About Us

We are a team of trailblazers doing all the things necessary to ensure that your recurring revenue business runs smoothly, efficiently, and profitably....and we're having a whole lotta fun while we're doing it!

Liam LynchChris BedorCat KiernanRichard JacobsenJonathan SoucyErinMichael Smith
Darwin CX team

Our Story

Darwin CX launched their industry-leading SaaS platform in 2018, in Toronto, Canada, leveraging real-time data to increase acquisition and retention rates while decreasing marketing spend for publishers and membership-based organizations.

In 2020, Darwin CX was acquired by a private investor group led by serial entrepreneur Liam Lynch, and quickly attracted the attention of several top-tier institutional investor groups, including First Ascent Ventures, Felicitas Global, and Metropolitan Partners Group, and grew its customer base from 6 to 145+ clients.

Darwin CX remains committed to providing best-in-class products and services to power the subscription-based economy.

Manifesto

We empower our community to create the next generation of customer experience.

We engage individuals in experiences that matter to them by providing a holistic perspective of the customer data.

We learn by doing, aiming to continuously evolve new ways to connect our customers.

We put the customer at the heart of everything we do.

MANIFESTO

Leadership Team

Liam Lynch

Liam Lynch

CEO

Liam has a deep background in finance and operations. He was previously the corporate CFO and Division CEO of the John Gore Organization, which owns and operates the software and ticketing business Broadway.com. He is an experienced investor and operator who has built companies to scale and knows the key drivers to success in entrepreneurship. Liam has invested in seed and growth stage companies in media, e-commerce, software, and AI/machine learning. Liam and his wife have been active philanthropists through their family foundation, that focuses on improving the lives of children and promoting cultural heritage.

Richard Jacobsen

Richard Jacobsen

Vice Chairman and Consultant

Richard is the former president and CEO of Time Warner Retail and Time Inc. Retail. He brings a wealth of experience across multiple channels, including consumer marketing and sales, packaged goods, magazines and books, agency subscription marketing, and inventory management. He is a three-time winner of the Time Inc. President’s Award, and the Frank Herrera Award. During the last four years Richard has been a teaching coach for the sales and marketing program at Montclair State University and continues to do so under Professor Thomas Miller.

Michael Smith

Michael Smith

CTO, Head of Innovation

Michael is a co-founder and the technical lead at Darwin CX. He has a proven track record in architecting and implementing, and customer-centric solutions within successful, ROI-driven, business models. He is experienced in cloud-first application architecture, team leadership, and digital marketing, and is dedicated to optimizing the customer experience. Michael has founded and sold two successful start-ups and worked with an array of clients, including Hockey Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, Zoomer Media Limited, and the Canadian Tire Corp.

Cat Kiernan

Cat Kiernan

COO

Cat brings two decades of experience with a record of success in providing vision, strategy, and leadership that drives business development and operational growth. In her previous role, Chief of Staff to the CEO at Bauer USA, Cat oversaw strategic business initiatives from development to execution, including acquisitions and divestitures. Working with and on behalf of the CEO, Cat engaged stakeholders to develop strategies and operations for optimized efficiency and productivity. Her specialties include revenue modeling, assessing operational efficiency, and building high-performance teams.

Cary Zel

Cary Zel

President - North America

Cary Zel is the President of Darwin CX, bringing a wealth of experience as a senior entrepreneurial leader and marketing executive. He has a proven track record in steering business development and client success, with previous roles including Executive Vice President at PWX Solutions and co-founder and President of ProCirc. Cary’s extensive industry experience also spans senior marketing positions at Time Inc., Scientific American, and Art & Antiques Magazine.

Jonathan Soucy

Jonathan Soucy

CFO

With a strong background in financial integration of acquisitions, Jon brings extensive experience in financial functions, planning, analysis, and strategic planning in SaaS-based business environments. Jon is focused on defining and measuring KPIs alongside management to drive business growth. Before joining Darwin, Jon held positions as VP of Finance at The John Gore Organization Inc. and Director of Finance at Broadway Across America.

Chris Bedor

Chris Bedor

General Counsel

Chris joined Darwin in 2021 and has overseen its entry into the U.S. market. His primary role is General Counsel, and he has expanded into risk management, strategic planning, and more. Chris is experienced in complex commercial litigation, commercial and personal lines coverage matters, SMEs, and labor unions.

Erin Christopher

Erin Christopher

VP of Marketing

Erin Christopher, VP of Marketing at Darwin CX, is a senior digital marketer devoted to crafting personalized, engaging customer experiences. A passionate leader promoting growth, creativity, and collaboration, Erin remains at the digital forefront. With agency and client-side expertise spanning SaaS, Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, Automotive, and Manufacturing, Erin has a history of scaling companies and securing triple-digit investments, making a substantial impact in digital marketing.

Andrew Conti

Andrew Conti

Chief Sales Officer

As CSO, Andrew oversees all aspects of Darwin’s sales. Andrew brings over 34 years of fulfillment software sales and software marketing experience to Darwin. While CMO at Publishers Service Associates he provided client service support and assisted in the area of new products and services development. As VP of Sales and Marketing with CWC Software, publishers of QuickFill, he was instrumental in all aspects of selling and marketing QuickFill Subscription Fulfillment Software. Andrew has over 30 years selling to the Publishing Industry and remains active in a variety of industry associations.

Advisory Board

We have engaged the titans of the publishing industry to join our board to provide product feedback, market insights and to build the Darwin CX brand.

Our board will serve as a compass, providing crucial direction and guidance to help Darwin chart a course towards excellence and sustained success. This group of accomplished individuals brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to the table, making them invaluable assets to any venture. Our advisors meet quarterly with our executive team to review Darwin’s, product, operations and go to market strategy to provide insights that create efficiencies for our team and value for our customers.

Their collective wisdom and experience illuminate our path, helping us navigate challenges and seize opportunities with confidence and foresight.

Guiding Excellence.
Inspiring Success.
Together.

Doug Olsen

President & Chief Media Officer at a360 Media

Doug is highly experienced in magazine operations, including content generation, sales, marketing, newsstand, production, sourcing and most importantly, people management for the world's leading brands.

Eric Hoffman

CEO at Hoffman Media and Investor & Managing Member at H2M Capital.

Eric’s keen knowledge of the investment world has helped him drive significant top-line growth while delivering strong return on investment.

Chris Lambiase

Former CEO and President of Hearst SmartMoney

Chris comes to us with a unique constellation of experience in P&L responsibility, ad sales management, editorial management, digital operations management, audience development, integrated sales and marketing, events and business strategy.

David Nussbaum

Former CEO at America's Test Kitchen and F&W

David is highly skilled in digital strategy, e-commerce, and content in all forms. Experience and education includes journalism, marketing strategy, and digital marketing.

Open Positions

Where To Find Us

As a SaaS-based platform, you can usually find Darwin CX in the cloud (with your customer data). If you'd prefer to connect with us on terra firma, try reaching us at our headquarters in Toronto, Canada.

Canada (HQ)

Toronto, ON
[email protected]

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