Pia, an AI-led help desk automation platform for MSPs, has appointed James Allen to the newly created position of chief community officer (CCO). In this role, Allen will unify community strategy and strategic alliances as the company scales its partner ecosystem, officials said. He’ll report directly to David Schwartz, CEO.
Allen has 15 years of executive experience across finance and MSP ecosystems. Since joining Pia in 2022, he’s served as EVP of strategic partnerships and SVP of sales, charged with cultivating relationships with CEOs, CFOs and senior MSP leaders while building connections with technology partners, distributors and vendors, the company said.
The creation of the chief community officer position “represents a fundamental shift in how Pia is approaching growth,” officials said. As CCO, Allen will orchestrate community and partnerships as interconnected drivers of the company’s expansion. He’ll build scalable programs such as advisory boards, user groups and certifications while managing technology partnerships, distributor relationships and co-selling initiatives with vendors.
“The creation of this role signals our belief that community and partnerships aren’t just support functions; they’re core growth drivers,” Schwartz said. “James understands that in the MSP market, success comes from building an ecosystem where partners co-innovate, customers connect and strategic vendors integrate into our value proposition. By unifying these efforts under one leader, we’re building a scalable growth engine that contributes directly to pipeline, revenue and brand equity.”
Allen will work to ensure the “voice of the community” shapes product, marketing, sales and customer success teams to keep Pia’s innovation roadmap aligned with MSP needs, the company said.
“I’m excited to take on this role and strengthen Pia’s focus on community-led growth,” Allen said. “Our community is how we stay close to what MSPs need and how we build the right AI-driven solutions to help them serve their customers. Bringing community development and our alliances together will make it easier for our partners to stay connected to their customers and get the support they need to grow.”
