Cynthia Williams, a veteran in the video game industry who recently left Wizards of the Coast, has been named as the CEO of Funko, a pop culture collectibles company based in Everett, Washington. Williams previously served as the president of Wizards, overseeing the success of games such as Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons during her two-year tenure. She brings with her experience from leadership roles at Microsoft and Amazon, and she aims to leverage her knowledge of passionate fan communities to appeal to Funko’s dedicated followers.
As Williams prepares to take over as CEO in May, she will be replacing interim CEO Michael Lunsford, who stepped in after former CEO Brian Mariotti departed. Funko’s stock rose by 10% in after-hours trading following Williams’ appointment, although shares have declined by nearly 40% in the past year. The company faced challenges, including laying off 12% of its workforce and the resignation of its president, resulting in a decrease in revenue and net loss for the first quarter of the year.
In other personnel changes in the Pacific Northwest tech industry, Bellevue-based Nintex made promotions within its executive team, appointing Christian Lucarelli as VP and head of the global partner program, and Tony Thomas as VP and head of global customer experience. Lucarelli, who joined Nintex in 2015, previously held roles at AvePoint, IBM, and Siemens, while Thomas came on board in January after previous positions at Skuid, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and EMC. Nintex was acquired by TPG Capital in 2021, with Amit Mathradas taking on the role of CEO.
Within the cannabis industry, Seattle-based Leafly announced the appointment of Peter Lee as its new president and COO. Lee, with a background in cannabis and finance, joined Leafly following its merger with Merida Merger Corporation. Despite a decline in stock price over the past year, Leafly reported revenue for the first quarter and is hopeful for a positive impact following the DEA’s plan to reschedule cannabis. Yoko Miyashita, the CEO of Leafly, expressed excitement about the potential for cannabis businesses to attract new customers and grow with the expected regulatory changes.
Additionally, Ric Merrifield, a prominent figure in the Seattle tech and business community, has taken on the role of CEO at Hypowered Hydrogen, a hydrogen energy company based in Seattle. Far Homes, a real estate startup in Seattle, welcomed Elaine Han as head of business operations, bringing her experience from Redfin. Meanwhile, Overland AI, a Seattle-based autonomous driving technology startup, appointed Chris Merz as director of program management, leveraging his background in engineering and military service. These personnel changes reflect the dynamic and evolving nature of the tech and cannabis industries in the Pacific Northwest.
