Stova Appoints Event Technology Industry Veteran as New CEO to Drive Next Phase of Growth

Kirk Ziehm joins as CEO to drive Stova’s industry-leading event technology solutions

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stova, a leading event management technology platform, today announced the appointment of Kirk Ziehm as Chief Executive Officer. Kirk brings over 20 years of exceptional leadership experience to Stova, including significant go-to-market experience in event technology. Kirk joined Stova’s board in 2023 and will continue to be a board member in his new capacity as CEO. Most recently, Kirk served as CEO and board member of Movista, a retail execution SaaS company revolutionizing the way retail teams collaborate, and he will continue his involvement at Movista as a board member.

Eric Lochner, Stova’s outgoing CEO, led the company’s transition in which he integrated three industry leaders to create Stova’s comprehensive technology platform, launched a new brand, and led the company to its next stage of growth. Mr. Lochner will be leaving Stova to pursue new opportunities outside event technology. Eric remains an investor in Stova.

"Kirk is an accomplished software leader with incredible depth in event technology. We welcomed him to Stova’s board of directors in 2023, and he immediately demonstrated his understanding of the unique nuances of event technology and how to deliver success for customers. We are thrilled to bring him on as Stova’s new CEO to help drive the next phase of growth,” said Mike Biggee, Managing Partner of Sunstone Partners, Stova’s lead investor. “We are appreciative of the great contributions that Eric Lochner has made as CEO.”

"Stova is in a truly unique position in the event technology industry. We have the most comprehensive suite of event technology solutions that can deliver any event, regardless of size or complexity," said Ziehm. "I am thrilled to be joining Stova’s accomplished team at this inflection point in the company’s growth trajectory and the industry’s future, with changes in the entire event landscape post-Covid still being layered into a new normal. I look forward to working with our customers and our team to deliver excellence at any event scale, scope or complexity."

About Stova

Stova is the definitive event technology ecosystem with end-to-end solutions designed to deliver for any event no matter the size or complexity. Stova offers event organizers the most complete full-service event management solution. For more information visit www.stova.io.

About Sunstone Partners

Sunstone Partners is a growth-oriented private equity firm that makes majority and minority investments in technology-enabled services and software businesses. Founded in 2015, the firm has over $1.7 billion committed to its three funds. Sunstone Partners has been recognized on Inc. Magazine’s “Founder-Friendly Investors” list in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.