News Release
Media Contact:
Sarah Grolnic-McClurg
Pounce PR
510.898.1837
Founder Kathy Ryan Remains Chair, Vice President Roberson Named CEO
Newark, Calif., December 3, 2019 — One year after joining RoseRyan as Vice President, David “Dave” Roberson will lead RoseRyan as CEO effective January 1. Roberson, a seasoned executive who led Hitachi Data Systems as CEO, is also the chief executive of RoseRyan subsidiary Kukuza Associates.
Kathy Ryan will transition from CEO to Chair while retaining ownership of the Silicon Valley finance and accounting consulting firm she co-founded 26 years ago.
In addition, Ryan will continue to work with clients in the field, play a large role in RoseRyan’s strategic planning and investments, and serve as Director of Bizinta, a SaaS company spun out of RoseRyan that provides a business management solution to consulting firms.
Says Ryan about the change, “Dave is a strong leader — he’s ready to lead RoseRyan as we reach for the next stage of growth, and he’s the right person to take us there. He’s extremely well versed in what makes RoseRyan unique and has a strong foundation to make it happen.”
Adds Ryan, “I’m keen to hand Dave the reins, and for RoseRyan clients, this shift in leadership roles will be seamless, given how closely we’ve worked together since Dave became part of the team.”
The Right C-suite Talent at the Right Time for RoseRyan
Roberson joined RoseRyan last January as Vice President after leading RoseRyan’s execution of the Transition Services Agreement in DigiCert’s purchase of Symantec’s web security business—RoseRyan’s largest engagement to date. In March, when RoseRyan launched Kukuza Associates, a new subsidiary that concentrates solely on the cannabis market, Roberson was named its CEO, a role he retains.
“I’m excited to lead the next chapter of RoseRyan. Our outstanding reputation, strong client base of happy, repeat customers who refer us to others, along with our defined values, are building blocks for more success,” says Roberson.
He continues, “We’ll be propelling growth across the firm’s solution areas, and we’re well positioned, given the meaningful culture and brand that Kathy and the team have created and fostered over the years. What continues to impress me about RoseRyan is its clear strengths as well as the can-do attitudes and operational savviness that our consultants bring to every engagement. The value delivered to clients is striking.”
During his time at RoseRyan, Roberson has overseen the firm’s broad array of finance and accounting solutions. Part of this oversight included developing its “rapid diagnostic” concept, which involves quickly assessing a company’s financial readiness for growth and scaling. The diagnostic tool was launched by Kukuza and then rolled out in September by RoseRyan’s Emerging Growth area.
Possessing extensive consulting and board experience as well as a law degree, Roberson was a senior vice president at HP and worked at Hitachi for 26 years. He likes to joke that he has held every C-suite title that exists.
Currently chairman of the board of Push Technology, a global API management company, he also enjoys mentoring a wide range of professionals, from budding managers to CEOs, in his free time.
About RoseRyan
RoseRyan takes dynamic companies further, faster, by delivering specialized finance and accounting solutions at every stage of your company’s growth. Versed in Silicon Valley’s rapid pace and unique business environment, our consulting firm has helped more than 850 companies since 1993. Our focus is on tech, life sciences and private equity — and our experience and expertise allow us to consult in other industries; ecommerce, mobile, internet and social media among them. Our broad solution areas focus on emerging growth, interim finance, corporate governance and strategic projects, and our RoseRyan company, Kukuza AssociatesTM focuses on cannabis accounting and finance. No matter what stage of the business lifecycle you’re at, the size of your business or the scale of your next endeavor, RoseRyan has a wide range of tailored finance solutions just when you need them to accelerate growth. Learn more at www.roseryan.com.
