Tricentis names new growth leaders to accelerate AI-driven software delivery
Tricentis has added two senior operators to push its next phase of scale. Jason Bliss joins as EVP and President of Business Operations, and Todd Horst steps in as Chief Growth Officer. The company says the moves align with demand for AI-driven test automation and faster release cycles.
"Ambitious plans require ambitious leaders, and Jason and Todd each bring exceptional leadership experience and a proven ability to drive growth and operational excellence," said Kevin Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Tricentis.
Who's joining and why it matters
Bliss will run post-sales functions end-to-end-where retention, expansion, and service quality determine long-term enterprise value. Horst will own the growth agenda: go-to-market strategy, partnerships, and how Tricentis applies AI to improve efficiency across the commercial engine.
Growth backdrop
Tricentis cited USD $400 million in ARR and a USD $1.33 billion investment from GTCR as momentum indicators. It also pointed to recognition in analyst research, including coverage in The Forrester Wave and Gartner's work on AI-augmented testing. For reference, here's how Gartner defines its Magic Quadrant methodology: Gartner Magic Quadrant overview.
Operations mandate: Jason Bliss
- Owns post-sales growth: customer expansion, renewals, and account health
- Leads professional services and customer support
- Oversees international operations
- Drives mergers and acquisitions
Bliss spent 17+ years at SolarWinds, most recently as Chief Administrative Officer, with a focus on growth, value creation, and risk management. At Tricentis, his job is to tighten the operating system behind delivery, retention, and cross-sell across a global base.
Commercial agenda: Todd Horst
- Defines and executes global go-to-market strategy
- Builds strategic partnerships to expand reach and deal velocity
- Implements AI across commercial workflows to raise efficiency and productivity
Horst joins after five years as a Partner at McKinsey, advising CEOs and CROs on sales acceleration and digital transformations. Prior roles include CRO posts at Outtask and Consilio, bringing depth in enterprise sales, channel, and revenue operations.
"Tricentis is a recognized leader in Software Quality Engineering, and our AI solutions are at the forefront of innovation. It's never been more important to deliver differentiated experiences to our customers and partners, and I am excited to work with our exceptional team to enable our organization to operate with greater customer focus, and build the foundation for scale," said Horst.
What this signals for enterprise buyers and partners
Tricentis is tuning its operating model for the speed and complexity of AI-infused development. Expect tighter alignment between services, support, and account growth, plus a cleaner commercial motion that prioritizes partner ecosystems and measurable outcomes.
The company also linked Horst's remit to applying AI inside its own operations. Watch for proof points: shorter sales cycles, higher conversion and expansion rates, and more predictable delivery metrics across regions.
Executive takeaways
- Post-sale is the revenue engine: Investing in services, support, and customer growth signals a focus on durable ARR, not just new bookings.
- Global scale requires integration: Combining international operations with M&A under one leader suggests disciplined expansion and portfolio fit.
- GTM simplification wins: A single owner for strategy, partnerships, and execution can remove handoffs and clarify accountability.
- AI in the back office matters: Applying AI to sales and operations should show up in cycle time, coverage, and productivity-hold leadership to those numbers.
- Benchmarking cue: If you sell into complex software estates, align your services and partner motions to outcomes, not activities.
If you're aligning teams around AI-driven go-to-market and operations, this curated catalog can speed up skills development: AI courses by job role.
The bigger picture
Tricentis is organizing for scale in a market where AI shortens build cycles and raises the bar on quality engineering. "With the addition of Jason and Todd, we are strengthening our structure and operational excellence to support Tricentis' next phase of growth and deliver greater value to customers worldwide," said Thompson.
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