Joe Tyrrell is the new CEO of Medallia, the company announced in a statement. Tyrrell replaces Leslie Stretch, who is retiring after four years as Medallia CEO and is moving into an advisory role at the company. Tyrrell was most recently president of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the Atlanta-based operator of global financial exchanges, where he led three wholly owned ICE subsidiaries, including Ellie Mae, the software company that processes more than a third of all US residential mortgage applications.

Tyrrell’s hiring underscores Medallia’s commitment to its clients and shows that innovation in customer and employee experience is mission-critical to any organization’s success in today’s business landscape, notes the statement.

“Customer experience has become a foundational component for the most successful companies in the world, and I am excited to join the market leader in this space,” says Tyrrell. “Medallia has the most comprehensive enterprise-grade platform that can drive incredible results across every facet of the enterprise, and the only one that can bring them all together to drive truly transformative results. I can’t wait to get started.”

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Former CEO Stretch can count several successes during his stewardship of Medallia, such as leading Medallia to an IPO, and making more than 10 important acquisitions. It was also during Stretch’s tenure as Medallia CEO when the company was acquired by software investment firm Thoma Bravo for $6.4 billion. And now, Stretch says the time has come to step down.

“Deciding to retire was not a decision I took lightly, especially given the opportunity to work alongside the incredible Medallia team,” Stretch notes. “I was extremely proud to partner with Thoma Bravo on finding a strong leader who can continue the incredible growth that Medallia has seen over the past several years. Joe is the right person for the job and will grow this organization with his passion, leadership, and commitment to providing customers with the technology and service that have been a differentiator for Medallia for decades.” 

Scott Crabill, a managing partner at Thoma Bravo, applauded the exiting CEO. “Thanks to Leslie’s commitment and significant achievements while serving as CEO, Medallia is well-positioned for continued growth, and we are thrilled to have Leslie’s ongoing support as advisor to the company,” remarks Crabill. “We look forward to working with Joe as he leads the company through its next phase of growth and builds on Medallia’s position as a market leader.”

Tyrrell previously served as COO of Ellie Mae prior to its acquisition by ICE. As COO, he oversaw technology, product strategy, product management, and corporate development efforts. He joined Ellie Mae in 2002 and held various leadership positions, including EVP of corporate strategy, SVP of corporate strategy, and SVP of client management and business development. Tyrrell previously served as VP at Providian Financial in addition to other executive positions. Tyrrell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from St. Mary’s College.