Seven years ago, Elias Torres and I started Drift with the goal of making it easier for businesses to buy from businesses. It has been a privilege to see this vision come to life while leading a winning team, who helped make Drift what it is today. I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built and scaled together, which is more than just a technology company — Drift is a connection company, humanizing and personalizing what matters most when it comes to our customers’ customers: conversations. By revolutionizing online conversations, we are paving the way in a space that only continues to expand — and the opportunity in front of us has never been greater.
Today, my chapter as CEO of Drift is coming to a close, as I take on a new role as Executive Chairman. It has always been a goal of mine for Drift to endure beyond my leadership as CEO, and I am excited to evolve my involvement at a more strategic, visionary level.
With this transition, I am thrilled to introduce Drift’s new CEO, Scott Ernst. Scott brings over three decades of experience at the intersection of marketing technology and consumer data. He was Global CEO of Macromill, a Tokyo-based global marketing research business, where he partnered with Bain Capital to open 20 new offices around the world, add over 1,000 new employees to the team, drive revenue growth to over $400M, and lead the company through a successful IPO.
On a personal note, I’ve known Scott for more than 20 years, having worked with him at my first company, Compete, and then later as he served as an early advisor to Drift — before we even had a name and were simply an idea. After thoroughly vetting many CEO candidates, I couldn’t be more thrilled with how the stars have aligned: Scott is a purpose-driven and collaborative leader. He is not just a big company guy or a start-up guy: he’s both. He has deep domain expertise in marketing and the technology ecosystem with a strong sales and GTM orientation — and he upholds our first leadership principle to keep the customer at the center of everything we do. Some of my favorite working memories with Scott involve him at a whiteboard, always pushing us to dream bigger. It’s an honor for me to bring his energy, talent, and leadership to Drift in this new capacity.
While I transition away from day-to-day involvement as CEO, I remain heavily invested in Drift and our future as Executive Chairman. Elias and I created this company with a mission to make digital buying experiences better for B2B buyers, and have been fortunate to not only invent a category, but hire nearly 600 employees across 5 continents, launch an entire product suite in the Conversation Cloud, and reach unicorn status with a $1.2B valuation — all thanks to our incredible customers, employees, and partners. And we’re poised to transform the ever-changing buying experience yet again, in a world full of uncertainty and empowered consumers.
At the end of the day, it’s not about me or what I think. Every day, I’m inspired by the new ways our customers are using Drift to change the future of buying and selling and by the partners that help us champion a shared mission. And to our employees — the backbone of our company — the work you do and the culture you’ve created are unmatched, and I’m confident that this is the team that will take Drift to new heights.
The Drift vision will stay the same. Our customer-centric philosophy will stay the same. Our guiding leadership principles will stay the same. While change is never easy, one of my favorite Drift leadership principles is “be a curious learning machine.” We can’t stay comfortable or stuck in our ways – learning keeps us in motion. I’m excited to jump into my new position as Chairman, and for the many great things Scott will bring to this organization. And, I’m eternally grateful to all of you for being on this journey with me.
Let’s go!
DC
