Progress Software Corp., a Bedford software company, announced the appointment of Melissa Cruz as senior vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer.

Additionally, the company announced that its board of directors has elected Philip M. Pead as its new non-executive chairman, succeeding Michael L. Mark, who will remain on the board, the company said in a press release. Pead has worked in executive roles in such companies as Eclipsys Corp., Per-Se Technologies, Dun & Bradstreet Corp., and Attachmate Corp.

Before joining Progress, Cruz served as CFO at such companies as Picis, BladeLogic, and Concord Communications.

In April, the company’s new chief executive, Jay H. Bhatt, unveiled plans to eliminate as many as 260 jobs - about 15 percent of its workforce - and sell off some product lines as part of a plan to become “leaner.”

Bhatt joined Progress in December.