Management Team
Meet our global leaders
Dave Cruickshank
Chief Executive Officer
“Totara puts organizations back in control with a fully customizable LMS. In today’s rapidly evolving environment, no organization should feel restricted by what an LMS ‘allows’ them to do. Our goal is to empower businesses to shape learning experiences that fit their unique needs, driving real impact for both organizations and their people.”
Dave leads Totara’s strategic vision and operations with over 20 years of experience in technology and consulting. His career spans leadership roles across sectors like travel and finance, with a focus on growth, customer insight, and market trends that shape impactful learning solutions.
Nicole Lyons
Head of People & Culture
“Forward-thinking and successful organizations put their employees at the core of what they do. This means creating and fostering an environment where meaningful employee experiences take place, and where people are respected, developed, supported and empowered to do their best work.”
Nicole leads Totara’s global People Experience function, ensuring our teams are set up to succeed through a positive, empowering employee experience. Nicole has a unique and innovative approach to talent, through extensive international experience at all organizational levels. She has worked across a multitude of sectors including technology, publishing, digital media, advertising, finance, law and engineering, and has specific expertise in rolling out new HR technologies on a global scale.
Warwick Fletcher
Chief Financial Officer
“Smart people investments are an all-round winner. Totara solutions connect upskilling, knowledge and performance management directly to organizational outcomes on one platform. By displacing older fragmented systems in this way we shape visible productivity gains and cost savings for the customer, while at the same time making people’s work lives better and more sustainable.”
Warwick leads Totara’s financial strategy to enable our global market growth. He has over 20 years’ commercial experience, starting as a chartered accountant in public practice then holding senior positions in listed and private companies across industries including property, services and technology.
David Newcomb
President of Totara Americas
“As demand to improve the skills and competencies of the workforce increases, we strive to develop products that meet that demand with innovative and flexible solutions. In this era of the employee experience, Totara is working diligently to provide our clients with products that are flexible, integrated, and most of all effective. I am excited and energized to help guide our organization in all of these endeavors.”
David is responsible for all operations in the Americas with a focus on the United States. He will be a key factor in the introduction of new products and strategies in these markets. Prior to joining Totara, David was involved in the technology marketplace for over 25 years and has held senior leadership roles at GP Strategies Corporation, SkyMall, and Greenleaf Technologies.
Hadleigh Tweedall
Global Head of Marketing
“Marketing is the engine that powers an organization’s growth. It goes beyond advertising and sales – it’s about understanding customers, anticipating their needs, and driving value. The key to success in this dynamic marketplace is allowing data to be the driving compass. Empowering informed decision making is crucial for maximum impact.”
Hadleigh leads the global marketing team at Totara, developing strategic marketing initiatives that elevate the brand’s presence worldwide. With experience leading demand generation campaigns across a diverse set of industries, Hadleigh harnesses data-driven insights to shape effective marketing strategies, optimize customer engagement, and deliver measurable results.
Lars Hyland
Managing Director, EMEA
“To thrive in a world that is full of change and uncertainty requires a singular focus on supporting people to sustainably do their best work. That means building a company culture that emphasizes skills development, continuous, open feedback and a shared clarity of purpose.”
Lars leads Totara’s operations across EMEA. He is a well-known figure in the HR and workplace learning community, as an expert in the field of Talent Experience, which brings together learning, engagement and performance management practices to drive employee satisfaction and productivity. Lars has held senior management positions at a number of learning technology startups in the UK, as well as founding the pioneering SaaS-based spaced learning platform, Retenda.
Benn Crawford
Chief Product Officer & General Manager NZ
“A flourishing product is created when the customer’s greatest needs are at the heart of its design – this is Totara’s product strategy.”
Benn leads Totara’s team of passionate product people, who are focused on helping organizations create exceptional learning and talent development experiences for their employees. As Chief Product Officer, he is responsible for translating Totara’s vision into an approach that delivers value for Totara, our partners and customers. Benn also serves as the General Manager for New Zealand.
Sam Hemelryk
Director of Technology
Sam leads Totara’s global engineering teams in their delivery of products, services and operations to the enterprise standards expected by our world leading customers. As Head of Development he is responsible for the technology vision, ensuring Totara continues to be a trusted solution that evolves with the technical needs of our ecosystem.
Sam is a passionate, engaged technologist and leader with a keen interest in quality delivery. He joined Totara in 2015, before which he worked for Moodle as a Senior Developer and Integrator. In total he has more than 12 years’ experience working with the platform underlying Totara’s products.