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A January 6, 2025, Pacific Northwest tech roundup included a senior silicon executive moving from Microsoft to Google, a newly created executive-chair role at the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), and Era Software co-founder Todd Persen leaving ServiceNow after its acquisition of the Seattle startup. Other reported moves spanned Meta’s board, Portland’s startup community, a regional hydrogen hub, federal defense innovation, Powell’s Books, Deel and a new sustainability consultancy. These are the moves as reported in 2025; the roundup does not establish whether the people still hold those roles today.
Rehan Sheikh moves from Microsoft silicon to Google
Rehan Sheikh left Microsoft, where he had been vice president of silicon manufacturing, to become Google’s vice president of global silicon chip technology and manufacturing, according to GeekWire’s January 6, 2025, roundup. He had spent nearly four years at Microsoft and worked on its in-house silicon efforts, including Maia 100, described in the report as Microsoft’s first internally developed processor chip, and the Cobalt 100 processor.
Before Microsoft, Sheikh spent more than 24 years at Intel, where he became an Intel Fellow and technology executive. He described his Microsoft tenure positively and characterized the move as a new opportunity. His transition connects senior semiconductor experience with two companies investing in custom silicon for their infrastructure. It is a notable talent move, but by itself it does not show that Microsoft’s chip program is failing or that either company has changed its strategy.
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WTIA creates an executive-chair role for Randa Minkarah
WTIA appointed Randa Minkarah executive chair in a newly created position that brings together three board leadership responsibilities: chair of WTIA’s board, chair of Portalus (WTIA’s for-profit subsidiary), and chair of the WTIA Association Health Plan. The appointment therefore concerns governance and oversight across related entities; it should not be confused with a CEO appointment.
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Minkarah was co-founder and former president and COO of Resonance AI and held multiple leadership roles at Fisher Communications, which was acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Dave Cotter, identified as WTIA chair emeritus, praised her executive leadership and strategic governance in the report. WTIA’s CEO, Michael Schutzler, had separately announced plans to retire after 11 years leading the organization; that succession story provides context for a period of leadership change, but the available reporting does not say Minkarah replaced him as CEO. GeekWire’s report on Schutzler’s retirement covers that separate development.
Todd Persen leaves ServiceNow after Era Software acquisition
Todd Persen, co-founder and CEO of Seattle observability startup Era Software, left ServiceNow after the company acquired Era in 2022. The purchase price was not disclosed. Founded in 2019 by Persen and Robert Winslow, Era built tools to help developers manage and analyze large volumes of observability data across cloud-native workloads. GeekWire’s acquisition report provides additional context.
Persen’s background included work as a senior principal software engineer at Pivotal Software and co-founding InfluxData, where he was previously CTO. His departure is best understood as a founder leaving the acquiring company after an acquisition—not as evidence of a dispute, a forced exit, or a shutdown. The roundup quotes appreciative comments about ServiceNow and does not establish what Persen did next.
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- Charlie Songhurst joined Meta’s board. The former Microsoft executive spent eight years at Microsoft and led corporate strategy from 2009 to 2013. Now a Seattle-region investor, he has backed Seattle-area space company Stoke Space. Meta also appointed UFC CEO Dana White and Exor CEO John Elkann to its board. Songhurst’s appointment was a board role, not an operating job at Meta.
- Aaron Thompson joined Portland startup Sturdy as head of growth and business development. His previous roles included chief revenue officer at SuccessHacker and head of customer success at 4-Tell. He said he was drawn to Sturdy’s focus on understanding customer feedback and acting proactively on it; the report does not establish company growth or product traction.
- Brian Young became deputy director of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2). The federally supported, multistate hub is intended to develop the region’s hydrogen economy. Young had spent about a decade as clean technology sector lead at the Washington State Department of Commerce and was reunited with PNWH2 president Chris Green, a former Commerce assistant director. The hub was one of seven selected in 2023 and could receive up to $1 billion over time; that figure is potential funding, not confirmation that $1 billion was awarded or received.
- Emeka Alozie became a principal at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a U.S. Department of Defense organization that connects the military with private-sector companies to accelerate adoption of commercial technology. His Seattle-area experience included director of marketing at IntuitiveX, co-founding Lensbox+, founding Chocolate Socrates, and serving as a board member and partner with Social Venture Partners. The report does not specify his portfolio or authority at DIU.
- Jeremy Solly became Powell’s Books’ chief marketing officer, moving up from director of brand and marketing. His earlier experience included Absci, Zymergen, Umpqua Bank and Vacasa. He described the appointment as a personal “dream come true,” as reported by GeekWire.
- Jacob Laes joined Deel as a VC and accelerator partnerships manager after working as a program manager with Techstars Seattle. He was also identified as founder and CEO of YoungTech Seattle. The Deel position concerns partnerships with venture-capital and accelerator organizations, not an investment role.
- Kevin Hagen founded Pilchuck Consulting and became its principal. The firm advises executives and boards on sustainable business and energy strategies. Hagen’s prior roles included interim CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association, vice president at Iron Mountain, and head of corporate social responsibility at REI.
Taken together, the January 2025 moves covered several distinct kinds of career change: cross-company executive recruitment, a board appointment, governance consolidation, an internal promotion, hires into public-purpose organizations, and a founder’s departure from an acquirer. They offer a snapshot of regional professional movement, not enough evidence on their own to establish a broader labor-market trend.
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- Author: Bungay Stanier, Michael.
- Publisher: Page Two
- Pages: 244
- Publication Date: 2016-02-29
- Edition: 1
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