Leadership transition positions Seismic for next chapter of growth, with co-founder Doug Winter continuing as board member and advisor
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Seismic, the global leader in AI-powered enablement, today announced the appointment of Rob Tarkoff to Chief Executive Officer, effective October 3, 2025. Rob 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 Doug. “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.”
Rob joins Seismic at a time of promising momentum and 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. The world’s largest and most innovative companies across all industries and regions trust Seismic for their enablement needs, leading to a best-in-class customer retention rate. Seismic is recognized as the leader in every major analyst publication rating the enablement platform category and has been listed on the Forbes Cloud 100 five times.
“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 Rob. “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.”
Under Rob’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. He 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, Rob served as the president and CEO of Lithium Technologies for seven years, leading the company to a successful exit. His 25+ years of experience includes serving as executive vice president of the Digital Enterprise business unit at Adobe. Rob holds a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a JD from Harvard Law School.
A titan of the enablement industry, Doug led Seismic’s evolution from a 5-person startup into a global enablement powerhouse. As he passes the reins to Rob, Doug leaves Seismic as the established leader in the enablement space with a strong financial foundation and a workplace culture recognized by Glassdoor, Built In, Forbes, Inc., and Fortune.
“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 Ryan Lanpher and Andrew Young, Seismic board members and Partners at Permira. “As we look ahead, we are thrilled to welcome Rob Tarkoff as CEO. Rob brings a unique combination of product expertise, operational experience, and passion for enablement, which is imperative as Seismic accelerates in delivering enterprise-grade AI solutions for GTM teams.”
About Seismic
Seismic is the global leader in AI-powered enablement, empowering go-to-market leaders to drive strategic growth and deliver exceptional customer experiences at scale. The Seismic Enablement Cloud™ is the only unified AI-powered platform that prepares customer-facing teams with the skills, content, tools, and insights needed to maximize every buyer interaction and strengthen client relationships. Trusted by more than 2,000 organizations worldwide, Seismic helps businesses achieve measurable outcomes and accelerate revenue growth. Seismic is headquartered in San Diego with offices across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at seismic.com.
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