FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Grimm – cgrimm@appsalliance.org
Application Developers Alliance Expands U.S. Staff
Increases Focus on Industry Analysis and Enterprise Development
Washington, D.C. (January 11, 2016) – The Application Developers Alliance announced today that Mark Drapeau, Senior Director of Membership for North America and Stephen Spiker, Director of Research and Insights, have joined the organization’s Washington, D.C. staff. The addition of Drapeau and Spiker mark a significant increase in the commitment and capacity of the organization to provide valuable information, research, and resources to the software development workforce and industry.
“We are excited to welcome Mark and Stephen to the Alliance,” said Jake Ward, President of the Alliance. “Their respective talents and expertise are essential pieces of the services and offerings we are working to deliver. Alliance members and their developer workforce look to the Alliance for insights. With Stephen leading research and analysis and Mark leveraging his experience and influence to engage and grow Alliance membership, we will be better able to support our members, current and future.”
Mark Drapeau has extensive experience in the enterprise development space, previously serving as Microsoft’s Director of Innovative Engagement for U.S. Public Sector, then Director of Business Development and Multimedia Evangelism for U.S. Startups and Public Affairs.
At the Alliance, Mark will develop and implement strategies to grow the organization’s corporate membership and engage members to ensure the Alliance is delivering value across a range of industry and public policy issues. With many of the world’s largest and most innovative enterprises hiring developers and creating software at an ever increasing rate, Mark will have a particular focus on growing the Alliance’s enterprise membership.
Stephen Spiker joins the Alliance after nearly a decade of research, public affairs and campaign experience as a Research Manager for KRC Research, Senior Project Director for the Polling Company, and as a Director with Mercury Public Affairs.
As Director of Research and Insights, Stephen will help Alliance corporate members understand the changing marketplace and evolving needs of the developer workforce. The Alliance released the first annual Developer Insights Report: A Global Survey of Today’s Developer in the fall of 2015 and Stephen will lead the development of research reports and insights on a broad range of topics throughout 2016. Products will include monthly snapshots of developer trends, topical research and analysis released quarterly, semi-annual startup trends, and an annual developer census.
In fewer than four years the Alliance has built a membership of more than 200 companies and a developer network of more than 65,000. The Application Developers Alliance employs 20 staff members in Washington D.C., California, London and Brussels. The Alliance produced nearly 30 events in North America and Europe in 2015, including more than a dozen App Strategy Workshops, an IOT Accelerator Weekend in Berlin, and two of the biggest networking events at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
###
The Apps Alliance is a non-profit global membership organization that supports developers as creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. We promote app industry growth and advocate on behalf of our members on public policy and industry issues. The Apps Alliance serves more than 200 companies and a developer network of over 65,000 globally.
