Off to a Fresh Start: How 12 Tech Companies are Kicking off 2025 

After watching the New Near’s ball drop in Time Square, all eyes shift to the pundits — at least, in the tech industry they do. 

The “trend” prediction articles, blog posts and quotes from founders tend to fill the tech news cycles for at least a few weeks. However, 2025 might be an exception from the pattern. Already, the year has milestones up ahead that will be transformative for the tech industry. 

Big changes in tech regulation and cryptocurrency are on the horizon with an incoming Trump presidency. The Digital Operational Resilience Act will make big waves in January.  And Built In’s own hometown of Chicago will become the site of a quantum computing “campus” on the South Side of the city.  

The workplace is likely to see booming transformations through AI agents. Some have said that AI may amplify the use and possibilities of CRISPR in the coming year. Sam Altman’s post states that Open AI can create artificial general intelligence and will soon begin work on superintelligence, also known as the singularity. 

Advances in tech are already starting to snowball headed into 2025. Which is why Built In found 12 tech companies that all have new leadership, funding or are focusing on renewed company culture heading into the new year. 

 

What PwC does: PwC offers professional services related to audit and assurance, advisory and tax, specializing in capabilities such as cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation.

New leadership: PwC appointed Matt Wood as global commercial technology and innovation officer in October. “I am excited to join PwC to lead its technology and innovation strategy,” Wood said in a company press release. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen the transformative impact of AI, data and cloud technologies on industries ranging from finance to healthcare. PwC’s commitment to leveraging these capabilities to address complex business challenges and drive meaningful change is truly inspiring. I look forward to working with our clients and internal teams to help them transform, reinvent and get ready to harness the power of what comes next.”

 

What Novo Nordisk does: Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare tech company that develops medicine to treat a range of diseases, from diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease.

Novo Nordisk’s AI-powered future: In 2024, Built In spoke with Faisal M. Khan, Ph.D., corporate vice president of AI and analytics with Novo Nordisk’s U.S. research and development. “It’s an exhilarating time to leverage AI and advanced analytics for drug development,” Dr. Khan told Built In. “I fully agree with a sentiment that has developed in our industry: that while AI may not completely replace traditional drug development, those who leverage AI will certainly replace those who do not embrace this critical shift in the biopharma playbook.”

 

What Cencora does: Cencora is a pharmaceutical solutions organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people and animals.

New leadership: In November, Cencora announced the appointment of Francois Mandeville as executive vice president, strategy and mergers and acquisitions, and Pawan Verma as executive vice president, chief data and information officer. “We’re thrilled to welcome Francois and Pawan to Cencora’s leadership team,” said Bob Mauch, president and CEO

of Cencora, in a press release. “Our evolved leadership structure, which is now a combination of internally developed talent and new outside expertise, will enable us to further build on our already strong position in the marketplace, while advancing our strategy with a focus on delivering exceptional customer service, accelerating our digital transformation and prioritizing investments that allow us to better support our customers’ evolving needs.”

 

What Discover does: Discover is a direct banking and payment services company. 

New leadership: Kelly Welsh recently joined Discover as an interim chief legal officer, general counsel and head of corporate and public affairs. “Kelly brings an outstanding record of service, expertise and achievement and will be a key member of Discover’s executive management team as we move closer to our merger with Capital One,” said Michael Shepherd, interim CEO and president of Discover, in a press release. 

 

What Northwestern Mutual does: Northwestern Mutual is a fintech and insurance company. 

New leadership: Northwestern Mutual announced the appointment of Dave Gordon to executive vice president and chief digital and information officer. In his role, Gordon will be accountable for technology and digital strategy, with oversight of the company’s AI capabilities, software engineering, data engineering, enterprise architecture, technology infrastructure, and information risk and cybersecurity. He also has responsibilities for the company’s digital products and foundational tech capabilities.

“Dave’s deep technology experience, collaborative style and track record of success make him well-positioned to lead Northwestern Mutual’s overarching tech and digital strategy,” said Tim Gerend, president of Northwestern Mutual, in a press release. “His leadership across a strong team of technology disciplines will ensure that we continue to enhance the relevance and improve the experience of working with Northwestern Mutual.”

 

What Anduril does: Anduril is a military defense company that supplies the U.S. military and allies. 

Military awards: Built In interviewed several Anduril employees back in 2022 about autonomy and benefits at the company. Senior Manager of People Operations Kayla Deneault said that her comfort in taking on new challenges and transitioning into new roles is thanks to the people she had on her team. 

“We have a lot of folks here who are really good at what they do. If you ask for mentorship or advice, they tend to give it in exactly the way you need. I’ve been given a lot of projects that were totally uncharted territory for me, and when I hit a wall or a challenge that needed a second pair of eyes, I always had someone on my team who was willing to support me. I’m trusted to do good work. But I know if I need help, I’m not on my own.”

 

What Skillsoft does: Skillsoft provides a comprehensive selection of cloud-based corporate learning content, including courses, videos, books and other resources on leadership development, business skills, digital transformation, technology development and compliance. 

Women in leadership: Built In spoke with women in leadership roles at Skillsoft in 2024, during which Senior Human Capital Management Developer Bindu Vasireddy shared how DEI influences the culture at Skillsoft. 

“In addition to our employee advisory groups and inclusion council, we have had leader camps organized by La’Wana Harris, a certified diversity executive and a global leadership development professional, and Su Joun, a diversity and inclusion scholar and practitioner,” said Vasireddy. “In other words, DEI is a big part of the Skillsoft company culture, including in courses on our learning platform. As a woman of color, I very much appreciate these undertakings because, though I have never felt discriminated against in our workplace, I know that I can contact the DEI council in case I have a problem or if I have a question.”

 

What Remitly does: Remitly’s platform enables people to transfer money internationally across more than 100 currencies.

New leadership: Remitly recently brought on Chief Financial Officer Vikas Mehta. Mehta brings over 25 years of experience and has previous C-suite titles under his belt. “Vikas’ impressive track record leading finance functions at high-growth companies, experience driving public company and investor relations strategy, and commitment to data-driven decision-making will be invaluable as we continue to scale and deliver value to our customers and shareholders,” said Matt Oppenheimer, co-founder and CEO, in a press release announcing Mehta’s role. 

Mehta has previously held leadership roles at Anaplan, Nike Direct, Walmart, Microsoft and PayPal, to name a few. “I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of CFO at Remitly, a company whose mission resonates with me both professionally and personally,” said Mehta in the press release. “As a leader, I am energized by the opportunity to contribute my expertise in financial management, strategy and operational excellence at such an exciting time in Remitly’s journey. As an immigrant, I relate to the challenges and aspirations of so many of Remitly’s customers, and I look forward to furthering our vision of transforming lives with trusted financial services that transcend borders.”

 

What Dropbox does: Dropbox provides cloud-based solutions for file storage, sharing and collaboration, leveraging AI to transform knowledge work for over 700 million users. 

New leadership: In November, Dropbox brought on Ashraf Alkarmi as a senior vice president and general manager of Dropbox Core. A blog from the company notes, “[Alkarmi] spent his career rethinking how to maintain a dedicated customer base, find new paths for growth and manage large teams through times of transition.” The hire will be important since the company is focusing on the customer experience and improving the “reliability and security of our platform, leaning into the qualities that make us a trusted, easy-to-use solution for millions of customers.” 

 

What BlackLine does: BlackLine is a cloud financial close market and a holistic solution to address intercompany operations.

New leadership: BlackLine announced in November the appointment of Philippe Omer Decugis as senior vice president and general manager for Europe. “I am excited to join BlackLine and work with such a talented and forward-thinking team,” said Philippe in a press release. “BlackLine’s mission to empower chief financial officers with future-ready financial operations, coupled with its innovative technology and customer-first mindset, aligns with my experience and values. I look forward to driving continued growth in Europe and delivering the outstanding results BlackLine’s customers have come to expect.”

 

What Monte Carlo does: Monte Carlo is a data reliability company and a creator of an end-to-end data observability platform.

New leadership: Monte Carlo announced Tim Miller as the company’s first chief revenue officer in the fall of 2024. “Monte Carlo has a reputation across the industry for their category leadership, product innovation and happy customers,” said Miller in a press release. “I couldn’t be more honored to partner with the rest of Monte Carlo’s executive team and the broader company to help organizations drive positive business outcomes with trustworthy data and AI.” 

 

What Clasp does: Clasp is a venture-backed, mission-driven fintech company that aims to help employers attract and retain talent in hard-to-hire fields, such as healthcare.

New funding: Stride Funding, now rebranded as Clasp, has closed an oversubscribed venture round of more than $10 million. “The healthcare recruitment system is broken,” said CEO and Founder Tess Michaels in a press release. “Healthcare institutions are competing for a shrinking talent pool and using band-aids like sign-on bonuses that don’t improve retention and just perpetuate a leaky bucket. At the same time, new clinical talent faces massive debt and long waits for loan forgiveness. Clasp addresses both problems with a model that’s better for everyone.”