Data backup and protection specialist Datto Inc. this week promoted its former CFO and current COO Tim Weller to CEO, replacing company founder Austin McChord, who has been transitioning away from day-to-day operations at the Norwalk, Conn.-based company since the fall.
The Lowdown: Weller’s promotion is no surprise. Since joining the company in 2017, first as CFO and later as COO, Weller has been groomed to take over Datto’s corner office as McChord steps down.
According to company officials, Weller led day-to-day operations at Datto, working closely with executive leaders and board members, including McChord, and even played a key role in the the firm’s merger with Autotask in October 2017.
The Details: Weller is expected to continue Datto’s aggressive, MSP-focused innovation and portfolio expansion fueled by both internal development and through acquisition. Once considered mostly a backup, continuity, and disaster recovery (BCDR) vendor, Datto now boasts MSP offerings for networking, security, remote monitoring and management (RMM), and Professional Services Automation (PSA).
Background: Weller has held several C-level roles at growing technology companies over the past two decades. He served as CFO of both Akamai, where he led a team that completed one of the top-performing initial public offerings of all time, and EnerNOC, a clean energy technology company. He has also worked as an equity research analyst, software developer, video game designer, angel investor, and advisor to technology company CEOs, Datto officials said.
Weller holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Michigan State University.
The Buzz: “I’m honored to be named CEO of Datto,” said Weller. “We remain committed to serving the MSP community as we grow. I look forward to working with Austin, the rest of the board, and the entire Datto team as we create open, partner-centric solutions and re-imagine products for MSPs globally.”
“Tim and I worked every day, side by side, for the last 18 months as we grew Datto. I’m happy to see Tim lead the company moving forward,” said McChord. “Tim understands Datto’s values and unique culture and lives it everyday. I am confident that under Tim’s leadership Datto will continue to grow and prosper.”