Pia Unifies Community and Strategic Alliances Under New Chief Community Officer Role to Accelerate Ecosystem-Led Growth

TAMPA, Fla. — January 13, 2026 — Pia, the leading AI-led help desk automation platform for managed service providers (MSPs), today announced that longtime executive James Allen has been appointed to the newly created role of chief community officer, unifying community strategy and strategic alliances as the company scales its partner ecosystem. He reports directly to David Schwartz, CEO of Pia. 

The chief community officer position represents a fundamental shift in how Pia is approaching growth. Allen will orchestrate community and partnerships as interconnected drivers of the company’s expansion. He’ll build scalable programs such as advisory boards, user groups, and certifications while managing technology partnerships, distributor relationships, and co-selling initiatives with vendors. 

“The creation of this role signals our belief that community and partnerships aren’t just support functions; they’re core growth drivers,” Schwartz said. “James understands that in the MSP market,success comes from building an ecosystem where partners co-innovate, customers connect, and strategic vendors integrate into our value proposition. By unifying these efforts under one leader, we’re building a scalable growth engine that contributes directly to pipeline, revenue, and brand equity.” 

Allen will ensure the “voice of the community” shapes product, marketing, sales, and customer success teams — keeping Pia’s innovation roadmap aligned with MSP needs. 

“I’m excited to take on this role and strengthen Pia’s focus on community-led growth,” Allen said. “Our community is how we stay close to what MSPs need and how we build the right AI-driven solutions to help them serve their customers. Bringing community development and our alliances together will make it easier for our partners to stay connected to their customers and get the support they need to grow.” 

Pia specializes in transforming the help desk experience for managed services providers (MSPs) with its AI-powered automation platform, Pia aiDesk. The platform leverages advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing to automate and streamline the most common help desk tickets, significantly increasing efficiency and reducing costs. To learn more about how MSPs can experience the future of help desk management with Pia aiDesk – where AI meets operational excellence, delivering consistency, scalability, and customer satisfaction across every interaction – visit  https://pia.ai/.