Jim Bell appointed Chief Marketing Officer and Matt Kessler named Chief Revenue Officer; Jim Barnett joins Board of Directors
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Torch, the leading people development platform offering integrated coaching, mentoring and learning software, today announced the appointment of three seasoned executive leaders with proven track records of success to its executive suite and Board of Directors. Jim Bell has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer and Matt Kessler as Chief Revenue Officer, and Jim Barnett has joined the Board of Directors.
Torch continues to see accelerated market demand and customer growth since its merger with Everwise and recent closing of $25 million in Series B funding. In response to this growth and the positive response from customers, the company has added new leadership to further scale the organization and ensure continued success in line with the company’s mission to help organizations leverage the power of trusted relationships.
“Our new additions bring invaluable go-to-market experience from market leaders like Glint and Glassdoor – their proven track record will be invaluable for this next phase of growth,” said Torch CEO Cameron Yarbrough. “Jim Barnett’s success as a serial CEO and entrepreneur is undeniable. His relentless motivation to build world-class leaders directly aligns with what Torch strives for.”
- Jim Bell brings more than 20 years of experience leading growth in technology companies. Bell was most recently CMO of Glint for over six years, helping the company grow from its early days through its successful acquisition by LinkedIn in 2018. As CMO, Bell is responsible for all aspects of global marketing, fueling the go-to-market engine at Torch.
- Matt Kessler has 15 years of experience building and leading world-class revenue teams. Prior to Torch, he honed his skills in sales, customer-centricity, and leadership at The Active Network and Glassdoor. Most recently at Glassdoor, he had the honor of leading the Global Sales Organization – overseeing three funding rounds and raising a total of $204.5M during his time there. In his role as CRO at Torch, Kessler is responsible for the customer-facing teams and revenue.
- Jim Barnett is an accomplished executive and entrepreneur, having founded and run several companies. Most recently, he co-founded and led Glint as its CEO through the successful acquisition by LinkedIn. Before that, he served as the CEO, co-founder, and chairman of Turn Inc. for many years. Barnett will be a force in supporting Torch through its next phase of growth.
“I’m thrilled to be joining this team,” said new Torch CMO Jim Bell. “Their mission and values align closely with mine, and I look forward to helping organizations develop stronger leaders who in turn create highly engaged and aligned teams. I owe so much of my success to great coaches and mentors, so I’m energized to make those transformational trusted relationships accessible to so many more current and future leaders.”
Torch has seen wider demand for its offerings beyond traditional leadership development and mentoring use cases to support initiatives including DEI, new manager onboarding, high-potentials, group and peer coaching, and many more.
About Torch
Torch is the people development platform that harnesses the power of trusted relationships to fuel employee growth and success. By integrating coaching, mentoring, and peer learning with modern behavioral science and program orchestration, Torch helps learning & development leaders seamlessly design, manage, and measure employee development across their organizations. Leading brands like Genentech, American Express, Allstate, and Reddit use Torch to develop their employees, create stronger leaders, and improve business results.
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