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Veteran software executive Deb Besemer appears to have talked herself out of a job.
Gemvara has shifted Besemer, its CEO hire of one year ago, into the chairman’s job, handing the reins temporarily to founder and former CEO Matt Lauzon while the Lexington jewelry e-commerce startup searches for a new chief executive.
Besemer’s move is due to the company’s shift last month to a direct-to-consumer e-commerce strategy — a change that Besemer herself introduced, Lauzon said.
“There’s zero doubt Deb is a world-class leader and company builder,” Lauzon said. “But in terms of the experience building a consumer company, we thought having that in place at the top of the company would be very important.”
Gemvara, founded in 2007 as Paragon Lake Inc., changed its strategy and name in February. The company had initially provided a web-based custom jewelry ordering service for mom-and-pop jewelry stores. This year, the company changed tack, bringing that service direct to the consumer via its own website.
The company is backed with $5.8 million from California-based Canaan Partners and Lexington-based Highland Capital Partners, where it remains located in incubation space.
Besemer, a longtime Lotus executive who ran venture-backed BrassRing from 1999 to 2006, is still at Gemvara two days a week, currently advising the company during the CEO search. She plans to stay on the board after Gemvara makes a CEO hire, she said. Besemer also holds board seats at Double-Take Software Inc. (Nasdaq: DBTK) and venture-backed startup Brightcove Inc.
“Advising young CEOs, that’s what I like to do,” she said, adding that while she’s not looking for a full-time executive position or another board seat, “I never say never.”
Besemer’s move was first mentioned Wednesday in an event write-up by Boston Globe blogger Scott Kirsner.
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