Scott Roth was recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of LegitScript, as company founder and long-time CEO John Horton is moving into the roles of Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer. Their combined experiences will help LegitScript better navigate a period of significant growth for the company. In the following Q&A, John and Scott share more about the change, why it's happening now, and what it means for LegitScript's future.
Why was it time to make a change at LegitScript?
John Horton
John: LegitScript is now approaching our fourteenth year. With over 150 employees, we've been out of the start-up phase for a while. We've always been profitable and financially stable, and on average have doubled in size every two years or so. As that trend continues, we're going to have different needs than we did when we were a ten-person or fifty-person company. For me, I wanted to continue to focus on LegitScript's long-term strategy and creating lasting change in the internet and payment ecosystems, but knew I needed a strong, proven business leader as a partner to take LegitScript through the next phase of growth. It's the right thing for the company, for our partners, and our staff as well.
Why was Scott the right person to take on the CEO role?
John: It was a no-brainer. Scott's a proven, successful CEO, and he has a track record of coming into a founder-led company, taking over the CEO role and working with the founder to propel the company into its next phase of growth. Scott's experience in software and technology as CEO of Jama Software was an important consideration for LegitScript's growth, since technology is a key element of our backbone and future growth. Furthermore, his background in leading companies that are quickly scaling is perfect for where LegitScript is right now, and where it's going. Most importantly, he gets LegitScript's mission and is passionate about it.
Scott, what made you sure that LegitScript was the right place for you?
Scott Roth
Scott: I was immediately struck by the company's mission to create an internet built on trust. Especially at a time when people are increasingly dependent on the internet for news, products, and services, LegitScript's goal to make the internet safer and more transparent resonated with me.
What really solidified my decision was getting to meet the staff - seeing what amazing employees we have and what a strong company culture they've created. Of course, I was also excited about LegitScript's growth potential, and I knew my skills and experience would be a good fit for the company.
John founded the company and has served as CEO up until now. What will his role consist of going forward?
John: LegitScript is still a passion for me and I'll continue to be very involved day-to-day. My formal role will be Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Strategy Officer. My primary focus going forward will be on strategy, including maintaining key partnerships and government relationships. While Scott will run the company day-to-day as CEO, I'll be working with him and the rest of the leadership team to keep our eyes on the future, on our mission, and on our culture to make sure we continue to effectuate lasting change for consumers in the internet and payment sectors.
What does this change mean to LegitScript's clients and partners?
John: Just as when Scott came on as President earlier in the year, this is going to be a seamless transition. For our clients and partners, that means no change in our day-to-day operations.
Scott: To build off what John said, we're continuing to invest in and cultivate the close partnerships we have. We appreciate our clients - both the new ones and ones who have been with us for years - and we'll continue to look at ways that add value to the service we offer.
What's in LegitScript's future?
John: This is such an exciting time for the company. We're experiencing significant growth in our financial performance, our staffing, and our client base. What has differentiated us from others is our multidimensional approach to monitoring the internet and payments ecosystems, and this has set us up on a trajectory to achieve some really great things with our partners in the near future. I'm excited and proud of what we've achieved over the last fourteen years, and I think the next several years will be equally if not more exciting with such a great team.
Scott: LegitScript is growing at a time that is especially poignant because of the pandemic and economic downturn. Unfortunately, we're seeing opportunists of every flavor trying to take advantage of people online. LegitScript is uniquely positioned to protect the public from dangerous products and services by helping companies keep their platforms and portfolios clean of violative behavior. As we continue to grow, so will our impact and our reach in this space.