yellow Pages and Canpages, and was an advisor at Yangaroo and Pressly.
“Both Jennifer and Ryan bring deep domain experience to their roles that will help impact the growth of our organization,” said Michael Garrity, CEO of Financeit. “We have ambitious goals this year and they will be a critical part of our leadership team, helping to drive our vision forward.”
Financeit said it has nearly doubled its team since it acquired TD Bank’s indirect home improvement financing assets in September 2016. The company has added 38 employees to its team since January 2017.
In April, Financeit and Concentra announced the renewal of their $100 million funding facility to continue providing merchants with POS lending systems.
Former president and CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company joins Smooth Commerce’s advisory group
Toronto-based Smooth Commerce, a mobile payment and marketing platform for retailers, has appointed Bonnie Brooks to its advisory group.
Brooks was formerly the president and CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company, where she also served as vice chair. Before that, Brooks held senior leadership positions at Lane Crawford and Holt Renfrew. Currently, she serves on the boards of Rogers Communications, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Chico’s FAS.
“Bonnie is a true visionary, and we look forward to benefitting from her insight and years of experience as a transformational leader in the industry,” said Brian Deck, CEO of Smooth Commerce. “Given her vast experience with retail modernization, Ms. Brooks’ guidance will be a significant asset to the Company.”
As the company’s newest advisory group member, Brooks said she looks forward to guiding Smooth Commerce’s team.
“The use of technology is crucial to every retailer of any size, to enhance customer service, and deliver its compelling competitive advantages,” said Brooks. “I’ve been impressed by the capabilities of the marketing platform Smooth Commerce has developed and I look forward to providing guidance to the team as the business grows.”
In January, Smooth Commerce announced a partnership with Visa to bring new functionalities to its SmoothPay app.