Benevity Announces Executive Leadership Appointments to Drive Growth and Scale Social Impact

CALGARY, Alberta, January 21, 2026 /3BL/ - Benevity, Inc., the leading provider of global corporate purpose software, today announced the promotion of Julie Werner to the expanded role of Chief Client & Growth Officer and the appointment of Rick Essex as Chief Financial Officer. These strategic leadership updates reinforce Benevity’s commitment to scaling purpose at work by aligning business growth goals with the global expansion of social impact.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rick and expand Julie’s remit to support our clients in their important work,” said Soraya Alexander, CEO, Benevity. “The record-breaking volume of donations we facilitated this giving season proves that the demand for enterprise impact has never been greater. As we grow, our focus remains on pairing relentless innovation with rigorous security that empowers people to realize their purpose at work.”

Since joining Benevity five years ago, Werner has been instrumental in building the company’s client growth engine, including the foundation of its renewal and expansion motions. Under her leadership, Benevity has maintained a client retention rate in the high 90s, a testament to Werner's focus on fostering deep, enduring client relationships.

In her new role, Werner will integrate Benevity’s sales and client organizations under a single, unified leadership structure to ensure that Benevity’s growth remains deeply rooted in delivering lasting value to its clients. Werner brings over 20 years of experience in the corporate purpose and employee engagement space, having held senior leadership roles at Workday and Blackbaud.

"I am fanatical about the seamless collaboration and the end-to-end journey our clients and prospects experience with us,” said Werner. “I believe the most successful partnerships are built on consistency and trust. In my expanded role, I am looking forward to ensuring that from day one, every organization we work with has a clear, supported path to achieving their social impact vision.” 

Essex brings a highly strategic approach to financial management backed by exceptional experience in both tech investment and operations. 

A veteran financial leader, he has more than 25 years of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and value creation. He has previously served as CFO at both Blackboard and SSI (now Dynata), and as Managing Director at PSG and Principal at Providence Equity Partners. 

“Joining a company that sits at the intersection of innovation and purpose is a unique opportunity,” said Essex. “I look forward to helping Benevity scale its reach, further strengthen the operational foundation, and ultimately support our clients and nonprofit partners in driving long-term change.”

To learn more about Benevity, please visit: https://benevity.com/.

About Benevity

Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is the global leader in enterprise social impact software. Benevity’s all-in-one platform empowers the world’s most purpose-driven companies to seamlessly integrate corporate social responsibility into their core business strategy – driving measurable, scalable, and lasting impact. Benevity has supported more than $34.5 billion to more than 500,000 nonprofit organizations and enabled more than 8.5 million changemakers worldwide since 2008, empowering organizations to build trust, engage employees, boost retention, and drive innovation. Its unified platform supports giving, volunteering, granting, and employee mobilization – backed by intelligent insights and a secure, global infrastructure. For more information, visit benevity.com.

Contact: Indrani Ray-Ghosal I press@benevity.com