Canadian Leadership
-
Steve Whitelaw
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Applied Systems Canada
Steve manages the Canadian business sector and Applied Systems’ client and partner relationships. Steve has extensive experience across technology processes that empower brokers and insurers. Before joining Applied, he served as Vice President of IT Planning, Execution & Operational Effectiveness at Travelers Canada. Steve has participated in many industry association boards and committees, such as Health Claims for Automobile Insurance Processing (HCAIP), and most recently served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Centre for the Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO). He holds a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo.
-
Philippe Joassin
Senior Vice President of Sales
Philippe Joassin, Senior Vice President of Sales, leads the Applied Systems Sales Division for Canada. When he joined the company through the Compu-Quote acquisition in June 2012, he brought more than 15 years of sales experience to Applied. During his first year at Applied, Joassin has been responsible for enhancing and extending Applied solutions with Applied CQ Rating Services to the brokerage community. Joassin began his career working for an insurer and holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Relations from Laval University.
-
William Ma
Vice President of Product Management and Innovation, Applied Systems Canada
William Ma, Vice President of Product Management and Innovation, is responsible for leading the Canadian Product Management team. William has over 15 years of experience delivering and managing software products in the financial and insurance industries. Prior to Applied, William led a team in Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, providing award-winning API-based solutions to grow partner ecosystems and enhance Broker-Insurer Connectivity in Canada. Ma holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Windsor and an MBA from the University of Manitoba.
Global Leadership
-
Graham Blackwell
Chief Executive Officer
Graham Blackwell, leads Team Applied and is responsible for the company's overall strategy and operational execution. Graham joined Applied in 2020 from SMS Assist, where he led the company’s sales, marketing and strategy functions as Chief Revenue Officer. Prior to SMS Assist, Graham spent almost eight years with Bain Capital’s Private Equity operating team where he worked closely with the boards and management teams of Bain Capital’s portfolio companies. Before that, Graham was an associate partner with McKinsey & Company and a consultant with Accenture. He holds an MBA degree from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and BBA degree from Ohio University.
-
Brittany Smith
Chief Financial Officer
Brittany Smith, Chief Financial Officer, joined Applied in 2025 after serving as chief financial officer of ShipBob, a global supply chain and fulfillment platform for SMB and Mid-Market ecommerce merchants. She previously worked at CDW Corporation, a multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, as Vice President, Investor Relations and Financial Planning & Analysis. She joined CDW after serving as CFO of Envoy Global, an immigration service provider that combines access to top legal talent with industry-leading technology. Prior to Envoy Global, she was at Madison Dearborn Partners, a private equity investment firm, where she focused on investments in technology, media and telecommunications services and at Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, the private equity arm of Morgan Stanley. Brittany has 25+ years of experience working with companies to develop long-term growth plans, gain market share, expand product and solutions offerings, and improve profitability and cash flow. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and international studies from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.
-
Lance Williams
Chief Product Officer
Lance Williams, Chief Product Officer, leads the Product & Design organization for Applied and EZLynx, driving product strategy for the agency side of the business and spearheading Applied's AI-first product strategy. Before joining Applied, Lance served as Chief Product Officer for TurboTax and Intuit's AI-driven Expert Platform, leading the growth of TurboTax Live from its earliest stages to more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Previously, he held product leadership roles at Apple, where he led the product organization responsible for strategic products and services across Apple's global online stores, including Apple Pay and Apple Business Chat. He holds an MBA from the Helzberg School of Management at Rockhurst University.
-
Chris Borgmeyer
Chief Customer Officer
Chris Borgmeyer, Chief Customer Officer, leads Applied's CX organization, driving customer-centric innovation and operational excellence at scale. Since joining Applied in 2021, he has delivered consistent improvements in customer experience, delivery, and scalability. Previously, Chris served as Vice President of Operations at SMS Assist, leading day-to-day operations for the Residential division across more than 186,000 service locations. Earlier in his career, he spent more than a decade at Briefing.com, a leading provider of real-time market analysis, rising to Chief Operating Officer with oversight of operations, product management, and strategic planning. Chris holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Nebraska.
-
Josh Glover
Chief Revenue Officer
Josh Glover, Chief Product Officer, is responsible for the company's product vision and product management teams. Josh brings more than 15 years of experience building and leading revenue teams at fast-growing software companies. Most recently, Josh served as President and Chief Revenue Officer at FloQast, an AI-powered accounting platform company, where he led sales, marketing, partnerships, and customer success. Before FloQast, Josh spent over a decade at nCino, an AI-powered banking software company, growing with the company from its early days as a startup all the way through serving as its President and CRO as a public company. Josh is also a decorated war veteran, having served as a Marine Corps Special Operations and Infantry Officer with multiple combat deployments.
-
Courtney Rains
Chief Marketing Officer
Courtney Rains, Chief Marketing Officer, is responsible for Applied’s global marketing strategy. Rains has held a number of leadership positions at Applied and led the Company’s brand transformation, helping to position Applied as the technology company revolutionizing the insurance industry. With more than 10 years of experience in technology marketing and crisis communications, her expertise and unrelenting commitment to growth ensure that she brings the best out of those around her for the success of the team and broader company. She has prior marketing experience at big tech companies like Qualcomm and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame.
-
Rich Cohan
Chief Legal Officer
Rich Cohan, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, is responsible for the legal and corporate governance activities of Applied. He joined Applied in 2019 and brings more than 20 years of experience in legal and business roles, including in both the software and insurance industries. Prior to Applied, Cohan ran European Operations for Workiva Inc., a SaaS provider of corporate reporting solutions. Previously he was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Athene USA (formerly Aviva USA), a leading provider of life insurance and annuity products. Previous experiences include a corporate attorney at the law firms of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Katten Muchin & Zavis, as well as a CPA with Price Waterhouse. Cohan received his law degree from the University of Chicago and his bachelor’s from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
-
Keith Olson
Chief Technology Officer
Keith Olson, Chief Technology Officer, is responsible for the company’s global engineering organization and technology strategy. He is focused on modernizing Applied’s core systems, accelerating delivery velocity, and transforming the company into a premier platform for the insurance industry. Keith joined Applied from Intuit, where he spent over a decade in senior engineering leadership roles across TurboTax, QuickBooks, Mint, and the company’s core platform organizations, leading globally distributed teams for highly regulated financial products serving tens of millions of customers. Previously, he served as Director of Product Development at Amazon, where he led the Seller Business applications handling over 1 billion transactions daily. Known for building high-performing engineering cultures grounded in clear ownership and API-first architecture, Keith holds a background in software engineering and operates at the intersection of product strategy, large-scale systems, and organizational transformation.
-
Chase Petrey
President, Strategic Business Units
Chase Petrey, President of Strategic Business Units, is responsible for Financial Management and Benefits Solutions. He oversees the growth, strategy, product, and engineering teams behind Applied Pay, Applied Recon, Epic Accounting, and Applied's Benefits Solutions. Chase brings a diverse background in enterprise software, fintech, SaaS, and analytics. Before joining Applied, he served as Global COO for Paytm's Pi business and GM of Paytm North America, and previously founded Podium's fintech business as GM of Podium Payments. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at MaritzCX (now Qualtrics), including COO for Europe, Middle East & Africa and Vice President of Asia Pacific. Chase also serves as President of the Salt Lake City Chapter of Silicon Slopes, a nonprofit that empowers Utah's tech community to learn, connect, and grow. He holds a bachelor's degree in political economics and business management from Brigham Young University.