RedBalloon Announces First CMO, Appoints New Chief Tech Officer

RedBalloon has kicked off 2017 with the appointment of its first Chief Marketing Officer, Rapthi Thanapalasingam, while signing on new Chief Technology Officer, Brett Raven.

RedBalloon CEO Nick Baker said both the CMO and CTO are key appointments as they will be strong voices at the executive table, particularly as the entrepreneurial business continues its expansion beyond gifts as experiences and into the travel and tourism sector.

“The relationship between CMO and CTO at RedBalloon is a vital one as we are both a marketing and technology company, poised for some exciting new initiatives that will heavily impact both areas. Both hires are integral to the continued growth of RedBalloon,” Baker said.

“Specifically, we were looking for a CMO with strong commercial and ecommerce experience, a pedigree in travel and tourism and a natural affinity for fast paced and progressive environments. So Rapthi is an ideal fit for RedBalloon at this exciting time.”

Rapthi, who joins RedBalloon today, has over 15 years’ experience in the tourism, telecommunications and financial services industries. Her most recent role saw her leading MasterCard’s Australian and New Zealand digital and social strategy, working with the company’s key partners through the ‘Priceless’ platform.

“I’m really looking forward to applying my extensive travel and digital experience in an ecommerce environment and leading the RedBalloon marketing team, particularly as the business enters a new growth chapter,” Thanapalasingam said.

“A core philosophy of RedBalloon is to treasure life experiences and not just material things – it’s about getting out there and doing things and creating memories – I try to live by this every day.”

Brett Raven will join the RedBalloon team as chief technology officer on January 30. Raven has over 25 years’ experience in software development, most recently as CTO at the rapidly growing Lux Group.

“Brett’s passion for using technology to solve business problems, and his depth of hands-on experience championing the role of tech in driving business outcomes, will see him hit the ground running and make a terrific contribution to the RedBalloon business,” Baker said.

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