# John T. "Jack" McDonald

> John T. "Jack" McDonald is the founder and chairman of Upland Software. He led the company as CEO from July 2010 through April 2026, following a decade as Perficient’s CEO and an earlier career in mergers-and-acquisitions law. His career centers on acquiring, integrating and operating technology businesses.

- **Role:** Founder and Chairman at Upland Software
- **Organizations:** Upland Software, Perficient, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, BigCommerce (former director), Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce (former chairman)
- **Education:** B.A. in Economics, Fordham University, J.D., Fordham University School of Law
- **Known for:** Led Upland Software through its 2014 Nasdaq IPO., Led Perficient as CEO from 1999 to 2009., Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient, as documented in the BigCommerce appointment announcement.

## Career timeline

- **1987-1993** — Attorney at Skadden in New York, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.
- **1999-2009** — Chief executive officer of Perficient.
- **2001-2010** — Chairman of Perficient.
- **2010-07** — Founded the company that became Upland Software; became CEO and chairman.
- **2014** — Chaired the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce; led Upland through its November IPO.
- **2019-2022** — Served on the BigCommerce board, including its compensation committee.
- **2026-05** — Continued as Upland chairman following Sean Nathaniel’s appointment as CEO effective May 1.

## Achievements

- Led Upland Software through its 2014 Nasdaq IPO.
- Led Perficient as CEO from 1999 to 2009.
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient, as documented in the BigCommerce appointment announcement.
- Served as 2014 chairman of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Sean Nathaniel became CEO effective May 1; McDonald continued as chairman.
- **2026-03** — In discussing the succession, McDonald said the business had shifted from acquisitions toward operations and AI-enabled products.
- **2026-02** — Upland announced the planned CEO transition on February 25.

## Links

- Website: https://uplandsoftware.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-mcdonald-9339796/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jack-mcdonald
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15