Pax8 Hires New COO, CPO

‘I believe we are changing the face of SMB software consumption for both vendors and our partners,’ says Robert Belgrave, Pax8’s new COO. ‘I won’t rest until we’ve completely transformed the dynamics of this market globally by providing the first and only true cloud commerce marketplace.’

Pax8 has tapped Robert Belgrave as chief operating officer and Elizabeth (Libby) McIlhany as chief product officer, two leaders who have been with the company for several years.

Belgrave (pictured above left) was the CEO of Wirehive, which was acquired by Denver, Colo.-based cloud distributor Pax8 in 2021. After the acquisition, he became CEO of Pax8 EMEA and then the company’s global chief people officer.

“Having led our international expansion as the CEO of EMEA before transitioning into the chief people officer role on our global team, I have already experienced a rich and diverse set of challenges at Pax8, which equip me perfectly for what’s next,” Belgrave told CRN. “Ultimately though, it’s all about the people. The quality of talent at Pax8 is what makes us truly special, and I look forward to continuing to nurture that from my new position.”

In his new role, he will oversee day-to-day operational functions and work closely with other executives to optimize and align operations to further Pax8’s mission, vision and strategy.

He will report to CEO John Street.

“I’m delighted to announce these two key leadership roles for Pax8,” Street said in a statement. “These changes reflect our commitment to scaling at pace while delivering exceptional experiences and results to our partners, vendors and employees. Rob and Libby will bring extensive leadership and technical expertise to the COO and CPO roles, strengthening our capabilities to deliver on our ambitious goals.”

McIlhany (pictured above right) joined Pax8 in 2022 as senior vice president of product and has led Pax8's product strategy and execution. Her leadership has driven the company's evolution into a technology-led company with numerous enhancements including scaling for growth and the development of Pax8's new marketplace vision.

“I started at Pax8 two years ago as the SVP of product. Being in that leadership role was a great vantage point from which to deeply learn about the business and the channel,” she told CRN. “With our significant growth, I've had to develop the ability to balance the competing needs of scale and growth, with finding efficiency and prioritizing security and risk. Perhaps more than anything, I've spent two years absorbing Pax8's commitment to serving our partners and vendors. So from day one in my new role, I can ensure the organization is delivering in lockstep toward their needs.”

In her new role McIlhany, who will report to CTO Scott Chasin, will spearhead the global product management function, which includes shaping the strategy, crafting the technology roadmap and overseeing execution. She will play a strategic role in guiding Pax8's overall direction and ensuring seamless alignment between its technology and business strategies.

“We're hyper-focused on continuing to build out the features and functionality of the new marketplace we unveiled at our Beyond conference last year,” she said. “We’ll be in the market mid-year with improved quoting, storefronts, data visualization and more.”

Both McIlhany and Belgrave will be strategic players in Pax8’s new marketplace, which uses the power of data and AI to act as a customer acquisition engine for its partners. The marketplace enables Pax8 to help MSPs get matched up with end customers who are looking to buy direct through Pax8’s vendor partners.

“I believe we are changing the face of SMB software consumption for both vendors and our partners,” said Belgrave. “I won’t rest until we’ve completely transformed the dynamics of this market globally by providing the first and only true cloud commerce marketplace.”