# Jed Ayres

> Jed Ayres is the CEO of ControlUp, the $1B+ autonomous IT platform that executes over 14 million automated remediations per week across 6 million enterprise endpoints. A 20-year veteran of the end-user computing industry, Ayres has an unusual track record: he's joined companies in transformation, then handed them to acquirers. He turned IGEL from a hardware vendor into a software-first powerhouse that sold to TA Associates, scaled AppSense to an Thoma Bravo acquisition, and helped MCPc grow to $300M+ before it was acquired by Logicalis. At ControlUp since August 2023, he's steering the company's evolution from Digital Employee Experience (DEX) to what he calls a generational shift in IT - self-healing, AI-driven autonomous endpoint management. Off the clock, he completes Ironman triathlons and ultramarathons, which explains a lot about his leadership style.

- **Role:** CEO at ControlUp
- **Organizations:** ControlUp, IGEL, AppSense, MCPc, MTM Technologies, GE Capital IT Solutions
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS Business Administration, Sonoma State University, MBA, San Francisco State University
- **Known for:** Led ControlUp to $100M+ ARR and unicorn status (valuation >$1B) by April 2026, Named Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Employee Experience Management Tools, Transformed IGEL from hardware vendor to software-first company, enabling acquisition by TA Associates

## Career timeline

- **1995** — Summer intern at GE Capital IT Solutions while pursuing MBA, assigned to port State of California IT catalog to the internet
- **~1997-2003** — SVP of Partner Management & Marketing at MTM Technologies (6-year tenure), national IT solutions provider
- **~2003-2009** — CMO at MCPc, $300M+ IT solutions provider in Cleveland; company later acquired by Logicalis
- **~2009-2014** — SVP of Worldwide Marketing at AppSense; helped rebrand and grow the company prior to acquisition by Thoma Bravo, integrated into Ivanti
- **~2014-2023** — Joined IGEL Technology as CMO, later became Global CEO; led company's pivot from hardware-centric to software-first, resulting in acquisition by TA Associates
- **2023-08** — Appointed CEO of ControlUp; works alongside co-founder Asaf Ganot (Executive Chairman)
- **2025-01** — Launched ControlUp ONE platform
- **2025** — ControlUp named Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Employee Experience Management Tools
- **2026-04** — ControlUp surpasses $100M ARR and achieves unicorn valuation exceeding $1B

## Achievements

- Led ControlUp to $100M+ ARR and unicorn status (valuation >$1B) by April 2026
- Named Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Employee Experience Management Tools
- Transformed IGEL from hardware vendor to software-first company, enabling acquisition by TA Associates
- Grew AppSense to acquisition-ready scale prior to Thoma Bravo acquisition
- Completed 6 full Ironman triathlons
- Completed multiple ultramarathons
- ControlUp ONE platform reached 1M+ endpoints in under a year, growing 37% since January 2025 launch
- ControlUp customers include more than one-third of Fortune 100 companies
- Partner-driven deal registrations at ControlUp grew 133% year-over-year under his leadership
- ControlUp platform executes over 14 million automated remediations weekly
- Served on advisory boards: Citrix Platinum Council, VMware Global Partner Advisory Board, Cisco Marketing Council
- Helped Dick's Sporting Goods reduce employee login times from 224 seconds to under 25 seconds with ControlUp

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — ControlUp surpassed $100M ARR and crossed unicorn valuation ($1B+), announced April 15, 2026
- **2026-02** — Appeared on ControlUp podcast with Bob Johnson, SVP of Global Partnerships, to discuss AI and the future of IT
- **2025-09** — Launched 'Reintroducing ControlUp' campaign, repositioning the company toward Autonomous Endpoint Management
- **2025-07** — Explained ControlUp ONE vision in video interview: 'Why ControlUp ONE Is the Future of DEX'
- **2025-01** — Launched ControlUp ONE platform; reached 1M+ of 6M endpoints within months
- **2025** — ControlUp named Leader in 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for DEX Management Tools; also received Customers' Choice recognition with 4.8/5 stars in Gartner Peer Insights

## Links

- Website: https://controlup.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedayres/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/jedayres
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jed_ayres1/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/controllingup

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jed-ayres
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-26