Company   /   Leadership

AvidXchange Leadership Team

Meet our Governance Team and Board of Directors, fiercely committed to our customers, partners and teammates.

Mike Praeger

Michael Praeger

Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Board Member

Michael Praeger is our Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Since starting AvidXchange more than 20 years ago, he has led our growth to more than 1,600 employees, 8,000+ customers and over 1.2 million suppliers nationwide.

Before establishing AvidXchange, Michael co-founded PlanetResume.com, a technology career enhancement and recruiting site that successfully completed its merger with CareerShop.com in November 1999.

Prior to that, he co-founded and served as CEO of InfoLink Partners, a software company specializing in automating the tax billing and collection functions for municipalities. Michael also served as an associate with Summit Partners, a Boston-based venture capital and buyout partnership with more than $1 billion under management.

Michael is currently active in the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and serves on the advisory board of the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA). He is also a board member of Charlotte City Center Partners, Kare Partners, and Eliminate the Digital Divide (E2D).

Michael received his B.S.B.A. in Finance from Georgetown University and is a graduate of the “Birthing of Giants” executive entrepreneurship program at MIT.

Dan Drees

President

Dan Drees was elevated to the role of President in January 2023 and is responsible for driving organizational agility, operational synergies, and the execution of key strategic growth initiatives.

Since joining in 2018 as Chief Growth Officer, Dan has been instrumental to AvidXchange’s growth and helping the company navigate critical milestones such as organic vertical market expansions, multiple acquisitions, the IPO, and the company’s response to Covid-19. Dan remains committed to our customer needs; helping them gain greater visibility into their business, increase revenue and drive efficiencies.

Dan is a financial technology (fintech) expert and industry veteran with more than 25 years of helping Fortune 500 companies and financial institutions generate next-level growth; organizations such as GE, Bank of America, Ally, and Capital One.

Dan earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering, is a Six Sigma Black Belt trained at GE as part of the Quality Leader track and has completed executive and senior executive courses at GE’s John F. Welch Management Institute.

Dan Drees Headshot
Todd Cunningham

Todd Cunningham

Chief People Officer

Todd joined us in 2014 to create and scale the Human Resources and Talent Management function. He arrived at AvidXchange after more than 26 years at public and private companies of varying sizes and industries.

Todd’s experience covers the full range of HR responsibilities, from creating and implementing broad strategies and leading large-scale change like mergers and acquisitions, to hands-on executive and leadership coaching, and more.

Prior to joining AvidXchange, Todd held senior HR positions at Bank of America for 11 years, focusing on talent management, development, and organizational effectiveness. His roles included SVP, Talent & Development Executive, Global Corporate & Investment Banking; VP, Associate Readiness Change Executive – Merrill Lynch Transition; and, SVP, Talent & Development Executive, Consumer & Small Business Banking Division, among others.

Todd holds a B.S.B.A. in Human Resources Management from The Ohio State University.

Angelic Gibson

Chief Information Officer

Angelic Gibson has spent over 20 years in Information Technology, in a number of leadership positions. She joined AvidXchange in 2018, and today serves as our Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining AvidXchange, she held the position of Senior Vice President, Information Technology at Technekes.

Over the course of two decades, Angelic gained deep experience in enterprise technology systems, as well as management practices supporting databases, networks, telecommunications, and infrastructure. She has built and supported business intelligence platforms, has extensive cloud computing strategic insight, and a solid track record of success in balancing operational efficiencies with business development and growth.

In addition to overseeing Technology Delivery & Operations at AvidXchange, Angelic is passionate about, and actively involved in, building a talent pipeline for the next generation of technology talent, both inside and outside the business.

Angelic Gibson
Joel Wilhite

Joel Wilhite

Chief Financial Officer

As our Chief Financial Officer, Joel brings decades of diverse financial leadership experience to his role – from leading strategic financial planning and forecasting, operational accounting, and annual budgeting to managing mergers and acquisitions and developing top talent.

Before joining AvidXchange, Joel held the position of CFO at Quantros, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that offers an enterprise-wide suite of applications designed to help hospitals better manage the quality and safety of patient care. Prior to Quantros, he was the Senior Vice President of Finance for BenefitFocus, a leading SaaS provider of benefits administration software and solutions, and he served as the CFO for Blackbaud’s international division.

Joel began his career as an auditor at KPMG after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, with honors, from the University of South Carolina.

Board of Directors

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