Flexport Hires Ex-Microsoft Exec Carlson to Help Lead Expansion

Flexport Inc. has hired Teresa Carlson, a former Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. executive, to help spearhead the supply-chain technology company’s expansion into global markets and philanthropic endeavors.

(Bloomberg) —

Carlson will be president and chief commercial officer, San Francisco-based Flexport said in a statement Thursday. In that role she will oversee sales, marketing and communications, as well as the company’s humanitarian and sustainability arm — Flexport.org.

She “will help us forge new partnerships at a global scale and seize the incredible opportunity to digitally transform the supply chain for multiple industries,” Flexport Co-Chief Executive Officer Dave Clark said in the statement.

Carlson is the second C-suite hire at closely held Flexport since Clark joined from Amazon.com in September. The other was Darcie Henry, the head of human resources, who started in October.

Carlson, who most recently was corporate vice president and executive-in-residence at Microsoft, worked at Splunk Inc. before that, and served as vice president at Amazon Web Services. During an earlier period of employment at Microsoft, she oversaw the company’s US government business.

Companies including Flexport are trying to capitalize on the shift to digitization in logistics that the pandemic has accelerated. Flexport announced a funding round of $935 million last February, bringing its valuation to more than $8 billion. Funding raised to date totals about $2.3 billion, according to the company.

As other logistics tech companies like Amazon.com start 2023 by laying off workers, Clark told Bloomberg last month that Flexport plans to double the size of its engineering team this year by hiring 350 to 400 software programmers. “It’s probably the best time in the last few years to hire technical talent,” he said.

Bloomberg Beta, the venture capital arm of Bloomberg LP, is an investor in Flexport.

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