Cherwell Software hires Ann Boyd as comms head

DENVER: Cherwell Software has hired Ann Boyd as its VP of corporate communications, a role newly created to build out the company’s comms function.

Boyd reports to Scott Gainey, Cherwell’s newly minted CMO. Her official start date was January 8.

Cherwell is a 14-year-old startup based in Colorado Springs that “sells tools to manage and oversee IT deployments to businesses and organizations,” per TechCrunch. Clients include the University of Colorado and Jenny Craig.

“[Gainey] saw an opportunity to take comms up a notch, bring the best voice out of the company into the world, and create some processes internally and externally to do that,” Boyd said. “It’s something I’ve done typically for organizations incubated within companies.”

Boyd said her most immediate task is connecting the company’s various offices worldwide, determining regional needs, and organizing comms around how to share information and plan announcements for products and events.

She will also support Cherwell’s growing partner and strategic alliance group, which creates apps for its platform, such as the recently announced Cisco integration. She will work with Gainey to implement a brand refresh and comms across Cherwell, its website, and other materials.

Her remit includes executive comms, thought leadership, social media, influencer management, and events.

Boyd said the role was created in response to Cherwell’s growth and to kick comms into a higher gear. Cherwell received a $50 million investment from KKR. The private equity firm has 18 companies, including the IT services management firm, in its TMT Growth initiative.

Cherwell CEO Craig Harper exited the company recently. To fill the void, a subcommittee was appointed by the board, including co-founder, chairman of the board, and former CEO Vance Brown, Vini Letteri, MD at KKR, and Peter Segall, MD at Insight Venture Partners.

Cherwell’s AOR is Reffetto Herman Strategic Communications.

Most recently, Boyd founded a sole proprietorship called Ashby West that will be discontinued. She was a marketing and comms consultant for Conscious Good; the EVP of comms at Participant Media; the EVP of global comms at Sony Pictures Entertainment; VP of corporate comms at Fox Interactive; and a senior comms director at AOL, according to her LinkedIn profile.