Category creator brings on four key hires from industry leaders: COO, CMO, VP of Design, and VP of Insurance Wealth Solutions to accelerate innovation and build on 300% growth
Empathy, the technology company reshaping how people prepare for and navigate life's most challenging moments, today announced four significant additions to its executive team: Sophie Ruddock as Chief Operating Officer (COO), Cindy Goodrich as first-ever Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Rotem Waissman as Vice President of Design (VP of Design), and Jennifer Amaral as Vice President of Insurance and Wealth Solutions (VP of Insurance Wealth Solutions). These hires come less than a month after the company announced several significant milestones: exceeding 40 million people with access to coverage, achieving 300% revenue growth, handling one in five life insurance claims in the U.S., and partnering with seven of the top ten life insurance carriers in the U.S., including MetLife, Prudential, and New York Life, as well as dozens of purposeful carriers.
"We are thrilled to welcome four exceptional leaders to Empathy who have proven track records of transforming innovative startups into industry-defining global brands," said Ron Gura, Co-Founder CEO of Empathy. "In just a few short years, Empathy has revolutionized the way employers and life insurance carriers provide meaningful and compassionate support to families and individuals. With Sophie, Cindy, Rotem, and Jennifer on board, we will raise the bar yet again and bring our groundbreaking approach to new arenas. Our goal is to work with employers, benefits providers, life insurance carriers, and financial institutions to build proactive compassion into the workplace and create a true safety net for everyone during times of struggle."
Sophie Ruddock, Empathy's new COO, brings over a decade of expertise in scaling high-growth technology companies and building transformative global organizations. As a founding executive and COO at Multiverse, Sophie architected the company's expansion from early-stage startup to an international market leader. By spearheading its U.S. market entry and driving strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, she oversaw the company through phenomenal growth and category definition. Her track record spans the public, private, and non-profit sectors across the UK, U.S., and European markets. She advises numerous venture-backed companies in go-to-market strategy, operational excellence, and AI innovation.
"I've always been drawn to mission-driven organizations that use cutting-edge tech to prove that meaningful societal impact and outsized commercial success can coexist," said Ruddock. "Empathy's ambition here, and their unique approach to redefining how millions navigate life's universal challenges, make me so excited to join. I'm excited to bring my expertise scaling technology organizations with humanity at their heart to expand Empathy's impact around the world."
Cindy Goodrich joins Empathy as its first-ever CMO, bringing expertise from over two decades of building iconic brands and leading teams through hypergrowth at top technology companies like HubSpot and Google. Most recently, as Chief Brand Officer and CMO at BetterUp, Cindy played a pivotal role in positioning the company as a category leader, and oversaw all marketing efforts through record-breaking growth, international expansion, multiple strategic acquisitions and partnerships, and the company's Series D E funding. Prior to that, at HubSpot, Cindy scaled the brand team through international and category expansion and served in a key role on the team responsible for the company's successful IPO.
"In such a crucial time for the company and the world, I'm excited by the opportunity to amplify Empathy's impact; helping people move through life's toughest transitions is both urgent and meaningful work," said Goodrich. "Across my career, I've been fortunate to build category-defining brands that meet the moment-brands that tap into innovation to foster human connection and ultimately make people's lives better. Empathy is already doing exactly that, and I can't wait to bring the power of their compassionate tech to the masses, at a time when it's deeply needed."
Rotem Waissman, Empathy's incoming VP of Design, is renowned for her creative leadership and ability to craft world-class user experiences. As a founding team member of Monday.com, Rotem helped grow the company into a global success, shaping its beloved user experience from Day One through multiple fundraising rounds, global expansion, and a successful IPO that brought the company to over $1 billion in annual recurring revenue and over two million users in 200 countries. Rotem will build upon Empathy's award-winning app to take the platform to the next level, creating the most intuitive, accessible, and compassionate experience for families navigating life's most difficult moments.
"Design is about more than aesthetics-it's about creating experiences that shape how people feel and connect," said Waissman. "At Empathy, the interactive interface forms the foundation of our relationship with our users and is core to our ability to support families through challenging times. By prioritizing thoughtful, intuitive design, we can ensure that every interaction offers clarity, compassion, and assistance during moments of need."
Jennifer Amaral, VP of Insurance Wealth Solutions, joined Empathy in December with over 20 years of experience driving product innovation at industry-leading institutions like The Hartford and Prudential. Jennifer's depth of expertise in life insurance product strategy and management will be key to building on Empathy's existing and new partnerships with the world's leading insurance carriers and financial institutions, and to bringing new products and innovations to market as the company scales.
"Empathy has redefined what people have come to expect from critical benefits, helping institutions transform their customer experience and offerings," said Amaral. "I look forward to expanding and deepening Empathy's partnerships with leading carriers and financial institutions, and to building new ones. Together we will bring even more innovative solutions to market that increase the ways Empathy and its partners show up for people with compassion."
In addition to its impressive 300% revenue growth, Empathy achieved two major company milestones in 2024. First, the company announced its $47M series B led by Index Ventures, where it also secured strategic investment from some of the biggest life insurance carriers in the world. Then in the fall, Empathy rolled out a second offering, Empathy LifeVault. This innovation in legacy planning allows families to create and update essential documents like wills, healthcare directives, and power of attorney-all from one secure platform that integrates directly with trusted life insurance providers and financial institutions.
To learn more about LifeVault and Empathy's platform, visit empathy.com.
ABOUT EMPATHY
Empathy is a leading technology company transforming the way that people plan for and navigate life's toughest moments. Serving over 40 million people across the U.S., Empathy currently partners with seven of the ten U.S. life insurance carriers and handles one in five life insurance claims nationwide. With $90 million in funding from top-tier venture firms including Index Ventures and General Catalyst, as well as strategic investment from global insurance leaders including Allianz, MassMutual, MetLife, New York Life, Securian, and Sumitomo, Empathy combines cutting-edge innovation with compassion to provide unparalleled support for bereavement, estate management, legacy planning, and more. Recognized by Apple, Google Play, and Fast Company, Empathy is setting the standard for modern family care and workplace benefits. Learn more at www.empathy.com.
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Contacts:
press@empathy.com
