Scott A. Jones Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer ChaCha
Scott A. Jones is a veteran entrepreneur, inventor, strategist, venture capitalist and founder of ChaCha, today’s leading free, real-time answers service. Jones created the ChaCha concept/idea more than two decades ago – well before desktop search engines and the Web were created – when he described publicly during speeches in Hong Kong and London a vision of people having access to all of mankind’s knowledge, from anywhere, and at any time. In 2008, he realized that the enabling technologies of the Web and the ubiquity and portability of mobile devices finally provided the necessary pieces of the puzzle to manifest his dream.
By allowing anyone with any mobile phone device to ask any question in conversational English and receive an accurate answer as a text message, ChaCha is the world’s easiest-to-use and most comprehensive way to access answers and information. Through its unique “ask-a-smart-friend” platform that Jones developed, ChaCha has answered nearly 2 billion questions since launch from more than 25 million unique users per month via online (www.chacha.com), SMS text (242-242), iPhone app, Android app, and voice 1-800-2-ChaCha™.
Before developing ChaCha, at age 25 Jones co-founded and led Boston Technology, where he invented the massively scalable, easy-to-use voicemail system. Used by over two billion people around the world, it was later sold to Comverse for $843 million. Subsequently Jones founded Internet-based music service company Gracenote, now utilized by Apple, Yahoo, and Sony. Gracenote services are accessed globally at the rate of 24 billion times per year by applications such as iTunes and the company was later sold to Sony in 2008 for $260 million. Jones is now driven by the singular focus of making ChaCha the world’s easiest-to-use and most comprehensive way to access answers and information.
More on Scott is available at www.scottajones.com.
Scott Housefield Chief International Officer and Vice President of Sales
Scott has been a leader in international business for over two decades, and is now driving ChaCha’s rapid expansion into multiple global markets. As Chief International Officer, his global expertise has led ChaCha to a successful launch in the UK with a host of other strategic markets to follow. Scott leads ChaCha’s expansion efforts and new market development including identification of new target markets and positioning, navigating regulatory environments and negotiating partnership alignments.
Prior to joining ChaCha, Scott has an accomplished track record of leading companies to global success, most recently as President and Founder of HP International. He has also served as President & CEO of Brightstar International, in additional to opening new markets in the Asia Pacific Region he was also instrumental in their First Round of Equity Financing. The Asia-Pacific Rim market now accounts for over $1 billion in annual sales of the company’s total revenues. Prior to that role, as president of Polymer Technology Systems, Scott was responsible for co-developing and patenting a new medical device and expanding their business into Europe. From 1993-1999, Scott held a number of roles with Brightpoint Inc. eventually becoming the President and CEO of Brightpoint International where he took international revenues totaling less than 5% of the company earnings and catapulted them to account for over 70% of total revenues.
Michael Zammuto Chief Operating Officer
Michael A. Zammuto is a seasoned business leader, entrepreneur and strategist in the technology industry and he serves as ChaCha’s Chief Operating Officer. As COO, Michael provides strategic decision making, leadership and planning for ChaCha. Michael has a strong background in creating and leading startup companies, and his experience is invaluable to the direction of ChaCha.
Prior to his role at ChaCha, Michael has been involved in multiple award winning startup firms and has held instrumental leadership roles in established companies. Most recently, Michael led the turnaround of Ontario Systems, LLC where he served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Before his time at Ontario Systems, Michael served as an SVP and Business Information Officer of ChoicePoint Services in its technology division. Prior to that, he worked for Microsoft and was a key manager in the successful development of the first version of Windows Workflow Foundation and was responsible for managing a portfolio of large product development efforts.
Before Microsoft, he founded the company Sapago, a provider of Radio Frequency Identification technologies. The company won several awards including ‘Best in Show’ at Microsoft’s Global Partner Conference and was featured in RFID Journal, Internet Retailer, Retail World, the Craft Report and other periodicals. Michael has also appeared on CNN International’s Global Office program as an expert on technology management representation on corporate board of directors.
Michael has a wife and three young children. The Zammutos enjoy sailing, hiking and camping. Michael completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School, received his undergraduate business degree at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and studied at Cambridge University in England.
Esther Friend Chief Service Officer
Esther Friend drives the strategic growth and development of the Guide program, and also oversees Content, Quality Control and Quality Assurance, and Business Analysis. Friend grew the ChaCha Guide pool to more than 60,000 virtual Guides across the U.S., developing unique systems & processes for Guide recruitment, Training, Quality and Communications. To date, ChaCha has answered 1.7 Billion+ questions. Friend drove 70%+ automation of answers by leveraging partner feeds, and ChaCha’s indexed database of answers. Friend established processes to measure & benchmark customer satisfaction. Today, more than 89% of ChaCha users would recommend the service to their friends and family; the engaging user experience enabled ChaCha to be #1 in SMS answers services, and also to become a top 100 website (Quantcast & ComScore). Now Friend is developing Affiliate Guide pools to support the Enterprise product, launching Guide initiatives internationally, and driving continuous improvements in Quality.
Prior to ChaCha, Friend worked for WellPoint, driving process improvements which saved $1.7 million while improving service delivery. Previously, Friend was the Director of Operations for RCI Asia (Wyndham), where she was recognized by the Contact Centre Council Association of Singapore, receiving the Regional Bronze Awards for Best Call Centre in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Prior to that, Friend was based in Ireland, and created the highest performing RCI call center serving US members. Friend was recognized by the CEO of RCI, receiving the President’s Award.
Friend savored adventures abroad, studying in Sevilla, Spain during University, and working in Mexico City early in her career. Esther is an avid traveler and foodie with an unquenchable thirst for learning.
Byron Estes Chief Technology Officer
Byron leads the talented group of engineers, DBA’s, system administrators and help desk professionals whose technical wizardry and creativity make the ChaCha experience possible. He is responsible for ChaCha’s architecture and its evolution as the products we offer grow and as technology advances.
Before coming to ChaCha, Byron was the Enterprise Architect for CNA Insurance’s Claim, Legal and Distribution portfolios where he was intimately involved in both conceiving strategy and for the successful implementation of large programs to implement those strategies. Prior to CNA Byron was an Enterprise Architect for Blackwell Consulting and an Advanced Systems Engineer for EDS. His architectural experience spans a wide range of applications on a variety of platforms (e.g. JEE, .Net) and diverse architecture styles (e.g. web, client/server, mobile, portal, etc.). Byron is a Sun Certified Enterprise Architect (SCEA).
In addition to his strong technical background, Byron brings extensive experience in bringing practical process improvement to technology companies. On a personal note, Byron is an avid sailor and a marginal guitarist (at best).
Shawn Schwegman Chief Marketing Officer
As ChaCha’s chief marketing officer and an accomplished marketing strategist, Shawn Schwegman has been the driving force behind ChaCha’s swift transformation into a comScore and Quantcast Top 100 Web property and premiere online destination for memorable consumer engagement. Schwegman provides leadership and direction surrounding customer focus across all of ChaCha’s products including chacha.com, the mobile answers service, iPhone and smartphone applications, and mobile Web products. Schwegman also commands the company’s marketing and brand strategies for both national and international markets.
Prior to his role at ChaCha, Schwegman built an impressive record as a leader in the technology space for nearly two decades. He most recently served as chief executive officer of SAS Technology, a consulting firm specializing in ecommerce, online marketing, social networking, and many other Web 2.0/3.0 technologies. Prior to that, Schwegman served two years as chief marketing officer of Vcommerce Corporation, an end-to-end ecommerce platform provider delivering solutions to companies such as Target, eToys, MTV, FYE, BJ’s Wholesale Club, NewEgg, and many others.
Schwegman also held a pivotal role as chief technical officer and vice president of marketing for five years with Top-10 Internet retailer Overstock.com. During his tenure, the Web start-up grew exponentially from $10 million to over $800 million in annual sales.
Chris Brown Chief Financial Officer
Chris leads ChaCha’s dynamic team in its daily quest to build the world’s leading mobile answers service and advertising platform. Chris is leading the effort to build and launch innovative products that delight both customers and advertisers by delivering fast, accurate answers and mobile advertising solutions that drive real results.
Prior to joining ChaCha, Brown played an instrumental role in building Nextel into a $15 billion business and worked on all facets of the Sprint-Nextel Communications merger, one of the largest merger and integration efforts in U.S. history. Chris brings over 20 years of wireless industry experience to ChaCha, including eight years with Verizon Wireless before serving in a variety of executive roles with Nextel. As Nextel’s Vice President of Customer Operations, Chris led the company’s Service Done Right program which garnered Nextel the JD Powers “No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction” award.
Chris also has a passion for fine wine, soccer and travel. In fact, Chris’ taste for red wine led him to co-found Dogwood Cellars and Three Families winery in Healdsburg, California. A glass of handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignon at the end of a sunny day with his wife, and sons, is the perfect complement to Chris’ tenacious focus on building ChaCha into one of the world’s great companies.
