After six great years, I have resigned my position as CEO of MarkLogic Corp. I can say that the parting is amicable and the board and I have been working for several months to ensure a smooth transition because we have a shared interest in the company’s continued success going forward.
When I left my job running marketing at BusinessObjects, I wanted to see if I could be a general manager, run a P&L, and grow a company to a substantial size. I’ve accomplished what I set out to do and then some. What I do next is unclear: perhaps grow another startup or return to a large organization in a GM/CMO capacity. I’ll figure it out in the coming months.
I am proud of what we accomplished during my six years at the MarkLogic: acquiring over 200 enterprise customers, growing annual revenues at a 75% CAGR, raising $27.5M in venture capital, and growing the company from 40 to over 230 employees.
I am particularly happy to say that I will be leaving the company in a position of strength, having exceeded the 2010 revenue plan targets and with nearly $20M cash in the bank.
I believe that MarkLogic has great technology, great people, great customers, great partners, and great future potential.
I would like to say “thank you” to the large number of people who contributed to MarkLogic’s success during the past six years. In particular, I’d like to thank:
- MarkLogic customers not only for buying our software and services, but more importantly for your faith in the company and in our ability to deliver.
- Our partners for working alongside us at customer accounts, building consulting practices around MarkLogic Server, and for sponsoring our user conferences and other marketing events.
- MarkLogic employees for your hard work, excellence, dedication, and – most importantly – for helping to preserve the professional, high standards, results-oriented culture that enabled us to be successful. I am honored to have worked with you.
- Our investors, Sequoia Capital and Tenaya Capital, who provided the fuel for the ship.
Since I seem to have a reputation for being a rather demanding manager, I’d like to offer a special thanks to the three people on the executive staff who were with the company the day I joined and who have thus shared (and/or endured) my entire MarkLogic tenure: Ron Avnur, Josh Narva, and Max Schireson. I can’t think of three finer people with whom to have worked.
Thank you to everyone.
