Across North Texas, companies are promoting and hiring people to take on leadership positions within their organizations. Dallas Innovates covers prominent personnel moves in Dallas-Fort Worth businesses and nonprofits—from the newest startups to well-established companies. Here are the people moves tied to innovation and technology in the region.

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Toyota Motor North America names McNeff VP of corporate communications

Kelly McNeff

Plano-headquartered Toyota Motor North America has named Kelly McNeff vice president of Corporate Communications, where she will be responsible for leading internal and external communication activities. That includes executive, business, and brand communications.

McNeff’s responsibilities will also include social media channel strategy and content.

McNeff comes to Toyota Motor North America from Irving-based McKesson Corp. where she was vice president of Transformation Communications. There, her responsibilities included communicating the company’s global business transformation strategy across five business units, and with external media, stakeholders and investors.

MoneyGram names Chytil as its new chief operating officer

Kamila Chytil

MoneyGram International Inc., a Dallas-based global provider of innovative money transfer services has appointed Kamila K. Chytil as its new chief operating officer.

Chytil most recently served as MoneyGram’s chief global operations officer. She’s played an integral role in leading the company’s digital transformation, along with driving operational efficiencies and cost savings.

She was also responsible for launching the company’s consumer-centric digital products across the globe.

Chytil’s current portfolio of strategy, global operations, information technology, and product will be expanded to also include global marketing, and digital revenue as part of her new role.

Platts is now the COO at plant tech startup Gardenuity

Doug Platts

Doug Platts has begun his new position this month as chief operating officer at the retail and technology startup Gardenuity, according to his LinkedIn profile.

On LinkedIn, Platts said his role will be to drive business growth and define scalable operations to support Gardenuity’s growing product range and customer base. The company uses technology to deliver custom container gardening kits tailored to each customer’s patio, porch,or balcony.

Previously, Platts was vice president of marketing at Dialexa, a Dallas technology research, design, and creation firm that delivers custom design and tech solutions to businesses.

Lennox names Zimmer its EVP, president, and COO of North American business

Elliot Zimmer

Lennox International, the Dallas-based HVAC giant, has named Elliott Zimmer executive vice president, president, and chief operating office of its North America Commercial Heating & Cooling business, effective Nov. 1.

He succeeds Terry Johnston, who is retiring. 

Lennox said that Zimmer has a proven track record at the company, having served for the last three years as vice president and general manager of its Lennox North America commercial equipment business.

Previously, Zimmer was vice president of worldwide supply chain and logistics and led Lennox’s business development efforts. 

Fox joins Hypergiant Sensory Sciences 

Jason Fox

Jason Fox has joined Hypergiant Sensory Sciences as head of spatial computing.

Previously, Fox was a senior software engineer at Microsoft, where he worked for more than seven years.

Fox is a technologist with more than two decades of diverse engineering experience in a variety of fields and industries. The past 10 years, he’s mainly focused on spatial computing technologies in AR/VR/Computer Vision, according to his LinkedIn.

Thryv names Henry EVP and chief strategy officer

Gordon Henry

Gordon Henry has been appointed executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Dallas-based Thryv, a small business software provider.

Henry moves into his new role after serving as Thryv’s chief marketing officer for the past five years.

In his new position, Henry will be responsible for formulating long-term strategy, developing new sales channel opportunities, establishing strategic partnerships and M&A opportunities. He will also be tasked with generating a range of events and other client acquisition activities, enhancing Thryv’s image, and providing direction to the company’s advertising and brand teams.

Highland Capital co-founder announces retirement

Mark Okada

Co-founder Mark Okada has announced he is retiring from Highland Capital Management, L.P., stepping down from the full-time role at the end of the year.

Okada will assume a senior advisory role through the end of the year to support transition activities and will retain his ownership stake in the firm.

Highland president James Dondero, who co-founded the firm with Okada in 1993, will continue to oversee the management of Highland and all affiliated businesses, and will take over as co-chief investment officer after Okada’s retirement.

Taylor joins Razberi as vice president of sales

Mike Taylor

Mike Taylor has joined Farmers Branch-based Razberi Technologies as vice president of sales, charged with accelerating the company’s growth in the video surveillance security arena.

Taylor brings more than 20 years of technology sales experience. In his new role, Taylor will focus on the build-out of the sales channels that support Razberi solutions across geographies and vertical markets such as energy, finance, city surveillance, and government.

Nuvectra Corp. appoints Kosharek as its new CFO

Jennifer Kosharek

Nuvectra Corp., a Plano-based neurostimulation medical device company, has appointed Jennifer Kosharek to chief financial officer.

Kosharek comes to her new position after serving as Nuvectra’s interim chief financial officer since May. She has more than 15 years of audit and accounting experience and various finance and leadership positions within Nuvectra.

Kosharek joined Nuvectra in January 2016 as executive director, corporate controller. In June 2018, she was appointed vice president, controller and principal accounting officer. 

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