Veritone Inc., the Costa Mesa firm that’s trying to start a new way to measure advertisements through artificial intelligence, has appointed Rick Taketa, 47, to its board of directors.
Taketa grew York Risk Services Group Inc., a provider of tech-enabled insurance services, to more than $750 million in revenue and approximately 5,500 employees, Veritone said in a statement.
During his tenure, York acquired over 30 businesses and was sold three times at successively higher valuations. Previously, Taketa was a co-founder and managing director of a private equity firm and a corporate securities lawyer with DLA, after spending four years as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., where he helped lead nongovernmental organizations to accomplish public policy goals. Taketa earned a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and a law degree from Stanford Law School.
“In addition, he is an attorney and has regulatory and public policy experience that will be key to Veritone as we work to expand our business in government markets,” a company statement said.
Taketa also serves as a director of Newport Beach-based Alphaeon Corp. and the Hoag Hospital Foundation, among other boards.
He replaces Nate Checketts, chief executive of Rhone Apparel, who is transitioning to an advisory board role.
Veritone’s board continues to consist of nine members.
Shares of Veritone (Nasdaq: VERI), which surpassed $70 in 2017, have more than doubled this year to $8.65 and a $176 million market cap.
