3Pillar Global promotes COO, chief people officer

Fairfax-based product lifecycle management company 3Pillar Global Inc. announced two promotions Tuesday: David Sawatzky to chief operating officer and Jamie Whitacre to chief people officer.

Sawatzky was previously the company’s chief delivery officer. Whitacre served as the senior vice president of talent.

“Dave and Jamie are both exceptional leaders,” 3Pillar CEO David DeWolf said in a statement. “Each one embodies our values and excels at empowering great people, which is precisely what we need right now. Their appointments will equip 3Pillar to continue to keep up our current pace of growth.”

Part of Sawatzky’s role as chief delivery officer included expanding 3Pillar offerings like innovation consulting and machine learning. He previously led a team of 2,000 people as the vice president of SaaS and client success for IBM’s Cognitive Solutions unit.

“I am excited for this next step at 3Pillar,” he said in a statement. “This past year, we have seen 3Pillar lead the way in digital innovation, and I am thrilled to help scale the team to create world class products for our expanding set of clients.”

Whitacre has worked with 3Pillar for 12 years, most recently working with its global talent and employer branding teams to retain talent and build its corporate culture. She earned degrees from James Madison University and Capella University.

“I’m thrilled to continue my journey at 3Pillar as we expand our global presence and scale our culture,” Whitacre said in a statement. “Our next phase of growth is critical in helping us attain our vision of becoming the employer of choice in digital product development services.”

Founded in 2006, 3Pillar develops digital business software products like web and mobile apps and SaaS platforms for its clients, including CARFAX, Fortune and PBS. After a string of acquisitions beginning December 2020, it now has more than 2,000 employees across six countries. The company made the Inc. 5000, the list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S., in 2021 for the ninth time.