Applied Systems Names Taylor Rhodes as Next Chief Executive Officer
May 01, 2019
Taylor Rhodes to become CEO effective June 3rd; Reid French to remain on board of directors
University Park, IL – May 1, 2019 – Applied Systems (“Applied”) today announced that it has named Taylor Rhodes as the Company’s next chief executive officer, effective June 3rd, 2019. Reid French, Applied’s previous CEO, will continue to advise the company as a member of Applied’s board of directors.
Mr. Rhodes joins Applied with more than two decades of technology and tech-enabled services leadership experience. Most recently, he served as chief executive officer of SMS Assist, the leading cloud-based software platform for multi-site property management. Previously, he was CEO of Rackspace, where he led the Company’s growth from a cloud pioneer to an industry leader with more than two billion dollars in revenue. Under his leadership, Rackspace was consistently recognized as a technology and customer service leader in Gartner’s® Magic Quadrant, the annual ranking of top cloud companies. Rackspace was also recognized as a great company culture, earning spots on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list multiple times, and named the #2 Best Midsize Employer by Forbes for 2017. Prior to Rackspace, he served as a leader in enterprise, financial and corporate strategy roles at Electronic Data Systems Corporation. Mr. Rhodes is a former United States Marine Corps infantry officer and holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I’m very excited to be joining Applied during this period of digital transformation for the insurance industry,” said Rhodes. “I look forward to working with Applied’s outstanding executive team and talented employee base to extend and accelerate the company’s product leadership.”
“I am honored to have led Applied through this period of dynamic growth over the past eight years,” said French. “However, I am most proud of Applied’s people, and all that we have accomplished together on behalf of our customers. We have transformed the way agents, insurers, and customers do business in the cloud. Team Applied has never been better positioned for continued success.”
"We are delighted to welcome Taylor as Applied’s CEO as we enter the next chapter of Applied’s success,” said Sameer Narang, chairman of Applied and partner at Hellman & Friedman. “His proven leadership ability, customer-centric approach, and strong technology background will help Applied expand upon its tradition of delivering market-leading, cloud-based solutions for the benefit of its growing customer base.”
“Reid’s outstanding leadership and strategic vision have driven tremendous innovation at Applied. The company has more than doubled in size during his tenure as CEO and its growth prospects have never been brighter as he hands the baton to Taylor,” Narang continued. “We are grateful for all of Reid’s many contributions and look forward to his continued service on the board of directors.”
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About Applied Systems
Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.