Klaviyo raids CyberArk to bring in Erica Smith as CFO following Amanda Whalen’s decision to step down
Klaviyo, an autonomous B2C CRM and AI marketing platform headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, has announced the appointment of Erica Smith as Chief Financial Officer, effective 1st September. Smith will succeed Amanda Whalen, who announced in May her plan to step down. Whalen will remain employed with Klaviyo until 4th September and will then move into an advisory role through to November.
Smith joins Klaviyo from CyberArk, recently acquired by Palo Alto Networks, where she served as Chief Financial Officer.
"We're expanding internationally, moving further upmarket with larger, more complex customers, and building out a multi-product platform. Erica's experience helping high growth companies navigate that kind of change will be a critical asset as we execute our strategy and scale the business. We're excited to welcome Erica to Klaviyo, and we're grateful to Amanda for her leadership and many contributions to the company as we work together to ensure a seamless transition," says Chano Fernández, co-CEO at Klaviyo.
"I’ve long admired Klaviyo for its impressive growth, profitability, and disciplined execution. As a Boston native, I’ve had a front row seat to watching Klaviyo grow into what it is today. The way people interact with brands and the way companies want to deliver personalised experiences is changing fast, and it is one of the leading companies building the infrastructure and agents to make that possible. I have deep conviction in the company’s vision and believe its strategy positions Klaviyo to deliver sustainable, long-term growth. I’m looking forward to being part of that next chapter," says Smith.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
