# Patrick Dennis

> Patrick Dennis is a Denver-based technology executive, Avaya executive chair and founder of Emulsion Partners. He served as Avaya CEO from September 2024 until August 2026, following leadership roles at Venafi, ExtraHop, Aspect Software and Guidance Software. His career combines enterprise operations, cybersecurity and private-equity experience, alongside interests in mentoring and a partnership in Denver restaurant Point Easy.

- **Role:** Executive Chair at Avaya
- **Organizations:** Avaya, Emulsion Partners, Venafi, ExtraHop, Aspect Software, Guidance Software, EMC, Oracle, Eastman Kodak, Ripcord, Point Easy, Forbes Technology Council
- **Education:** B.S. in Information Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Led Guidance Software during its acquisition by OpenText in 2017., Led Venafi during the process preceding CyberArk’s approximately $1.54 billion acquisition, which closed October 1, 2024., Avaya’s board credited him with launching Infinity and Nexus and improving financial and operating performance during his CEO tenure.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Worked on Kodak research-and-development systems while attending Rochester Institute of Technology, primarily at night.
- **Before 2015** — Held leadership roles at EMC and Oracle.
- **2015-05** — Became president and CEO of Guidance Software.
- **2017** — Led Guidance Software during its sale to OpenText; announced equity valuation approximately $240 million.
- **Before 2022** — Served as CEO of Aspect Software, which merged with Noble Systems to form Alvaria in 2021.
- **2022-02** — Appointed CEO of ExtraHop.
- **2023-05** — Became chair of Avaya’s board following recapitalization.
- **2024-01** — Joined Venafi as CEO; appointment publicly announced January 16.
- **2024-09** — Became CEO of Avaya on September 1, succeeding Alan Masarek.
- **2025-04** — Avaya launched Infinity during his CEO tenure.
- **2026-03** — Avaya announced Nexus, targeting availability in Q4 2026.
- **2026-08** — Transitioned to executive chair as Jeff Clarke became Avaya CEO on August 3.

## Achievements

- Led Guidance Software during its acquisition by OpenText in 2017.
- Led Venafi during the process preceding CyberArk’s approximately $1.54 billion acquisition, which closed October 1, 2024.
- Avaya’s board credited him with launching Infinity and Nexus and improving financial and operating performance during his CEO tenure.
- Recognized in the Colorado Titan 100 Hall of Fame.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Avaya announced his transition from CEO to executive chair, with Jeff Clarke appointed CEO on August 3.
- **2026-08** — His LinkedIn profile identifies him as founder of Emulsion Partners and lists August articles about private equity and funding rounds.
- **2026-04** — At Avaya Journeys DC, he linked the Nexus strategy to public-sector customers’ requests for reliable, high-quality voice.
- **2026-03** — Avaya announced Nexus for mission-critical communications, with availability targeted for Q4 2026.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjdennis
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/_Patrick_Dennis

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/patrick-dennis
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22