Shafqat Islam will oversee Optimizely’s product, engineering and marketing efforts in his expanded role

Optimizely, the leading digital experience platform (DXP) provider, announced that Shafqat Islam has been promoted to President. He previously served as Optimizely’s CMO and the CEO and co-founder of Welcome, the market leading content marketing platform, which Optimizely acquired in 2021. Shafqat Islam has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth; Optimizely recently surpassed $400 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).

Under Shafqat Islam’s leadership, Optimizely has flourished, leveraging his go-to-market expertise and product background to drive the company’s ascension through the recent launches of Optimizely One, the industry’s first AI-powered operating system for marketers, and its latest SaaS CMS offering, which provides unparalleled flexibility for marketers.

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“Shafqat has been a transformative force within our organization since joining us nearly three years ago,” said Alex Atzberger, CEO of Optimizely. “We acquired Welcome not only for its innovative marketing tools, but also for the entrepreneurial spirit embedded throughout the company that stemmed from Shafqat’s inspiring, hands-on leadership style. From ensuring the continued growth of CMP customers, to defining our Optimizely One positioning, Shafqat’s deep background in both engineering and marketing makes him an ideal leader to further propel Optimizely’s success.”

As President, Shafqat Islam will oversee Optimizely’s product and engineering teams while continuing to spearhead the company’s marketing efforts – creating even tighter alignment between these teams. He will work even more closely with Optimizely’s Chief Product Officer Rupali Jain and Chief Technology Officer Aniel Sud in order to accelerate innovation and adoption.

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“This is the part of the press release where normally our PR team would write a very nice sounding but fake quote. Fortunately, we don’t have to do that because I love this company and it’s the privilege of a lifetime to take on this new role,” said Shafqat Islam. “Three years after the acquisition, I continue to believe Optimizely is one of the best software companies in the SaaS market. We have a relentless focus on our customers, an entrepreneurial culture and a fiercely intelligent team. With the product, engineering and marketing teams working more closely together, I’m confident we’ll be shipping incredible products that make our customers wildly successful.”