Business Briefs - October 1, 2020

BENEFITFOCUS C-SUITE POSITIONS ANNOUNCED

 

Daniel Island-based Benefitfocus has added new faces to its executive suite naming permanent selections for CEO, CFO and CHRO positions.

 

Stephen Swad, the company’s chief financial officer, was named president and chief executive officer, succeeding Raymond August, who stepped down as president and CEO in August. 

 

Swad served as CFO since July 2019 and previously as a member of the board. Throughout his career in the technology industry, he built deep expertise in business, operations, finance and accounting. Prior to Benefitfocus, Swad served as CFO of Vox Media Inc. from 2016 until July 2019. Swad was also president and CEO of Rosetta Stone Inc., a publicly held language-learning software company, after serving as its CFO beginning in 2010.

 

Alpana Wegner has been selected to fill the CFO vacancy. Since joining Benefitfocus in 2017, she was quickly promoted to corporate controller and took on increasing financial and operational responsibility, drawing on her extensive business, accounting, sales and compliance experience. She previously served in various roles at Blackbaud, including vice president of sales operations and CFO of the enterprise customer business unit.

 

Robin Kirby joined the company as its chief human resources officer. Kirby formerly served as senior vice president of HR for USAA and is a current member of the Forbes HR Council. Kirby will be responsible for Benefitfocus’ future-of-work strategies and expanding its talent acquisition and development capabilities in all areas. 

 

Kirby has more than 20 years of HR experience and has held HR leadership roles in companies such as Infosys, Symantec and General Electric. Her industry experience crosses technology, financial services and health care. Kirby holds a master’s degree in

Human Resources from the University of South Carolina and received her bachelor’s degree from Coastal Carolina University. 

 

Benefitfocus is a technology platform provider enabling rapid innovation for employers, health plans and consumers.

 

WANDO RIVER TRAIL CLOSED NEAR WATERFRONT PROJECT

 

The waterfront walking trail adjacent to The Waterfront project on the Wando River will be closed for safety reasons as installation and renovations to the docks and landscaping continue, according to an email update from the Daniel Island Property Owners’ Association.

 

Construction is expected to continue through the end of the year.

 

If walking along the trail from Barfield Park toward the docks, foot traffic can cross the bridge at Barfield Park and continue several hundred yards beyond the cemetery to the construction area. Foot traffic will need to turn around as the trail is blocked at that point.

 

Pedestrian traffic heading from Governors Park toward the docks (north to south) will re-route westward up River Landing Drive once the end of the footbridge is reached.

 

Any pedestrian traffic approaching from River Landing Drive will only be able to travel northbound up the walking trail toward Governors Park and will be blocked from traveling south toward Barfield Park.