Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 Executives of Los Angeles for 2024. Los Angeles, a global epicenter for creativity and commerce, boasts a GDP of over $1 trillion, making it one of the largest metropolitan economies in the world. The City of Angels is not only the entertainment capital of the world but also a leader in technology, aerospace, manufacturing, transportation, and more.
With the largest workforce in the nation and a vibrant ecosystem of startups and established companies alike, the city drives innovation across a multitude of sectors. From senior executives making groundbreaking advancements in healthcare and education to those leading the charge in real estate, logistics, and technology, these professionals exemplify the forward-thinking and dynamic spirit that defines Los Angeles.
Among this year’s awardees, Jim Gillis, President of the Pacific Region at IMC Logistics, is recognized for his leadership in transforming logistics operations and expanding intermodal drayage and warehousing across the West Coast. Aaron DeBevoise, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Spotter, stands out for his innovative approach in empowering digital content creators to scale their businesses and retain creative control. Ben Mehling, Chief Technology Officer at Hazel Health, is noted for his contributions to expanding access to pediatric healthcare through school-based telehealth services.
This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical nomination process and careful consideration of each candidate's career track record and industry contributions. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Executives of Los Angeles for 2024.
1. Jim Gillis
President, Pacific Region, IMC Logistics
Jim Gillis is the President of the Pacific Region at IMC Companies, the largest marine drayage company in the United States. Equipped with the largest fleet of trucks and chassis and an integrated network of smart depots, IMC moves cargo to and from all major rails and ports in the nation.
Gillis leads the strategic direction and execution of the company's intermodal drayage and warehousing operations and sales across the West Coast and Nevada. With over 27 years of experience in the industry, he has successfully launched, relocated, integrated, and expanded multiple divisions and brands under the IMC umbrella, delivering value to customers, partners, and employees.
Previously, Gillis was a General Manager in Texas at TCI Trucking and Warehousing and was President at Double G Transportation and Warehousing. Earlier in his career he worked with IMC Logistics as a Regional Manager. Gillis graduated from the United States Naval Academy.
2. Aaron DeBevoise
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Spotter
Aaron DeBevoise is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Spotter, a company dedicated to helping top YouTube creators grow their businesses by providing them with the capital, knowledge, and community needed to succeed at scale. As the leading provider of creator-friendly growth capital, Spotter offers tailored investments that cater to each creator's unique needs. Through data-driven insights, Spotter allows creators to maintain control of their content while pursuing their creative visions without compromise.
DeBevoise has 24 years of experience and first got his start in 2000 as Chairman and CEO at Network of One. From there, he went on to StyleHaul, Inc., before eventually rising to Co-Founder and President at Cflix.com, his most recent position prior to joining Spotter. DeBevoise graduated from Williams College with an undergraduate degree in economics.
3. Reshma Block
Chief Technology Officer, Tricon Residential
Reshma Block is the Chief Technology Officer of Tricon Residential, a real estate investment company with a growing portfolio of more than 36,000 single-family rental homes in the US Sun Belt and multi-family apartments in Canada. Block is responsible for providing IT leadership and setting strategic direction for Tricon Residential. She oversees the introduction of innovative technologies that improve the resident experience and advance the enterprise’s operating efficiencies. Block also leads all data integration advancements and is responsible for the firm’s IT governance and compliance processes.
Block brings more than 25 years of strategic technology experience to her current role. Prior to joining Tricon, she was the Founder and Principal of Compass Consulting. Block began her career at Intel where she founded and led the development of a new technology data ecosystem and helped drive strategic roadmaps for Intel’s major IT partners. Subsequently, she served as Chief Operating Officer of My Life Compass and Chief Information Technology Officer of BioNovix. She serves on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee for Hoag Hospital, Board of Directors for Charitable Ventures, and formerly on the Board of Governors for the Orange County Community Foundation. Block holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from California State Polytechnic University.
4. Casey Bull
COO, MedVA
Casey Bull is the Chief Operating Officer of MedVA, a company founded in 2021 by physicians Dr. Steven Kupferman and Dr. Omid Shaye to offer remote virtual assistants for medical, dental, and veterinary offices. Bull plays a key role in developing a global platform that connects highly skilled, affordable talent with healthcare practices. With a strong background in orthodontics and business leadership, she is focused on improving patient care and leading a team dedicated to enhancing efficiency and setting high standards within the industry.
Beginning her career in the orthodontic industry in 2014, Bull has garnered extensive experience and insights that have propelled her to her current role. Her journey through various facets of orthodontics, coupled with her time at TIO, has equipped her with a unique perspective on community building, content creation, strategy implementation, practice consulting, marketing strategies, and more. Now, as COO of MedVA, she is focused on scaling operations, enhancing service offerings, and leading the team toward success in orthodontic services. Bull holds an MBA from Pepperdine University.
5. Mirza Baig
Chief Technology Officer, Auction.com
Mirza Baig is the Chief Technology Officer of Auction.com, an online marketplace focused exclusively on the sale of residential bank-owned and foreclosure properties via online auctions and in-person auction events. Baig leads Auction.com’s systems architecture, cloud and infrastructure, and engineering teams. His teams partner closely with the product, marketing, and operations teams to deliver solutions that consistently meet and exceed customers’ expectations.
With over 20 years in technology, Baig has driven key initiatives by fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. He is dedicated to building and leading high-performing tech teams focused on delivering customer value, achieving operational excellence, and continuously improving and innovating. Prior to Auction.com, Baig was the SVP of Engineering at Experian, leading its Direct-to-Consumer practice. His previous roles also include leadership positions at Amazon. Baig graduated from the University of California, Irvine with an undergraduate degree in computer and information sciences.
6. Ben Mehling
Chief Technology Officer, Hazel Health
Ben Mehling is the Chief Technology Officer of Hazel Health, a leading provider of school-based telehealth services in the United States. By partnering with districts and health plans across the country, Hazel Health makes pediatric healthcare more accessible through schools. Mehling is a product and engineering leader with 20 years of experience building software teams and products for healthcare.
Previously, Mehlig held the position of Chief Technology Officer at Crossover Health. His expertise spans acute care Electronic Health Records (EHR) and solutions for hospital departments, outpatient practice management and EHRs, scalable cloud-native medical imaging, local, state, and regional health information exchanges, 3D-sensor powered digital therapeutics, and solutions for interdisciplinary care. Throughout his career, Mehling has primarily worked in start-up environments across various stages of company growth.
7. Lauren Werner
Chief Operating Officer, ShopShops
Lauren Werner is the Chief Operating Officer of ShopShops, a premier live-stream shopping platform that connects consumers with iconic and trending boutiques, designer stores, and sample sales around the world. Founded in 2016, ShopShops offers a unique shopping experience by bringing customers directly to stores in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Milan, and Tokyo through real-time video sessions.
Werner brings 14 years of experience to her current role. Before joining ShopShops, she was a General Manager at Capsule and before that, the General Manager at Prizeo. Earlier in her career she worked at LivingSocial, acquired by Groupon, as the Director of New Initiatives. Werner graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an MPP and from Arizona State University with an undergraduate degree in journalism and mass communications.
8. Steve Paul
Chief Commercial Officer, Vertos Medical
Steve Paul is the Chief Commercial Officer of Vertos Medical, an interventional pain company committed to developing innovative, minimally invasive treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Mild, its proprietary technology, is an image-guided outpatient procedure that removes a major root cause of LSS through an incision smaller than the size of baby aspirin and doesn’t require implants, general anesthesia, or stitches.
Paul joined Vertos Medical with over 20 years of experience building and managing high performance commercial teams in medical device and consumer industries. He is a seasoned sales and commercial operations executive who has played key roles in global P&L management, mergers and acquisitions, and business development.
Prior to joining Vertos Medical, Paul was Vice President of Global Sales and Commercial Operations for Breg, an orthopedic and sports medicine company, where his leadership and development skills assisted in more than doubling the company’s business.
Paul also served as Executive Vice President of US Acute Care Sales for Masimo Corporation, where he led all US hospital sales and was responsible for GPO, IDN, corporate sales, and military and government sales teams. He also spent more than a decade with Boston Scientific, primarily as the Western Area Sales Director for the oncology division. Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
9. Andy Auerbach
Chief Commercial Officer, SafeRide Health
Andy Auerbach is the Chief Commercial Officer of SafeRide Health, a technology and services company dedicated to reducing barriers to care by improving the delivery of non-emergency medical transportation to people across the United States. SafeRide Health leverages proprietary technology and a nationwide network of vetted transportation providers to elevate human dimensions of care and close the gap between need and access for the nation’s most vulnerable populations.
Auerbach brings 10 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2010 as a Sales Director at Grovo, before eventually rising to Regional Vice President of Sales at Oracle, his most recent position prior to joining SafeRide Health. Auerbach graduated from UC Santa Barbara with an undergraduate degree in philosophy.
10. Namita Shah
Chief Commercial Officer, Financial Finesse
Namita Shah is the Chief Commercial Officer of Financial Finesse, an independent provider of financial wellness benefits. Founded in 1999, the company has helped over 10,000 organizations, including many of the Fortune 1000, become more competitive by supporting employees in achieving financial security. The company offers personalized, unbiased financial guidance, combining human coaching with innovative AI technology to address the diverse financial needs of employees.
Shah brings 19 years of experience to her current role. Before joining Financial Finesse, Shah was a Director and Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance at Emerging Capital Partners. Earlier in her career she worked with the Peace Corps as a Small Business Facilitator. Shah graduated from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business with an MBA in finance and from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University with an undergraduate degree in management information systems.
11. Angie Barnes
Executive Vice President Sales, NAVCO
Angie Barnes is the Executive Vice President of Sales of NAVCO, a leading provider of electronic business security systems for both enterprise-size companies and midsize and regional businesses. As one of the largest privately held national electronic security system integrators in the US, NAVCO specializes in designing, installing, and maintaining advanced security solutions to meet the evolving needs of its clients. In her role, Barnes focuses on the development of people and increasing business opportunities for NAVCO’s growth.
Barnes has 25 years of experience in the security industry, specializing in cash logistics and physical security. She previously held positions in strategic sales at Brink’s Inc., where she managed the company’s largest national customer portfolio in the cash logistics space. During her 13-year tenure at NAVCO, Barnes has served in roles including Director of Marketing and Vice President of Sales.
12. Jack Helfrich
EVP Sales, CV3 Financial Services
Jack Helfrich is the EVP of Sales of CV3 Financial Services, a company specializing in providing business purpose loans for non-owner-occupied properties to real estate investors. Helfrich brings almost a decade of sales leadership to CV3, previously serving as one of the key team members to launch CIVIC Financial Services and lead its retail lending division to success, including the company’s record year in 2022 with over $3 billion in loan production.
As a high-producing sales leader, Helfrich has recruited and led some of the top account executives in the lending space. In addition to attracting and managing strong talent, he leads the CV3 sales team, guiding the team to achieve their goals while maintaining high standards of performance. Helfrich earned an undergraduate degree in fine arts from Loyola Marymount University.
13. Paloma Burnell
SVP, Sales Ops, STG Logistics
Paloma Burnell is the SVP of Sales Operations of STG Logistics, the nation's largest, fully integrated port-to-door service provider. STG offers services across North America, including intermodal, drayage, deferred LTL, container deconsolidation, reconsolidation, transloading, warehousing, and over the road solutions, as well as outsourced transportation solutions.
Burnell brings 13 years of experience to her current role. Before joining STG Logistics, she was a Sales Manager at DSV: Global Transport and Logistics. Earlier in her career she worked with UTi Worldwide as an Americas Freight Forwarding Support. Burnell holds an undergraduate degree in international and global studies from the University of California, Irvine.
14. Rafael Abanilla
Senior Vice President of Operations and Innovation, Parking Concepts
Rafael Abanilla is the Senior Vice President of Operations and Innovation at Parking Concepts, a company specializing in parking facility management across California. Founded in 1974, Parking Concepts focuses on providing exceptional service to both patrons and clients, setting high standards in the parking industry. The company provides a range of services including parking lot management, maintenance, audits, and revenue control. In his role, Abanilla provides strategic leadership to field operations while continuing to drive PCI’s innovation efforts.
With over two decades of experience in the parking industry, Abanilla spent nineteen years working with two of the largest national parking firms before joining PCI. He held roles as Director of a Municipal Division, where he oversaw over a hundred accounts across North America, and Regional Manager of Operations in California markets. After joining Parking Concepts, Inc. as a Director, he quickly advanced to Assistant Vice President of Technology and Innovation, where he led the firm’s technological enhancements, quality control standards, and special projects before assuming his current role.
15. Greg Shackles
Senior Vice President, Technology, Olo
Greg Shackles is the SVP of Technology at Olo, a leading open SaaS platform that powers digital ordering and delivery solutions for the restaurant industry. Olo enables over 700 brands to reach 85 million connected guests across approximately 80,000 locations, processing more than two million orders per day on average. The platform helps restaurants streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and drive revenue growth through advanced technology and integrated services.
Previously, Shackles was a Senior Application Developer at MagazineRadar, Inc. Earlier in his career he worked with Vendly Studios as an Owner and Developer. Shackles holds a master’s degree in computer science and an undergraduate degree in computer science, applied mathematics, and statistics from Stony Brook University.
17. Minh Tong
Senior Vice President of Sales, Americor
Minh Tong is the Senior Vice President of Sales of Americor, a finance technology company that provides debt solutions to individuals and families nationwide. With nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Tong has a proven track record of success in sales, revenue generation strategies, employee and team development, and learning and development programs.
Tong has held various executive roles in the financial services industry, focusing on maximizing revenue growth, leading teams, and increasing company profitability for shareholders. Previously, he was a Vice President at loanDepot and before that a Director at New American Funding. Earlier in his career he worked with LendingTree as a Sales Manager. Tong holds a bachelor’s degree in business and managerial economics from the University of California, Irvine.
18. Jonathan McAlees
Senior Vice President of Business Development, Fortis Payments
Jonathan McAlees is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fortis Payments. Fortis specializes in embedded ERP payments for software providers, processing billions of dollars annually by delivering comprehensive payment solutions and commerce enablement to software partners and developers. The company aims to forge a holistic commerce experience, guiding businesses grow and scale effectively.
McAlees brings 17 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2007 as a Financial Analyst at Ocwen Financial Solutions. From there, he went on to Wells Fargo, before eventually rising to Executive Vice President at Zeamster, his most recent position prior to joining Fortis Payments.
19. Jeremy Grunstein
Senior Vice President of Business Development, Xencor
Jeremy Grunstein is the Senior Vice President of Business Development of Xencor, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergic diseases. Xencor currently has 13 candidates in clinical development, utilizing its XmAb technology both internally and with partners. With over 15 years of experience in partnering, acquisitions, and licensing in the biopharmaceutical industry, Grunstein is responsible for leading strategic partnerships to advance Xencor’s pipeline of drug candidates.
Grunstein joins Xencor from Amgen Inc., where he served in several strategic business development roles. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Transactions, where he led product and platform technology transactions and managed Amgen’s out-licensing and corporate equity portfolio.
Prior to joining Amgen, Grunstein earned an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Molecular Oncology at Genentech, Inc. He earned a PhD in biology from the University of California, San Diego, and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
20. Kristen Rivers
Senior Vice President of Sales, ParetoHealth
Kristen Rivers is the Senior Vice President of Sales of ParetoHealth, the largest health benefits captive in the country, with over $1.2 billion in stop-loss premium under management, and over 2,300 participating employers and 780,000 covered lives. ParetoHealth offers a turnkey employee health benefit solution that brings innovative self-insurance options with multi-year protection. Leveraging the purchasing power of a Fortune 500 company, the company helps small and medium-sized businesses manage healthcare spending and reduce risk.
Rivers brings 20 years of experience to her current role. Before joining ParetoHealth, she was a VP of sales at UnitedHealth Group and before that a Sales Manager at Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in her career he worked with First American Title as a Customer Service and Title Assistant. Rivers graduated from the Chapman University Fowler School of Law with a JD in law and from the University of California, Irvine with an undergraduate degree in criminology, law, society, psychology, and social behavior.
21. Paul Sahargun
Senior Vice President of Sales, Anju
Paul Sahargun is the Senior Vice President of Sales at Anju, a customer-first organization providing adaptable life science solutions for clinical research, medical affairs, and data science. Anju’s flagship products—TrialMaster, IRMS MAX, and TA Scan—reduce complexities in the drug and device discovery and commercialization process, helping customers improve patient outcomes. As a key member of the leadership team, Sahargun takes a scientific approach to sales planning and management, developing and implementing sales and GTM strategy with focus on value-based selling.
Sahargun brings 20 years of experience to his current role. Before joining Anju, Sahargun was a VP of Sales and GM in Commercial at Aspen Technology and before that a VP of Sales and Life Science Solution Sales at Dassault Systèmes. Earlier in his career he worked with Thermo Fisher Scientific as a Senior Director of Sales and Business Development in Americas and Digital Science. Sahargun graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with an undergraduate degree in biological sciences and molecular biology.
22. Jeremy Fingerman
SVP, Sales and Business Development, Rightsline
Jeremy Fingerman is the SVP of Sales and Business Development at Rightsline, a global rights and royalties SaaS platform that provides IP owners of all sizes with innovative technology tools to manage and monetize content across the entire intellectual property lifecycle. Rightsline serves global companies across several industries, including media and entertainment, gaming, publishing, consumer products, life sciences, high tech, and more.
Fingerman brings 24 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2000 as an Account Executive at Kenan Systems, Lucent Technologies Software Products Group, and CSG International, before eventually rising to Head of Worldwide Sales at REAL Software Systems, his most recent position prior to joining Rightsline. Fingerman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an undergraduate degree in international relations.
23. Joe Cannon
Senior Vice President, Business Development, Hyperice
Joe Cannon is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Hyperice, a company specializing in wellness and recovery technologies. Hyperice’s products, utilized by top athletes and consumers in over 60 countries, are designed to enhance movement and recovery through advanced technologies. Cannon has over 10 years of experience in business development, focusing on delivering solutions in health, wellness, hospitality, and sports. He leads a team that oversees the global expansion, strategic partnerships, growth, and new business development for the company.
Before joining Hyperice, Cannon was a Director of Marketing and Business Development at Sports Studio and before that a College Marketing Coordinator at Hothand Wireless Inc. Earlier in his career he worked with Cal Recreational Sports as a Marketing Assistant and Video Host. Cannon graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in rhetoric and English language and literature.
24. Danielle Alcaraz
Senior Vice President of Sales, Cignition
Danielle Alcaraz is the Senior Vice President of Sales at Cignition, a company focused on improving educational outcomes through virtual tutoring and interactive learning environments. With over two decades of experience in the EdTech sector, Alcaraz is dedicated to providing innovative and impactful learning solutions that positively impact students, recognizing the transformative power of education in addressing generational inequities.
Previously, Alcaraz was a Senior Executive Director of Strategic Sales at DreamBox Learning and before that a VP of Partnerships West at School by Design. Earlier in her career she worked with Campus Management Corp. as a Regional Sales Manager. Alcaraz holds an MBA in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial studies from Concordia University, Irvine and an undergraduate degree in marketing from the California State University, Long Beach College of Business.
25. Robert Mojica
Senior Vice President of Sales, Intellinum
Robert Mojica is the Senior Vice President of Sales of Intellinum, a company specializing in mobile technologies and consulting services in the area of Oracle supply chain and logistics. Intellinum aims to help clients enhance their supply chain execution through reliable business software solutions and technical expertise. Mojica is an enterprise software sales leader with a focus on helping businesses address challenges and achieve sustained growth.
Mojica brings 12 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2012 as an Account Executive at NexTec Group, before eventually rising to Regional Director at Oracle, his most recent position prior to joining Intellinum. Mojica graduated from the USC Marshall School of Business with an MBA and from the SMU Cox School of Business with an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.