Today, Freshworks Inc. announced the appointment of Dennis Woodside as the new Chief Executive Officer & President, effective later today. He will be succeeding the company's Founder Girish Mathrubootham, who will transition to the role of Executive Chairman. Alongside these changes, Mathrubootham will remain the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Woodside will continue his membership on the Board.
Mathrubootham, the Founder of Freshworks, has led the company from being a humble start-up in Chennai to becoming a prominent SaaS company headquartered in San Mateo. The range of products released by Freshworks, under Mathrubootham's guidance, has revolutionised the way businesses interact with their employees and customers. The company saw immense growth under his leadership, boasting 67,000 customers globally and supported by approximately 4,900 employees operating globally across 13 locations.
Recalling the inception of this leadership transformation, Mathrubootham says, "When I first proposed this next step to the Freshworks Board, we were starting to chart the next phase of our company’s journey. We brought Dennis on board to partner with me on crafting an ambitious growth plan, and my hope was that he could eventually lead the team of talented employees around the world to execute it." He expressed his excitement for the transition, emphasising Woodside's deep understanding of Freshworks' business, team, and customers. His proven track record in scaling global teams and building businesses make him the ideal leader for the company's next chapter.
Before joining Freshworks as President in September 2022, Woodside held impressive leadership roles at prominent companies. He served as Chief Operating Officer at Dropbox, where he aided the company in increasing its revenue from $250M to $1.3B and successfully raising over $1B in a 2018 IPO. Prior to Dropbox, Woodside held various sales and strategy leadership roles at Google from 2003 - 2014. These included serving as CEO of Motorola Mobility following Google's acquisition of the company in 2012.
In his new role as Executive Chairman, Mathrubootham will continue influencing Freshworks' product vision, its customers, and employees. He will be working across the company to bring Freshworks' long-term vision to life and assist Woodside in making strategic decisions. This new position allows him more time to engage with the product teams based in India, customers globally, and other external stakeholders.
Stepping into his new role, Woodside expressed his eagerness saying, "As I step into the role of CEO, I am deeply honoured to build upon Girish's remarkable legacy. Our mission and strategy remain the same. We stand before extraordinary opportunities and have the right foundation to make it possible." He proclaimed his commitment to continuing Freshworks' growth journey.
