AUSTIN, Texas -

On Wednesday, uShip tapped a veteran of the Internet travel marketplace as well as the e-commerce and retail finance spaces to fill the newly created position of chief financial officer.

Taking on the role is Bob Bearden, who joined the company with more than 20 years of experience. Bearden’s past posts have included serving as CFO of Hotels.com, Expedia.com Global Operations, Travelocity.com and IntentMedia.com.

Bearden also held a senior finance position at truckloadsusa.com and a corporate development role at SABRE.

Now with uShip, the company indicated Bearden will oversee its strategic financial planning, debt/equity financing, operational financing, budgeting, forecasting and capital investments, as well as the company’s accounting team.

Since uShip launched in 2003, the company’s strategy, analytics, reporting, accounting and human resources functions have been overseen by co-founder and executive vice president Jay Manickam.

With Bearden taking over the finance and accounting role, uShip noted Manickam will spend more dedicated time on marketplace analysis and pricing strategy as uShip continues evolving its fixed-price commercial freight business.

Manickam will also continue overseeing human resources, according to the company.

“Bob’s financial background with technology, marketing, retailing, transportation, operations and sales make him the ideal CFO for uShip as we continue to evolve and mature as a marketplace business,” said Matt Chasen, chief executive officer and founder of uShip.

“His insights, experience and guidance gained with other market-making companies such as Hotels.com, Expedia.com will be invaluable as many mirror uShip’s marketplace and pricing model,” Chasen continued.

Bearden also commented on his new role at uShip.

“The uShip team has done a terrific job of building a leading product over the past decade, a platform that brings greater efficiencies to the transportation ecosystem and value to the supply chain,” Bearden said.

“As an industry that’s been void of true innovation for several decades, transportation is ready for its disruptive marketplace, just as the travel industry was years ago,” he went on to say. “I’m looking forward to having a hand in uShip’s success as it creates a better shipping experience for all its stakeholders.”