PRESS RELEASE
Darktrace plc (DARK.L), a world chief in cybersecurity AI, publicizes Poppy Gustafsson will step down as Chief Govt Officer (CEO) with impact from at the moment and Jill Popelka, Darktrace’s present Chief Working Officer (COO), has been appointed as her successor. Jill will assume the function of CEO and also will be appointed to the Darktrace Board of Administrators with impact from at the moment.
Jill has greater than 20 years of expertise of driving operational greatest practices and maturing groups, programs and processes for fast-growing companies. She beforehand held senior management roles at main international expertise companies, together with Accenture, Snap Inc and SAP SuccessFactors, one of many largest enterprise cloud companies on the planet, which she led as President. Jill joined Darktrace in January 2024 as a Non-Govt Director, earlier than assuming her present function of COO at Darktrace on 1 June 2024.
Poppy Gustafsson, outgoing CEO of Darktrace, mentioned: “Darktrace has been an enormous a part of my life and my identification for over a decade and I’m immensely happy with all the things now we have achieved in that point. Collectively now we have revolutionised {the marketplace} for cyber safety and introduced our AI-powered expertise to virtually 10,000 prospects around the globe, protecting them secure from cyber disruption.
This problem has required large private {and professional} dedication from me. With the acquisition of Darktrace by Thoma Bravo nearing its completion and with us having recognized a wonderful successor in Jill, now’s the suitable time handy over the reins so Jill can lead Darktrace by its transition into personal possession and past. I’m profoundly grateful to have had the privilege of main such an distinctive staff and I stay up for remaining engaged on this thrilling subsequent chapter of the enterprise as a non-executive director after the transaction completes. I stay Darktrace’s primary fan.”
Gordon Hurst, Chairman of Darktrace, mentioned: “Poppy is a outstanding chief who has grown and nurtured one of many UK’s proudest expertise success tales. Underneath Poppy’s stewardship, the enterprise has remodeled from a promising collaboration of AI and intelligence consultants to a high-growth international chief in cyber safety. This has been mirrored within the important worth Darktrace has created for its shareholders underneath Poppy’s management since its IPO in 2021 and thru the acquisition by Thoma Bravo, one of many world’s main buyers in software program companies.
“Jill is a confirmed and extremely regarded chief in international expertise companies who has contributed immensely to the Board and extra just lately in her function as COO. With Poppy stepping down, the Board has applied its CEO succession plan and is delighted that Jill has accepted the function of CEO. She has the deep sector expertise, folks management abilities and power and keenness to guide Darktrace into the subsequent stage of its journey.”
Jill Popelka, incoming CEO of Darktrace, mentioned: “Poppy and the staff have constructed one thing very particular. The potential of Darktrace is gigantic – our expertise has by no means been extra crucial to organisations around the globe and our AI-native capabilities place us on the forefront of the ever-changing cyber safety market. We have now an excellent platform providing, a broad base of shoppers throughout the globe, and a few of the most proficient folks working in expertise, not least our outstanding R&D groups primarily based in Cambridge and The Hague. I’m excited to associate with the entire Darktrace staff to benefit from the various alternatives now we have forward of us as we embark on this subsequent section of our journey.”
Andrew Almeida, Companion at Thoma Bravo, mentioned: “We’re totally supportive of Poppy and the Board’s succession plan. Jill is the right chief to construct on Poppy’s large legacy at Darktrace because it embarks on this subsequent section of its life given her immense expertise of scaling and maturing fast-growing companies. She cares deeply about folks, about serving prospects and about creating an organization with a way of mission and goal at its core. We stay up for working with Jill and the broader staff to assist elevate Darktrace’s place because the important cybersecurity platform for the altering risk panorama.”
The acquisition of Darktrace by Thoma Bravo continues to progress as anticipated. All antitrust and regulatory approvals have now been obtained, except for one international regulatory approval, which is at the moment anticipated by 28 September 2024. Per the transaction timetable, Darktrace will search the UKcourt’s sanction of the transaction as quickly as this last regulatory approval has been obtained, with the closing of the transaction anticipated shortly afterwards.
This announcement is made in accordance with the notification requirement in UKLR 6.4.6R and there aren’t any different disclosures that must be made underneath UKLR 6.4.8R regarding the appointment of Jill Popelka.