Executive Appointment

CHICAGO – October 29, 2026 -- Oath CPAs PLLC, the audit arm of venture-backed fintech Oath Verified, has formed a Quality Advisory Board and named Sara Lord, former chair of the AICPA's Auditing Standards Board, as its founding member, just months after the firm launched its audit practice on May 28, 2026.

Oath describes the voluntary move as rare for an early-stage company. The board will provide external perspectives on the firm's audit methods and quality management, and will advise Oath CPAs PLLC, the separate legal entity that delivers Oath's audit services.

Austin – October 29, 2026 -- National Veterinary Associates (NVA) Vice President of Science and Clinical Advancement Tracy Hill, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), has been named to Morris Animal Foundation's FY27 Feline Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The appointment extends her clinical research work beyond NVA's network of more than 1,200 general practice, specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals.

Hill will review and score feline health grant proposals

As a board member, Hill will review and score grant proposals so that Morris Animal Foundation can identify scientifically rigorous, humane research with the potential to advance feline health and welfare. Expert review directs research funding toward studies that address knowledge gaps and ultimately inform veterinary care.

Chicago – October 29, 2026 -- Chainsight, an AI-native supply chain consulting firm, has appointed Tom Lin, a data and AI executive with more than 25 years of experience, as Managing Partner of Data & AI. The hire expands the firm's analytics and AI capabilities for manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

Lin most recently served as Senior Vice President of Consulting at Wavicle Data Solutions, which was acquired by Deloitte. There he led industry practices delivering data and AI solutions to manufacturing and distribution customers.

Lin will build Chainsight's Data & AI Practice around five service lines

The practice combines data strategy, engineering, governance, advanced analytics and AI enablement. Chainsight is prioritizing four supply chain applications: demand forecasting, inventory optimization, supplier intelligence and integrated business planning.

RALEIGH – – October 29, 2026 -- Bandwidth Inc. (NASDAQ: BAND) has elected Chip Schroeder, a former Silver Lake managing director, to its board of directors. The appointment, effective Oct. 28, 2026, expands the board to six members, four of whom are independent.

Schroeder spent more than a decade at Silver Lake advising portfolio leadership teams

Schroeder worked in Silver Lake's Menlo Park and New York offices and rose to managing director. He advised portfolio company leaders on strategic growth, capital allocation and long-term value creation.

His investment and board experience covers large technology and technology-enabled businesses in digital infrastructure, fintech, software and entertainment. At Silver Lake he sat on the boards of Blackhawk Network, Cast & Crew, Clubessential Holdings, Oak View Group and Shadowbox Studios, among others.

NEW YORK – October 29, 2026 -- Havas has promoted W. Joe DeMiero to CEO of Havas North America, Creative and Media, effective immediately, placing both its creative and media networks in the region under a single leader.

DeMiero reports jointly to the global heads of both networks

DeMiero reports to Donna Murphy, Global CEO of Havas Creative Network, and Peter Mears, Global CEO of Havas Media Network. His remit covers senior leadership across both networks in North America, with a mandate to strengthen collaboration and help clients access the full range of Havas' expertise.

HERNDON, Va. – October 29, 2026 -- Akima, a federal contractor with 11,000 employees, has appointed Michael Teegardin as Vice President of Marketing & Communications, giving him enterprise-wide responsibility for brand, marketing and communications strategy.

Teegardin takes the brand mandate at an 11,000-person federal contractor

Teegardin will lead Akima's brand, marketing and communications strategy across the enterprise. Akima is a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders. It ranked No. 31 on Washington Technology's 2025 Top 100 list of government contractors.

Its service lines span information technology, facilities and ground logistics, aerospace solutions, protective services, systems engineering, mission support, furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E), and construction.

Reno – October 29, 2026 -- Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: DFLI) has appointed Dr. Lukas Lutz, co-founder of Germany-based AI engineering firm Sphere Energy, to its Board of Directors. The move adds battery-simulation and machine-learning expertise as the company works to use data from its installed base of Battle Born Batteries.

Sphere Energy models simulate battery aging from a handful of tests

Lutz co-founded Sphere with Luca Scherrer and Dr. Daniel Alves Dalla Corte. The company built an AI Operating System that lets large corporations scale AI applications across their organizations. Its proprietary transformer-based models generate CAD parts from a single requirement, optimize complex crash scenarios, and simulate battery aging and performance from just a handful of tests.

Beverly, Mass. – October 29, 2026 -- Axcelis Technologies (Nasdaq: ACLS) has appointed Jeroen Delsman, a finance executive with more than 26 years of experience, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective November 12, 2026, as the ion implantation supplier prepares for its pending merger with Veeco.

Interim CFO Ryzhik takes over merger integration and investor relations

David Ryzhik, who has served as Interim CFO during the transition, becomes Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations. He will report directly to President and CEO Russell Low.

Ryzhik will lead integration planning and execution for the Veeco merger, along with corporate development, investor relations and other strategic initiatives. Low cited Ryzhik's knowledge of Axcelis' business and his experience supporting the Veeco transaction as the basis for the assignment.

BASKING RIDGE – October 29, 2026 -- Ascendion, an AI-native software engineering company serving 250+ enterprise clients, has appointed four former senior executives from banking, retail, high-tech and industry bodies to its AI Advisory Community as it steers its AAVA platform toward governed, production-scale enterprise AI.

The appointees are Andy Gamble, Jack Madrid, Julieta Ross, Ph.D., and Joseph Sirosh, Ph.D. Their combined experience spans banking, high-tech, media and retail. Each will work directly with Ascendion's regional and engineering leaders.

HOUSTON – October 29, 2026 -- Kraton Corporation, a global producer of specialty polymers and bio-based chemicals derived from pine wood pulping byproducts, has appointed Brian Rea as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and added him to its executive leadership team.

Rea brings CHRO experience from multi-site manufacturers

Rea has held CHRO and other leadership roles at several international, multi-site manufacturing businesses. His remit has covered talent and succession planning, organizational transformation, labor relations, employee engagement, safety and change leadership.

Those disciplines map to the operating profile of Kraton, which sells its products to customers in more than 70 countries.