CEO, CSO and Now CMO Change for UserTesting

In the States, UX research firm UserTesting has appointed Johann Wrede as Chief Marketing Officer. Wrede is a veteran of big tech firms including SAP, Cisco and IBM. The company also changed its CEO last month, with Eric Johnson replacing six-year incumbent Andy MacMillan.

UserTesting's experience research and insight solutions allow users to get input directly from customers, from the development stage and throughout the lifetime of products and services. In addition to research and consulting services they include a proprietary QX Score benchmarking methodology, an experience insights hub, a proprietary contributor network, and AI and ML-driven experience insights software. The company was acquired two years ago by investor Thoma Bravo, also the parent of Medallia and J.D. Power, and was formed from the merger last year of video-based insight provider UserTesting and UX specialist UserZoom. Two weeks ago it appointed M&A veteran Baran Erkel as Chief Strategy Officer.

Wrede (pictured) brings more than 25 years of experience in developing, selling and marketing customer solutions for database, CRM and CX, from senior roles including Chief Experience Officer at Emburse, CMO at Xactly, and previously at SAP, Cisco and IBM. He holds a B.S. in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University. In his new position he will oversee all aspects of marketing including demand generation, brand strategy, product marketing, corporate communications and customer advocacy, aiming to position the firm as 'the go-to platform for human insights'.

'We are excited to welcome Johann to the team', comments Jamie Anderson, the firm's President of Global Field Operations. 'His leadership and track record of building market leading brands will be instrumental as we continue to innovate, grow, and empower more companies to co-create with their customers'.

The change of CEO - which seems to have slipped past DRNO, apologies for that - saw former Nintex CEO Johnson take the reins from MacMillan, who will nevertheless continue to support UserTesting in an advisory capacity and remain an investor. Johnson brings more than twenty years' experience in enterprise software companies, most recently from process automation platform and Thoma Bravo portfolio company Nintex, where he led a transformation including five acquisitions. A.J. Rohde, Senior Partner at Thoma Bravo, described MacMillan as 'an incredible partner to us and leader of UserTesting from its early beginnings to a $300m+ category leader today'.

Web site: www.usertesting.com .