New Federal Marketing Leaders Join as Company Matures Within Federal and Commercial Markets

Shift5, the onboard data company, announced it has expanded its leadership team through the appointment of Ellen McDonald as General Counsel and the promotions of Mitchell Plonski to Chief Revenue Officer and Amanda Lampert to Chief People Officer. Among the growth of its executive team, Shift5 has appointed two federal marketing leaders, Vice President of Marketing, Colby Proffitt, and Head of Federal Marketing, Andy Oare.

“Shift5’s mission-focused growth has attracted and fostered the best talent in the market. I am proud to announce that our skilled leaders Mitchell Plonski and Amanda Lampert have joined Shift5’s C-Suite. Their contributions to the business have allowed us to grow in markets and as a team to meet demand,” said Josh Lospinoso, co-founder and CEO, Shift5. “Seasoned attorney Ellen McDonald, and experienced DoD marketing experts Colby Proffitt and Andy Oare, will provide guidance as we capitalize on the significant market opportunity ahead of us in federal and commercial markets.”

General Counsel, Ellen McDonald 

McDonald joins Shift5 after most recently serving as General Counsel at Tanium. She will manage all aspects of Shift5’s legal affairs, including corporate governance, compliance, contracts, intellectual property and regulatory matters. McDonald has deep legal experience, having worked for companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers and blue chips like IBM. This is her third General Counsel role, and as Shift5’s inaugural General Counsel, McDonald will establish Shift5’s legal function, ensuring the company’s ability to maintain rapid growth through strategic legal and policy leadership.

“Shift5 is on the path to continue its significant growth trajectory,” McDonald said. “The company’s work directly impacts critical pieces of infrastructure and I’m excited to join at a crucial time to help navigate the novel legal and policy issues in the evolving realms of cybersecurity and data privacy.”

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Chief Revenue Officer, Mitchell Plonski 

Plonski joined Shift5 in 2019 as Executive Vice President where he has been involved in every facet of the company’s go-to-market strategy and growth across commercial and federal markets. Prior to Shift5, Plonski served in the U.S. military and U.S. Intelligence Community for 13 years in numerous operations and executive management roles. His experience with government acquisition, emerging technology, cybersecurity, and acquisition reform created the base of the company’s sales strategy with the Department of Defense (DoD) and opened the doors to its commercial growth. In his role as CRO, Plonski will oversee Shift5’s revenue-generating processes across federal and commercial markets.

“My time in the military and intelligence made clear the opportunity for innovative technologies to support meaningful change within the DoD,” Plonski said. “We’re bringing new opportunities to operations and cybersecurity teams in defense, aviation, and rail to better run and defend their fleets. As a dual-use technology, the force multiplier Shift5 brings to each market is significant.”

Chief People Officer, Amanda Lampert 

Lampert, who joined Shift5 in 2021, is a former Marine Corps small unit leader, electronic warfare analyst, and disaster response professional who has led several human resources programs across industries. Her work as Shift5’s VP of People resulted in the maturation of its HR systems and processes as the company achieved 54% growth in headcount year-over-year. Lampert will be a strategic partner to the C-suite through Shift5’s next growth phase, enabling the company to embrace work reinvention in a post-COVID world.

“Supporting and enabling people to be successful has been the center of each job I’ve held, and I’ll continue to leverage my successes and learnings in this new role,” said Lampert. “The landscape for talent is competitive in the technology sector and Shift5 remains committed to being a rewarding and flexible place to work, particularly as it grows.”

Vice President of Marketing, Colby Proffitt 

Proffitt, a technology marketing expert with deep focus on messaging, positioning, and go-to-market strategy, has led global thought leadership and public sector marketing programs for several cybersecurity leaders across the industry. With roots as a consultant and analyst for multiple agencies, including the DoD, Department of State (DoS), the Business Transformation Agency (BTA), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Proffitt’s extensive experience and familiarity with government will bring strategic vision to Shift5’s overall go-to-market strategy. Proffitt will oversee the company’s marketing and PR team, defining and enhancing the company’s brand presence across commercial and federal markets.

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Head of Federal Marketing, Andy Oare 

Hailing from the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Director of Digital Media within the Public Affairs team, Oare joins as Shift5’s Head of Federal Marketing. He will lead and grow the company’s reputation and thought leadership presence with federal and military stakeholders. At the DoD, Oare implemented the first ever department-wide social media policy and oversaw digital communications for the Department and for the Secretary. He has held senior positions with three winning presidential campaigns, served in the Obama Administration at the Department of Energy, and worked for several D.C.-area strategic communications firms.

Most recently, Shift5 announced its expansion in the Arlington area and was named a Best Startup to Work For in Washington, D.C., in a Built In “2023 Best Places to Work” list.