DI People: UNT Health Science Center, McKesson, Cyrus One, and More Make Leadership Moves

HF Sinclair and Holly Energy Partners Announce C-Suite Changes

Last March, Dallas-based HF Sinclair Corporation officially launched operations following the 2021 $2.6 billion acquisition of 105-year-old Sinclair Oil and a related business by Dallas-based petroleum refiner HollyFrontier Corp. and Holly Energy Partners. Today two of the companies announced C-suite moves.

HF Sinclair Corporation today announced the appointment of Atanas H. Atanasov as EVP and Chief Financial Officer of HF Sinclair effective September 30. Holly Energy Partners announced the appointment of Michael C. Jennings as President of Holly Logistic Services, L.L.C., effective today. (HLS is the ultimate general partner of HEP.)

Atanasov currently serves as CFO of Lummus Technology, a global chemical technologies company for the petrochemical and energy industries, a position he’s held since April 2022. Prior to joining Lummus, Mr. Atanasov served as the EVP, CFO, and Treasurer of Kraton Corporation, a NYSE-listed specialty chemical company, from May 2019 until its merger with DL Holdings in March 2022.

Prior to joining Kraton, Atanasov served as the CFO of Empire Petroleum Partners, a wholesale distributor of motor fuels, from February 2016 to May 2019. He previously served as EVP, CFO, and Treasurer of NGL Energy Partners LP, a NYSE-listed MLP. Prior to joining NGL, he held various finance roles of increasing responsibility with GE Capital from January 2003 to November 2011.

Jennings also currently serves as the CEO of HF Sinclair and is the CEO and chairperson of the board of directors of HLS.

Richard L. Voliva III, who served as EVP and CFO of HF Sinclair and President of HLS, agreed to a mutual separation with HF Sinclair and HLS effective today.

“We want to thank Rich for his many years of service and contributions to HF Sinclair and HEP. Looking forward, we are excited that Atanas will be joining our executive leadership team,” Jennings said in a statement. “Atanas brings over 25 years of disciplined financial leadership experience in the energy and petrochemical industries and will be a valuable contributor as we continue to position HF Sinclair for the future.”

Dallas-Based Jacobs Reveals CEO Succession Plan

Steve Demetriou (left) and Bob Pragada. [Photos: Jacobs]

In January, Jacobs CEO Steve Demetriou will hand the company reins over to Bob Pragada, who is currently president and chief operating officer of the company. Demetriou will continue as executive chair of the board.

The company said Friday that Bob Pragada, currently president and chief operating officer, will succeed Steve Demetriou as chief executive officer and join the Jacobs’ board of directors. The changes are effective Jan. 24, the date of Jacobs’ annual shareholder meeting.

Data Center Developer CyrusOne Announces New CEO

Eric Schwartz has been elected CEO by the board of CyrusOne, the Dallas-based global data center developer and operator specializing in delivering state-of-the-art digital infrastructure solutions. His appointment is effective on or about October 1, the company said.

Eric Schwartz

Schwartz succeeds Dave Ferdman, who has served as CyrusOne’s interim president and CEO since July 2021. Ferdman, founder of CyrusOne, will continue to work with the company as a member of its board.

New York-based investment firm KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners acquired CyrusOne last year for $90.50 per share. CyrusOne went public in 2013.

For the past 16 years, Schwartz has been an executive at Equinix in several roles, including leading the EMEA region for Equinix from 2008 to 2019, CyrusOne said in a statement. During that period, Equinix EMEA achieved substantial growth both organically and through acquisitions and established itself as the market leader in the EMEA datacenter industry, the company said.

Fossil Group Adds SVP/Chief Marketing Officer

Fossil Group Inc., the Richardson-headquartered global design, marketing, distribution, and innovation company, announced Monday that Lisa Marie Pillette has joined the company as senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

“Lisa has tremendous depth and breadth of marketing experience with iconic brands, an innovative lens on what marketing of the future looks like, and a compelling track record of delivering insight-led solutions,” Holly Briedis, EVP and chief digital officer for Fossil, said in a statement. “Pairing her distinctive expertise with our global digital capabilities allows us to think holistically about the consumer experience.”

She brings extensive marketing and brand expertise from Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, and Levi Strauss, the company said in a statement.

Most recently, Pillette was chief marketing officer for direct-to-consumer brand Casper. Her successful relaunch of the Casper brand earned her acclaim as a 2021 Brand Innovators “Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing” and 2021 CMO Award for “Creativity & Storytelling.”

In her new role, Pillette will lead Fossil’s global marketing and center of excellence capabilities, including marketing strategy and innovation, CRM, creative and content operations, and go-to-market readiness, the company said.

TimelyMD Expands Leadership Team with New Hires, Promotions

Fort Worth-based TimelyMD is expanding its leadership team to meet growing demand for virtual health and well-being solutions tailored for college and university students.

Recently named the ninth-fastest growing U.S. health services company by Inc., TimelyMD is a higher education sector market leader serving more than 200 campuses to provide equitable, on-demand access to complete clinical care, advanced technology, and expert guidance to improve their students’ mental and physical health.

To keep up with increased demand for services, TimelyMD is promoting company veterans and recruiting transformative new leaders from health care and higher education sectors that will fuel continued innovation and drive future growth. The company has announced the following senior leadership appointments:

Left to right: Pete Blaisdell, Backy Laman, Nassim Bickham, and Phil Tallman

Pete Blaisdell, Chief Revenue Officer: Blaisdell leadership has been instrumental in fueling TimelyMD’s growth over the last five years, the company said. Before this new role, Blaisdell was senior vice president of sales and university health at TimelyMD since 2018. Throughout his 20 years in health care, Blaisdell has built new companies, spearheaded new initiatives, and led diverse teams that drive long-term and short-term revenue growth. As chief revenue officer, Blaisdell oversees sales, revenue strategy and partnerships.

Becky Laman, SVP of Strategy: Laman has been tapped to lead a newly created division within TimelyMD that oversees cross-functional efforts to enhance the company’s capacity to develop new solutions that keep TimelyMD focused on the future. Laman joined TimelyMD in 2020 to lead the growth, strategy and partnerships team, a role in which she developed and implemented a strategic vision that drove growth through new channels and oversaw plans that advanced company goals.

Nassim Bickham, VP of Care Transformation: Bickham is a trained clinician dedicated to using treatments proven to work. Over the past decade, she has focused on increasing access to mental health services and disseminating evidence-based practices using technology at startups in Silicon Valley. Previously, Bickham was director of clinical innovation at Two Chairs and senior therapist at Lyra Health.

Phil Tallman, VP of University Health & Strategic Partnerships: Tallman comes to TimelyMD with nearly 20 years of experience in sales and operations. Tallman has a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry, most recently leading the specialty sales team for Ellucian (formerly CampusLogic), a software company offering financial aid software solutions for higher education. In his role as VP of university health & strategic partnerships at TimelyMD, he is responsible for driving revenue growth, as well as growth strategy and partnerships.

Instil Bio Appoints New Chief Operating Officer

Instil Bio Inc., a Dallas-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that Tim Moore has been appointed chief operating officer of the company that focuses on developing tumor infiltrating lymphocyte, or TIL, therapies for the treatment of patients with cancer.

To his new role, Moore brings more than three decades of leadership experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and operations, including at Genentech, Kite, and most recently PACT Pharma.

From 2016 to 2019, he was EVP of technical operations at Kite Pharma, where he successfully launched Yescarta, one of the first FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapies. Before coming to Instil, Moore was the president and chief operating officer of PACT Pharma, a cell therapy company focusing on neo-antigen directed TCR-T cell therapy.

“Tim’s prior leadership in successfully developing and launching Yescarta adds to our executive team’s already significant expertise in cell therapy,” said Bronson Crouch, CEO of Instil Bio.

RealPage Hires New Chief Marketing Officer

Margaret Herndon

Margaret Herndon has been hired as chief marketing officer at Richardson-based RealPage Inc., a provider of property management software for the multifamily, commercial, single-family, and vacation rental housing industries.

In her new role, Herndon is responsible for all aspects of global marketing, including brand, marketing strategy, growth marketing, product marketing, and corporate communications.

Previously, she was chief marketing officer at WestRock Co., before joining RealPage.

Before that, she was the North America CMO for Ericsson for five years and was VP of global marketing and communications at Avigilon in Dallas. Before Avigilon, Herndon was VP of global industry marketing at Hewlett-Packard in Plano.

Left to right: Chris Williams, George Jones, John Schilsky, Chris Carlson, and Roseanne Donohue

Critical Start Prepares for Future with Three Hires, Two Promotions

Critical Start CEO and Founder Rob Davis says the cyber threat landscape continues to expand—and the need for breach prevention solutions has never been greater.

The Plano-based provider of managed detection and response cybersecurity solutions has added a trio of new executives to its leadership team amidst the evolving field, along with two internal promotions:

Chris Williams has joined the company as the new chief revenue officer.
George Jones was recently appointed as the first chief information security officer.
John Schilsky has come aboard as the new chief financial officer (CFO)
Chris Carlson has been promoted to senior vice president of product.
Roseanne Donohue has been promoted to senior vice president of people strategy.

Beckett Names Chief Visionary Officer After Acquiring NoXX Technologies

Plano-based collectibles industry leader Beckett announced Monday that it has completed its acquisition of New York-based NoXX Technologies. The startup’s CEO and Founder Scott Roskind will join Beckett as its chief visionary officer.

NoXX, a “collector-first platform” founded in 2020, offers asset management and community connection with advanced technology. “Our goal is to provide THE social identity for collectors,” as NoXX puts it. The startup offers discovery in a “fragmented industry” and helps collectors get insights from their assets.

“The acquisition of NoXX is one more important step in our creation of the industry’s digital leading platform,” Beckett CEO Kunal Chopra said in a statement. “We want to build a central location to connect collectors and give them every tool they need—and the NoXX Technologies’ product suite as well as its talent will help us do that.”

The company said that NoXX’s technology will be integrated into Beckett Collect, the industry’s first all-in-one platform that allows collectors to easily and dynamically add cards, manage and analyze their collection, discover new assets, and create connections with other like-minded individuals.

UNT Health Science Center Confirms President, the First Black Woman to Lead a Texas HSC

Sylvia Trent-Adams has become the seventh president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the first black woman to lead a health science center in Texas.

Her appointment was formalized this week by the school’s board of regents.

Adams was selected by the Board of Regents as the sole finalist for the position on August 19 after an eight-month national search. State law requires university governing boards to name finalists for a presidency at least 21 days before making a permanent appointment.

Before being appointed as president, Trent-Adams served as the Health Science Center’s executive vice president and chief strategy officer. She succeeds Michael Williams, who became chancellor of the UNT System on January 1 and continued to serve as HSC’s president during the search process.

McKesson Names New EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer

McKesson Corp. announced that LeAnn B. Smith has been selected as executive vice president and chief human resources officer, succeeding Tracy L. Faber, who will be retiring after an 11-year tenure with McKesson.

LeAnn B. Smith

Both changes are expected to be effective December 1, the Irving-based company said. It is No. 9 on the Fortune 500 list of American companies.

In her new post, Smith will report to CEO Brian Tyler and will serve as a member of the executive operating team.

McKesson said that as it continues to focus on people and culture as a strategic priority, Smith will have responsibility for all human resources disciplines, including attracting, developing, and retaining talent across the company, championing employee diversity and inclusion initiatives, and leading transformational change.

“McKesson is committed to developing talent at all levels of the organization and we are pleased to promote LeAnn to the role of chief human resources officer,” Tyler said in a statement. “In this dynamic time, we look forward to benefitting from her more than 20 years of experience as McKesson continues to address the changing needs of our employees, foster a diverse and inclusive culture and become the best place to work in healthcare.”

Law Firm Hilgers Graben Adds First Dallas Managing Partner

Hilgers Graben PLLC announced the addition of veteran Dallas trial lawyer Grant Schmidt as its first Dallas managing partner.

Grant Schmidt

The firm said that Schmidt’s addition bolsters a deep bench of experienced attorneys from major firms including Gibson Dunn, Winston & Strawn, and Fish & Richardson. Hilgers Graben said it also has many former federal appellate and district court clerks, as well as firm CEO and former three-time general counsel Sterling Miller.

“Grant is a perfect fit to lead our Dallas office and provide the sophisticated and results-oriented representation that makes this firm stand out in a crowded field,” firm Co-founder Mike Hilgers said in a statement. “He will be key to our continued growth in North Texas and nationally.”

Previously, Schmidt was a partner in the Dallas office of Winston & Strawn. He was part of high-profile trial teams that recently secured the only acquittal in a health care fraud prosecution involving 21 separate defendants and, in a real estate dispute, won a complete defense verdict and nearly $2 million in attorneys’ fees.

Caris Life Sciences Adds Law Partner to Role of SVP, General Counsel, Secretary

Caris Life Sciences announced that Russ Denton has come aboard as senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary, and will lead the legal and corporate governance efforts of the Irving-headquartered molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare.

Russ Denton

“Caris is leading a revolution in healthcare with novel approaches to categorize, visualize and target disease in ways never before possible,” David D. Halbert, chairman and CEO of Caris Life Sciences, said in a statement. “We are very pleased to welcome Russ to the Caris team, as his strong guidance and counsel has served us well and will be invaluable as we continue to advance our mission.”

Previously, Denton was a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP, representing clients in mergers and acquisitions and equity financing transactions, including working with Caris as outside counsel in connection with Caris’ growth equity financing transactions, the company said in a statement. Before Shearman & Sterling, Denton was a partner at Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP and an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP.

Denton received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, and earned his B.S., magna cum laude, from Duke University.

Deloitte Promotes Veteran Leader to Managing Director

Cary Moon

Rockwall resident Cary Moon has been promoted to the role of managing director at Deloitte.

Previously, Moon, who has been with Deloitte for more than 14 years, was senior program manager at Deloitte and was a vice president, project manager leader at CBRE for eight years.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stephen F. Austin University.

BOK Financial Names SVP, Managing Director of National Senior Housing

Dallas-based Taylor Russ has been promoted to SVP and managing director for the national senior housing group at Tulsa-based BOK Financial.

Russ, an SMU graduate, is based at the Sherry Lane location in Dallas and has been with the company since 2007, People Newspapers reported.

BOK Financial established the National Senior Housing Group in Dallas in 2012. It provides construction and bridge/acquisition financing for private-pay independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities nationwide.

Previously, Russ was a board member for the SMU Young Alumni, was a member of the Young Professional Board for Dallas CASA, a member of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Junior Associates Board, and he has been involved in Urban Land Institute.

First Horizon Bank Adds New SVP in Middle Market Banking

Rachel Vinocur Ingerto has joined the middle market banking team as senior vice president at First Horizon Bank in Dallas, Dallas/Fort Worth Market President Key Coker announced.

Rachel Ingerto

“Rachel brings to our team her top talent financial service skills that will help us continue to grow our North Texas client base,” Coker said.

Previously, she was vice president of middle market banking at Bank of America in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Ingerto was senior manager of commercial strategy and planning at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. She also previously worked at Hewlett-Packard and at Neiman Marcus Group.

Cypress Growth Capital Adds New Investment Team Member

Cypress Growth Capital of Dallas has added Vincent Hsieh as the newest member of its investment team.

Vincent Hsieh

“Vince’s successful entrepreneurial experience growing software companies is a tremendous asset to our portfolio companies,” Managing Director Vik Thapar said in a statement.

Hsieh brings 25 years of entrepreneurial and operating experience in the software and services sectors, including launching and growing two successful software start-ups. As a partner at Cypress Growth Capital, he participates in all facets of the investment process and actively supports portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Cypress, Hsieh spent 16 years starting, building, and scaling two SaaS companies. His first entrepreneurial venture, Atlas RFID–where he was co-founder–was sold to private equity firm Kayne Anderson and then acquired by Hexagon. The second, Geoforce, was a highly successful portfolio company in Cypress’ first fund, exiting to private equity firm LLR Partners.

Invited Announces Executive Additions for ClubLife Management

Dallas-based Invited—which owns and operates over 200 venues including golf courses, country clubs, stadium clubs, and golf entertainment venues—announced that Allie Marquette and Nick Totten have been added to its ClubLife Management Division team. They will serve as VP of sales and national director of food and beverage, respectively.

Allie Marquette

Invited’s ClubLife Management also announced that it has enhanced its stable of properties with new additions in Arizona, Florida, and Texas while also extending agreements with several current partner properties.

New sales VP Marquette has experience in membership, tournaments, and private events, and is proficient at generating leads, closing deals, and keeping members engaged, Invited said in a statement. She will be responsible for driving sales and assisting with club marketing strategies, the company said. Before joining ClubLife Management, Marquette worked at Jupiter Country Club, an Invited property in Jupiter, Fla., where she was club manager with oversight of membership sales, member experience and marketing.

Nick Totten

Previously, Totten was executive chef and food and beverage director at TPC Craig Ranch, an Invited property in McKinney that has hosted the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson tournament since 2021. Prior to his experience at TPC Craig Ranch, he was a food and beverage consultant as well as the owner/operator of the Nola Grill, a successful fine-dining restaurant in Frisco.

In addition to Marquette and Totten joining the leadership team, ClubLife Management also recently enhanced its portfolio of properties with a number of new partnerships, including:

Williams Square Fitness (Irving, Texas)
Serenata Beach Club (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida)
Skyline Country Club (Tucson)
Saddlebrooke TWO HOA – The Preserve Country Club and MountainView Golf Club (Tucson)

Ben E. Keith Hires VP of Marketing

Ben E. Keith, the nation’s fifth largest broad line foodservice distributor, announced the hiring of Aimee Lakotas as vice president of marketing.

Lakotas is a 25-year marketing veteran with vast experience in strategic marketing and brand building, the company said. She will report to David Werner, senior vice president, independent sales and marketing.

“Ben E. Keith Foods continues to grow in a highly competitive marketplace, and to retain our leadership position requires compelling, innovative and well-targeted cross-channel marketing,” Werner said. “Aimee Lakotas, with her proven expertise in brand marketing, is the perfect person to ensure we are reaching the right audiences at the right time with creative and impactful marketing programs.”

Lakotas comes to Ben E. Keith Foods from 2nd Avenue Thrift Superstore and Greendrop, an innovative retail model that combines thrift stores with recycling distribution centers, for which she served as vice president of marketing.

PR Communications Firm Genuine Article Adds a Principal

Genuine Article, a Dallas-based independent public relations and integrated communications firm, has added Plano native Brian Sweany as principal, its first senior leadership talent addition since launching last year.

Brian Sweany

Sweany has spent more than two decades rising in the ranks of city and state magazines, as well as in posts teaching university-level journalism and directing communications for state agencies and national nonprofit organizations, the firm said in a statement. He will oversee Genuine Article’s staff and the growing book of clients.

Genuine Article was established by former PR heads from The Richards Group with the goal of helping brands, causes, and initiatives establish and enhance their national and regional relevance.

Sweany spent more than 18 years at Texas Monthly magazine, serving as editor-in-chief from 2014 until 2016, when he was named to the Folio 100 as an “Up and Coming Trailblazer,” Genuine Article said. Over his more than two decades in journalism, Sweany covered a spectrum of topics, including politics, culture, business, and sports. Sweany also had stints as a senior editor at D Magazine and as an independent consultant providing brand management, governmental relations, and crisis communications for state agencies and nonprofits.

In that role, he began collaborating with Genuine Article founders Stacie Barnett, Elizabeth Clayton, and Greg Miller on various strategic initiatives, the firm said.

“When we started Genuine Article, we made a promise to align ourselves—nternally and externally—with those who have a desire to create fair and balanced conversation through creativity and kindness,” Clayton said in a statement.

Sweany’s hire comes as the firm has added multiple staff members in media relations, communications strategy, and account management since the beginning of 2022. The firm recently added national and regional retainer work for nonprofit and commercial real estate clients, which join Genuine Article’s client roster, including The Salvation Army, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, Discount Tire, and Scottish Rite for Children.

Theo Medeiros, TRG’s Head of Analytics and Insights [Sources: TRG Photo; Shutterstock Illustration]

TRG Appoints New Head of Analytics and Insights

Dallas-based TRG, one of the largest independent advertising agencies in the nation, announced Monday that Theo Medeiros has been appointed head of analytics and insights and will report to Chief Strategy Officer Chris Ferrel.

Medeiros brings a strong background of experience in business analytics, data strategy, technology, and artificial intelligence. Most recently, Medeiros was director of analytics and technology for Dallas-based Dominion Harbor Group, and before that he was manager of analytics and strategy for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Medeiros founded the iAspire Fellowship Program to train youths in artificial intelligence. In his new role, he’ll reports to Chris Ferrel, chief strategy officer.

“After our first conversation, I knew we had not only found a brilliant data strategist in Theo but found someone who would champion the next generation of creativity at TRG. He’s a coach, mentor, and if-it-doesn’t-exist-I’ll-create-it leader,” Ferrel in a statement. “The path to better audience insights requires better data, but data alone is not enough – leaders like Theo make the difference. He brings our clients world-class analytics expertise and a proven approach that blends science and art. We can’t wait to get started.”

Medeiros’s role will fall within TRG’s strategy collective, which brings together brand strategy, media strategy, digital strategy, and data strategy, the firm said. He will lead the group in turning data into actionable insights, improving how brands connect with people in a changing multicultural, global marketplace..

He will begin immediately developing a roadmap for growing the analytics and insights team of strategists, analysts, and data managers, TRG added. They will partner closely with creative teams, using data science to support creativity across the firm.

TRG said that new analytics products will focus on deeper audience insights, interest-based communities, and elevated data strategies to help clients earn their audiences’ attention in new ways.

City of Dallas Names Procurement Services Supervisor

DeNita Lacking-Quinn has been promoted to the role of supervisor of the city of Dallas’ Office of Procurement Services.

DeNita Lacking-Quinn

“I am excited about this amazing opportunity and new journey as I continue to serve the great city of Dallas,” Lacking-Quins said on her LinkedIn page.

Previously, Lacking-Quinn was senior outreach specialist with the city of Dallas, connecting businesses with the resources and information needed to do business with the city of Dallas. The primary responsibility of that department is to assist with opportunity creation, diversity compliance, and to build capacity with the city of Dallas.

Before that, she was community engagement coordinator for the city of Glenn Heights, a city in Dallas and Ellis counties that had a population of 15,819 as of 2020.

Equify Financial Adds EVP in Equipment Leasing and Financing

Fort Worth-based Equify Financial LLC announced that it has added Dan Krajewski as executive vice president in an expansion of its equipment leasing and finance business.

The privately owned, independent specialty finance company said in a statement that Krajewski brings a wealth of industry knowledge in equipment finance as he implements Equify’s expansion of the small-ticket dealer/vendor channel equipment finance business. He also will take the lead on the company’s capital markets development.

“As an icon in the industry, Dan brings vast experience in developing and leading multiple business channels while incorporating the best in breed platforms within an organization like Equify,” Equify President Patrick Hoiby said in the statement.

In addition to implementing the vendor program business and capital markets, Krajewski will work with Equify’s successful core middle-market business team to cross-sell these new capabilities.

Details of Jacobs CEO succession plan were clarified in our story on September 17, 2022 at 3:35 p.m. Steve Demetriou is currently executive chair of the board and will continue as such after the CEO succession.