Our leadership team
Meet the visionaries who are changing the way the world builds software. Together with their teams, our leaders have shaped our award-winning technology and blueprinted the cultural shifts that unlock new worlds of business, ideas, and outcomes.
Because at Pega, change doesn’t happen to us. We are the change.
Our leadership team
Meet the visionaries who are changing the way the world builds software. Together with their teams, our leaders have shaped our award-winning technology and blueprinted the cultural shifts that unlock new worlds of business, ideas, and outcomes.
Because at Pega, change doesn’t happen to us. We are the change.
Board of directors
Governance
One of the objectives of Pega is to build a fast-growing, profitable enterprise that rewards our employees, shareholders, and partners. To achieve this, we must continuously earn the trust of our many stakeholders: employees, customers, partners, suppliers, shareholders, government officials, and the general public.
The tone for our actions is set by our board of directors and senior leadership team. We expect our employees, contractors, and partners to be team-oriented, take ownership, act with integrity, and value diversity. We strive to do the right thing, not because we are required to do it, because we want to do it.
We strive to comply with both the letter and spirit of applicable laws and regulations. To those ends, we have made our basic corporate-governance documents public so our stakeholders can know how we strive to act in all of our business actions.
Alan Trefler is the Founder and CEO of Pegasystems, pioneering the future of enterprise AI transformation. A visionary leader who combines strategic innovation with practical execution, Alan has guided Pega from its founding to its position as a global leader in AI-powered enterprise solutions. His unique journey from chess master to tech pioneer began with tying for first place in the 1975 World Open Chess Championship. His strategic mindset, combined with software engineering expertise from Dartmouth College, led to his developing early AI systems that taught computers to play chess and laid the foundation for Pega's innovative approach to enterprise technology.
Under Alan's leadership, Pega has emerged as a vanguard in the enterprise AI revolution. The company's breakthrough innovations in generative AI, intelligent automation, and AI-powered decisioning are enabling the world's leading organizations to achieve unprecedented business outcomes – from real-time personalization at global scale to autonomous operations that continuously optimize themselves.
Alan's contributions to technology and business have earned him numerous accolades, and his best-selling book, "Build for Change," reflects his vision for business transformation in the digital age.
Together with his wife Pam, Alan extends his transformative vision through the Trefler Foundation, which creates lasting positive change through initiatives in education, workforce development, and community health, particularly in underserved communities.
In her 25+ years of experience, Katherine has established, developed, and led strong international teams across a wide range of HR disciplines in financial services, technology, and professional services firms. Her areas of expertise include people strategy, compensation and benefits, recognition, organizational and leadership development, workforce planning, and culture and value proposition.
At Pega, she is responsible for the company’s global people strategy and operations, bringing Pega’s values to life. Under her leadership, Pega has been routinely recognized as a Top Place to Work.
Ken leads finance, investor relations, legal, facilities, information technology, Pega Cloud, global client support, and business operations, overseeing more than 1,000 employees globally. His leadership has been central to Pega’s transformation to an as-a-Service business through Pega’s cloud-first strategy and multi-cloud deployment capabilities. Recognized as incisive, transparent, clear, and empathetic, his opinions and counsel are sought after by peers, clients, and media.
Ken has more than 25 years of financial leadership experience in high-growth organizations in the technology sector like Dynatrace, SOVOS, and PTC. He is a regular contributor to numerous industry publications regarding financial and operational leadership. He also serves as executive sponsor for Veterans@Pega employee resource group.
As Chief Product Officer, Kerim is responsible for the design and delivery of Pega’s full suite of products He joined Pega as a software engineer in 1992 and now leads a team of more than 1,500 engineers, product managers, designers, and architects building best-in-class solutions across 1:1 customer engagement, customer service, and intelligent automation.
Kerim is particularly passionate about creating software that feels seamless—ensuring technology empowers business users. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and building systems that support how businesses actually work. Kerim’s customer-centric approach has positioned Pega as a leader in AI-powered business transformation.
Leon Trefler is Chief of Clients and Markets at Pega, where he leads global sales and client success teams to deliver exceptional experiences across every touchpoint. Since joining Pega in 1998, Leon has held every role in the sales organization and continues to play a central role in shaping the company’s go-to-market strategy. In 2002, he led the commercialization of Pega’s workflow automation capabilities—now the foundation of the Pega Infinity™ Platform.
A recognized authority on sales strategy, workflow automation, and client engagement, Leon has authored Selling@Pega and Managing@Pega, foundational guides that continue to shape how Pega’s teams connect with clients and drive outcomes. He has opened new geographies and vertical markets around the world, expanding Pega’s reach far beyond its financial services roots. Leon’s deep expertise and strategic insight make him a compelling voice for organizations navigating complex transformation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Dartmouth College.
John Higgins serves as Chief of Client and Partner Success at Pega, co-leading the Global Go to Market field teams, leading the Solution Consulting, Partners & Ecosystem, Enablement, Strategic Programs, and Pega Consulting, overseeing more than 1,800 employees.
John has more 30 years of global technology and consulting experience, across Enterprise Software, Technology Consulting, Systems Integration and Banking, with companies like Bank of Ireland, CA Technologies, and Salesforce, and the international experience of calling places like Dublin, Sydney, New York and London home.
His leadership philosophy centers on delivering what was promised, putting customers first, and creating high-performance environments. His client-centric approach has established him as a valued and trusted advisor to enterprise clients and strategic partners worldwide.
Peter Gyenes
Director
Peter Gyenes has been a Director of Pega since March 2009. He also serves on our Audit and Nominating Committees.
Mr. Gyenes has four decades of experience in global technical, sales, marketing, and general management positions within the software and computer systems industries. Since September 2012, he has served as the Lead Independent Director of Sophos plc, a global security software company, and from May 2006 to September 2012 he was the Non-Executive Chairman of Sophos. He is an active investor and board member focusing on technology market opportunities. Mr. Gyenes also serves on the board of EnerNOC, a provider of energy management solutions, VistaPrint Limited, a global e-commerce provider of marketing services to small businesses, IntraLinks, Inc., a global provider of virtual data rooms, RealPage, Inc., a provider of web-based property management software, as well as a number of privately held technology companies, and is a Trustee Emeritus of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. Mr. Gyenes previously served on the board of Lawson Software, Inc. (until 2011), Netezza Corporation (until 2010), Bladelogic, Inc. (until 2008), webMethods, Inc. (until 2007) and Applix, Inc. (until 2007). He served as Chairman and CEO of Ascential Software, as well as of its predecessor companies VMark Software, Ardent Software and Informix, and led its growth into the data integration market leader, from 1996 until it was acquired by IBM in 2005. Previously, Mr. Gyenes served as President and CEO of Racal InterLan, Inc., and in executive positions at Data General Corporation, Encore Computer Corporation and Prime Computer, Inc. Earlier in his career, he held sales and technical positions at Xerox Data Systems and IBM.
He is a graduate of Columbia University where he received both his B.A. in mathematics and his M.B.A. degree. Mr. Gyenes was awarded the 2005 New England Region Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in Software.
Richard Jones
Director
Richard Jones joined Pega in October 1999, serving as President and Chief Operating Officer until September 2002. Mr. Jones was a part-time employee of Pega from July 2002 to July 2007. He was elected a Director of Pega in November 2000, and served as Vice Chairman from September 2002 to July 2007. In July 2011, he was elected a member of our Compensation Committee and of our Nominating Committee.
From 1995 to 1997, he served as a Chief Asset Management Executive and member of the Operating Committee at Barnett Banks, Inc., which at the time was among the nation's 25 largest banks. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Fleet Investment Services, a brokerage and wealth management organization from 1991 to 1995. His prior experience also includes serving as Executive Vice President with Fidelity Investments, an international provider of financial services and investment resources, and as a principal with the consulting firm of Booz, Allen & Hamilton. Since June 1995, Mr. Jones has served as Chairman of Jones Boys Ventures, a retailer. Mr. Jones serves as a Director of Buyers Access, LLC, a purchasing and cost control specialist for the housing market, as well as Colo5, LLC, an independent data center operator and is currently a Trustee of Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, Florida.
Mr. Jones holds an undergraduate degree from Duke University, with majors in both economics and management science. He also holds an M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Christopher Lafond
Director
Christopher Lafond has been a Director of Pega since April 2019.
Mr. Lafond is currently a board member at Sunstar Insurance Group, a private equity-owned insurance agency, as well as a non-profit organization called SHARE Cancer Support, focused on supporting and educating those diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancer. He was previously the chief executive officer and board member for Insurity, a property and casualty insurance technology and services provider. Prior to becoming CEO of Insurity in August 2019, he was chief financial officer of Insurity since May 2017. Mr. Lafond has more than two decades of executive leadership experience working with large, publicly-traded, multinational companies, developing and executing long range corporate initiatives while ensuring focus on the business models and strategic objectives that maximize value creation.
Additionally, he was the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Intralinks, a global leader in secure content collaboration software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, from June 2015 to June 2017 and was on the board of SiriusDecisions from August 2017 to January 2019. Mr. Lafond also held different leadership positions at Gartner from March 1995 to June 2014, including executive vice president and chief financial officer. At Gartner, he developed a financial strategy that resulted in a seven-times increase in market cap through the delivery of consistent, double-digit organic revenue growth.
Mr. Lafond holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Connecticut, and an M.B.A. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
Dianne Ledingham
Director
Dianne Ledingham has been a Director of Pega since September 2016.
Ms. Ledingham is a director in Bain & Company’s Boston office, a leader in Bain's Customer Strategy & Marketing practice, and a senior partner in the firm's Telecom, Media and Technology practices. During her more than 25 year tenure at Bain, she has built extensive sales effectiveness experience across a range of industries. In addition to her sales force effectiveness experience, Dianne has teamed with a number of companies to deliver results with full potential growth strategies and transformation programs. Ms. Ledingham was the founding global leader for Sales and Channel Effectiveness within Bain’s Customer Strategy and Marketing practice and led that group for eight years. In addition, Ms. Ledingham has had several governance roles at Bain including serving on Bain’s Board of Directors, serving on Bain’s Global Compensation and Promotion Committee, including as elected Chair, and currently serving on Bain’s Global Nominating Committee.
Ms. Ledingham earned an MBA from Harvard Business School with distinction. She is a graduate of Brown University, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with honors.
Sharon Rowlands
CEO and President of Newfold Digital
Sharon Rowlands has been a Director of Pega since April 2016.
Ms. Rowlands has more than 20 years' experience leading complex, multi-billion-dollar business services and software companies serving small- and medium-sized companies, financial markets, and enterprise customers. She currently serves as CEO of Newfold Digital, a leading web technology company whose portfolio of brands includes Bluehost, CrazyDomains, Network Solutions, Register.com, and Web.com, among others.
Previously, Ms. Rowlands was CEO of public digital marketing company ReachLocal, leading it through a strategic transformation and the 2016 sale to Gannett. At Gannett, Sharon served as president of the USA TODAY NETWORK Marketing Solutions business while continuing to serve as CEO of ReachLocal. Prior CEO positions include Penton Media, Altegrity, and Thomson Financial.
In addition to Pega, Ms. Rowlands is a member of the Board of Directors of Everbridge, a critical event management and enterprise safety applications company. She was previously a member of the Board of Directors of Constant Contact (Nasdaq: CTCT), Automatic Data Processing, Inc., and Local Search Association, the largest trade organization of companies engaged in local advertising and marketing.
Ms. Rowlands received her Postgraduate Certificate of Education from Goldsmiths, University of London and her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Newcastle, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
Larry Weber
Director
Larry Weber has been a member of Pega’s Board of Directors since August 2012. He has served on the Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee since May 2013 and as a member of our Audit Committee since June 2021. In January 2015, Mr. Weber was named Chair of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
The founder of several successful integrated marketing agencies, Mr. Weber is currently Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Racepoint Global, Inc. Over the past 40 years, he has helped both global and emerging organizations become powerhouse brands.
Recognized as a thought leader on the convergence of technology, the internet, and communications, Mr. Weber has authored seven books. His latest, A New Age of Reason: Harnessing the Power of Tech for Good, provides a roadmap for integrating world-changing technologies, such as AI/robotics, chips/sensors, and quantum computing, to help solve some of today’s thorniest and most pressing problems like climate change and world hunger.
Mr. Weber holds a B.A. in English from Denison University, Ohio and a M.F.A. in Writing and Literature from Antioch College, Oxford.
Rohit Ghai
Director
Rohit Ghai has been a Director of Pega since January 2025.
Mr. Ghai has more than two decades of leadership experience in the enterprise software industry, delivering profitable growth for large global organizations, including publicly-traded companies in highly regulated markets. He has deep expertise in operational and digital transformation as well as cybersecurity best practices for enterprises, including SaaS, mergers and acquisitions, and go-to-market optimization.
He is currently the CEO of Barracuda Networks, Inc., a leading cybersecurity company, and previously served as CEO and a board member of RSA, a leading global cybersecurity company in enterprise identity security solutions. Mr. Ghai is also an independent board member of D-Wave systems, a pioneer in quantum computing, and MHC, which provides accounts payable automation and customer communications management. He was previously a board member of Everbridge (until 2024), which focuses on critical event management and organizational resilience. Earlier in his career, he held product development and leadership roles at Dell/EMC, and was general manager and vice president of engineering for the storage & availability management group at Symantec.
Mr. Ghai holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, as well as a master’s degree in computer science from the University of South Carolina.