Germany-based Flix SE, which purchased Greyhound Lines last year, is launching Flix North America to oversee operations for both Greyhound and FlixBus across North America. The new entity’s U.S. headquarters will be in Dallas. Kadir “Kai” Boysan—the former CEO of Kâmil Koç Buses, recently acquired by Flix—will relocate to Dallas from Turkey to assume the CEO role of Flix North America, with longtime Greyhound CEO Dave Leach retiring at year’s end.
Flix purchased Greyhound in October 2021 on a debt-free/cash-free basis of $46 million.
“FlixBus and Greyhound’s dedication to consumers has made them both leaders in the intercity bus industry,” said Boysan. “Now, with Flix North America, we can harness both brands’ strengths and provide the best, most accessible transportation solution. Together with the existing team, we will push boundaries and work towards profitable growth.”
Other C-Suite members at FlixBus North America include:
- Nathan Oujezdsky, former VP of commercial finance for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits takes the post as CFO of Flix North America.
- Bill Blankenship, with Greyhound for 25 years, will take over from Dave Leach as president of Greyhound Lines and continue as COO.
- Former interim CFO of Greyhound, Cork Van Den Handel, is stepping down from his Greyhound role.
- Pierre Gourdain, who joined Flix in 2015, will lead FlixBus Inc. as President and COO.
Podcast Movement Conference Comes to Dallas, Mark Cuban to Take Stage
Podcast Movement, the world’s largest community of podcasters, is coming to Dallas for its annual conference. The event will take place at the Sheraton Downtown Dallas from August 23–26. Across more than 10 stages, there will be more than 150 workshops, panels, breakout sessions, and keynote speeches from podcast industry leaders.
Topic tracks include: industry, creation, monetization, marketing, society, culture and advocacy, audio fiction, brand and content marketing, podcast growth, and Spanish language. Phoebe Judge, host of Criminal, and Nishat Kurwa, from Vox Media Podcast Network, will be keynote speakers. Mark Cuban and Fireside Co-Founder Falon Fatemi will also take the stage.
Podcast Movement also features the largest trade show in the industry, where exhibitors will demonstrate the latest products and service offerings. Since 2014, more than 10,000 attendees from 35 different countries have joined Podcast Movement’s events.
“The podcast and media world is changing rapidly, and I can’t wait to hear from representatives from across our industry about where they think things are headed, and how we can prepare,” Dan Franks, co-founder and president of Podcast Movement, said.
Riveron Acquires Women-Owned Clermont Partners
Dallas-based Riveron, a national business advisory firm, acquired Clermont Partners, a women-owned consultancy that specializes in environmental, social, and governance communications and strategy, investor relations, and transaction communications.
The acquisition will strengthen Riveron’s ESG offering, helping support clients in their sustainability journeys, and add new investor relations and transaction communications capabilities. Clermont founders Beth Saunders and Victoria Sivrais will co-lead Riveron’s newly created ESG and Strategic Communications practice.
“As stakeholders demand more transparency, ESG strategy is top of mind for many businesses today,” Julie Howard, Riveron CEO, said. “The addition of the talented Clermont team will be a powerful accelerant as we help our clients navigate a heightened regulatory environment and investor, employee, and customer scrutiny on social and environmental issues.”
OpTic Gaming Acquires Tech Company Botisimo
Formerly known as Envy Gaming, OpTic Gaming has acquired Botisimo, a cross-platform engagement and monetization tool for streamers, content creators, and esports teams—its first tech acquisition. The deal follows OpTic’s investment into Botisimo’s Series A funding in 2021.
Content creators use Botisimo to distribute and manage their content across platforms, create and schedule promotional campaigns, access analytics, and more.
Since launching in 2020, Botisimo has grown significantly and recently reported more than 36 million unique monthly viewers. Oscar Armstrong, founder of Botisimo, will join OpTic as executive vice president of technology.
“Investing in the tools, content and new technologies that help creators and teams deliver a better experience to viewers on stream is core to our efforts to grow communities around gaming,” Adam Rymer, CEO of OpTic Gaming, said.
Authors
Ben Swanger
View Profile
