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Technology Entrepreneur and Leader David Clarke Joins Keelvar as Board Chair and Investor

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Former Workday CTO attracted to sourcing automation provider following the company’s record year of growth and expansion

CORK, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Keelvar – the leading global provider of intelligent sourcing automation solutions – today announced that David Clarke has joined the company as Board Chair. Clarke, who most recently served as chief technology officer at Workday, brings first-hand experience as a successful software entrepreneur. Clarke will help direct and advise Keelvar as the company advances its product development and accelerates growth in the market.


“David is a technology pioneer with an extensive background in building and scaling global tech companies,” said Alan Holland, founder and CEO of Keelvar. “David will add incredible leadership to our Board of Directors. His insights and practical learnings will be invaluable as we continue to expand our team, enter new markets, and transform sourcing and procurement.”

Clarke has nearly three decades of experience defining and communicating the strategic direction for innovative technology companies. He was the co-founding CEO of Cape Clear Software, which was started in 1999 and raised $50 million in investment capital from leading venture capital firms through its acquisition by Workday in 2008. At Workday, he served in various technology and product leadership roles, ultimately serving as CTO, while the company grew from its early stages into a leading global cloud ERP provider.

“I am very proud to join Keelvar’s board at a pivotal stage for the company. What attracted me to invest in Keelvar and join as Board Chair is the quality and depth of its technology and team. I am also highly impressed by the customer success the company has already achieved in applying very advanced techniques to create better, easier ways to optimize and automate strategic and routine sourcing processes. Keelvar has a distinctive background, culture, and approach, which I believe positions them to develop rapidly as the market leader for global sourcing. I’m looking forward to working with Alan, the Board, and the Keelvar team as we grow the company over the coming years,” said Clarke.

Founded in 2012, Keelvar received $18 million in Series A funding in 2020 to fuel product velocity, revenue acquisition, and team expansion for its sourcing optimization and automation product offerings. In the past year, the company has grown in team members by 114%. Last year the company reported record year-over-year revenue growth, particularly with the addition of more blue-chip customers in North America.

Also in 2020, Keelvar was named Innovative Solution of the Year in Ardent Partners’ CPO Honors Awards; a leader in Spend Matters’ fall SolutionMap for Sourcing; and was a technology solution finalist for Procurement Leaders’ World Procurement Awards. Its founder and CEO Mr. Holland was recently named to Supply and Demand Chain Executive’s 2021 Supply Chain Pros to Know list.

For more information on Keelvar, please visit www.keelvar.com.

About Keelvar

Keelvar is moving procurement forward with its best-in-breed software for intelligent sourcing optimization and automation, designed for easy adoption, scale, and productivity. Keelvar’s SaaS-based products utilize artificial intelligence, machine learning, and category expertise to deliver purpose-built solutions that are delivering results for blue-chip global companies. Customers including Siemens, Logitech, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Novartis, DSV, Grupo Nutresa, CommScope, and more are turning to Keelvar to advance their strategic sourcing journey spanning logistics, direct materials, and indirect spends. That momentum has resulted in Keelvar receiving $18 million in Series A funding in June 2020 and steady growth of its team worldwide, with headquarters in Cork, Ireland. Visit www.keelvar.com for more information.

Contacts

Tori Vichroski

keelvar@corporateink.com