Pia Appoints New CEO To Lead Next Phase of Growth: Exclusive

‘Our goal is for MSPs to look back and say, ‘We can’t imagine running our business without Pia.’ That’s when we know we’ve made it,’ says new Pia CEO David Schwartz.

AI-powered help desk automation vendor Pia announced the appointment of David Schwartz as its new CEO.

Schwartz joined Pia earlier this year as general manager and chairman of the Tampa, Fla.-based company’s growth advisor committee and has expertise in SaaS, managed services and AI automation.

Prior to joining Pia, he spent almost three years at Rockville, Maryland-based MSP Dataprise, which is featured on CRN’s 2025 MSP 500 list, in multiple rules including SVP of channel partnerships. Before that, he was CEO at wireless lifecycle management company Wireless Watchdogs, which was acquired by Dataprise in 2021.

“I’ve been a founder, a sales leader, an operator and a CEO in the MSP space,” he told CRN in an exclusive interview. “I know what it’s like to scale an MSP, whether it’s a small founder-led shop or a larger one growing through M&A. That firsthand experience really helps me empathize with our partners.”

The appointment comes six months after former CEO Gerwai Todd resigned from the role after leading the company for a year. Since then, a company executive group has been overseeing daily operations.

Pia partner Antwine Jackson, president and founder of Raleigh, North Carolina-based MSP Enitech, said with the recent leadership transitions, “it’s encouraging to see a recognizable face at the helm.”

“In this fast-moving AI revolution, where new companies seem to emerge daily, having a visionary leader who brings clarity and direction is promising,” he told CRN. “As a partner, that kind of leadership makes me more optimistic about the company’s investment in R&D and its long-term growth. In such a competitive landscape, it’s essential for us to stay on the cutting edge, and this shift gives me hope about remaining a long-term customer.”

And that’s just what Schwartz plans to do.

“That we’re here to listen, truly,” Schwartz said. “We want to collaborate, to understand where our partners want to go and then figure out how we can build a future together. If it’s not a win-win, it’s not worth doing. That’s the lens we’ll use for everything. We’re building something lasting here and it starts with trust and mutual success.”

CRN spoke to Schwartz about this vision for the company, where he’s putting his focus and what MSPs can expect from the AI vendor going forward.

What are you most looking forward to about leading Pia?

What drew me in, and what’s truly blown me away is the mission behind the technology. Of course, the tech itself is incredible but it’s that purpose-driven nature of the company that really excites me. Right now, with terms like AI and automation being thrown around constantly, the real question is, ‘What’s actually impactful?’ Pia was built from the ground up with a focus on delivering tangible value to its customers. There’s clarity in its purpose and that’s a huge deal for me. This is meaningful tech solving real problems, and doing it with intention.

You’ve had leadership roles at both Dataprise and Wireless Watchdogs. How did those prepare you for this new role?

I’ve sat in the exact same seat as many of our clients. I’ve been a founder, a sales leader, an operator and a CEO in the MSP space. I know what it’s like to scale an MSP, whether it’s a small founder-led shop or a larger one growing through M&A. That firsthand experience really helps me empathize with our partners. On top of that, I’ve learned how to align a team around a unified vision and how to bring the best out of people, something I believe will be essential here.

How would you describe your leadership philosophy?

I lead with humility and a bias for action. I’m not someone who likes to stay up in the clouds. I’m in the trenches with the team at all levels. Whether it’s someone in a customer-facing role or a senior executive, I want to hear their perspectives, create feedback loops and make sure they feel empowered. No matter your role, you should feel like your work moves the needle.

What’s your game plan for your first 100 days as CEO?

We’ve already kicked off a lot of the work. First up is refining our go-to-market strategy. We’re examining what’s working, what’s not and making incremental improvements across the board. Then, there’s product focus. There’s a difference between prioritization and focus. Prioritization is ranking things, focus is cutting things out. We’re leaning into the latter to avoid chasing shiny objects. And finally, I want to get even closer to our partners and customers. That means listening, understanding their evolving challenges and making sure Pia continues to deliver serious value.

On that note, how are you incorporating partner feedback into product development?

Thankfully we already have a strong foundation for that. We treat partners in two buckets: strategic alliances and customers. With integration partners, we’re always looking for the white space, where their product ends and ours can pick up, or vice versa. For our MSP customers, we’re moving toward formalizing what’s currently a soft partner committee into a full-fledged Customer Advisory Board. That group will help guide the roadmap, prioritize features and weigh in on ROI. It’s all about building with them, not just for them.

With AI and automation tools everywhere, how do you plan to differentiate Pia?

It’s a crowded space, no doubt. But differentiation comes from delivering real, measurable outcomes. Our North Star is saving MSPs time and letting them focus on meaningful work. Our AI is designed to automate the repetitive, time-consuming tasks that bog teams down. If it doesn’t translate into actual impact like time saved, tickets resolved or customers retained, we don’t build it. That’s how we stay focused.

What’s your approach to M&A going forward?

Right now, M&A isn’t a major focus. We’re not actively pursuing acquisitions, but we’re also not closing the door if the right opportunity arises. Our energy is on evolving our product and maximizing impact there. But if something comes along that complements what we’re doing and helps us scale purposefully, we’ll explore it.

And what about partnerships and strategic alliances. Do those play a role in your growth strategy?

Absolutely. That’s a big part of our expansion. We’ve already got several strategic integrations in place and more are on the way within the next 90 days. We’re allocating more resources than ever to co-market with our partners, whether it’s events, webinars or joint campaigns. It’s not just about launching an integration, it’s about building long-term, co-invested relationships.

Looking ahead, how do you see Pia’s technology evolving over the next 12 to 18 months?

We’re hyper-focused on refining our product. That means doubling down on what we do best, automating complex, repetitive tasks for MSPs, and expanding into new areas they’re struggling with. We’ll build deeper integrations, expand our automation library and give MSPs the tools to manage all of this in one centralized place. We want Pia to be that invisible engine, working behind the scenes to deliver constant, compounding value.

And we’re investing in two main areas: R&D and go-to-market. From a product standpoint, we’re hiring and innovating so we can move fast while staying nimble. On the go-to-market side, we’re putting more resources into partnerships and our channel strategy, building awareness, expanding reach and driving joint success.

So how do you plan to deepen your engagement with the MSP community?

There are a few ways. We’re involved in peer groups, like ConnectWise and other major players, and we’re ramping up our presence at both national and local channel events. We’re also exploring hosting our own events. With our roots in Australia, we’re expanding our U.S. team to engage more directly here. And our refreshed partner success team is doing phenomenal work like creating feedback loops, supporting our customers and helping us stay in tune with the market.

Where do you want Pia to be in the next one to two years?

I want Pia to be the go-to AI automation platform for MSPs. Today, we’re already delivering those quick wins right out of the gate. In the next evolution, we’re expanding into more complex challenges MSPs face, helping them do more with less. Our goal is for MSPs to look back and say, ‘We can’t imagine running our business without Pia.’ That’s when we know we’ve made it.

And finally, what’s your message to partners about what they can expect under your leadership?

That we’re here to listen, truly. We want to collaborate, to understand where our partners want to go and then figure out how we can build a future together. If it’s not a win-win, it’s not worth doing. That’s the lens we’ll use for everything. We’re building something lasting here and it starts with trust and mutual success.