By Lori Hawkins, Staff Writer, Austin American Statesman / New CEO of the online shipping company is an enterprise software veteran /
As it ramps up for more growth, Austin online shipping company uShip has named a new leader.
The company said Wednesday that enterprise software veteran Mike Williams has joined uShip as CEO and board member.
Williams was previously general manager of Corporate Real Estate Services with Accruent. Prior to that, his roles included CEO of Nextance and PurchasingNet and president of Socialware.
Uship runs an online shopping marketplace that matches customers who need to move unusually big items with thousands of transport companies that can take the loads.
Over the few years, uShip has moved into the $300 billion truckload freight market. The company also launched uShip PRO, which lets business shippers and freight brokers build their own carrier networks and manage and automate their shipping operations.
After outgrowing its two downtown offices, the company is building a new headquarters just south of downtown on East Riverside Drive.
The company said the move to the 45,000-square-foot campus at 205 E. Riverside Drive will allow it to launch an aggressive hiring plan.
Currently, the company has just over 200 employees and has said it plans to double its workforce over the next three years. The company has raised a total of $26 million from investors including Silicon Valley venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Williams replaces Matt Chasen, who co-founded the company in 2003. Chasen announced in December that he would step down as CEO to pursue other interests, including getting more involved with early-stage startups.
“What the uShip team has built around key products and partnerships has put it on the doorstep of explosive growth,” Williams said. “There is a transformation under way in shipping and logistics, and there’s pressure on everyone to do things faster, cheaper, better. The market opportunity is there, and it’s up to us to execute on it.”
Uship executive chairman Jim Martell said, “Mike’s enthusiasm, business acumen, disciplined management and track record make him an ideal fit for this role. In uShip, Mike will be guiding a true market leader that’s advancing in this space at a time when logistics is seeing unprecedented disruption, innovation and investment.”
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