In the past few years, Register.com has transitioned from hungry start-up to an established leader in the registrar market, second only to industry giant Network Solutions Inc. Now the company’s leadership is catching up to that transition.
On Thursday, Register.com promoted Vice President of Technology Robert Gardos to the post of Chief Technology Officer, a previously unfilled position. At the same time, the company announced the resignation of Vice President of Finance Alan Breitman and the appointment of Joseph LaManna as vice president of Sales.
As a start-up, Register.com relied on vice presidents and did without chief appointments. As Gardos’ promotion illustrates, that is changing. Gardos joined Register.com in 1998, and guided the company to integration with the Shared Registration System, making it — in 1999 — the first company to become accredited to compete directly with NSI in the domain name registration industry.
“Rob has just had such a phenomenal record here at Register.com,” said company spokesperson Shonna Keogan, explaining that he built the technology team from one person to more than 50. “We gave him a title that reflected what he was already doing, but we also enhanced his role to a more strategic one. He is one of five people in the core management team. As the CTO, we expect Rob to have a very strong voice in the direction of the company.”
Gardos will continue to manage all areas of the company’s technological development, including expansion of the technology team and strengthening and expanding the system infrastructure and developing original applications. He will also oversee the company’s strategic technological development.
Before joining Register.com, Gardos was chief financial officer for Touchlink Communications, a privately held company that he co-founded. He has also been a senior consultant for Ernst & Young and an analyst for UMS Management Group.
Breitman resigned to pursue other interests. He was one of the chief architects of Register.com’s financial success, guiding the company through the start-up phase and to a successful IPO.
“He was our main financial officer,” Keogan said. “Alan was CEO Richard Forman’s right-hand man all through the road show and right through the actual IPO.”
In July the company hired Cindy Horowitz to take over the company’s leading financial role as chief financial officer. It is not clear whether Horowitz’s appointment led to Breitman’s resignation.
“Alan has been a key player in the early success of Register.com,” Forman said. “We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
LaManna, who joined Register.com from Internet business solutions provider Applied Theory, will oversee the expansion of the company’s sales units, including retail, corporate services, indirect channel sales and advertising. He will also create new sales teams focused on identifying revenue generating applications.
Before his work at Applied Theory, where he created a new division focused on penetrating vertical markets and managed the company’s major accounts and business development and channel initiatives, LaManna was a 15-year veteran at Bell Atlantic. He is also a member of the board of directors for Intellecare, which provides home healthcare solutions and applications for the medical community, and serves on the advisory board for eDoctor.
“We are very proud to have someone with Joe LaManna’s knowledge and proven track record in the sales and development arena join the Register.com management team,” Forman said. “We are equally pleased that Rob’s role has continued to grow within the company, since he has played such a major part in Register.com’s success to date.”
