Auger, a startup building logistics and supply chain software, announced Yuqing Sun as its chief data and AI enablement officer. Sun joins the Bellevue, Wash.-based company from Johnson & Johnson where she has worked for nearly 20 years in a variety of supply chain, analytics and data science roles.
“Yuqing brings the rare combo of deep technical chops, operational scar tissue, and the calm that only comes from having seen every kind of supply-chain fire drill,” said Dave Clark, Auger’s founder and CEO and a former Amazon executive.
Clark noted on LinkedIn that while at Johnson & Johnson, Sun worked to modernize “one of the most complex supply chains on the planet through data and AI innovations. She built and scaled more than 30 AI-driven products across optimization, simulation, IoT, machine learning, computer vision — you name it.”
Last month Auger appointed Justine Hastings as chief AI economist. The company, ranked No. 48 on the GeekWire 200 list of top Pacific Northwest startups, raised a $100 million Series A round last December.
— Amy Harris is the new public policy and government relations director for the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA).
For the past nine years, Harris has been a principal for Red Strategies, which bills itself as providing “fundraising consulting and event planning for right of center candidates and organizations.” She has also worked as an executive assistant for two members of Congress.
Randa Minkarah, CEO of the WTIA consortium, praised Harris’ “deep experience in bipartisan coalition-building, strategic advocacy, and navigating complex political landscapes,” noting the skills will be instrumental in working in Washington state and the nation’s capitol.
— Marc Brown, a former corporate vice president at Microsoft who helped lead the acquisition of companies including LinkedIn, GitHub and Minecraft, has joined the board of directors for Syncro, a software platform for IT professionals.
Seattle-based Brown was with Microsoft for more than two decades, managing more than 185 acquisitions and 80 equity investments.
— Pyramid Communications, a longtime Seattle-area public relations firm, named Emily Ryan as its first CEO. Ryan was with Pyramid for nearly 14 years before taking a year-long role as chief communications officer for Our Children’s Trust in 2024.
“During a tumultuous period in the world, Pyramid is doubling down on our commitment to support changemakers leading bold action for a better world,” the company posted on LinkedIn. “Emily’s trusted, creative leadership will sustain our team and our clients as we continue to work alongside all of you…”
— Carbon Direct, a carbon management firm based in New York and Seattle, announced two leadership hires as a result of its recent acquisition of climate tech startup Pachama.
- Greg FitzGerald, based in Vancouver, B.C., is now vice president of supply and will help source and commercialize carbon credits that organizations purchase to offset their emissions.
- Diego Saez Gil, co-founder and former CEO of Pachama, has taken the role of senior vice president of strategic engagement and is based in the Bay Area.
