Rio SEO appoints its first-ever operating head since Covario separation

Rio SEO appoints first-ever operating head

Covario, a provider of search marketing solutions and services, has hired Christopher Reid in the newly created position of SVP and operating head of Rio SEO, Covario's software unit. The hire, says Covario CEO Russ Mann, marks the first time Rio SEO has had an operating head since Covario separated its search agency practice from its software development practice in April.

Reid will be responsible for overseeing Rio SEO's products and its sales team, both of which target brand marketers and marketers at digital agencies. Reid was previously VP of sales at Business.com Media, Inc. He also held jobs as VP of sales at SDL/Language Weaver, SVP of sales at WebSideStory, and SVP of sales at Merant (Serena).

The challenges that Reid foresees is stiff competition from other vendors that leads to pricing pressure and the need to build “repeatable processes that will allow [Rio SEO] to rapidly scale."

Reid will report directly to Mann. Covario did not rely on a recruiter because, as Mann states, “several of us are very familiar with Chris and his success as a software industry leader and outstanding sales executive.”

This is the second significant Covario hire in recent months. In July the company named Claire Long its CFO and COO.