‘Freshworks is my baby’, says Girish Mathrubootham as he passes CEO charge to Dennis Woodside

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Girish Mathrubootham on May 1 announced that he is stepping down as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Freshworks and will transition into the role of an Executive Chairman of the India-born SaaS firm. The company’s President Dennis Woodside will take over the role of the CEO.

Mathrubootham will remain the chairman of the Board of Directors, and Woodside will also remain a member of the Board of Directors, Freshworks said in a statement.

After spending almost 14 years since founding Freshworks as a tiny startup in Chennai, to scaling it to be a global Saas player and the first Indian Saas company to list on Nasdaq, I’m excited to announce that I’m stepping into a new role as Executive Chairman of Freshworks.…

— Girish Mathrubootham (@mrgirish) May 1, 2024

In a letter to employees, Mathrubootham said he’s filled with many emotions as he spent almost 14 years since founding Freshworks as a tiny startup in Chennai to scaling it to be a global Saas player and the first Indian Saas company to list on Nasdaq.

“Freshworks is my baby, and over the years I have seen her grow—as a toddler trying to walk, a child growing really fast, and a teenager growing stronger. The emotions running through my mind are similar to a father experiencing his beloved daughter’s marriage, happy and sad at the same time, knowing fully well that she has found the right one and is going to accomplish greater things in life.”

When Mathrubootham recruited Dennis to Freshworks

He also mentioned his discussions with Freshworks’s board that started a few years ago about his longer-term plans. He said he’d informed the board that when the time is right, he would like to shift his focus to long-term product vision and artificial intelligence and invest in the firm’s presence in India.

“When I recruited Dennis to Freshworks, my hope was that he would eventually succeed me,” he said.

The company, in its announcement, said, since founding Freshworks in 2010, Mathrubootham has transformed Freshworks from a fledgling startup in Chennai into a leading SaaS company headquartered in San Mateo, with products that make it easy for every business to delight their employees and customers.

“Mathrubootham steered Freshworks through an IPO on Nasdaq in September 2021, making Freshworks the first India-born SaaS firm to trade on a US exchange. Under his leadership, the business has grown to serve more than 67,000 customers globally, powered by approximately 4,900 talented employees operating globally in 13 locations.”

Mathrubootham said Woodside has a deep understanding of Freshworks’ business, customers and employees, and a strong track record of building and scaling large global teams. “He is the right leader to become our next CEO”.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow