At Freshworks, Tyler Sloat plays a dual role as Chief Operating and Financial Officer, overseeing corporate strategy, IT, workplace operations, and revenue enablement in addition to finance. His remit reflects the expanding scope of modern leadership, with responsibilities that cut across the systems and processes behind how a business actually runs. “I consider myself more of an operator,” Sloat says—a perspective that informs how he breaks down the company into core operational tracks and aligns cross-functional teams accordingly. For him, the ambition is predictability—not just of revenue, but of execution across the board.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Sloat pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics at Boston College. He later earned an MBA from Stanford University and became a licensed CPA in California. Before joining Freshworks in 2020, Sloat spent nearly a decade as CFO at Zuora, helping shape the company during its IPO. Earlier roles include leadership posts at NetApp and Siebel Systems. In 2024, Freshworks appointed him to the expanded COO-CFO role, reflecting his operational grasp and cross-functional leadership. Today, he oversees a wide scope of functions, from financial planning to system enablement. He also serves as a board member and investor across a range of private companies.
While Sloat’s career has been defined by strategic clarity and execution, he’s quick to credit his growth to others. “The most I’ve learned, it hasn’t been in a classroom—it’s been from folks who’ve been there, done that,” he shares. That ethos shows up in how he hires, valuing aptitude, adaptability, and cultural fit as much as technical know-how. He’s also a firm believer in the potential of AI to reshape the back office, allowing finance teams to shift from manual work to higher-value decisions. Still, he remains rooted in practical wisdom: trust, verify, and never stop learning.