Amplitude Announces Appointment of Former IBM President and Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst to Board of Directors
SAN FRANCISCO, September 30, 2021 – Amplitude, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMPL), a pioneer in digital optimization, today announced the appointment of Jim Whitehurst to its board of directors. Mr. Whitehurst brings extensive expertise scaling enterprise organizations, building products for the world’s largest organizations, and cultivating a forward-thinking culture that accelerates innovation and business growth.
“Jim is a legend in the technology world, and we couldn’t be more fortunate to work alongside him,” said Spenser Skates, CEO and co-founder of Amplitude. “Jim’s experience establishing competitive advantage for products at both Red Hat and IBM is invaluable in this industry, and his strong belief in Amplitude validates our opportunity ahead. I know he will help us in our quest to deliver the most comprehensive suite of digital optimization products on the market as companies everywhere adopt data-driven product development.”
Whitehurst was formerly president of IBM and CEO of Red Hat until the company’s acquisition by IBM in 2019. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer at Delta Air Lines where he drove the company’s international expansion and oversaw all aspects of airline operations, from sales to strategy. He currently serves as a senior advisor for IBM, a special advisor for Silver Lake, and an international advisory board member of Santander Bank. In addition to Amplitude, he is a board member of United Airlines.
“I’m elated to partner with Spenser, a leader with earnest values and a desire to build an enduring company with a strong culture at its core,” said Whitehurst. “Amplitude is approaching digital products in a way that harkens back to Henry Ford’s approach to the assembly line. We are still in the early days of industrializing digital optimization, and Amplitude is at the forefront of the vastly expanding category.”
On September 28, 2021, Amplitude debuted on the Nasdaq Capital Market through a direct listing.