Bob Vogel, most recently executive director of demand generation at Autotask, has left the company to launch B2 Marketing, which offers “specialized marketing products and strategic marketing consulting, exclusively for MSPs, VARs, IT Solution Providers, Systems Integrators and IT consultants.” Vogel’s departure is the latest change at Autotask since the company hired CEO Mark Cattini in December 2010. Here’s the update.
Vogel was chief marketing officer at Autotask until late 2010 or so, helping the company march toward roughly $20 million in annual revenues, a figure published in an Albany newspaper in 2010. Vogel then transitioned to the executive director position (with PR responsibilities) around January 2011 amid multiple leadership changes at Autotask.
An Autotask representative confirmed Vogel’s departure, stating that Director of Product Marketing Bruce McEwing is the PR contact during this transition period and Scott Opiela remains VP of marketing. Opiela took over Vogel’s marketing responsibilities in January 2011, I believe. I’ve sent Vogel a request for comment but I’ve yet to hear back. Updated, 12:32 a.m. ET, July 1: Vogel’s perspectives are recapped below in the comment area.
Vogel’s Evolving Role
In some ways Vogel’s departure is surprising. In other ways it isn’t. Vogel’s business relationship with former CEO Bob Godgart predates Autotask. When Godgart began to transition out of the company in December 2010, some folks wondered if Vogel would step away, too. Plus, Vogel was commuting from his home in Philadelphia, Pa., to Autotask’s headquarters in Albany, N.Y. — a four-hour drive.
Vogel, who was a journalist early in his career, briefly stepped into the PR role for Autotask. He managed media relations for the successful Autotask Community Live event in May 2011, helping to ensure the conference expanded its reach to more bloggers and channel journalists.
Changing Leadership
Vogel’s departure is the latest in a string of executive and management updates at Autotask:
- CEO Mark Cattini and Senior VP Jay McBain arrived in December 2010.
- CFO Vince Zumbo arrived around March 2011.
- Godgart, formerly CEO and then chief visionary officer, remains chairman but resigned day-to-day duties in May 2011.
- Former community leader Mark Crall and Autotask parted ways in March 2011.
The current executive team is striving to accelerate growth. I believe CEO Cattini wants the best of both worlds: Maintaining Autotask’s automation focus on VARs and MSPs while positioning Autotask as the channel-equivalent to Salesforce.com and NetSuite.
Still, competition in Autotask’s core market — PSA (professional services automation) software — remains fierce. Rival ConnectWise remains in growth mode and is set to host IT Nation — the MSP industry’s largest conference — in November 2011. And Tigerpaw Software has been growing its installed base while preparing for a second-annual user conference in October 2011.
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Posted In: HR | Marketing | Professional Services Automation (PSA)
Tags: Autotask | Autotask Community Live! | Bob Godgart | Bob Vogel | Bruce McEwing | Jay McBain | Mark Cattini | Mark Crall | Scott Opiela | Vince Zumbo
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An update: Vogel sent me an email about his time at Autotask and his strategy going forward. I’ve paraphrased the main points…
1. Vogel spoke highly of the Autotask management team, he still owns stock in Autotask (which is privately held), and he expressed optimism about the company’s continued growth.
2. Over the last seven years Vogel helped build Autotask from a small software company with 70 customers to one with 40,000 users.
3. After seven years of commuting between Philly and Albany, Vogel got his first speeding ticket about a month ago. He took that as a sign it was time to rethink his situation.
4. B2 Marketing is a highly specialized marketing services company for VARs, MSPs, IT service providers, etc. The business is a partnership between Vogel and his wife, whom he calls “one of the smartest people I know.” On the product side, B2 Marketing offers syndicated marketing kits for service providers. On the services side, B2 Marketing will work with a handful of clients, with Vogel serving as virtual chief marketing officer.
- end of paraphrase -
Thanks for the update, Bob. Please keep MSPmentor and its readership posted.
-jp
Joe, thanks for the kind words, and the exposure. As usual, you’re right out there with the breaking news! You lobbed a high one over the net for me, and ordinarily I’d take this opportunity for a shameless plug on the new business. But I’m still in the process of transitioning out of Autotask and into B2 Marketing. We’ll be taking the summer to refine the business plan and develop our products. I’ll certainly stay in touch and give you and your readers a periodic update when we’ve got some “real” news for you.
Bob, Thanks for the updates and I look forward to hearing more when the time is right. -jp