2024 Top CEO
CEO Overview

In the early stages of his career, Matt expressed a strong desire to lead an organization and have a substantial impact on its direction. While not necessarily fixated on the CEO title, he was determined to be a founding member, actively contributing to shaping both the product and the business.

This journey led to the establishment of AppNeta in 2011, which marked Matt’s fifth venture in the startup world. Initially, Matt took on the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), with oversight over all product-related matters. His co-founder assumed the position of CEO. As is customary in the startup landscape, Matt encountered the familiar challenges of establishing product-market fit, securing funding, making crucial hiring decisions, and dealing with intense competition. It was an exciting yet demanding phase of his career.

After three years, Matt’s co-founder decided to pursue other opportunities, leading Matt to step into the CEO role. During his tenure as CEO at AppNeta, he placed a strong emphasis on creating and maintaining a high-performance organizational culture, considering it vital for the company’s long-term success. Matt implemented several programs to ensure that employees remained aligned and highly engaged.

In 2017, AppNeta received a significant investment from Rubicon Technology Partners, a private equity firm based in Boulder, Colorado, specializing in enterprise software. With Rubicon’s support, the company underwent strategic shifts in both its go-to-market and product strategies, with a heightened focus on the enterprise use case and customer base. Over the subsequent five years, AppNeta experienced substantial growth in enterprise annual recurring revenue (ARR), nearly 2.5 times its original figure, and achieved notable efficiency enhancements in product development and go-to-market execution. This period culminated in the successful sale of the AppNeta business to Broadcom in January 2022, delivering a substantial return for Rubicon’s investors and the AppNeta management team.

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