VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BuildDirect, the innovative platform for purchasing and selling quality home improvement materials online, today announced several new appointments to its executive leadership team, including a number of leaders from Amazon whose collective experiences will help the company scale to meet its potential as a transformative technology platform for the home improvement industry. Recently appointed BuildDirect CEO, Dan Park, a former Amazonian, completed his executive team with industry-leading talent including Ken Stanick as Chief Revenue Officer, Mukund Mohan as Chief Technology Officer, and Godwin Pavamani as the Chief Merchandising Officer & General Manager of Marketplace. The company also added Stephanie Roberts as the Interim Chief Financial Officer, who formerly held the role as Old Navy CFO.
The new team arrives as U.S. online sales of home improvement products increased 34 percent last year, rising to almost US $20 billion. A restructured BuildDirect is poised to take full advantage of the rising e-commerce trend, as professionals, homeowners, and merchants reap the benefits of buying and selling direct through its platform. These management changes also support the company’s commitment to develop innovative and technology-driven solutions to simplify commercial and home improvement projects for contractors and homeowners.
“BuildDirect has always been recognized for pushing boundaries, at times before the market was ready,” said BuildDirect CEO Dan Park. “Today, we have an extraordinary team in place with a track record of excellence. We are united in our vision for BuildDirect’s future, and we are energized by the prospect of tackling the very complex and exciting market opportunity in front of us. The home improvement industry has never been more ripe for innovation, and BuildDirect has never been stronger.”
Additional background on BuildDirect’s new executive leadership team:
- Ken Stanick, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Ken, a recognized thought leader in B2B/B2C platforms and marketplaces, brings considerable knowledge of sales, customer support, marketing, and strategic partnerships. As CRO, Ken is charged with building out the commercial strategies and capabilities to accelerate revenue during this growth stage across the organization. Prior to joining BuildDirect, Ken was the Director of Sales & Channels at Amazon Business where he was part of the core executive team that defined the strategy and launched Amazon Business in 2015. He has also held various roles at Ariba (an SAP company), including Vice President of Network Solutions where he played a key role in developing the strategy for the Ariba Network and architecting and creating a new global sales and marketing team.
- Mukund Mohan, Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Mukund brings 20+ years of experience managing cross-functional technology teams and leading software development and product management at companies ranging from startups to large companies including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Cisco Systems. As CTO, Mukund oversees BuildDirect’s global product and engineering teams and spearheads the delivery of innovative services and technology to disrupt the home improvement industry. Prior to joining BuildDirect, Mukund was Director at Amazon Business, responsible for automated quoting and analytics products. A successful entrepreneur, Mukund founded three companies and sold two, including BuzzGain, which was acquired by Meltwater Inc. in 2011.
- Godwin Pavamani, Chief Merchandising Officer & General Manager of Marketplace (CMrO). Godwin is an experienced general manager well-versed in incubating and scaling new businesses. He is recognized for launching nationally advertised brands, growing online retail businesses, and developing strong industry relationships. As CMrO, Godwin is responsible for BuildDirect’s Marketplace P&L across sourcing, category expansion, seller and buyer experience, pricing strategy, site merchandising, and in-stock management. Previously, Godwin held roles as Global Product Leader for Prime Samples and Head of Vendor Management PC/IT category at Amazon, General Manager at Sony, and Director of Consumer Sales and Marketing at Dell.
- Stephanie Roberts, Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Stephanie brings years of experience as a CFO of private and public companies with an expertise in consumer products, retail, e-commerce and the outdoor industry. As Interim CFO, Stephanie oversees the company’s financial activities including long-term strategies, planning, and optimization. Prior to BuildDirect, Stephanie held CFO roles at Specialized Bicycle Components and at Old Navy, where she created and implemented strategies to improve financial operations.
Other recent appointments include Larry Ellis to Vice President, Gateway Supply Chain. Larry previously served as Director, Warehouse and Delivery Services at BuildDirect. Suzanne Mercier remains as BuildDirect’s Chief Legal and People Officer. She has been with the company since 2013.
For more information, please visit: https://www.builddirect.com/newsroom/team/
About BuildDirect
BuildDirect is the innovative platform for purchasing and selling quality home improvement materials online. The BuildDirect platform includes two core business units:
- BuildDirect Marketplace: An online marketplace that offers Pro Buyers and Homeowners the ability to purchase heavyweight home improvement products direct from Sellers and receive efficient direct-to-home (or jobsite) shipping of those products.
- Gateway Supply Chain: The first anywhere-to-the-home supply chain for heavy and bulky goods that equips manufacturers, distributors and retailers with efficient and cost-effective shipping solutions to move their products from anywhere in the world, to locations across North America.
The platform is powered by proprietary machine learning and predictive analytics that drive robust efficiencies for the innovation of heavyweight product services, distribution, and sales across buyers, sellers, shippers, and everyone in between.
BuildDirect is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia with warehouse locations across North America. For more information:
- Shop: BuildDirect.com or search our products online
- Sell: BuildDirect.com/seller
- Ship: GatewaySupplyChain.com
Connect with BuildDirect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Please contact:
Katie Kernahan / Madeleine Davidson
BuildDirect
media@builddirect.com
(778) 331-1088 / (778)331-1096
Carmen Mantalas
GMK Communications
carmen@gmkcommunications.com
(503)-997-5987
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/312056ba-4f70-4956-bfa9-bac0b3b48401