Seismic announced the appointment of Rob Tarkoff to Chief Executive Officer, effective Oct. 3.
Tarkoff will assume the role from co-founder Doug Winter, who has led Seismic since its founding more than 15 years ago and will remain a board member and advisor.
“For nearly two decades, Seismic has been my life’s work. I’m proud of what we’ve built together with our customers, and I’m confident this is the right moment to retire and for new leadership to guide Seismic into its next chapter,” said Winter. “Rob’s experience leading world-class software teams and his people-first approach make him the right person to carry our culture forward and accelerate growth.”
Tarkoff’s Background
Tarkoff spent the last seven years as executive vice president and general manager of Oracle’s Customer Experience (CX) application suite, which includes sales, service, marketing, content and industry cloud offerings. Prior to Oracle, he served as the president and CEO of Lithium Technologies for seven years as well as executive vice president of the Digital Enterprise business unit at Adobe.
“I’m honored to join Seismic and build on the incredible foundation Doug and the team have created. Seismic’s people, product, and customers are unmatched, and I look forward to meeting them as we shape the company’s next stage of growth,” said Tarkoff.
Winter’s Leadership
Winter led Seismic’s evolution from a five-person startup into a global enablement powerhouse. As he passes off the reins, he leaves Seismic as an established leader in the enablement space with a strong financial foundation and a workplace culture recognized by Glassdoor, Built In, Forbes, Inc., and Fortune.
Ryan Lanpher and Andrew Young, Seismic board members and Partners at Permira, said they “we’re deeply grateful” to Doug for his vision and leadership in building Seismic into the leader it is today.
“His continued involvement as a board member ensures continuity as we enter this exciting next chapter,” said Lanpher and Young, Seismic board members and Partners at Permira.
Future at Seismic
Tarkoff joins Seismic at a time of durable growth, including eight consecutive profitable quarters and an expanding roster of 85 customers spending $1 million per year. Seismic Shift 2025, the company’s annual customer conference, recently drew its largest-ever attendance while celebrating its 10th in-person occurrence.
Under Tarkoff’s leadership, Seismic will continue to invest in AI-powered innovation to redefine how companies enable their go-to-market (GTM) teams and drive measurable business outcomes.
“I’m honored to join Seismic and build on the incredible foundation Doug and the team have created. Seismic’s people, product, and customers are unmatched, and I look forward to meeting them as we shape the company’s next stage of growth,” he said. “Having been a Seismic customer myself, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful strategic enablement can be in driving go-to-market success — and I can’t wait to expand that impact for organizations everywhere.”
