by Executive brings more than 30 years of sales and business development experience to the new position
BOSTON — E-commerce platform Blueport Commerce has named Jesse Akre senior vice president of sales and marketing, a new position.
He comes to the company with more than 30 years of sales and business development experience, most recently as chief revenue and chief marketing officer at FurnitureDealer.net. Before this, he was chief digital officer at Coast2Coast Home and before this was president and chief revenue officer at RetailSystem Global Brands.
He also was previously chief revenue officer at Amber Engine and senior vice president of sales and marketing and client success at MicroD. Before this, he was chief executive officer and co-founder at online retailer Edenvale Shoppes and a general manager at Nextel.
“Akre brings over two decades of experience in e-commerce, SaaS and the home furnishings industry,” the company said in a statement. “A recognized thought leader and frequent presenter at industry events, he has a proven track record of scaling high-performing teams and leading digital transformation.”
In his new role, he reports to Carl Prindle, chief executive officer of Blueport. Akre told Home News Now he will be responsible for leading sales and marketing, “with a focus on driving new business, refining our go-to-market strategy and aligning every marketing effort to support growth.”
He added that he is also heading up Blueport’s “industry partnerships and strategic initiatives — from partner development to thought leadership opportunities, including speaking engagements, that elevate both our voice and our visibility in the market.”
The company noted that Akre also joins the company as it expands its Enterprise, Core and newly launched Essentials offerings across North America and beyond.
“Joining Blueport at this moment is truly exciting,” Akre added. “Furniture retailers are facing critical decisions as they navigate omnichannel transformation. They don’t just need a website; they need a purpose-built platform that reflects how people shop today. Blueport delivers that. It’s built for this industry, and I’m thrilled to help bring it to more retailers ready to embrace digital and drive results.”
The company also noted that his background in founding and scaling multiple home furnishings businesses and leading sales, marketing and operations teams “to consistent double-digit growth” makes him very well suited for the role, while also “giving him a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing furniture retailers today.”
“Jesse brings a rare combination of industry knowledge, strategic clarity and executional grit,” Prindle said. “He understands both the business of furniture retail and the digital future. We’re excited to welcome him as we continue to help retailers compete and win.”
