# Colleen Gallagher

> Colleen Gallagher is the CEO of Textio, an AI-powered HR tech company helping organizations attract and develop top talent through bias-aware communication tools. A US Navy veteran turned finance executive, she rose through the ranks at Textio - from CFO to COO to CEO - bringing operational rigor and a conviction that most hiring fails because it mistakes likability for competence. Under her leadership, Textio launched Lavalier, an interview intelligence platform designed to replace gut-feel hiring with structured, evidence-based evaluation.

- **Role:** CEO at Textio
- **Organizations:** Textio, Premise Data, BetterUp, ProQuest, FTI Consulting, PwC, US Navy
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** MBA, Finance, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- **Known for:** First non-founder CEO of Textio, appointed January 2026, Led Textio's entire go-to-market team as COO, Oversaw launch of Lavalier, Textio's interview intelligence platform, in March 2026

## Career timeline

- **2001-2003** — Associate at PwC
- **2003-2013** — Multiple roles at FTI Consulting, rising to Managing Director
- **2014-2015** — Finance Director at ProQuest
- **2015-2018** — Vice President of Finance at ProQuest
- **2018-2020** — Vice President of Finance at BetterUp
- **2020-2021** — SVP of Finance at Premise Data
- **2021-2022** — Chief Financial Officer at Premise Data
- **2022-2024** — Chief Financial Officer at Textio
- **2024-2026** — Chief Operating Officer / Chief Financial Officer at Textio, leading go-to-market team
- **2026-present** — Chief Executive Officer at Textio, appointed January 13, 2026

## Achievements

- First non-founder CEO of Textio, appointed January 2026
- Led Textio's entire go-to-market team as COO
- Oversaw launch of Lavalier, Textio's interview intelligence platform, in March 2026
- Built operational foundations across Textio's finance and operations functions
- Host of 'Recruiters on the Rise' podcast, bringing candid conversations with talent leaders
- US Navy veteran - military service before pivoting to finance and tech leadership
- Helped position Textio alongside clients including Bloomberg, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, and Spotify

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Textio launched Lavalier, an AI-powered interview intelligence platform for structured, evidence-based hiring under Gallagher's leadership as CEO
- **2026-01** — Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Textio on January 13, 2026, succeeding co-founder Jensen Harris who returned to CTO role
- **2025-01** — Textio underwent a restructuring with a layoff of 15 employees prior to Gallagher's CEO appointment
- **2024-04** — Expanded role at Textio from CFO to COO/CFO, taking on leadership of the entire go-to-market team

## Links

- Website: https://textio.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/colleengallagher
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/textio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/textioHQ

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/colleen-gallagher
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-17