Andy Kurtzig, CEO

Andy Kurtzig is the founder and CEO of JustAnswer. Kurtzig is an established entrepreneur with two successful acquisitions before founding JustAnswer. Kurtzig has been recognized as “One of the Bay Area’s Most Admired CEOs” by the San Francisco Business Times and one of Goldman Sachs “Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.” Prior to JustAnswer, Kurtzig founded and later sold eBenefits, a cloud-based Human Resources application. eBenefits received funding from established venture capital firms NEA, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and WR Hambrecht. Before that, Kurtzig developed and sold ANSER, a software program for the newspaper industry, while still in college. Kurtzig is also an angel investor, with successful investments including StubHub (acquired by eBay) and iLike (acquired by MySpace), and an active philanthropist, with a passion for finding a cure for juvenile diabetes. Kurtzig holds a B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley. When he’s not working, Kurtzig’s interests include spending time with his wife and his three children.

JP Beaudry, Chief Technology Officer

JP Beaudry joined JustAnswer in 2022 as Chief Technology Officer. JP was most recently CTO at 2U, Inc., a publicly traded edtech company that provides educational opportunities for tens of millions of people worldwide. JP joined 2U via the edX acquisition, where he also served as CTO. Prior to edX, JP was a senior engineering leader at Cimpress, where he led the business agility transformation of the billion-dollar Vistaprint line of business. Earlier in his career, JP headed various engineering organizations at Cisco Systems. In a career that dates back to the early commercial internet, this passionate techy and recovering introvert never thought he'd find so much joy studying and optimizing the human side of organizational dynamics. JP holds an MBA from Babson College, an MSc in telecommunication from Boston University, and a BSc in electrical engineering from Sherbrooke University. In his spare time, he enjoys practicing ice hockey, tinkering around the house, and listening to podcasts.

Lisa Contoyannis, EVP of Product and Conversational AI

Lisa Contoyannis joined JustAnswer in 2015, was named to the exec team in 2017 and currently oversees Product, Conversational AI and UX. Contoyannis brings more than 20 years of experience at high-growth startups. She joined JustAnswer from Pogoplug, the personal cloud company with more than 10 million users, where she was the VP of E-commerce and Marketing. Prior to Pogoplug, Contoyannis was one of the first hires and head of marketing TrialPay, the leading transactional advertising platform, which sold to Visa in a nine-figure deal in 2015. Previously, Contoyannis was employee number three at Tenebril (maker of PC Mag Editors’ Choice award-winner GhostSurf), where she grew the consumer business from a few thousand a month to more than $10 million a year before selling the company to Process Software in 2006. Contoyannis began her career as a freelance journalist in New York while pursuing her Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication at NYU. She graduated cum laude with a B.A. in English Literature from Tufts University and spent her junior year as a fully matriculated student at Oxford University. Contoyannis lives in Concord, Massachusetts with her husband and young family.

Robert Ellison, EVP of Customer Acquisition

Robert Ellison joined JustAnswer in 2011 as an API Product Architect, soon rising to Director of Platform and now EVP of Customer Acquisition. Throughout his tenure at JustAnswer, Ellison has played a crucial role in the integration and implementation of new technologies. As EVP of Customer Acquisition, Ellison now focuses on determining how technology can accelerate business strategy, and how the company can deliver simple and elegant solutions with a short cycle time to drive learning and value. Ellison’s journey to JustAnswer included stints as Co-Founder and CEO of Cucku, Inc., where he raised seed and angel financing, and managed teams in the US and UK to develop a successful peer-to-peer backup product. Before that, he served in leadership roles in Product Management and Corporate Development for Macrovision Corporation, where he was responsible for white label game channels on major properties, including those owned by Yahoo! and AOL. Ellison has also developed numerous freeware and shareware applications and released multiple Open Source libraries. Ellison holds a BSc (Hons) in Cybernetics and Control Engineering from the University of Reading.

Michael Gutkowski, EVP of Business & Corporate Development

Michael Gutkowski joined JustAnswer in 2021 as Chief of Staff and now serves as Executive Vice President of Business & Corporate Development. In this role, he leads high-impact partnerships, business development initiatives, and corporate transactions critical to advancing the company’s vision to connect expert professionals directly with customers through innovative digital solutions. Beyond his internal leadership, he brings a strong track record as a board advisor, leveraging strategic insights to drive digital transformation.
Michael began his career as a founding member of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s direct-to-consumer and digital business. He has since held senior roles in marketing, operations, revenue strategy, and AI product development. His leadership experience spans The Otto Group, NBC, The Hearst Corporation, Federated Media, and MRC Entertainment, with deep expertise across media, digital commerce, and corporate growth. A native of Wisconsin and a resident of New York City, Gutkowski holds both a BBA and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.

Regan Gill, SVP of Engineering

Regan Gill joined JustAnswer in 2011 as the Director of Outsourced Engineering, becoming Senior Director of Engineering in 2012 to oversee software engineering and offshore operations. She was then named the VP of Engineering in 2017. In a testament to her exceptional leadership, Gill was promoted to SVP of Engineering in May of 2024. Gill brings more than 20 years of experience in software engineering and management. She’s renowned for her ability to cultivate high-performing agile teams, in a cost-effective manner that seamlessly integrates domestic and offshore operations.
Prior to JustAnswer, Gill was the Director of Engineering at Accept Software, where she led the development of key products in a distributed development environment. Previously, Gill was Director of Engineering at ComTech, where she managed an international team of software engineers and project managers to create innovative location-based web and mobile applications. Gill started her career as a Senior Software Engineer at iKnowMed, acting as a lead developer for the online health services products that led to the company’s acquisition by US Oncology in 2004. Gill studied Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley and graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences. She currently resides in Berkeley, California.

Maryam Aflak, VP of Finance

Maryam Aflak joined JustAnswer in 2012 and has held multiple leadership roles during her tenure. She is currently serving as VP of Finance and has built much of the global finance team since she took the position in 2015, driving growth every year since. Prior to directing the finance team, Maryam led JustAnswer’s Expert Quality and Operations teams where she implemented a number of initiatives to improve Expert quality and drive customer satisfaction. Before JustAnswer, Maryam spent eight years in investment banking where she raised over $800 million of capital for over 20 high-growth companies, mostly focused on traditional consumer and ecommerce companies. Maryam has over 25 years of experience across multiple business disciplines including finance, strategy, operations, analytics, legal and HR. Maryam graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Business Analytics and Marketing from San Francisco State University and received her MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA.

Sameer Chopra, Vice President, Analytics

Sameer Chopra joined Pearl in 2026 as Vice President of Analytics, bringing more than 20 years of experience building and leading advanced analytics, experimentation, and machine learning teams in product-led technology companies. His work has focused on informing product, marketing, and customer decision-making at scale.
Prior to Pearl, Sameer held senior analytics leadership roles across B2C and B2B technology. He began his career at eBay, where he helped build the company’s early analytics and experimentation programs. He later served as Chief Analytics Officer at Orbitz, GoDaddy, and ID Analytics, where he led analytics and data science teams focused on applied AI. At Apple, Sameer led product-focused data science, partnering closely with product and engineering teams to improve customer experience and performance.
Sameer holds a Master’s degree in Operations Research from MIT. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children. Outside of work, he enjoys theater and acting, performing magic for friends and family, and following sports including cricket, tennis, and the NBA.

Umesh Choori, VP of Customer Acquisition

Umesh Choori joined JustAnswer in 2018 and currently heads Customer Acquisition. Choori brings over 25 years of experience at start-ups and Fortune 100 companies, in the US and India. He joined JustAnswer from Reliance Jio ($20 billion start-up), where he played a key role in the digital launch of new brands, acquiring the first 100 million paid subscribers in 170 days. Prior to Jio, Choori led marketing and analytics at a few start-ups in India. Prior to his India stint, Choori worked at Web.com, Network Solutions, Capital One, IBM, and GE, holding various roles in analytics, project management, product management and business consulting. He is also an investor in renewable energy companies and supports NGOs in India. Choori has a MBA from Ross Business School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He also holds a MS from University of Oklahoma and a BS (Hons) from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, both in Chemical Engineering. In his free time, he reconnoiters robotics, explores AI/ML algorithms and ponders on Vedic sciences.

Jeff Cavellini, VP of Customer Care

Jeff Cavellini joined JustAnswer in 2013 as the Director of Customer Care, becoming Senior Director of Customer Care in 2014 and named VP of Customer Care in 2020. Prior to joining JustAnswer, Jeff spent over 12 years in the performance management software industry, the last six of which he spent managing operations for Insperity’s Performance Management Business Unit. Since joining JustAnswer, Jeff has supported JustAnswer’s scaling customer base and leverages artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency and the customer experience. Jeff graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the University of San Francisco and currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Kimberly Nerpouni, Vice President of Talent & People Operations

Kimberly Nerpouni joined JustAnswer in 2021 as the Vice President of Talent & People Operations with nearly 20 years of Human Capital experience. As a strategic partner to executive teams, she has worked across various business critical People issues from company culture, diversity, performance management, and employee engagement. She was previously the VP of People Operations at Financial Technology Partners, a boutique investment bank. Her work at FT Partners was focused on growth, culture, and professional development. She was previously with GCA, also an investment bank, as Head of Talent Management. Her key deliverables for GCA were to improve employee engagement and retention. Nerpouni began her Human Capital career in the Management Consulting industry at Bain & Company. During her nearly thirteen years at Bain, she worked across the Human Resources, Recruiting, Professional Development, and Corporate Alumni functions. Ms. Nerpouni is passionate about creating and fostering a culture that promotes employee development, growth, and engagement. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communications from San Francisco State University. She is SPHR certified through the HR Certification Institute. Born in the Philippines, she proudly grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Nerpouni currently lives in Oakland with her husband and daughter. Besides Talent Management, her interests include skiing, traveling with her family, gardening, and cooking.

Jeff Chen, VP Marketplace and Expert Operations

Jeff Chen joined JustAnswer in 2020 as the Vice President Marketplace & Expert Operations. Chen brings over 16 years of experience growing two of the world’s largest online marketplaces. Most recently, he was VP of Trust & Safety at Upwork, the world’s largest professional online marketplace for work, where he improved job outcomes and the quality of freelancers, which established the foundation for Upwork’s growth, differentiation, and, ultimately, IPO in 2018. Prior to that, he spent 9 years at eBay, most recently as Director, Global Managed Marketplaces Trust, where he innovated and managed marketplace dynamics programs that ensured a trusted, safe, and sustainable marketplace. Before eBay, he was Director of Credit Risk Management at Providian Financial (now JP Morgan Chase). Chen received a B.A. degree in Statistics from UC Berkeley.

Ian Hughes, VP of Engineering

Ian Hughes has been an integral part of JustAnswer since 2012, beginning his journey as a Senior Software Engineer leader across several development teams. With a keen eye for innovation and leadership, he quickly advanced to the role of Engineering Manager in 2014, later serving as Director and Senior Director of Engineering. In May 2024, Ian was appointed Vice President of Engineering, recognizing his invaluable contributions and impact. With over 25 years of development experience, Ian has driven significant advancements in numerous technical domains, including native mobile development and machine learning. His strategic vision and technical expertise have been instrumental in enhancing JustAnswer's technological landscape.

Before joining JustAnswer, Ian founded his own company, where he developed cutting-edge software solutions for high-profile clients such as MSN and the NFL. His career in programming began with developing products for energy transmission markets and intellectual property law at firms like Townsend & Townsend & Crew.

Ian holds a degree in Political Science from CSU Sacramento, where he also studied Computer Science. Residing in Marin County, he enjoys sailing with his family whenever possible.

David Bixler, VP of International

David Bixler joined Pearl in 2017 and currently serves as Vice President of International, where he leads the company’s global expansion and growth across international markets. With a background spanning strategy, marketplaces, and data-driven revenue management, David brings deep experience scaling consumer internet businesses internationally.
Prior to joining Pearl, David was Managing Director for Europe at Connexity (formerly Shopzilla), where he oversaw regional operations and growth initiatives across key European markets. Earlier in his career, David began at Delta Air Lines, working in Revenue Management and strategy roles focused on pricing, demand forecasting, and network optimization.
David holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan and earned an MBA from London Business School. Having visited more than 70 countries and counting, David brings a truly global perspective to building and scaling Pearl’s international business.

Nadiya Semen, Sr. Director of International Management

Nadiya Semen joined JustAnswer in 2014 as the Country Manager for the JA Ukrainian entity becoming Director of International Management in 2017. Previously, Nadiya was COO of the Danish IT outsourcing company, Conscensia, which she built from 0 to 250 employees. Prior to that role, she worked for Eleks Software as Head of Recruitment. Nadiya has deep experience in IT outsourcing management, including setting up new teams aligned with business models and customer needs, leading daily operations including HR recruitment, competency development and retention, and supporting teams and projects using Agile methodologies with a people management focus. Nadiya graduated from the Lviv National University and received her MBA from Ukrainian Catholics University Business School.

Charles Schwab, Board Member

Charles R. Schwab is chairman of the Board of the Charles Schwab Corp. He started his San Francisco-based firm in 1971 as a traditional brokerage company and in 1974 became a pioneer in the discount brokerage business. Mr. Schwab is also Chairman of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and Charles Schwab Bank, and a trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust and Schwab Annuity Portfolios, all registered investment companies. He has been Chairman and a director of The Charles Schwab Corporation since its incorporation in 1986. He also served as Chief Executive Officer from 1986 to 1997 and as Co-Chief Executive Officer from 1998 until 2004. He was re-appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2004 and served in that role until October 2008. In addition to his professional commitments, Mr. Schwab takes an active interest in a variety of volunteer and non-profit activities. Along with his wife Helen, he is the co-founder and chairman of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, a private foundation that supports entrepreneurial organizations working in education, poverty prevention, human services and health. Mr. Schwab also serves as chairman of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Larry W. Sonsini, Board Observer

Chairman of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Larry W. Sonsini has gained international recognition for his expertise in the areas of corporate law, corporate governance, securities, and mergers and acquisitions. He has been instrumental in many of the IPOs, mergers, acquisitions, and other key transactions of Silicon Valley and beyond, including Google’s historic IPO and Hewlett-Packard’s merger with Compaq Computer. In addition to his duties at the firm, which included serving as chief executive officer as well as chairman for more than 20 years, Mr. Sonsini served as chairman of the New York Stock Exchange’s Commission on Corporate Governance, which was formed in 2009 and issued its final report in fall 2010. Larry is also a member of the NYSE’s Proxy Working Group and served as a member of the NYSE’s board of directors from 2001 to 2003. He also served as chairman of the NYSE’s Regulation, Enforcement and Listing Standards Committee until 2008, and previously was a member of the NYSE’s Legal Advisory Committee and the NYSE Committee for Review.

Robert Finocchio, Jr., Board Member

Mr. Finocchio has over 30 years of operating experience in the software, Internet, and infrastructure markets. He served as president, CEO and Chairman of Informix Corporation, an information management software company acquired by IBM. Prior to Informix, he held various executive management positions at 3Com and the ROLM Corporation. In addition to serving on the board of JustAnswer, Mr. Finocchio serves on the boards of Broadcom Corporation, Echelon Corporation, Silver-Peak Systems and Embrane Inc. He serves as chair of the Board of Trustees at Santa Clara University, where he is also a dean’s executive professor at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business. He is also a venture partner with Advanced Technology Ventures.

Andy Kurtzig, CEO

Andy Kurtzig is the founder and CEO of JustAnswer. Kurtzig is an established entrepreneur with two successful acquisitions before founding JustAnswer. Kurtzig has been recognized as “One of the Bay Area’s Most Admired CEOs” by the San Francisco Business Times and one of Goldman Sachs “Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.” Prior to JustAnswer, Kurtzig founded and later sold eBenefits, a cloud-based Human Resources application. eBenefits received funding from established venture capital firms NEA, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and WR Hambrecht. Before that, Kurtzig developed and sold ANSER, a software program for the newspaper industry, while still in college. Kurtzig is also an angel investor, with successful investments including StubHub (acquired by eBay) and iLike (acquired by MySpace), and an active philanthropist, with a passion for finding a cure for juvenile diabetes. Kurtzig holds a B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley. When he’s not working, Kurtzig’s interests include spending time with his wife and his three children.