The Politics of Business and Culture

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Bitly Announces Leadership Expansion to Drive Product Innovation and Growth in 2024

Bitly, a premier Connections Platform, has recently announced the appointment and promotion of key leadership figures to bolster product innovation and drive business growth. This leadership restructuring aligns with Bitly’s commitment to service excellence and its aspiration to be recognized as a top employer.

In 2024, Bitly expanded its workforce by 18% YOY, with significant hires in engineering, finance, product development, and design. This expansion underscores the company’s dedication to enhancing its Connections Platform, which in turn fuels overall business growth. A notable outcome of this initiative is the introduction of Bitly Pages—a tool designed to streamline end-to-end customer connections for businesses.

Toby Gabriner, CEO of Bitly, emphasized the strategic nature of these appointments: “As we scale both our platform and global customer base, it’s important that we invest in the right talent to drive our strategic initiatives,” he said. Gabriner highlighted that the newly appointed leaders are well-versed in fostering a performance-led culture and pivotal in shaping the company’s product vision and financial trajectory.

Among the new appointees, Jerome Alabado steps in as Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis. Jerome, previously with ActiveCampaign, brings expertise in financial systems and strategic analysis, critical for steering Bitly towards enhanced profitability. Lauren Schuman, named Vice President of Product Growth, joins from roles at Mural and Mailchimp. She will focus on revenue growth and improving customer activation, monetization, and retention.

Manu Jain, the new Vice President of Data, is tasked with augmenting Bitly’s data platform to leverage insights that boost innovation and customer experience. With a rich background that includes PayPal, Wayfair, Meta, and McKinsey, Jain is poised to significantly influence product strategy through data-driven insights.

Promotions within Bitly include Kelsey Stevenson, who has been elevated to Chief Product and Technology Officer. With over a decade at Bitly and a deep understanding of customer needs, Stevenson is set to lead key technological advancements. Raphael Syed, promoted to Vice President of Engineering, will aim to refine the company’s engineering processes and ensure system reliability and security. His prior experience includes a stint as CTO of a German startup and managing the engineering team at Chronext.

Gabriner concluded, “We are confident that strengthening our leadership team with these new appointments and promotions will help evolve our Connections Platform to enhance customer experiences and provide exceptional products and services to our global customer base.” This strategic move is designed to empower small business owners and solopreneurs with robust tools to manage and grow their online presence effectively.

We typically get the short end of the stick…from big business, from crappy employers and from crappy governments. So what I’ve (and my esteemed and impeccably dressed cohorts) decided to do is call them out on it…and also give you solutions to start tilting the playing field in your favor.