The CX Automation company Verint announced today its appointment of David "Dave" Rhodes as its new CEO, effective immediately. Dave previously served as the CEO of Calabrio, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing consolidation of Verint and Calabrio under the private equity firm Thoma Bravo.
Rhodes takes over the position from Mike Lipps, who served as Verint's Chairman and Interim CEO since Thoma Bravo acquired Verint in November 2025.
Rhodes says of his appointment:
We are in a rare moment. Brands are under enormous pressure to harness AI to drive tangible business value, immediately. At Verint, our customers are already navigating this moment to achieve higher sales, lower churn and unlock groundbreaking levels of workforce productivity. We are uniquely positioned to transform this industry and drive CX Automation to unprecedented levels.
David "Dave" Rhodes
CEO, Verint
Rhode's appointment gives the newly unified organization a single, permanent leader as it continues to integrate two of the customer experience industry's most prominent platforms. During his tenure at Calabrio, Rhodes oversaw the launch of a next-generation Performance Management solution designed to eliminate third-party tools, delivering AI-powered coaching and quality evaluations in a single streamlined platform.
Prior to his time at Calabrio, Rhodes served as CRO and SVP of Digital Twins at Unity Technologies. At Unity, he helped guide the business to nearly 500% revenue growth -- from from $130 million to $600 million -- over the course of his six years there.
Rhodes brings with him a reputation for scaling high-growth software businesses and deep expertise in workforce engagement and customer experience technology -- precisely the credentials Verint's board says it was looking for in this moment of consolidation. Says current Verint Chairman Mike Lipps:
Dave is exactly the right leader for this moment. He brings a proven track record of scaling high-growth software businesses, a deep understanding of the CX and workforce engagement market, and a clear-eyed vision for what this combined company can become. The board has full confidence in Dave's ability to build on Verint's extraordinary foundation and accelerate our path to market leadership.
Mike Lipps
Chairman, Verint
The transition closes out an era defined by longtime Verint CEO Dan Bodner, who built the company into a global enterprise software leader over decades at the helm. When Thoma Bravo completed its acquisition of Verint on November 26, 2025, and simultaneously merged it with Calabrio, Bodner transitioned to an advisory role. Lipps stepped in as interim CEO while the combined organization found its footing, with Rhodes continuing to run Calabrio in parallel.
With Rhodes now elevated to lead the entire enterprise, Verint is betting that his familiarity with both organizations gives him a structural advantage in accelerating integration. The combined company unites Verint's global AI-powered CX automation platform with Calabrio's widely adopted workforce engagement suite, creating what the company describes as the industry's most comprehensive AI-powered customer experience platform. Rhodes says of the transition:
Bringing these organizations together under one leadership team and one brand is how we deliver on the promise we've made to our customers. Business outcomes, now — that's what we deliver, and that's what sets us apart.
David "Dave" Rhodes
CEO, Verint
The CX automation market is under mounting pressure from enterprise clients demanding faster, measurable returns on AI investments.
Charlie Mitchell, the CX Foundation's Director of Content & Market Analysis at the CX Foundation, offered his take on the announcemnt, saying:
People underestimate how deeply engrained Verint is across complex contact center environments. The new CEO knows what they do well, and is not someone who is likely to flip the business model upside down. That said, perhaps this somewhat signifies a missed opportunity. After all, Thoma Bravo also owns conversational AI provider Aisera and VoC stalwart Medallia. The combination of these solutions could have delivered a CX powerhouse. Instead, it seems that its more business as usual. That's not a surprise, as private equity (PE) firms are typically more about money now than potential. Either way, there is massive potential within its portfolio.
Charlie Mitchell
Director of Content & Market Analysis at the CX Foundation
Charlie Mitchell
Verint's bet is that the combined scale of its new platform, paired with Rhodes' leadership, positions it to capitalize on that urgency before competitors can close the gap.
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Charlie Mitchell