Vista Equity Partners has named Kenneth Frank as CEO of the newly combined global commerce solutions company formed by Vista’s November acquisition and merger of retail software leaders MarketLive Inc. and Shopatron.
Ken Burke and Ed Stevens, the respective founders and CEOs of MarketLive and Shopatron, are remaining with the newly-merged company for the time being, according to the company, which will announce its new name and a new acquisition on Jan. 14.
Frank most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Vista portfolio company Aptean Software and brings to his new role more than 20 years of global experience in the software industry, with a particular focus on operations, product development, and strategic growth.
Before coming to Aptean, Mr. Frank was a member of the Alcatel-Lucent Management Committee and served both as President of the Alcatel-Lucent/Reliance Industries joint initiative in Mumbai, India, and its Global President of the Solutions and Marketing Group. He also held senior executive positions at Masergy Communications, BellSouth Telecommunications and AT&T Bell Laboratories.
“Kenny has exceeded expectations throughout his career, including in his most recent role as COO at Aptean,” said Robert F. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. “I know his operational and product focus will ensure our new joint entity becomes the software of choice for retailers and manufacturers aiming to serve the dynamic global consumer marketplace.”