Syncro, a fast-growing provider of cloud-based RMM (remote monitoring & management) and PSA (professional services automation) software, has hired Datto veteran Emily Glass as CEO. She succeeds Robert Reichner, who remains on Syncro's board.
Syncro, backed by Mainsail Partners, allows MSPs to easily try and activate cloud-based software for business automation and IT management. Syncro has quietly grown to more than 100 employees, with more hires on the way. In addition to home-grown software, Syncro recently acquired Watchman Monitoring to further support Apple environments.
Emily Glass: Passionate About People, Partners and MSP Product Experience
Glass is a familiar leader in and around the MSP industry. She most recently was COO at Alyce, a B2B gifting platform. But within MSP circles, Glass is best-known for her executive roles at Datto -- where she was chief product officer and customer experience officer. Earlier, she was VP of customer care, and VP of product management and design at Backupify, a cloud-centric backup company that Datto acquired in 2014.
Dig into her career, and Glass has a passion for (A) listening to MSPs, (B) harnessing the power of product and support teams, and (C) designing product and support services for those MSPs. True to form, Glass's top priority as CEO is to engage with Syncro's MSPs, listen to them, and deliver on their needs, she told ChannelE2E in an interview yesterday.
Syncro is an emerging disruptor in the MSP software market. The market picture, according to ChannelE2E’s perspectives, looks like this:
- Entrenched platform giants such as ConnectWise, Datto, Kaseya and N-able develop IT management, automation, protection and security software that support tens of thousands of MSPs.
- Barracuda and NinjaOne, among others, have also gained critical mass with tools that support thousands of MSPs.
- MSP software upstarts such as Syncro, Atera and SuperOps.ai have been gaining traction with pure cloud software that generally lacks legacy code.
Syncro Names CEO and New Board Member: More Perspectives
Glass arrives to Syncro with a deep understanding of the business. Indeed, she has served on Syncro's board of directors for the past seven months. On a related note: The Syncro board continues to gain more strength and diversity. To wit, former HelpSystems and Perforce Software CEO Janet Dryer has joined the board.
In prepared statements about the CEO and boardroom updates, Glass said:
“I’m honored to be named CEO of Syncro. leading IT management tools and reputation for delivering value to MSPs are just a couple of the factors that attracted me to this opportunity. I’m committed to working with the talented team at Syncro to execute on the company’s vision of delivering innovative solutions to empower MSPs to start, run, and grow their businesses.”
Added Reichner:
“It’s been an amazing journey building Syncro. I’m proud of the value we bring to MSPs, their customers, and communities. I know Emily will take the company to new heights.”
Noted Dryer:
“Syncro is a modern software platform with a diverse management team and remote-only global workforce. I believe Syncro is well-positioned for continued growth in the MSP industry and I am excited to support one of the few woman-led businesses in this space.”
Concluded Michael Anderson, partner at Mainsail Partners:
“I’m delighted to welcome both Emily and Janet to Syncro. They have already made a big impact on the company in their respective roles and I’m sure they will continue to do so. Alongside a strong leadership team, Syncro is investing aggressively by building new technology and acquiring complementary businesses.”
Diversity in the MSP Software Market: Breaking the CEO Gender Barrier
You'll notice that I didn't mention -- until this sentence -- that Glass is likely the first female CEO of an MSP software platform company. (If I'm wrong, please alert me.)
In some ways, the MSP software industry has been a laggard on the diversity front. And milestone moments like Glass being named CEO of Syncro are important to note. Still, I didn't put that information in the headline or the top of this story. After all, Glass was named CEO because of her rock-solid qualifications and track record in the MSP software market.
Perhaps if we all followed Syncro's lead and hired the best people for the job, we'd close the gender and diversity gaps that limit us and the MSP industry in so many ways. On that point, you'll find our ongoing look at diversity in the IT market here.
Now that the CEO announcement is public knowledge, it's a safe bet Glass is already on the phone or on Zoom engaging with MSPs. We look forward to updates.
