Backpack Networks Appoints Senior Leaders to Drive Digital Transformation in Commercial Real Estate
Veteran leadership team to accelerate adoption of the company’s data platform for buildings and forge new strategic partnerships
CORAL GABLES, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Backpack Networks, the company redefining how building data is stored and used to add transparency and value to the commercial real estate industry, today announced the appointment of Gary Michel as Chief Executive Officer and Jason Rutherford as President and Chief Revenue Officer.
The leadership team, with its extensive experience in the real estate, infrastructure, energy and technology sectors, will guide Backpack as it accelerates its mission to solve one of the built environment’s biggest challenges: the absence of a single, reliable source for building data.
“We’re at an inflection point where taking data out of disparate systems and unifying it is no longer a concept — it’s an urgent necessity to unlock a new standard of affordability across the industry,” said David Kaiserman, Backpack’s Founder and Executive Chairman. “I’m incredibly excited to welcome Gary and Jason to the leadership team. Gary brings the extensive experience in execution, team building and operational support we need to scale our platform nationwide, while Jason delivers the deep commercial and data systems expertise to accelerate market adoption.”
A Digital Foundation for a Built World
Based in Coral Gables, Florida, Backpack Networks formed in 2022 to address the problem of buildings having a lot of data but no easy way to view it holistically because it typically sits in various systems and even paper records. The Backpack technology allows for the seamless creation of a digital profile containing real-time data on a building’s equipment, utility usage, maintenance records, occupied and available space, and more.
By digitizing, organizing and continuously updating each building’s information, Backpack delivers clear, accessible insights that help those in the built environment make smarter decisions, reduce risk and increase value. For example, a building owner or property manager could use Backpack to monitor equipment life and proactively address issues. An HVAC supplier could use it to make recommendations on system updates or replacements. And a lender or insurer could use it to make faster, better-informed decisions on a loan or an insurance policy.
Leading the Next Phase of Growth
Michel, who also serves as a member of the company’s board of directors, will leverage his decades of experience in leading large-scale technology initiatives and delivering customer-centric innovation at such companies as Honeywell, Trane, Ingersoll Rand and JELD-WEN.
His key responsibilities as Backpack CEO include:
- Scaling the company’s ability to onboard properties and deepening strategic partnerships to grow the number of buildings nationwide using the platform.
- Expanding Backpack’s marketplace ecosystem to deliver new commercial value.
- Ensuring platform resilience and readiness for large-scale adoption.
“I believe deeply in Backpack’s mission to finally solve data fragmentation in the built world,” Michel said. “My mandate is clear: to ensure our operational and commercial strategy delivers unparalleled value to every customer, every day. We are not just building a platform; we are empowering the entire ecosystem to operate with unprecedented transparency, efficiency and trust.”
Rutherford has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the technology and communications sectors. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Oracle Communications, where he led Oracle’s global telecommunications industry business unit.
As Backpack’s President and Chief Revenue Officer, Rutherford will oversee revenue generation, product strategy, market positioning and the continued expansion of the company’s platform and global presence.
“Having spent decades in the technology and data sectors, I recognize a true category creator when I see one,” Rutherford said. “What excites me most about Backpack Networks is the unprecedented richness and breadth of the verifiable building data we are securing. This, combined with the vast, untapped market space for a single industry standard, positions us perfectly. I look forward to leading our commercial strategy to accelerate market adoption and make this platform the indispensable data standard across the built environment.”
For more information about Backpack Networks, visit www.backpacknetworks.com.
About Backpack Networks
Backpack Networks is on a mission to redefine how buildings create identity and unlock hidden value by transforming how building data is collected, stored and used. The company’s platform provides the connected foundation for the built environment by giving every building its own verifiable digital identity. By anchoring critical information — from equipment inventories and energy use to compliance records and performance history — to this digital identity, Backpack creates a single, source-verified standard for building data. This increases transparency and trust across the built environment and also unlocks the ability to monetize building data, opening new revenue streams and driving smarter decision making across the industry. Backpack has a veteran leadership team with operational experience and entrepreneurship across real estate, infrastructure, energy, the capital market and the Internet of Things.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Gregg Hennigan
Two Rivers Marketing
515.557.2233
greggh@2rm.com
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