# Chris Barbin

> Chris Barbin is the Chicago-based founder and CEO of Tercera, an investment and advisory firm focused on technology services. He co-founded cloud consultancy Appirio in 2006, led it through the acquisition announced by Wipro in 2016, and later became Wipro’s global culture officer. His work now draws on operating experience and industry relationships to support services founders navigating growth and AI.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Tercera
- **Organizations:** Tercera, Appirio, Wipro, GGV Capital, Borland, webMethods, W.W. Grainger, SipTequila, Bates College, Traction on Demand
- **Education:** BA in Political Science, Bates College
- **Known for:** Co-founded Appirio and led it to the acquisition agreement announced by Wipro for $500 million in 2016., Founded Tercera to invest in and advise technology services firms., Served as Wipro’s global culture officer.

## Career timeline

- **1993** — Graduated from Bates College.
- **1995–1999** — Worked at Grainger Consulting Services; became a managing director specializing in e-commerce in May 1999.
- **1999–2000** — Joined webMethods in November 1999; became vice president of professional services in January 2000.
- **Before 2006** — Held senior roles at Borland, including chief information officer.
- **2006** — Co-founded Appirio with Narinder Singh, Glenn Weinstein and Mike O’Brien.
- **2016** — Wipro announced its agreement to acquire Appirio for $500 million on October 20.
- **2018** — Moved from Appirio CEO to Wipro global culture officer.
- **2019** — Publicly discussed his venture partner role at GGV Capital.
- **2020** — Announced Tercera’s soft launch in October.
- **2021** — Tercera formally launched; supported the formation of Hakkoda.
- **2026** — Wrote about Tercera’s participation in Auctor’s $20 million Series A.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Appirio and led it to the acquisition agreement announced by Wipro for $500 million in 2016.
- Founded Tercera to invest in and advise technology services firms.
- Served as Wipro’s global culture officer.
- Helped bring together the founding leadership of Snowflake consultancy Hakkoda.
- Served as a Bates College trustee and a recurring Bobcat Ventures pitch competition judge.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — On April 15, discussed Tercera’s participation in Auctor’s $20 million Series A led by Sequoia.
- **2026-05** — Listed among Bates trustees in the college’s May 7 board meeting summary.
- **2026-07** — Appeared on The Founders’ Journey podcast in a July 7 episode discussing his transition from operator to investor and his solo ocean rowing expedition.

## Links

- Website: https://tercera.io/about/team/chris-barbin/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbarbin/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/terceracapital
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuRQfliw7K-sRDoiw04fm4Q
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c_barbin/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/chris-barbin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09