David is an accomplished technology executive who has pioneered some of the software industry’s most consequential business transitions, including bottom-up SaaS and subscription business models. He is currently the executive vice president and chief business officer of Digital Media at Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE). As a venture partner at Greylock, he works with entrepreneurs applying data and A.I to massive industries such as business operations, energy and recruiting, ultimately driving their evolution into modern, tech-driven businesses.
“I’m excited by the rise of real-time data, the maturation of AI/ML and the prevalence of service APIs. When used together they form the foundation of a technological Central Nervous System that can drive meaningful automation across every industry.”
David joined the Greylock team in 2019. He brings a deep and varied experience across enterprise and consumer software companies including Adobe, AppDynamics and Oracle. David led Greylock’s investment in Gem, a modern recruiting platform, and Validere, a developer using real-time data and AI to optimize energy operations and trading, in addition to a few other unannounced companies.
His relationship with the firm began in 2015, when he became CEO of AppDynamics. While there, David oriented AppDynamics to become a multi-product business and drove nearly 10x ARR growth while operating at a positive cash flow. In 2017, AppDynamics was acquired by Cisco for nearly $4 billion for one of the highest revenue multiples ever recorded for an enterprise company.
Prior to AppDynamics, David served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Adobe Systems’ Digital Media Business Unit. He oversaw the full range of the creative and document products, including iconic tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and Acrobat. During his tenure David led Adobe’s business and products transformation to the cloud. As the primary architect of Adobe’s overall transition to a subscription business, David was a trailblazer for what is now a central force in software markets. David joined Adobe in 2005 through its acquisition of Macromedia, Inc., where he was Vice President responsible for developer products. Prior to Macromedia, David cofounded iHarvest, Inc., a web content management company, and served as Vice President of Engineering and as a director prior to it’s sale to Interwoven.
At Adobe, David oversaw the company’s digital transformation from boxed software to cloud services and at AppDynamics, he helped many of the world’s biggest brands transform themselves to digital first organizations. He continues to focus his investment interest on technologies that enable modern digital practices.
David also has a passion for media and art. He is on the digital advisory board at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; on the Board of Trustees for StoryCorps and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; and on the Board of Advisors for the Computer Science Department at Brown University, where he earned a BS in computer science. David is also a member of Lightspeed Ventures’ CEO Advisory Council.
When he’s not working, David enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two daughters, and is a hobby winemaker and olive oil producer.