Poppy Gustafsson steps down as Darktrace CEO

The FTSE 100 company said Jill Popelka, currently its chief operating officer, would assume the role of CEO and also join its board of directors.

Gustafsson, who had been with Darktrace for over a decade, would remain involved as a non-executive director after the completion of Darktrace’s acquisition by private equity firm Thoma Bravo.

The board said Popelka had more than 20 years of leadership experience from major technology companies, including Accenture, Snap and SAP SuccessFactors.

She joined Darktrace in January as a non-executive director and was appointed COO in June.

Poppy Gustafsson, reflecting on her time as CEO, expressed pride in Darktrace’s growth, which has seen its AI-powered cybersecurity solutions deployed to nearly 10,000 customers worldwide.

“This challenge has required tremendous personal and professional commitment from me,” she said.

“With the acquisition of Darktrace by Thoma Bravo nearing its completion and with us having identified an excellent successor in Jill, now is the right time to hand over the reins so Jill can lead Darktrace through its transition into private ownership and beyond.”

Chairman Gordon Hurst praised Gustafsson for her pivotal role in the company’s success and welcomed Popelka as the new CEO.

“"Jill is a proven and highly regarded leader in global technology businesses who has contributed immensely to the Board and more recently in her role as COO,” he commented.

“With Poppy stepping down, the board has implemented its CEO succession plan and is delighted that Jill has accepted the role of CEO.

“She has the deep sector experience, people leadership skills and energy and passion to lead Darktrace into the next stage of its journey.”

At 0836 BST, shares in Darktrace were up 0.03% at 583.6p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.