Change at the Top for Qualtrics

Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin has has left the role, at what he calls 'the right time to begin a thoughtful search for our next CEO'. Board members Jim Whitehurst and Mark Gillett will share the role in the interim, while Serafin becomes Vice Chairman and Special Advisor.

Qualtrics was an early mover in the DIY research software market, and these days provides solutions for clients to continually assess and improve the four 'core experiences': Customer, Employee, Product and Brand. Acquisition by software giant SAP for $8bn in 2018 made it one of the sector's most valuable companies, and it has since been acquired by investors for around $12.5bn - in 2023 - and taken private. Revenue is 'heading towards' $2 billion.

Serafin (pictured) joined nine years ago this month, as COO, following eighteen years at Microsoft leading products including Skype for Business. Precise details of his future plans are as yet unknown. Whitehurst, who will also serves as Executive Chairman, is a former CEO of Red Hat and President of IBM; while Gillett represents investor Silver Lake - both have served on the Board for a number of years. These two will now play a more direct role in planning for 2026 and beyond, including the integration of recently acquired PG Forsta.

The firm is on the web at www.qualtrics.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.