Skype CFO Bill Koefoed recently left Portland's Puppet Labs.
Former Skype CFO Bill Koefoed recently left Portland’s Puppet Labs.

Puppet CFO Bill Koefoed is stepping down from the Portland-based maker of IT automation software, a move that comes nearly three years after he took the job.

In a statement provided to GeekWire, the company said that Koefoed is leaving to “explore other opportunities.” His last day will be August 1.

“Puppet looks forward to announcing a new leader in the coming months,” according to the statement from CEO Luke Kanies. “We thank Bill for his contribution in helping us build the business since he joined Puppet in December 2013. We wish him every success for the future.”

In 2013, Kanies told The Oregonian that Koefoed’s experience at big tech companies such as Microsoft and HP would help Puppet expand, noting that it is “really just a sign of maturity.” Koefoed previously served as CFO of Skype, and before that held investor relations and finance roles at Microsoft.

His hiring led many to believe that Puppet, which employs more than 400 people and has raised $86 million to date, was on the IPO track. The 11-year-old company counts more than 30,000 companies as users, with many of those organizations using the tools to adopt more efficient software management practices.

Last year, Koefoed told Bloomberg News that Puppet could go public as early as the Spring of 2016 at a time when the company would be approaching $100 million in annual revenue. Puppet competes against Seattle-based Chef, which has raised over $100 million in venture capital.

Christopher Kenessey
Christopher Kenessey.

NetMotion Wireless, a Seattle-based provider of mobile performance management and traffic optimization software, announced that its president, Christopher Kenessey, has been appointed CEO, effective immediately.

Kenessey succeeds John Ferron, who will remain an active member of NetMotion’s board of directors, the company said in a news release. Kenessey has extensive experience leading and growing companies into industry leaders, and he has successfully brought multiple products to market through strong collaboration with the engineering, product management, sales and marketing divisions of leading organizations.

“John has been an excellent mentor and I am grateful for his guidance,” Kenessey said. “Our employees are NetMotion’s greatest strength and I’m excited to work with such a talented team.  I look forward to leading the company as we continue to enhance our innovative solutions, deepen our customer relationships and further expand our global market reach.”

David Betz
David Betz.

Microsoft has added David Betz as a creative director and storyteller with the Windows Device Group. Betz was previously the VP of storytelling at Up Global, the non-profit dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship, grassroots leadership, and strong communities. Up Global was acquired by Techstars last year.

“There are three concurrent developments that are changing the Microsoft story in exciting ways,” Betz said. “First, there is a dramatic culture shift occurring under Satya Nadella’s leadership, and secondly, Design now has a presence as an equal and collaborative partner with business and technical disciplines. Finally, a cross-discipline focus on customer experience mirrors the DNA of the most successful startup teams I experienced while at UP Global. When you add innovations like HoloLens and Cortana and a global reach of over 350M Windows 10 devices, the possibilities become very compelling.”

In addition to Microsoft, Betz’s agency experience in storytelling for global consumer brands includes Lexus, Google and Holland America Line.

Slalom’s Brian Jacobsen is moving from his position leading the consulting company’s Seattle operation to a new position serving as general manager of business transformation for the entire company, reports The Puget Sound Business Journal. Kyle Kruse will take over Jacobsen’s previous role. Slalom finished 2015 with 3,500 employees, and over 5,600 projects completed.

GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser contributed to this report. 

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