PORTLAND, Maine — Diversified expanded its leadership teams across its corporate operations and U.S. division. This is part of a broader strategy to accelerate growth, deepen digital innovation and maximize value to the professional communities it serves.
Global Technology and Digital Office
Diversified established a corporate Global Technology and Digital Office, led by David Kuntz, who was promoted to the role of Chief Technology and Digital Officer.
“As an organization, we are making a meaningful investment in technology across every division,” Liz Plizga, President of Diversified USA, said. “The industries we serve are continuing to evolve, and we need to be with them and often ahead of them. Creating dedicated leadership through the Global Technology and Digital Office gives us the expertise and shared foundation to do that. Each division has its own focus and way of operating, and this team is designed to support all of them while allowing each to stay close to the customers and communities they know best. The same thinking guided our decision to expand the Diversified USA leadership structure — ensuring we have the right people in place, at the right level, to grow our portfolios and better serve the industries and communities we work with.”
Kuntz is working alongside these newly hired Corporate Vice Presidents:
- Jenna Drapkin, Corporate Vice President of Customer Experience
- Dawn Giovanniello, Corporate Vice President of Product
- David Hill, Corporate Vice President of Content and Digital Strategy
- Ken Roden, Corporate Vice President of Delivery and Go-to-Market
- Steve Valero, Corporate Vice President of Technology
This team joined Diversified’s corporate leadership, which includes Ted Wirth, CEO; Whit Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer; Janice Rogers, Chief People Officer; Oakley Dyer, Corporate Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development; Melinda Sheehee, VP & General Counsel; and the newly promoted Sarah Esmond, Corporate Vice President of Finance.
“David Kuntz was a natural fit for this role,” Plizga said. “[After] joining Pri-Med in 2024, David was responsible for designing and implementing their strategic product and technology roadmap, work that led to significant growth across their digital platforms. He also brings a proven track record in educational technology that translates well across the industries we serve. When David was promoted as Chief Technology and Digital Officer, he took the time to understand what was needed across the organization and built the Global Technology and Digital Office from the ground up, identifying the right people to lead each area of the team.”
Expanded Leadership Structure
Under Plizga’s leadership, Diversified USA has expanded its leadership structure to deepen expertise and support growth through organic expansion, strategic acquisitions and a continued focus on customer experience and innovation.
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Diversified USA’s new leadership structure includes:
Senior Vice Presidents:
- Joann Leonard, Senior Vice President of Business Operations
- Brian Cuthbert, Senior Vice President, Business Communities, Endurance and Tech Portfolios (promoted)
- Anthony Martin, Senior Vice President of Technology and Transformation (promoted)
Group Vice Presidents:
- Wynter Courmont, Group Vice President, Seafood
- Wes Doane, Group Vice President, Clean Energy & Commercial Marine
- Imani Clark, Group Vice President, Customer Service, Operations, and Registration
- Dana Maletzke, Group Vice President, Human Resources
Newly Promoted Vice Presidents:
- Christina Henderson, Vice President, Endurance Portfolio
- Heather Johnson, Vice President, Tech Portfolio
- Meg Kilmurry, Vice President, Business Communities Portfolio
- Dave Fournier, Vice President, Technology & Security
- Lewis Okun, Vice President, Transformation and Business Intelligence
- Brenna Hensley, Vice President, Seafood Events
- Jess Woods, Vice President, Finance & Accounting
“As our portfolio has grown, so has the complexity of our business,” Plizga said. “We recognized we had reached an inflection point where our structure needed to evolve to advance current initiatives and capitalize on new opportunities. The expanded framework creates the ability for our leadership to focus on the changing needs of our business communities and how we can adapt new technology and modernize the way we provide value in the industries we serve, bringing focused expertise and experience to our customers. It also creates a clear growth path for our people as the business continues to expand. With meaningful growth comes meaningful career advancement opportunities, and we want our team to see a future here.”
Transformation and Business Intelligence Team
Diversified USA established a Transformation and Business Intelligence team to advance modernization, implement digital product development, and improve customer and employee experiences.
The team was created to enhance the capacity, expertise and scale needed for the organization’s next chapter of growth. Their focus is on driving new projects related to modernization, digital products and operational efficiency, while also improving the experience for both internal teams and the customers they serve.
A Strategic Lens
Plizga added that Diversified’s strategy starts with listening to internal teams, product leaders and customers, and explained that technology has the power to elevate and accelerate their work, from improving internal systems to better serve customers to developing new digital products that deliver value outside of their events.
“It is also worth noting that our investment in technology and AI is about empowering our people to do more meaningful work, not replacing them. We believe the best outcomes come when great technology and great people work together,” Plizga said.
Plizga noted that the most effective solutions come from understanding the problems first, and what they learn shapes the organization’s priorities and direction going forward
“That same commitment to listening and responding to what our customers and teams need is equally reflected in how we have structured the Diversified USA leadership expansion,” Plizga explained. “While many of these changes took place earlier this year, we are already starting to see the benefits. The right people are in place, the conversations are happening and the work is underway. We are excited about what this team will help us build and look forward to sharing more as we continue to grow.”
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