Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 Executives of Austin for 2023. Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” but that's just the beginning. Its strong economy is driven by an educated, diverse, and growing talent pool. This is also supported by companies across a range of business sectors, from financial services, healthcare, and information technology to manufacturing, wellness, and telecommunications. This year’s awardees are executives at companies that fuel Austin, such as Tesla, Stanley Black & Decker, Sprinklr, Encompass Health, and more.
Among this year’s awardees is Dr. Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, who ranked #2 in Fortune’s 2020 “Business Person of the Year” list and was appointed by President Biden to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Awardee Luke Armstrong, Chief Revenue Officer of F45 Training, has helped the company grow from a three-person startup in Sydney to a network of over 1,700 franchises in 45 countries and 1,000,000 members globally. Also awarded is Joy Corso, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Vonage. Corso has more than 25 years of experience in marketing and communications and was recently named one of the “Top 50 Most Powerful Women In Tech.”
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 Executives of Austin for 2023.
1. Mike Blom
Chief Information Officer, HCA Central West Texas
Mike Blom is the Chief Information Officer of HCA Central West Texas. HCA Healthcare is an American operator of healthcare facilities that was founded in 1968. Blom has been with HCA Central West Texas (St. David's HealthCare and Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare) for over 29 years. He has served in several roles during his tenure with the organization, including Director Of Technical Services for the healthcare system and Director Of Information Services at St. David's North Austin Medical Center. Before joining St. David's HealthCare, Blom was the Operations Manager of McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
2. Glen Robson
Chief Technology Officer, Dell
Glen Robson is the Chief Technology Officer for Dell Technologies’ Client Solutions Group. He leads the Experience Innovation Group, comprising design, architecture, technology, and strategy teams.
He returned to Dell after serving for three years as EVP, Global Head of Solutions at Verifone. Before joining Verifone, Robson spent the previous 10 years at Dell working in Austin, Texas, and Taipei, Taiwan, and successfully led the transformation of the SMB and consumer notebooks divisions. In addition to leading Engineering and Product organizations for Dell and Sun Microsystems, he was also part of a successful start-up developing fault-tolerant computer systems in the UK. A native of Scotland, Robson has a Master of Science in computer science from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England.
3. Greg Nelson
Chief Development Officer, TotalEnergies
Greg Nelson is the Chief Development Officer of TotalEnergies. TotalEnergies is a multi-energy company that produces and markets fuels, natural gas, and electricity. As a senior advisor in the energy sector, Nelson utilizes his experience in the technical and financial assessment of environmental risks and liabilities to help lead TotalEnergies. His experience also spans utility-scale project development, transaction advisory services, and design and implementation of environmental liabilities.
Before joining TotalEnergies, Nelson was a VP of Development at Topaz Tower and, before that a Senior Vice President at Arcadis UK. Earlier in his career, he worked at Stantec as Vice President. Nelson graduated from Middlebury College with an environmental science and economics undergraduate degree.
4. Michael Hutchison
Chief Business Development Officer of Nearshore Region, Teleperformance
Michael Hutchison is the Chief Business Development Officer of the Nearshore Region at Teleperformance. Teleperformance is a global leader in solution design, business optimization strategies, front-office customer support, and back-office services. Hutchison first joined the company in 2007 as VP of Business Development.
Previously, Hutchison was a VP of Business Development at Hispanic Teleservice Corporation and, before that, a Senior Business Development Manager at HEB Grocery Company. Earlier in his career he worked with McKinney and Co. as an Associate. Hutchison earned an MBA from INSEAD and an undergraduate degree from Tecnológico de Monterrey.
5. CY Kao
Chief Transformation Officer and Co-GM, Foxconn
CY Kao is the Chief Transformation Officer and Co-General Manager of Foxconn. This is a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer established in 1974. Kao has been with the company since 2008, first joining as the Director of Business Program Management. He then went on to become Managing Director of Mexico Operations before being appointed Vice President of Global Operations in 2016. Kao graduated from the University of Michigan with a master’s degree in industrial and operations engineering.
6. Rhonda Gass
Chief Information Officer, Stanley Black & Decker
Rhonda Gass is Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Stanley Black & Decker. As CIO, Gass drives a strategic agenda that equips the company’s businesses with the digital, data and collaboration capabilities required to grow in the global marketplace. She also leads cybersecurity and digital risk management for all technologies across the company. Today, she serves on the Board of Directors for Flowers Foods, the Technology Business Management Council, the HCL Customer Advisory Board, and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation Information Systems Management Council.
Prior to Stanley Black & Decker, Gass was Vice President at Dell, where she served for over a decade in positions of increasing scope and responsibility. This includes as General Manager for a product line and positions leading multiple IT areas. Prior to Dell, Gass was with NCR Corporation, where she began as a software engineer and progressed to executive leadership roles. Gass has an MBA from the University of South Carolina, where she graduated magna cum laude and a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
7. Zach Kirkhorn
Chief Financial Officer, Tesla
Zach Kirkhorn is the Chief Financial Officer of Tesla. Kirkhorn joined the company in 2010 as a Senior Finance Analyst before going on to become the Director of Finance, Senior Director of Finance and eventually Vice President of Finance.
Before joining Tesla, Kirkhorn was a Senior Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company. Before this, he was a Program Manager Intern and a Financial Analyst Intern at Microsoft while attending college. Kirkhorn has an MBA from Harvard University, a dual BSE degree in economics and mechanical engineering, and applied mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania.
8. Lauren Suarez
CEO, Encompass Health
Lauren Suarez is the Chief Executive Officer of Encompass Health. Suarez is a healthcare executive with 10 years of experience in leading teams to achieve operational excellence and superior patient outcomes. Her commitment is to continue to have Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Austin be the best place for patients to be cared for and employees to work.
She previously held the position of CEO for several national post-acute care companies. Suarez earned her MPH in healthcare management from Emory University as well as a bachelor’s degree in health science from the University of Florida.
9. Baloo Eledath
Chief Information Officer, Bass Pro Shops
Baloo Eledath is the Chief Information Officer of Bass Pro Shops. Bass Pro Shops is a privately held American retailer specializing in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. He first joined the company in 2017. In this role, he spearheads digital transformation, pioneers omnichannel optimization, helped established a loyalty program, and drove post-acquisition integration.
Previously, Eledath was a Chief Information Officer at Cabela's. Before that, he was a Senior Manager at Covansys. Eledath earned a master’s degree in computer science from the College of Engineering Trivandrum.
10. Lisa Su
President & CEO, AMD
Dr. Lisa T. Su is the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). She was previously the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for integrating AMD’s business units, sales, global operations, and infrastructure enablement teams into a single market-facing organization. Dr. Su joined AMD in January 2012 as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Business Units and was responsible for driving end-to-end business execution of AMD products and solutions.
Prior to joining AMD, Dr. Su served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Networking and Multimedia at Freescale Semiconductor. Here, she was responsible for global strategy, marketing, and engineering for the company’s embedded communications and applications processor business. She previously spent 13 years at IBM in various engineering and business leadership positions. Prior to IBM, she was a member of the technical staff at Texas Instruments. Dr. Su has a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
11. Philip Busker
Chief Merchandising Officer, Mattress Firm
Philip Busker is the Chief Merchandising Officer of Mattress Firm Inc., an American mattress store chain. Busker has taken on a variety of leadership roles across multiple functions in the company, giving him an in-depth, multidimensional view of what drives the business. He currently leads a best-in-class team of merchandising experts to fundamentally transform Mattress Firm's omnichannel product assortment to capitalize on growth and capture market share through its stores and eCommerce platform. Busker first joined the company in 1989 as part of Retail Sales Management.
12. William McKinney
Chief Executive Officer, Sevita
William McKinney is the Chief Executive Officer of Sevita. As CEO, McKinney works alongside the leadership team and Board of Directors to guide and inspire the work of Sevita and grow the services they provide across the country. The strong mission-based focus of the organization was a key driver in his decision to join Sevita.
McKinney's vision and expertise have been shaped by his experience as a leader in healthcare. Prior to joining Sevita, he served as President of the Integrated Care Group for Fresenius Medical Care. He also held senior leadership roles at MedSpring Urgent Care and WellCare Health Plans and was a management consultant at McKinsey and Company. McKinney has two bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering and mathematics from Southern Methodist University.
13. Thomas Deitrich
COO, President and CEO, Itron
Tom Deitrich is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Itron. He’s also on the Board of Directors. He joined Itron in 2015 as Executive Vice President and COO. Deitrich has played a major role in shaping the company’s strategy to partner with cities and utilities to deliver industrial IoT solutions.
Deitrich has more than 25 years of experience in global operations at leading technology firms and has held numerous executive management positions where he led business-level strategies that transformed and significantly improved business results. Before joining Itron, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager for Digital Networking at Freescale Semiconductor. Prior to Freescale, he worked for Flextronics International, Ericsson Mobile Communications, and General Electric Corporation.
14. Janet Cinfio
Chief Information Officer, Acxiom
Janet Cinfio is the Chief Information Officer at Acxiom. She leads the overall information technology strategy for the company. Cinfio also directs teams in the specific areas of planning, architecture, enterprise applications, infrastructure, operations, IT security and risk management, and IT procurement. She has years of experience in the high-tech industry and is a transformational leader known for building global forward-thinking technology teams. Cinfio was previously Acxiom’s Vice President of IT, leading the infrastructure and operations teams.
Before Acxiom, she held various positions at Electronic Arts, including VP of Digital Platform Infrastructure and Operations, and served as CIO for Esprit de Corp. Cinfio has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University and lives in Austin, Texas. She is a champion of STEM education and serves as Board Chair of Girlstart.
15. Blake Sallé
Chief Revenue Officer, Proofpoint
Blake Sallé is the Chief Revenue Officer of Proofpoint. In this role, Sallé leads the global sales and channel teams and is responsible for the direction and management of the company’s sales revenue strategies. He first joined the company in 2017 as Theater Vice President of the Americas.
Sallé has held key leadership positions across Worldwide Sales, Channel, Customer Success, Strategy, and Field Operations in five different capacities ranging from start-up to scale-out. His experience is hallmarked by working for some of the most recognized and innovative organizations in high tech and healthcare industries. These organizations include Cisco, VCE, Johnson & Johnson, and CSC. Sallé holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
16. David Brolsma
Chief Financial Officer, WP Engine
David Brolsma is the Chief Financial Officer of WP Engine. Brolsma is an accomplished financial and operational executive with over 20 years of experience and leads all aspects of the company’s global financial strategy, including operations, corporate development, financial systems, tax, and treasury.
Over the course of his career, Brolsma has held various operational and financial leadership roles at Rackspace, Valero, Ernst and Young, and Arthur Andersen. He developed broad international experience while living and working abroad in Europe for over four years as he served as General Manager of Rackspace International. Brolsma holds a master’s degree in professional accounting and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
17. Luke Armstrong
Chief Revenue Officer, F45 Training
Luke Armstrong is F45’s Chief Revenue Officer. In this role, he’s responsible for driving revenue growth and aligning franchise sales with marketing, customer support, and franchise performance teams. He previously served as the company’s Global Head of Franchise Sales. Since Armstrong joined F45 Training in 2013, the company has grown from a three-person startup working out of a single studio in Sydney to a network of over 1,700 franchises in 45 countries and 1,000,000 members globally.
Before F45, Armstrong was the Head of FX Algorithmic Trading, Americas, where he was for eight years. He helped establish UBS’s Foreign Exchange Algorithmic Trading Desk. Armstrong earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney.
18. Edward Logan
Chief Executive Officer, Sport Clips Haircuts
Edward Logan is the Chief Executive Officer of Sport Clips Haircuts. Sport Clips is one of the most respected and fastest-growing hair care franchises in the United States. Edward succeeded his father, founder Gordon Logan, as CEO in 2020. In his early work with Sport Clips, Edward oversaw the company-owned stores taking many of them to top performers within the system and working to pioneer company-wide innovations used throughout the system today. Over the years, some of his responsibilities have included leading the company's innovation efforts and overseeing its dozens of corporate-owned stores.
Edward began his career as a consultant at Deloitte. He earned an undergraduate degree in finance from Southern Methodist University.
19. Erich Sanchack
Chief Operating Officer, Digital Realty
Erich Sanchack is the Chief Operating Officer for Digital Realty. In this role, he’s responsible for global portfolio operations, global construction, colocation and interconnection service implementation, cybersecurity, government affairs, and supply chain operations.
Throughout his career, Sanchack has primarily been a profit and loss general manager, and he has held multiple leadership roles across large portfolios. This includes Senior Vice President for CenturyLink IT Solutions and New Market Development, Vice President and General Manager for CenturyLink Federal Solutions, and Vice President of Competitive Enhancements at Lockheed Martin. He’s also served as Vice President of Corporate Internal Audit at Lockheed Martin, Vice President of Information Technology Services for Information Systems and Global Solutions/Defense. Sanchack was recognized by The Northern Virginia Technology Council with the 2020 Data Center Sustainable Champion Award. The NVTC has previously named Sanchack a TECH 100 executive and Data Center Community Champion. Sanchack has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
20. Bart Kalsu
EVP & Chief Financial Officer, SolarWinds
Bart Kalsu is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of SolarWinds. SolarWind is a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software. Kalsu has been with SolarWinds since before its initial public offering and through its private transaction with Silver Lake and Thoma Bravo. He has been involved in all facets of the accounting and finance functions as well as managing the company’s maintenance renewals team.
Before joining SolarWinds, Kalsu was a Vice President Commercial Banker at JP Morgan Chase, and before that as a Senior Director Of Finance at Red Hat Inc. Earlier in his career, he worked with Arthur Andersen LLC as a Senior Audit Manager. Kalsu graduated from Oklahoma State University with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
21. Joy Corso
Chief Marketing Officer, Vonage
Joy Corso is Chief Marketing Officer of Vonage, leading all areas of Vonage’s global marketing function including Brand and Creative, Content and Web, Corporate Communications and Events, Demand Generation, Field Marketing, Marketing Operations and Product Marketing. She is an accomplished, results-oriented leader with more than 25 years of leadership experience in marketing and communications roles across multiple industries including technology, financial services, healthcare and professional services. She was recently recognized as one of the ‘Top 50 Most Powerful Women In Tech,’ and has deep expertise in building high performing teams, leading corporate transformations, and driving brand engagement across key audiences.
Prior to joining Vonage, Joy was Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Virtustream. Earlier, she held senior roles in top tier companies including Advanced Micro Devices, Raytheon, Fidelity Investments and Iron Mountain. Joy holds an MBA and a BS in Business Administration from Providence College. She has served as adjunct faculty at Northeastern University, and currently serves on the Regional Board of Trustees for Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas.
22. David Lesniak
Chief Executive Officer, Personiv
David Lesniak is the Chief Executive Officer of Personiv. He oversees the strategy and delivery of the company’s products and services. Under his leadership, Personiv has grown significantly by introducing new services to new markets and expanding relationships within existing service areas.
David Lesniak has more than 20 years of experience leading middle-market companies on behalf of private equity owners in varied industries such as media, manufacturing, and business services. This includes stints at Visual Product Corporation, Imtek, US Media, Austin Acquisition Group and Direct Mail. Lesniak has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a BS in manufacturing engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and an MS in operations research from the University of New York.
23. Kevin Hansel
Chief Information Officer, SailPoint
Kevin Hansel is the Chief Information Officer of SailPoint, the leader in identity security for the modern enterprise. Hansel oversees corporate IT vision, strategy, and operations at SailPoint. He utilizes his experience to drive agile and innovative technology and process solutions that empower, secure, and accelerate the business.
Before joining SailPoint, Hansel was an IT Strategic Management Consultant at Strategic IT Consulting and, before that an Executive Director of IT at A&T Wifi. Earlier in his career he worked with Power Computing Corporation as a Network Operations Manager. Hansel graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.
24. Mark Frates
Chief Financial Officer, Childcare Network
Mark Frates is the Chief Financial Officer of Childcare Network. Established in 1971, Child Care Network (CCN) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the success of children, families, and their community through quality childcare education, advocacy, and family support. Frates joined the company in 2019 as Vice President of Finance.
He first got his start in 2007 as an Investment Banking Analyst at Citigroup Global Market Inc. From there, he went on to Energy Future Holdings before eventually rising to Director Of Finance and Strategy at Cyphre Security Solution, LLC. Frates graduated from Southern Methodist University with an undergraduate degree in finance.
25. Paul Ohls
Chief Revenue Officer, Sprinklr
Paul Ohls is the Chief Revenue Officer of Sprinklr, a New York-based customer experience management platform that offers solutions such as social engagement, moderation, and analysis for businesses. Ohls first joined Sprinklr in 2018 as EVP of Global Sales & Success. In this role, he utilizes his passion for identifying and solving executive business issues to enhance revenues and profits.
Before joining Sprinklr, Ohls was the Chief Revenue Officer at Tenfold, A LivePerson Company, and before that, the VP of North American Sales at Fuze. Earlier in his career, he worked with Aerotek as a Sales Executive. Ohls graduated from Texas A&M University with an undergraduate degree in marketing and finance.