# Mark McClain

> Mark McClain is the Austin-based CEO and co-founder of SailPoint, an enterprise identity security company founded in 2005. He previously co-founded Waveset Technologies, acquired by Sun Microsystems in 2003, and led SailPoint through its 2017 IPO, its 2022 acquisition by Thoma Bravo, and its 2025 return to public markets. He is the author of Joy and Success at Work and writes about values, teamwork, and practical organizational culture.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer & Founder at SailPoint
- **Organizations:** SailPoint, Waveset Technologies, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM/Tivoli Systems, ActivTrak, Austin Technology Council
- **Education:** B.A. in Economics, Point Loma Nazarene University, M.B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management
- **Known for:** Co-founded Waveset Technologies and SailPoint., Led SailPoint through public listings in 2017 and 2025., Authored Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations That Don’t Suck the Life Out of People.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Worked in sales and marketing at IBM and Hewlett-Packard, including experience with IBM/Tivoli Systems.
- **2000** — Founded Waveset Technologies; date follows SailPoint’s board biography.
- **2003** — Waveset acquired by Sun Microsystems; subsequently served as Sun’s vice president of software marketing.
- **2005** — Co-founded SailPoint with Kevin Cunningham and Jackie Gilbert; SailPoint’s board biography specifies December.
- **2013-2019** — Chaired the Austin Technology Council, according to his public LinkedIn profile.
- **2015** — Received EY Entrepreneur of the Year recognition for Central Texas, listed on his LinkedIn profile.
- **2017** — Led SailPoint’s first IPO, on the New York Stock Exchange.
- **2022** — Continued as CEO following Thoma Bravo’s approximately $6.9 billion take-private acquisition.
- **2025** — Led SailPoint’s return to public markets on Nasdaq in February.
- **2026** — Continues leading SailPoint as it expands identity security for humans, machines, and AI agents.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Waveset Technologies and SailPoint.
- Led SailPoint through public listings in 2017 and 2025.
- Authored Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations That Don’t Suck the Life Out of People.
- SailPoint reported $1.231 billion in annual recurring revenue as of July 31, 2026; this is a company metric, not personal income.
- Served on NACD’s 2025 Blue Ribbon Commission, according to NACD’s February 2026 interview.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — At Navigate 2026, SailPoint announced autonomous identity security capabilities, expanded Agentic and Human Fabrics, and just-in-time provisioning.
- **2026-10** — Discussed AI-agent accountability and the limitations of a kill switch in an October 7 Yahoo Finance video interview.
- **2026-09** — SailPoint’s investor materials reported annual recurring revenue of $1.231 billion as of July 31, 2026.
- **2026-05** — Appeared on Inside the Network in a live RSAC conversation about incumbent companies and AI, published May 12.
- **2026-02** — Discussed leadership evaluation, adaptability, culture, and succession planning in a NACD interview published February 13.

## Links

- Website: https://markmcclain.me/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcclainceo

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mark-mcclain
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24