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Interactive Intelligence Formally Introduces Jeff Platon as New Chief Marketing Officer

November 14, 2014

Last month, on their Q3 2014 earnings call with analysts, customer experience solutions provider Interactive Intelligence verbally announced that industry veteran Jeff Platón had accepted an offer to be the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).  Company executives noted at the time that a formal introduction was forthcoming, and this week it arrived. 


Platón, who replaces former CMO Joseph A. Staples, as noted brings a wealth of experience with him acquired during more than 20 years of marketing and product management positions where he has been responsible for such areas as IT security, networking, cloud, and communications technologies.

"Jeff is an expert in using digital marketing strategies to improve customer acquisition and revenue generation," said Dr. Donald E. Brown, Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO. "This expertise, combined with his deep knowledge of cloud business models, will play a key role as we continue our mission of becoming the leader in cloud communications, collaboration, and customer engagement solutions."

As Interactive Intelligence CMO, Platón will manage the company's global marketing team comprised of product marketing, corporate marketing, public relations, channel programs, global alliances, and advertising.

"I'm especially excited to join Interactive Intelligence because I believe it has the right technology, leadership, and vision to quickly become a frontrunner in the cloud industry," Platón said. "I look forward to applying my expertise to help Interactive Intelligence customers easily and quickly evaluate, purchase, and deploy the company's growing portfolio of innovative cloud and on-premises solutions."

Prior to joining Interactive Intelligence, Platón served for 12 years in vice president marketing roles for leading global networking company Cisco Systems. At Cisco, Platón helped to develop worldwide go-to-market strategies for the company's virtual mobile cloud workspace, remote expert, and IT security solutions. In fact, he received several awards, including Cisco's Marketing Excellence Award two years in a row, and its Outstanding Engineering Award two years in a row.

Previously, Platón had been CEO and president of network security management firm AlertSoft, and vice president of marketing for McAfee, the world's largest security technology company.

As CEO, Brown told the analysts finding the right person to replace Staple’s was a function of that person having the skills and record of success for growing businesses that are increasingly online-centric.  In fact, he could have added that “online skills” is a term with a broad context. It ranges from understanding the nuts and bolts of improving operational efficiency and effectiveness and enhancing the customer experience in an omni-channel world to using those tools not only to enhance customer engagement and loyalty but also for engagement of ecosystem partners and other stakeholders.  

Platón joins Interactive Intelligence as industry leaders have all stated recently during “interesting times.”  There has been a consensus of ICT industry leaders’ public statements the next 12-18 months across the entire spectrum of ICT will define possibly the majority of winners and losers for 10-15 years.

What a great time for someone with Platon’s experience to be the CMO of a company that consistently has been an industry technology and thought leader.   




Edited by Maurice Nagle



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