LA-based vehicle subscription app, Fair raised a whopping $385 million in a Series B round of funding led by SoftBank earlier this year – is gearing up for world domination by bringing on veterans in the tech to the C-suite. The company announced it has hired three executives from Google, TrueCar and Lehman Brothers – Jay Trinidad, John Pierantoni and Pat Wilkison respectively. These execs were brought on to position the company to go global in support of its partnership with Uber and its consumer business.
Jay Trinidad, a former Google and Discovery Networks executive, has been named Chief Product Officer, heading Fair’s app development and technology efforts. Meanwhile, one of Fair’s earliest investors, Pat Wilkison, has joined the company as EVP, Rideshare of its Uber program, leading the strategy and execution of its exclusive global partnership with Uber. And John Pierantoni, formerly Interim CFO and Chief Accounting Officer at TrueCar, joins Fair as Senior Vice President of Finance and Risk.
“A critical part of our transformation effort is deepening our bench of talented executives to set us up for success now and into the future,” said Scott Painter, Fair’s Founder and CEO. “The addition of Jay, Pat, and John to the senior leadership team will help drive our aggressive efforts around payment, infrastructure, and financial planning as we scale our flexible car ownership model internationally and make a name for ourselves on the global stage.”
Trinidad started his career at Google, where he spent a decade working on products such as Chrome, Google Search and YouTube, opening landing teams in India, Singapore, Seoul, and Tokyo. Following that, Trinidad lent his expertise to Gengo and Square, working on various AI and payments products. Most recently, he spearheaded digital expansion to over 1 billion consumers globally at Discovery Networks. He served as VP of Digital for McDonald’s Japan, where he led its technology strategy, intensifying customer experience through digital innovation.
“I’ve spent my entire career focused on bridging the gap between tech and the consumer, and Fair represents a truly unique opportunity to do that in a business sector undergoing transformative change,” Trinidad said. “I am excited to contribute to changing how people access mobility as Fair matures from an exciting hypergrowth company into a true global disruptor.”
Wilkison comes to Fair from his venture capital firm, Exponential Partners, where he spearheaded an early-stage investment in Fair. With a career encompassing both transportation and technology infrastructure, he built rapidly growing global business units at data storage company WD and at high-performance data storage pioneer STEC. Previously a technology investment banker at Lehman Brothers and Barclays, he performed IPOs and M&A work for tech companies of all sizes. Wilkison began his career as an aviation planning officer in the U.S. Army, flying helicopters in support of infantry operations.
“After investing in Fair, I quickly realized that simply being an investor wasn’t going to be enough for me,” Wilkison said. “Fair has accomplished great things with its Uber partnership, providing credit-challenged Uber drivers with flexible access to a car that allows them to build their own ridesharing business and achieve financial independence on their own terms.”
Pierantoni has over 20 years of experience in accounting operations for high-growth technology and entertainment companies, and over 13 years of public accounting experience with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He served as Interim CFO and Chief Accounting Officer at TrueCar, and as VP of Finance at Cornerstone OnDemand, where he helped coordinate its successful IPO in 2011. Pierantoni also served as the Chief Accounting Officer of Ticketmaster Entertainment, and as the Controller of the Motion Picture Group of Paramount Pictures.
“I’ve always had an immense passion for optimizing and scaling accounting frameworks to strengthen companies for the new fiscal landscape ahead,” Pierantoni said. “I’m impressed by Fair’s unique ability to transform the mobility space, and am excited to join as it prepares for its next bold stages.”
“After closing $385M in our Series B, it’s time to put that capital to work for us to buy cars and propel growth—with this new executive team providing us with important insights and leadership.” Painter added. “Jay will eliminate execution risk and bring in operational and strategic expertise, Pat is an investor-turned-employee crusader, while John is a world-class financial and accounting expert around whom we can build a sound subscription business and strong auto insurance division.”
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