The Reynolds and Reynolds Co. has promoted Chris Walsh to acting CEO following the departure of former CEO and chairperson Tommy Barras, who is suing Reynolds for wrongful termination and seeking $300 million in damages.

Walsh has served as the company’s president since 2022 and will retain that title, according to a press release.

“I am both grateful and excited to lead Reynolds and Reynolds as Acting CEO,” Walsh writes. “I have had the opportunity to work hand in hand with our executive team for many years. It is the most talented and experienced team of leaders in our industry, and I cannot wait to continue our growth trajectory.”

A separate release issued on behalf of Barras by The Buzbee Law Firm and Houston-based lead counsel Tony Buzbee says Barras’s tenure with the Kettering, Ohio-based Reynolds and Reynolds began in 1975 and ended less than halfway through a 10-year employment contract signed when Barras was promoted to CEO in 2020.

“The lawsuit sets forth that Reynolds and Reynolds attempted to avoid paying Mr. Barras the required compensation under the contract by creating internal disputes and fabricating a reason for termination involving inappropriate conduct that occurred close to four years prior,” the release states, in part.

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