Auctane Appoints Albert Ko as CEO Amid Other Changes in Executive Management

Auctane, the leading global delivery experience company that operates trusted brands such as ShipStation, Stamps.com, ShippingEasy, ShipEngine, ShipWorks, Metapack, and Endicia, announced a change at the top with Albert Ko becoming its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 12, 2023.

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He succeeds Nathan Jones as CEO and will join the Company’s Board of Directors as well.

Having previously held the position of CEO at Early Warning Services (EWS), renowned for its Zelle payments network, he oversaw a 20-fold growth in financial institutions and a five-fold growth in volume.

During his four-year tenure at EWS, Ko successfully fostered a robust culture of employee engagement throughout the organization.

“Al has deep expertise in bringing organizations together to achieve large-scale growth and transformational change. His proven track record of empowering employees around a shared vision will serve Auctane well as we accelerate momentum across our portfolio of brands,” said Gene Austin, Chairman of Auctane’s Board of Directors. “I look forward to working alongside Al as he brings this expertise to bear at Auctane.”

Auctane is a prominent player in the mailing and shipping industries, operating a diverse range of brands. It all started with the introduction of online postage through Stamps.com.

Since then, Auctane has expanded its reach into the thriving global ecommerce market with innovative solutions like ShipStation, ShipEngine, and Metapack.

Throughout its extensive history, Auctane has consistently been at the forefront of pioneering technology, dedicated to enhancing the delivery experience for both senders and recipients.

“With extensive experience delivering product innovation and operational excellence at large-scale organizations, Al will help Auctane usher in a new stage of growth,” said Holden Spaht, a Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo, which acquired Auctane in October 2021.

“Under his leadership, Auctane will continue to drive innovation in the expanding ecommerce shipping market, where increasing expectations around shipping speed, complexity, and globalization present enormous opportunity.”

Ko said, “Auctane has been on the forefront of innovation in shipping since its inception. I look forward to joining a team of passionate innovators dedicated to bringing solutions to merchants around the world to help grow their businesses.”

Changes at Auctane

The CEO appointment of Ko is just the latest management change at Auctane. Other notable executives left the company in the past few months, including:

Bryan Jones, COO, left this month to become the new CEO of LINQ; Eric Nash, who was the Vice President of Online Marketing at Auctane left the company to become a partner at KQ2 Ventures; and Steve Rifai (GM at Auctane) as well as Robert Gilbreath (VP and GM at ShipStation) both left earlier this year to pursue other opportunities.

Following the acquisition of Stamps.com and its associated brands by Thoma Bravo, a significant reorganization of top-level management appears to be underway at Auctane.

Under the unified Auctane brand, Thoma Bravo seems to be making changes in the organization, potentially reflecting a broader strategic shift within the company that could even lead to further personnel adjustments.

Unfortunately, this is not completely surprising after a private equity firm buys a company, as they typically seek to minimize duplications and improve efficiencies within an organization.