New CEO Malone, who joined Applause in 2013 and previously served as president and CFO, will look to lead the company’s continued growth strategy, as predecessor and founder Doron Reuveni stays on in the role of executive chairman of Applause board of directors.
During his tenure at Applause, Malone has been responsible for the company’s global operations, as well as financial and strategic management, and multiple rounds of financing with investors such as Goldman Sachs and Accenture.
In addition, he stewarded the company through its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners in 2017.
Prior to joining Applause, Malone held a number of senior leadership roles across finance, sales and operations, including managing director of Corporate Finance Group, and vice-president of finance at NTT Data.
The appointment of a new CEO closely follows the arrival of Google executive Jason Mills to Applause’s board, which was announced last week.
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“I am honored to be Applause’s next CEO,” said Malone. “I want to thank Doron for his leadership and contributions to Applause, and I am excited to lead the company and build on the strong foundation Doron established.
“We remain committed to enabling our customers to deliver exceptional digital experiences – at speed and scale. We will continue to accelerate our customers’ ability to lead their respective industries through our unequalled ability to deliver real-world insights into the quality of their digital assets.”
Applause founder, and new executive chairman, Reuveni commented: “When I founded Applause, I was trying to solve a problem in the market that no one was able to address. I am very proud of what we have achieved over the past thirteen years, and it has been a privilege to lead Applause through this robust period of growth and profitability.
“Chris’ past experience, both at other organisations and at Applause, will ensure that the company carries on addressing the complex digital quality needs of the world’s most influential brands. Applause could not be in more capable hands.”
Kim Eaton, operating managing director at Vista Equity Partners and Applause board member, added: “Chris has been instrumental to Applause’s success. We have all realised the benefits of his outstanding mix of strategic and operational experience, and we have full confidence that Applause will continue to scale under his leadership.
“As the worldwide leader in digital quality, Applause has a tremendous growth opportunity in serving the needs of digital-first organisations.
“We’re grateful to continue our partnership with Doron as executive chairman, and we’re excited to see what Chris and the team will achieve.”
