John Andrews, one of the founders and CEO of Collective Bias has exited the company, according to a company press release on Tuesday.
“John is an entrepreneur at heart and this will give him the opportunity to follow his passions to pursue other interests and create new businesses,” Mailena Urso, spokeswoman for Collective Bias, stated in an e-mail.
Bill Sussman replaces Andrews as president and CEO of the social media marketing company based in Bentonville.
Sussman was formerly the vice president of retail development and marketing at Nickelodeon where he led the consumer products business for Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.
“I have spent my career at the convergence of new media and advertising, and Collective Bias is facing the biggest opportunity yet,” he notes in the release.
“Social media is transforming the way brands, retailers and consumers interact, and I am thrilled to be joining one of the companies leading that change.”
Collective Bias said the company has recorded three straight years of triple-digit growth and recently closed a $10.5 million Series A investment round led by Updata Partners and other strategic investors.
“Bill has an uncanny combination of shopper marketing expertise, a track record with hyper growth businesses, and sound general management experience,” said Amy Callahan, Collective Bias’ co-founder and chief operating officer.
“We are delighted to work with Bill as we continue to build our scale to serve the fast growing market.”
Sussman holds an MBA from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Museum of Northwest Arkansas and The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, a charity that teaches life skills to children through the game of golf.