Cherwell Software's Board of Directors has appointed Craig Harper as Chief Executive Officer.
Vance Brown, Co-Founder and previously CEO, will assume a new role as the Executive Chairman of the Board, and will continue as an employee of the company, supporting Harper with business strategy and industry relations.
“During this time of Cherwell’s continuing rapid growth, there is no better person to lead the company than Craig Harper,” said Vance Brown, Cherwell Co-founder and now Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Modern IT organizations must evolve in order to support the business. Craig’s unique background and skillset provide the right combination, at exactly the right time, to lead Cherwell forward on our mission to help companies accelerate their own organizational purposes. Craig has deep service management expertise, puts customers first, and is a strong leader with a proven ability to execute and inspire. Since Craig joined Cherwell in 2014, we continue to see amazing growth driven by customers seeking an alternative to expensive and cumbersome ITSM tools. Both as President and member of Cherwell’s Board, Craig has been a key driver of our company’s growth, and I am excited for him to step into the CEO role.”
Harper joined the Cherwell Board in February 2014, and he transitioned to a full-time operational role in July 2014 as President of Cherwell, responsible for worldwide marketing, sales, services, and support. His promotion to CEO is part of the Board’s succession plan. Prior to Cherwell, Harper was Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Services at ServiceMesh. Before joining ServiceMesh in 2012, Harper served as VP of Sales and Services at ServiceNow, helping the company grow SaaS revenue from $18M to $200M between 2009 and 2012. Harper is also a fourteen-year veteran of BMC Software, working his way up the ranks from Account Manager to VP of Worldwide Solutions, Sales, and Consulting between 1995 and 2009.
“I joined Cherwell because I wanted to be part of a company that innovates, not only in service management, but in how we interact with customers—from delivering initial value to building lasting, long-term relationships. I believe Cherwell is the only company in our market that achieves balance across these core areas,” said Harper. “Vance Brown’s vision and leadership team built Cherwell into a company known for listening to customers and serving their needs. I am honored and humbled to lead and work with an amazing set of employees, customers, and partners.”
Cherwell also announced that Vance Brown, previously CEO, will assume a new role as the Executive Chairman of the Board. In his new role, Brown will continue his deep engagement with customers and service management thought leaders around the world to advance how IT can drive innovation and business success. Brown co-founded Cherwell and served as Cherwell’s CEO since inception.
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