Tarkoff To CEO, Lithium, Focuses On Social Engagement

RobTarkoff

Lyle Fong, founder and CEO of social marketing firm Lithium, said he was stepping down on Monday. Taking his place is Rob Tarkoff -- most recently senior vice president/GM of Digital Enterprise Solutions at Adobe Systems.

Fong will now assume the role of chief strategist and continue to serve on the board of directors.

The company's communities boast more than 20 million registered users for brands such as The Home Depot, Sephora, Best Buy, and Verizon. "Lithium has experienced record growth in one of the fastest-growing categories in enterprise software," said Fong.

As technology continues to fuel changing consumer experiences, the company expects smart brands to seek out expertise to help them scale and "operationalize" their social engagement.

"The social software market is on the verge of unprecedented growth," Tarkoff said.

It has not been all smooth sailing for Lithium, however. Last year, it agreed to buy brand-tracking startup Scout Labs for a reported $20 million.

Three months later, in a lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court, Scout Labs backer Minor Ventures accused Lithium of intentional misrepresentation, fraud and fraudulent concealment.

At Adobe, Tarkoff oversaw the Web content management and digital asset management solutions gained through Adobe's acquisition of Day Software. He was also responsible for Adobe's worldwide enterprise solution partnerships, including system integration partners and strategic ISVs.

Previously, Tarkoff held several executive positions at EMC Corp., including senior vice president/GM of the EMC Captiva software division, and senior vice president of business development and channels for the EMC Software Group.

 

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