Welcoming Lou Shipley, General Catalyst’s Newest XIR
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Today, we are pleased to announce that Lou Shipley has joined General Catalyst’s XIR (Executive-in-Residence) program.
Lou has led three of Boston’s high-profile software startups through significant growth (and in some cases, acquisition), including Reflectent (acquired by Citrix), Turbonomic (FKA: VMTurbo) and most recently, GC-backed Black Duck Software (acquired by Synopsys). He was VP of Sales at Avid, WebLine (acquired by Cisco), and FairMarket (acquired by Ebay).
With Black Duck, he joined an existing mid-stage compliance company and led three crucial initiatives — he refocused the company on open source security management, shipped a new product which leveraged the cloud, and implemented a sophisticated high velocity sales model — that took Black Duck through an important growth phase to acquisition.
Lou is also a lecturer at both MIT Sloan School of Management and the Harvard Business School, where he instructs, mentors, and coaches the next-generation of tech entrepreneurs and executives on technology sales and sales management, including the course, “Technology Sales & Sales Management.”
The XIR program is an important component of General Catalyst’s growth investment strategy.
Through the program, General Catalyst invests in XIRs — accomplished entrepreneurs and executives with deep domain expertise in key technology sectors — and their ability to accelerate the growth of an existing business through leadership, operational guidance, and strategic support.
Like Lou, a number of GC’s XIRs have built and grown companies to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues and beyond. GC’s XIRs seek to help tech companies realize their full potential by sharing their expertise and supporting businesses through recruiting efforts, mentorship, and helping founders navigate the successes and challenges that come with rapid growth. This collaboration is the X-factor that is designed to accelerate the trajectory and improve the eventual outcome of a business.
As an XIR, Lou will look to share his experience with B2B tech companies, and actively help growth-stage businesses within his areas of focus scale to the next level.
Welcome, Lou!
Today, we are pleased to announce that Lou Shipley has joined General Catalyst’s XIR (Executive-in-Residence) program.
Lou has led three of Boston’s high-profile software startups through significant growth (and in some cases, acquisition), including Reflectent (acquired by Citrix), Turbonomic (FKA: VMTurbo) and most recently, GC-backed Black Duck Software (acquired by Synopsys). He was VP of Sales at Avid, WebLine (acquired by Cisco), and FairMarket (acquired by Ebay).
With Black Duck, he joined an existing mid-stage compliance company and led three crucial initiatives — he refocused the company on open source security management, shipped a new product which leveraged the cloud, and implemented a sophisticated high velocity sales model — that took Black Duck through an important growth phase to acquisition.
Lou is also a lecturer at both MIT Sloan School of Management and the Harvard Business School, where he instructs, mentors, and coaches the next-generation of tech entrepreneurs and executives on technology sales and sales management, including the course, “Technology Sales & Sales Management.”
The XIR program is an important component of General Catalyst’s growth investment strategy.
Through the program, General Catalyst invests in XIRs — accomplished entrepreneurs and executives with deep domain expertise in key technology sectors — and their ability to accelerate the growth of an existing business through leadership, operational guidance, and strategic support.
Like Lou, a number of GC’s XIRs have built and grown companies to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues and beyond. GC’s XIRs seek to help tech companies realize their full potential by sharing their expertise and supporting businesses through recruiting efforts, mentorship, and helping founders navigate the successes and challenges that come with rapid growth. This collaboration is the X-factor that is designed to accelerate the trajectory and improve the eventual outcome of a business.
As an XIR, Lou will look to share his experience with B2B tech companies, and actively help growth-stage businesses within his areas of focus scale to the next level.
Welcome, Lou!
