Zipes has experience scaling lawful crew, foremost Shopify by way of IPO.
Toronto-based mostly password management application 1Password has employed its initially chief authorized officer (CLO), bringing previous Shopify VP and Assistant Typical Counsel Erin Zipes into the startup’s fold.
Zipes has spent nearly two a long time serving in lawful management positions at law corporations and in-residence, like 7 yrs at Ottawa e-commerce big Shopify exactly where she helped direct the business through its initial general public offering (IPO). She is also a founding spouse of Spine Angels, which invested in 1Password’s Hollywood star-studded Collection C funding.
More than the earlier 12 months, 1Password has shut two huge funding rounds, expanded its headcount to almost 800, and doubled the measurement of its exec team.
1Password CEO Jeff Shiner explained Zipes’ expertise foremost Shopify by means of its IPO and her determination to variety “will be essential” to the company’s expansion trajectory.
With the addition of Zipes, 1Password has doubled the dimensions of its C-suite about the past yr. It is a calendar year that also noticed the business near two enormous funding rounds and develop its headcount to pretty much 800, amid 70 p.c 12 months-above-yr advancement on the B2B side of its small business.
Even though Shiner has been non-committal on irrespective of whether 1Password’s long term will require an IPO, the previous pair of yrs in Canadian tech have proven that it is a potent possibility for a company of 1Password’s sizing and growth. Definitely, bringing on expert executives, most a short while ago Zipes, suggests 1Password is improved geared up to make the shift when the time is right.
“Definitely, my skill set would come in handy for that,” Zipes advised BetaKit in an interview. “If the time is correct, [an IPO] could be anything in [1Password’s] long run. But we’re just truly concentrated on the advancement and the mission.”
Which includes Zipes, 1Password has extra four new executives to its now 50 % woman C-suite about the previous yr. The business has hired: its initially main people officer in Katya Laviolette, earlier of SSENSE, its to start with main internet marketing officer—Google and Atlassian alum Raj Sarkar and its very first main engineering officer, Pedro Canahuati, previous Facebook VP of security and engineering.
“When you have progress ambitions, publish-Series C … you need sure amounts of skill in sure capabilities,” Laviolette advised BetaKit. She included that 1Password “would be completely ready for a number of alternatives by owning the expertise that we’ve acquired these days,” be it an IPO or one more path.
Associated: 1Password claims $744 million CAD spherical is greatest in Canadian historical past
1Password closed about $744 million CAD in Sequence C funding previously this yr in what the startup claimed was the biggest enterprise cash increase by a Canadian company to day. The round gave 1Password an $8.6 billion CAD valuation—making the password administration agency one particular of Canada’s most beneficial tech companies.
Right after graduating from McGill University’s law program, Zipes began her vocation on Bay Street doing work for Stikeman Elliott LLP and Gowlings, and invested some time at Nordion prior to switching above to Shopify in 2014. At Shopify, she served develop and scale the company’s company authorized crew to assistance its development, when also guiding Shopify by way of important organization transactions, from acquisitions to an IPO.
“I was genuinely hoping to be a [general counsel] and CLO, was really hoping to get the possibility to after once again scale out a authorized staff, but this time, in that direct location and not as the amount two as I was at Shopify,” mentioned Zipes, in regards to why she joined 1Password.
In addition to staying a 1Password trader, Zipes is also a long-time 1Password person, each in her specialist and individual existence, describing herself as “committed to the [company’s] mission and vision.” She referred to as the opportunity to sign up for a Canadian tech firm like 1Password at this stage in its enhancement “an chance of a life span.”
Associated: A 12 months after start, Backbone Angels is closing gaps felt by underrepresented founders
Founded in 2005, 1Password presents a password management and qualifications safety platform to folks and organizations, aiming to ease the tension between on-line security and benefit. The company, which competes with companies like LastPass and NordPass, bought its start out as a purchaser password management application, before increasing into serving enterprises.
Now, 1Password caters to thousands and thousands of men and women and families throughout the world, and serves around 100,000 corporations, which include Shopify, IBM, Slack, Snowflake, and Below Armour.
Near the conclude of her time at Shopify, Zipes reported she experienced transitioned to getting “more of a chief than everything,” and expressed pleasure about the chance to return to becoming a lawyer. “I’m a lawyer that likes remaining a law firm,” she explained. “I didn’t go to law faculty to make my mother content or something like that, so I’m super satisfied to get the prospect to roll up my sleeves and dig in yet again.”
Aspect graphic of Erin Zipes, courtesy 1Password.
