Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 Tech CEOs of Boston for 2024. Boston has established itself as a leading hub for technological innovation, supported by its highly educated workforce and prestigious institutions such as Harvard and MIT. This dynamic city is home to a diverse array of tech-driven industries, including software development, healthcare technology, and cybersecurity, providing fertile ground for leaders to drive growth and transformation.
This year’s awardees are not only expertly navigating their companies through challenges but also shaping the future of their sectors. From revolutionizing insurance with AI-driven solutions to enhancing supply chain management through innovative software, these executives exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that defines Boston's technology landscape, driving advancements that leverage cutting-edge technologies and redefine industry standards.
Among this year’s awardees, Richard Becker, Chief Executive Officer of TeachTown, is recognized for his leadership in advancing educational technology solutions for students with disabilities, significantly enhancing access to tailored learning resources. Oleksandr Kosovan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MacPaw, is noted for his contributions to software development, having created popular applications that enhance user experience and optimize Mac devices. Snejina Zacharia, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Insurify, stands out for her entrepreneurial vision in revolutionizing the insurance industry with an AI-driven platform that simplifies the insurance shopping process for consumers.
This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical nomination process and careful consideration of each candidate's career track record and industry contributions. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Tech CEOs of Boston for 2024.
1. Milan Shetti
Chief Executive Officer and President, Rocket Software
Milan Shetti is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Rocket Software, a global technology company guiding businesses through their modernization journeys, spanning core systems to the cloud. Rocket Software is trusted by over 12,500 customers and 750 partners, with more than 3,000 global employees.
Prior to becoming President and CEO, Shetti was President of Rocket Software, overseeing all products in the company’s portfolio. Shetti also held various senior executive leadership positions at HPE, both as a business leader and technologist. He was most recently the SVP and General Manager of the storage and big data business unit and was previously CTO for HPE’s Datacenter Infrastructure group covering compute, storage, and networking products.
Prior to its acquisition by HPE, Shetti was President and CEO of IBRIX Inc. He started his career at Sun Microsystems as a software developer and advanced through a technical career path to Technical Director for its data management group. Shetti holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in computer engineering from Syracuse University.
2. Peter Ankerstjerne
Chief Executive Officer, Planon
Peter Ankerstjerne is the Chief Executive Officer of Planon, where he holds the overall responsibility for the company's strategic direction, management, and performance. Planon is a leading global provider of Smart Sustainable Building Management software. Ankerstjerne is also Chairman of the Planon North America Board. Before stepping into the chief executive role, he held the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Planon, leading strategy and innovation, strategic alliances, marketing, and communications.
Previously Ankerstjerne worked as Group Chief Marketing Officer at ISS, where his responsibilities included branding, marketing, digital, business analytics, sales enablement, and research and development. During his career at ISS, he led the development of the Integrated facility services concept from idea to implementation as well as the development of the ISS Way strategy. Ankerstjerne holds a bachelor’s degree in international marketing management and an MBA from the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.
3. Shabbir Dahod
President and Chief Executive Officer, TraceLink
Shabbir Dahod is the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of TraceLink, a network creation platform company that builds integrated business ecosystems with multi enterprise applications, delivering customer-centric agility and resiliency for end-to-end supply networks and leveraging the collective intelligence of entire industries.
Dahod’s dedication to pharmaceutical supply chain integrity is aimed at protecting global patient health through the advancement of traceability and supply chain digitization technology. His career began at Asymetrix, a startup led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, where he was instrumental in establishing the company as a leader in multimedia authoring technology.
Dahod eventually joined Microsoft to lead initiatives in collaboration and knowledge management. His background combines a strong foundation in computer science and technology development, underscoring his commitment to enhancing supply chain management in the life sciences sector. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Boston University.
4. Ralph Passarella
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Reify Health
Ralph Passarella is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Reify Health, a provider of cloud-based software that helps accelerate the development of life-saving therapies. The company's system accelerates enrollment timelines and the overall pace of research, enabling research sponsors and coordinators to focus on the actions that impact clinical research success.
Passarella brings 11 years of experience to his current role. Before joining Reify Health, Passarella was a Co-Founder and board member at Signal Vine. Prior to starting Reify Health, Passarella graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology and completed the first two years of the MD/PhD program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Before putting his studies on pause, Passarella's work as an entrepreneur and researcher was recognized nationally by the National Cancer Institute, the American Medical Informatics Association, and the Clinical Global Initiative. His undergraduate work in radiation-guided chemotherapeutic drug delivery was recognized as the Most Outstanding Undergraduate Research in the nation by the American Association for Cancer Research as well.
5. Genevieve Juillard
Chief Executive Officer, IDG
Genevieve Juillard is the Chief Executive Officer of International Data Group, Inc. (IDG), a leading market intelligence and data company with operations in more than 50 countries. Juillard is a proven operator with nearly two decades of experience scaling the businesses of increasingly large and complex organizations and leading accountable, high-performance teams to execute transformation and growth initiatives.
Juillard brings a global business perspective, having held executive roles in Chicago, London, and Australia. She has significant people, strategic planning, and operational skills, contributing to the expansion of IDG’s leading proprietary data products and technology platforms. Prior to joining IDG, Juillard spent more than 15 years at Experian, including serving as President of Experian’s Marketing Services and Data Quality group where she led the strategic transformation of the business, including the acquisition and integration of Tapad.
Juillard also previously served as Managing Director of Global Expansion within Experian’s Credit Services business, where she led the expansion of Experian’s global product, data and innovation capabilities, and as President of the US Consumer Credit Bureau. She holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA and MPP in management and public policy from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
6. Stephen Harvey
Chief Executive Officer, BitSight
Stephen Harvey is the Chief Executive Officer of BitSight, a global cyber risk management leader transforming how organizations manage exposure, performance, and risk for themselves and their third parties. Bitsight helps companies prioritize their cybersecurity investments, build greater trust within their ecosystem, and reduce their chances of financial loss. Harvey is a risk management and corporate governance veteran with more than 30 years of business and operational leadership.
Previously, Harvey was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Revenue Officer at Institutional Shareholder Services and before that a Head of Global Account Management at RiskMetrics Group. Earlier in his career he worked with Dow Jones as a Managing Director of International Sales and Marketing.
7. Randall Ward
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Appfire Technologies
Randall Ward is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Appfire Technologies, a leading global provider of software designed to enhance, extend, and connect the world's leading platforms for various work processes, including planning, product ideation, product development, and project delivery.
Ward is committed to helping teams approach challenges by breaking down silos, boosting productivity, modernizing their tech stacks, and adding value to their existing platforms. He graduated from the MIT Sloan School of Management and serves as a member of the Pledge 1% Global Visionary Council.
8. Roque Martin
Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, Aras
Roque Martin is the Chief Executive Officer of Aras, bringing extensive experience in enterprise software. He has a proven track record of helping companies enter new markets, drive growth, and improve profitability. With over 30 years of leadership in software engineering, Martin specializes in Software-as-a-Service, product management, P&L management, go-to-market strategies, and global operations.
Prior to joining Aras, Roque was General Manager of PTC’s division delivering systems and software engineering solutions for manufacturers of advanced products, as well as an R&D executive. He also worked for 25 years at IBM, where he contributed to the SaaS, acquisition integration, and competitive intelligence strategies. He was also a founding member of Hispanic/LatinX employee resource groups at both PTC and IBM.
Roque Martin's Insight
"I'm honored to be recognized among Greater Boston's top tech executives for 2024. Throughout my 30 years in enterprise software, I've been fortunate to lead teams and drive strategies that help companies grow, expand into new markets, and enhance profitability. My journey, which ultimately led me to Aras, has reinforced my belief in the power of innovation, collaboration, and fostering diverse, inclusive workplaces. This recognition is a testament to the incredible teams and leaders I've worked alongside, and I look forward to continuing to drive transformation in the industry."
9. Mark Cattini
Chief Executive Officer, Acoustic
Mark Cattini is the Chief Executive Officer of Acoustic, and has served on the company’s Board of Directors since May 2022. Acoustic helps businesses close the digital experience gap by giving them a holistic view into the customer experience and enabling them to deliver personalized experiences based on consumer needs and preferences.
Cattini brings over two decades of experience as a successful CEO at enterprise software companies. Previously, Cattini worked in the Salesforce Field Service. Before that, he served as CEO at ClickSoftware, which was later acquired by Salesforce. Earlier in his career he worked with MapInfo Corporation as President and CEO.
10. Oleksandr Kosovan
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, MacPaw
Oleksandr Kosovan is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MacPaw, a Ukraine-based software development company known for products including CleanMyMac, Setapp, and ClearVPN. As a student, Oleksandr created the first version of CleanMyMac, an app designed to declutter, optimize, and protect Mac devices.
Since then, MacPaw has launched more than ten products, with one in every five Macs having at least one MacPaw app installed. Oleksandr is also a Co-Founder of the SMRK Venture Capital Fund, which provides venture investment for Ukrainian IT startups.
11. Sharon Rowlands
Chief Executive Officer, Endurance Group, Newfold Digital
Sharon Rowlands is the Chief Executive Officer of Endurance Group at Newfold Digital, a leading web and commerce technology company serving nearly seven million customers globally. Established in 2021, the company’s portfolio includes well-known brands like Bluehost, HostGator, Network Solutions, and others. Rowlands brings deep industry knowledge and a strong track record of leading multibillion-dollar high-tech companies that serve small- and medium-sized businesses, financial markets and enterprise customers.
Prior to joining Newfold Digital, formerly Web.com Group, Rowlands served as CEO of ReachLocal, a public digital marketing company, leading it through a strategic transformation and sale to Gannett. At Gannett, Rowlands served as President of the USA TODAY NETWORK Marketing Solutions business while continuing to serve as CEO of ReachLocal. Prior CEO positions include Penton Media, Altegrity, and Thomson Financial.
Rowlands currently serves on the board of directors for Pegasystems, a global software company, Everbridge, a critical event management and enterprise safety applications company, the Glimpse Group, a VR and AR platform company, Sonihull, a marine ultrasonic antifouling solutions company, Constant Contact, a digital marketing company, and Loch Lomond Golf Club. Rowlands received her postgraduate certificate in education from the University of London and her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Newcastle.
12. Richard Becker
Chief Executive Officer, Teachtown
Richard Becker is the Chief Executive Officer of TeachTown, a provider of special education curriculum. Since joining TeachTown, Becker has driven significant revenue, profitability, and customer growth, establishing TeachTown as the market leader in Pre-K through 12th grade special education core curriculum and interventions. Becker is committed to improving the lives of students with disabilities and enabling educator success, guiding the TeachTown team to ensure all children with disabilities acquire and maintain the academic, social and emotional, and adaptive skills necessary to succeed.
Prior to joining TeachTown, Becker served as CEO of DIGARC, a leading provider of higher education software and services, where he led DIGARC’s business transformation, growth strategy and successful sale to Modern Campus. Before DIGARC, he held various senior leadership roles at Stack Sports, Blackbaud, and Equifax.
With over 20 years of experience, Becker has a proven track record of driving transformation and growth in mission-based SaaS technology companies, success working with K-12 education clients, and building businesses with a culture rooted in high performance and innovation.
13. Guy Pistone
Chief Executive Officer, Valere
Guy Pistone is the Chief Executive Officer of Valere, a global tech and AI technology agency with over 200 employees with offices in five countries. Pistone is an entrepreneur and technology leader with over a decade of experience building successful applications. He has had several consumer products acquired in software and AI, including Fitivity, which had over 15 million users worldwide.
Pistone brings seven years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2017 as a CEO in a portfolio company at MuckerLab. From there, he went on to Elete, before eventually rising to CEO at Fitivity Inc., his most recent position prior to joining Valere. Pistone graduated from Clark University with a MBA in marketing and information systems and an undergraduate degree in culture and communications.
Guy Pistone's Insight
"I am deeply honored to be selected as a Top Executive of Greater Boston for 2024. Being an executive leader is essentially like steering a boat in the dark, not guiding by sight by using only intuition and belief. Throughout my journey at Valere and beyond, I've had the privilege of leading a remarkable team committed to pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. This recognition is a testament to everyone at Valere's hard work, creativity, and collaboration as we build meaningful solutions."
14. Snejina Zacharia
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Insurify
Snejina Zacharia is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Insurify, a comparison platform for car, home, and life insurance. The platform uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to streamline the process of shopping for insurance.
Zacharia has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, and has worked with several enterprise software and consumer internet companies. Before founding Insurify, Zacharia was part of Gartner, where she established and grew three businesses, each of which earned millions in annual revenue across the U.S. and Europe, Middle East, and Asia. Zacharia holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Snejina Zacharia's Insight
"Insurify is America's top-rated virtual insurance agent and we are focused on creating the best experience and offering service our customers expect whether it’s a digital journey or supported by an agent. We are on a mission to empower every insurance-shopper to quickly compare, buy, and manage insurance policies to meet their needs."
"Setting up a technology platform to disrupt insurance distribution, a highly traditional and regulated industry, requires passion, humility, resilience, and a team-centric attitude to achieve success. As a first time entrepreneur, I learned early on to focus on building a sustainable business and to invest in people who value the company's vision and results. I am very fortunate to work with an incredibly smart team and supportive investors. To date, we have helped over 10 million American insurance shoppers secure billions of dollars in insurance coverage. We are continuing to innovate new ways to buy and new products to sell but ultimately our business is dedicated to meeting our customers' insurance needs."
15. Venkat Maroju
Chief Executive Officer, SourceTrace
Dr. Venkat Maroju is the Chief Executive Officer of SourceTrace, a company providing software solutions to agriculture and allied sectors. The company’s platform, DATAGREEN, enhances transparency and traceability across the agricultural value chain, empowering nearly two million farmers in 37 countries.
Prior to SourceTrace, Venkat founded Factum Ventures, a holding company in India that set up and promoted new business ventures in sustainable agriculture, microfinance, and renewable energy. He was also an advisor to venture capital firms investing in social enterprises that supported people at the bottom of the pyramid in developing economies. Earlier in his career he served as Divisional Information Officer at Bose.
Venkat holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a PhD in engineering from Old Dominion University, a master’s degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Osmania University College of Engineering.
16. Bob Hoyt
Chief Executive Officer, Clear Ballot Group, Inc.
Bob Hoyt is the Chief Executive Officer of Boston-based election technology company Clear Ballot. He has played a key role in expanding the company’s customer base, broadening its footprint to 14 states and reaching more than 45 million voters. Under Bob’s leadership, Clear Ballot expanded from a post-election audit and vote-by-mail company into a leading voting system provider, with in-person voting solutions certified in six additional states.
Prior to joining Clear Ballot, Bob was the General Manager of Endeca, where he managed worldwide sales, marketing, and partner channels before the company was acquired by Oracle. Bob graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
17. Marcos Araujo
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Esportudo
Marcos Araujo is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Esportudo, a sports media brand focused on serving Latino sports fans. Marcos played a key role in developing the platform from its inception. Esportudo now reaches over 40 million sports fans a month and helps brands engage this growing demographic through tailored content.
Marcos was also a key driver in launching HubSpot Inc. in Latin America, where he scaled the operation to one of the best performing sales teams in the company. He holds a BBA in finance and operations management from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
18. BC Krishna
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Centime
BC Krishna is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Centime, a cash management platform designed to help businesses effectively manage their cash flow. Centime's suite of connected solutions includes features for forecasting, collections, invoicing, payments, credit, and reporting. By leveraging automation and AI, Centime enables finance leaders to enhance productivity, lower operational costs, and proactively manage financial risks.
Krishna brings 29 years of experience to his current role. He is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for building and advising early-stage technology companies. He is particularly interested in leveraging technology to address significant, long-standing challenges.
Before joining Centime, Krishna was Founder and CEO at MineralTree, Inc (acquired by Global Payments for $500M). Before Centime, Krishna was Founder and CEO at Memento (acquired by FIS). Earlier in his career he worked with FutureTense, Inc. as a Founder and CTO (acquired by Open Market for $125M). Krishna graduated from the MIT Media Lab with a MS in Visual Studies and from the BITS Pilani (India) with a graduate degree in Computer Science.
BC Krishna's Insight
“There are three things that drive business success: judgment, luck, and money. These are elemental, intertwined, and irreplaceable."
19. Fabrizio Martini
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Electra Vehicles
Fabrizio Martini is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Electra Vehicles, a B2B AI software company specializing in cloud and onboard software designed to optimize battery system performance across various vehicle types. Initially focused on the eMobility market, Electra’s technology extends its benefits—such as enhanced range, lifespan, charging efficiency, and safety—to other electric sectors, including eVTOLs, aerospace, robotics, and energy grids.
Martini brings 13 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2011 as an associate engineer at Nanoramic Laboratories, his most recent position prior to joining Electra Vehicles. Martini holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and landscape vehicles from Polytechnic University of Milan.
Electra was created as a result of Fabrizio Martini’s work with NASA when he developed a novel battery system for the Venus Rover project. Fabrizio holds four world records for energy storage system performance, measured and validated by Sandia National Laboratory. Prior to Electra, he was the Director of R&D for a novel battery manufacturing company. He is a two-time Principal Investigator for DoE, DoD, and NASA and has filed 70 patents, with 14 granted. Fabrizio holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University in Boston.
20. Ed Walsh
Chief Executive Officer, ChaosSearch
Ed Walsh is the Chief Executive Officer of ChaosSearch. He is an accomplished executive with nearly three decades of leadership experience across public, private, and venture-backed high-tech companies. Known for his strategic vision and technical acumen, Walsh has a proven track record of driving innovation, growth, and market leadership across various sectors.
Throughout his career, Walsh has successfully led multiple companies to significant achievements. As CEO of Avamar, he grew the company sixfold in 18 months, leading to its acquisition by EMC. At Virtual Iron, his leadership resulted in a sevenfold revenue increase, culminating in an acquisition by Oracle.
Walsh has held General Manager roles at industry giants such as EMC, IBM, and has turned around multi-billion dollar businesses, including IBM’s $6 billion storage business. Walsh is also a co-founder of several startups, one of which grew to $88 million before being acquired.
Ed Walsh's Insight
"Success in business is driven by a combination of strategic vision, unwavering execution, and the ability to anticipate industry shifts."
"True leadership is about empowering others to reach their full potential while driving innovation that creates meaningful change."
21. Sumit Nagpal
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Founder, Cherish Health
Sumit Nagal is the Chairman, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Cherish Health. Cherish develops advanced radar-based sensor platforms and artificial intelligence for health and safety monitoring. Cherish's technology utilizes spatial computing to function in various environments without altering individuals' daily routines or compromising their privacy. The platform is designed to detect emergencies and health risks, facilitating timely assistance to enhance the safety and independence of users.
Sumit is a serial entrepreneur focused on digital health innovation. Over the past three decades, he has co-founded and developed five companies aimed at addressing various challenges within healthcare. His work emphasizes several key themes: a vision for improving healthcare systems, innovative technology that seeks to disrupt traditional approaches, user-friendly design that integrates into daily life, and practical business models that facilitate these changes. Sumit also serves on the HIMSS board and is Chair of the HIMSS Nominating Committee.
22. Yamini Rangan
Chief Executive Officer, HubSpot
Yamini Rangan is the Chief Executive Officer of HubSpot, a software company that provides a customer platform designed to help businesses connect and grow more effectively. HubSpot offers a unified platform for customer-facing teams that includes AI-powered engagement hubs, a smart CRM, and an extensive ecosystem with over 1,500 app marketplace integrations. Prior to becoming CEO, Rangan served as HubSpot's first ever Chief Customer Officer, overseeing the marketing, sales, and service teams.
A tech industry veteran, Rangan has more than 25 years of experience in product marketing, sales, and strategy. Rangan previously served as Chief Customer Officer at Dropbox, where she was responsible for embedding customer focus across the organization. Before Dropbox, she was VP of Sales Strategy and Operations at Workday, where she helped quadruple revenue and scaled the sales organization.
At SAP, Rangan held several customer-facing leadership roles in strategy, pre-sales, and value-based selling and helped close landmark deals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Bharathiar University, a master’s degree in computer engineering from Clemson University, and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.
23. Inna Kuznetsova
Chief Executive Officer, Toolsgroup
Inna Kuznetsova is the CEO of ToolsGroup. Kuznetsova joined ToolsGroup following a series of senior roles in SaaS and supply chain companies with a focus on fast growth and innovation. ToolsGroup provides AI-powered solutions that enable retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to navigate through supply chain uncertainty.
Previously, Kuznetsova was CEO of 1010data, a provider of cross-enterprise data analytics tools. Prior to that, she was President and COO of INTTRA, a digital network and analytics provider for the ocean shipping industry. She also served as Chief Commercial Officer of CEVA Logistics and Global VP of Marketing and Sales and Systems Software at IBM. Kuznetsova earned a master’s degree and PhD in mathematics from Moscow State University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
24. James Novak
Chief Executive Officer, Zoovu
James Novak is the Chief Executive Officer of Zoovu, an AI-powered product discovery platform. Zoovu helps B2C, B2B, and retail organizations in unlocking their product and customer data to enhance e-commerce experiences. Novak brings more than two decades of enterprise SaaS experience scaling companies globally and building AI-driven, multi-product platforms.
Before joining Zoovu, Novak served as CEO of Fiix, a cloud-based, AI-enabled asset management and maintenance software platform. Under his leadership, Fiix grew its revenue more than 1,000 percent and was acquired in 2021 by Rockwell Automation.
Prior to Fiix, Novak held various executive leadership roles at Blackberry, where he oversaw the hardware, software and services business. He also helped drive Blackberry’s successful entry into new markets, including Latin America, The Gulf region, and Eastern Europe. Novak graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an undergraduate degree in business.
25. Jennifer Carroll
Chief Executive Officer, Veruna
Jennifer Carroll is the Chief Executive Officer of Veruna, an insurtech developer of the Salesforce-based agency management platform. Veruna provides a customizable agency management system designed to meet the evolving needs of modern insurance agencies.
Carroll is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company, focusing on establishing the company as a modern, enterprise-ready agency management solution for independent insurance agencies. With a strong interest in technology and the future of insurtech, Carroll brings over 15 years of experience in leadership roles within the B2B startup software sector, spanning industries such as insurance, law, finance, and big data analytics.
Previously, Carroll was a corporate counsel at Drillinginfo. Earlier in her career she worked with The Shanahan Law Firm as an attorney. Carroll earned a JD in intellectual property law from the Cleveland State University College of Law and an undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry from The University of Toledo.