Optimizely has announced the promotion of its Chief Marketing Officer, Shafqat Islam, to the position of President. This new role will see Islam working more closely with the company's Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer to ensure tighter alignment between its product, marketing, and engineering teams.
Islam, who previously served as CEO and co-founder of Welcome, joined Optimizely after the company's acquisition of Welcome in 2021. Under his leadership as CMO, Optimizely has seen significant growth, recently surpassing USD $400 million in annual recurring revenue.
Commenting on the promotion, Alex Atzberger, CEO of Optimizely, stated, "Shafqat has been a transformative force within our organisation since joining us nearly three years ago. We acquired Welcome not only for its innovative marketing tools, but also for the entrepreneurial spirit embedded throughout the company that stemmed from Shafqat's inspiring, hands-on leadership style. From ensuring the continued growth of CMP customers, to defining our Optimizely One positioning, Shafqat's deep background in both engineering and marketing makes him an ideal leader to further propel Optimizely's success."
Islam's tenure at Optimizely has included the successful launches of Optimizely One, noted as the industry's first AI-powered operating system for marketers, as well as a new SaaS content management system (CMS) offering. These initiatives have contributed to Optimizely's standing as a leading digital experience platform provider.
With his expanded responsibilities, Islam will oversee Optimizely's product and engineering teams while continuing to helm the company's marketing efforts. He will be working closely with Chief Product Officer Rupali Jain and Chief Technology Officer Aniel Sud to drive innovation and adoption of Optimizely's solutions.
Shafqat Islam expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, saying, "This is the part of the press release where normally our PR team would write a very nice sounding but fake quote. Fortunately, we don't have to do that because I love this company and it's the privilege of a lifetime to take on this new role. Three years after the acquisition, I continue to believe Optimizely is one of the best software companies in the SaaS market. We have a relentless focus on our customers, an entrepreneurial culture and a fiercely intelligent team. With the product, engineering and marketing teams working more closely together, I'm confident we'll be shipping incredible products that make our customers wildly successful."
The leadership changes and product advancements at Optimizely come as the company continues to assert its presence in the digital experience platform market. By fostering closer collaboration between key departments, Optimizely aims to accelerate innovation and enhance the efficacy of its marketing technology offerings.
