VirBELA, an immersive technology platform that is redefining the future of business, events and education, today announced the promotion of Craig Kaplan to Chief Customer Officer. In this expanded role, Kaplan will lead sales, marketing and customer operations, overseeing the entire customer journey from branding and messaging, to sales and customer onboarding, to account management and customer success.
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Kaplan joined VirBELA as a strategic advisor in April, streamlining enterprise sales and customer success. During his first three months, the team closed more than 20 enterprise deals, which helped to accelerate the company’s revenue growth by 260% in the second quarter of 2020.
“Craig is a valuable asset to the company and an experienced leader with genuine compassion for people, which has allowed him to act as a natural catalyst in growing our business” said Alex Howland, VirBELA president and co-founder. “We are thrilled to elevate him as Chief Customer Officer and eager to support his client-centric mindset at VirBELA.”
VirBELA builds virtual worlds and campuses for remote work, distance learning and events, complete with customizable spaces, including offices, auditoriums and even concert stages for virtual entertainment. As organizations transition to remote environments, Kaplan and his team will work closely with clients to ensure their success, while also expanding VirBELA’s position as the premier platform for resellers and distributors in the education, government, and enterprise spaces.
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“VirBELA has built a massively scalable, immersive and engaging 3D platform that is ahead of the curve. As the market adapts and people continue to look for ways to connect in an increasingly remote world, our goal is to ensure an optimal customer experience,” said Kaplan. “We are establishing a new industry segment founded on virtual culture, which allows for flexible business engagements, event experiences and educational programs. VirBELA brings teams together, unifying communications, video conferencing, file-sharing and cloud applications — all in a secure campus that replicates a real-world experience.”
Kaplan has more than 20 years of sales and technology leadership experience, collected at both startups and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to VirBELA, he served as vice president of sales at EdgeCast Networks, which was acquired by Verizon in 2013. At Verizon, Kaplan served as vice president of global technology sales and anchored the company’s SMB, enterprise and security sales efforts, which grew to more than $250 million in three years. Kaplan has served the education community in board positions at UCLA, and in 2017, launched Southern California’s Startup Grind chapter to connect entrepreneurs and investors with local startups.
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