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Vendasta, a leading AI-native platform for small business customer acquisition and engagement, has appointed John Vars as Chief Product Officer. This strategic move highlights Vendasta’s focus on pioneering AI-driven solutions to empower agencies, media companies, and SaaS providers with scalable tools for small and medium-sized business (SMB) growth.
Vendasta appoints John Vars as Chief Product Officer to lead AI-first strategy.
Vars brings over 20 years of experience in product innovation and AI solutions.
Vendasta’s AI platform drove 35,000+ customer conversations for Neighborly.
AI tools resulted in 18,000 leads and 3,400 conversions, a 372% increase.
The Xcite Group achieved $745K revenue using Vendasta’s AI-powered tools.
Vars to guide new AI Employees for lead generation and client onboarding.
John Vars joins Vendasta with a robust background in product leadership and entrepreneurship. With over two decades of experience, Vars has a track record of transforming complex challenges into intuitive solutions. His previous roles include co-founding Dogster, leading product at TaskRabbit and Varo Money, and serving as CEO of Mixhalo, where he launched Mixhalo Translate, an AI-powered language interpretation tool for live events. His expertise aligns with Vendasta’s mission to integrate AI seamlessly into business growth strategies.
Vendasta’s AI platform has demonstrated significant impact. For Neighborly, the platform facilitated over 35,000 unique customer conversations in a single quarter, resulting in 18,000 leads, 11,700 appointments, and 3,400 conversions—a 372% increase in leads converted to revenue compared to the previous year. “John is equal parts realist and visionary, which is the exact combination we need as we double down on our AI-first strategy,” said Brendan King, CEO of Vendasta. This success underscores the transformative potential of AI in local customer acquisition.
Denver-based agency The Xcite Group leveraged Vendasta’s AI-powered tools, including AI Receptionist and the Business App, to achieve $745K in gross market revenue and 100% client retention. These tools streamline operations, enhance conversions, and foster stronger client relationships by combining automation with personalized engagement. Such outcomes highlight Vendasta’s role in enabling agencies to scale efficiently while delivering measurable results for SMBs.
“AI isn’t just a feature. It’s becoming the foundation of the modern agency and the SMBs they support,” said Vars. As Chief Product Officer, Vars will oversee Vendasta’s product, design, and platform teams, steering the company toward a fully AI-native ecosystem. His leadership will drive the development of new AI Employees—digital agents designed to automate lead generation, client onboarding, reputation management, and more. These innovations aim to meet the growing demand for smart, scalable solutions as AI adoption accelerates among SMBs.
Vendasta’s commitment to an AI-first approach positions it as a leader in the partner-powered channel. With Vars at the helm, the company is set to redefine how agencies and SMBs leverage AI to drive growth, streamline operations, and enhance client engagement.
Vendasta is the AI-native platform for customer acquisition and engagement, built to help businesses get more customers. And keep them. Designed for channel partners like agencies, franchisors, and technology providers, Vendasta's end-to-end solution unifies marketing, sales, and operational workflows into a single, intelligent ecosystem. By combining proprietary SMB data, automation, and AI-powered assistants, Vendasta streamlines every stage of the customer journey, from prospecting to retention to growth.
With over 700 team members across Saskatoon, Boca Raton, and Chennai, Vendasta powers growth for a global network of partners and the millions of small businesses they support.
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