The directory publisher and SMB SaaS company Thryv recently expanded its C-suite with the promotion of longtime executive Grant Freeman to the newly created position of President.
Freeman moved up to the new C-suite role from the position of Chief Customer Officer which he had held since 2021. Freeman is a veteran Thryv executive both under its current branding and as an executive at Dex Media, Thrvy’s erstwhile brand. Before that, he worked at Yellowbook.
Yesterday we chatted with Thryv Chairman and CEO Joe Walsh about the reasons behind the creation of the new role.
Walsh told us that he “hired Freeman right out of Penn State ” back in the early 2000s. He added that Freeman has been a “key change agent” during their career working together.
Freeman has spent his career working with Walsh largely in customer-facing roles, including sales. This meshes well with Walsh’s priorities, which revolve around understanding customer needs. Walsh is quick to note that he continues to meet with customers on at least a weekly basis.
COO not Succession
Walsh said Freeman’s appointment is not part of any succession strategy at Thryv. Walsh is a fitness enthusiast who very recently turned 60. He says he has no intention of retiring before 2038 when he turns 75.
Walsh described Freeman’s appointment as about giving more day-to-day operational responsibilities to an executive he likes, trusts, and shares values with. It also enables Walsh to adjust his focus. He said the new role is roughly equivalent to a chief operating officer.
With fewer day-to-day burdens, Walsh wants to focus his energies on Thryv’s relationship with Wall Street, future M&A opportunities, product strategy, and other areas that impact the company’s long-term success.
First Foray into PLG
Regarding other recent developments at Thryv, Walsh seemed very excited about the company’s new Command Center app. Thryv describes this free app as “a centralized inbox that combines all the most popular small business communication channels.”
Essentially, by using this app, SMBs can consolidate social DMs, texts, emails, etc. into a single channel while allowing consumers to continue to reach the business in the manner they prefer.
Walsh describes the app as “Thryv’s first foray into product-led growth.”
PLG essentially involves offering a compelling free or low-cost software product. Then after growing the installed base, convince loyal users to upgrade to add features and so on. A common feature of many PLG strategies is that many if not most users will remain with the original free product and never upgrade because the initial version is good enough to meet their needs. This is acceptable as long as enough users do eventually upgrade.
Slack, Calendly, SurveyMonkey, and many others are often cited as examples of successful product-led growth brands.
New Awards
In other news, Thryv recently earned some notable industry recognition.
For example, the company was named Best SMB CRM Solution, Best SaaS Product for SMBs and SMEs, and Best Business Management Software Platform by the MarTech Breakthrough Awards, World Future Awards, and 2023 SaaS Awards, respectively.
Thryv has also been ranked in the top 10 (8) in Selling Power’s 50 Best Companies to Sell for 2023.
