The new appointments - Sasha Bilton, Pushpa Reddy and Marc Stewart - are key to delivering Planday’s primary mission of making shift work more human. Recent research from the brand shows that 85% of hospitality employees have experienced poor mental health in the last 12 months, and 67% state having more notice of shift patterns would improve their life. Being able to plan ahead more efficiently is an essential component of a successful hospitality business, and is the single biggest shift that hospitality businesses can do to support staff. Bringing these new appointments on board will enable Planday to continue growing and developing the product with the aim of improving mental wellbeing in the hospitality industry.
Sasha Bilton has been appointed as our new interim Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With 30 years of software engineering and leadership experience, including roles at Amazon, 101 Ways, and his own consultancy, Sasha brings a wealth of expertise to Planday. As Sasha states, he is "here to take Planday’s Engineering team to new heights; focusing on aligning product and engineering, and deepening their collaboration to deliver value, unlock new potential and deliver impactful solutions."
Joining as Chief Product Officer (CPO), Pushpa Reddy is set to lead Planday's product innovation and strategy and Data functions. Pushpa joins Planday from the BBC, where she spent the last three years leading teams that managed iconic products such as BBC News, BBC Sport, iPlayer, Sounds, and Children’s Products—reaching 23 million UK users weekly. Her leadership transformed the BBC’s product culture, driving a 10% year-on-year increase in average weekly users. With past experience at Just Eat, Sky, Thoughtworks, and multiple startups, Pushpa is well-prepared to push Planday’s product and data organisations to new levels of success. She is "here to catalyse and develop Planday’s product and data organisation to take our product innovation and strategy to the next level."
Finally, the brand has appointed Marc Stewart as Vice President of Operations and Strategy. Marc joins Planday after a successful tenure at Xero, where he helped expand business operations across the UK, Canada, and the US, most recently as Head of Operations for North America. At Planday, Marc will focus on optimising operations and refining its business strategy to drive growth. He is "here to optimize Planday’s operations and business strategy to set us up for impact and growth."
Dave Lee, CEO of Planday, comments: "By welcoming these talented leaders into our already exceptional team, Planday is well-positioned and deeply committed to making shift work more human. Together, we aim to enhance flexibility, empowerment, and engagement for businesses and their employees. We are excited about the future and look forward to the meaningful impact this team will bring to our ongoing journey."
