# Michael Kriz

> Michael Kriz is the founder and former CEO of Acclaro and a co-founder of Blackbird.io. His career spans translation services, international branding and software integration, including Acclaro’s 2024 merger with Jonckers and his subsequent move toward multilingual content orchestration.

- **Role:** Co-founder at Blackbird.io
- **Organizations:** Blackbird.io, Acclaro, Lionbridge, International Communications, Inc., GlobalWorks
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** MBA, Babson College - Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business, Undergraduate degree; field not verified, Tulane University
- **Known for:** Founded Acclaro in 2002 and led it for 23 years., Built Acclaro from a New York boutique into a business with offices and affiliates across four continents., Acclaro ranked 43rd in the 2007 Deloitte Technology Fast 500.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2002** — Held roles at International Communications, Lionbridge and GlobalWorks.
- **2002** — Founded Acclaro.
- **2007** — Acclaro ranked 43rd in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500.
- **2010** — Received the Westchester County Association Apex Award for International Business, as listed on his LinkedIn profile.
- **2017** — Acclaro integrated with WPML to support WordPress translation.
- **2024** — Acclaro merged with Jonckers; Kriz initially continued as Acclaro CEO.
- **2025** — Announced his departure after 23 years at Acclaro and said he would remain connected as an external advisor.
- **2026** — Publicly identified as a Blackbird.io co-founder; discussed opportunities in the process layer around multilingual content.

## Achievements

- Founded Acclaro in 2002 and led it for 23 years.
- Built Acclaro from a New York boutique into a business with offices and affiliates across four continents.
- Acclaro ranked 43rd in the 2007 Deloitte Technology Fast 500.
- Led Acclaro through its 2024 merger with Jonckers.
- Co-founded Blackbird.io.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Discussed multilingual content handoffs, terminology, governance and approvals as opportunities for innovation at Blackbird.
- **2026-06** — Blackbird’s June newsletter identified Kriz and Bruno Bitter as co-founders and described their May customer visits and SlatorCon trip to London.
- **2025-01** — Announced he was finishing his time at Acclaro after 23 years, with a continuing external advisory connection.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkriz

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-kriz
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23