SeekOut has named Sean Thompson as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective May 4, 2026, marking a leadership transition as the company looks to scale its role in the rapidly evolving AI-driven recruiting landscape. Co-founder Anoop Gupta, who has led the company since its inception in 2017, will move into the role of Executive Chairman.
Thompson brings extensive experience in enterprise software and B2B growth. He previously served as CEO of NAVEX and held leadership roles at SAP Ariba and Microsoft. He also co-founded Nuiku, an AI and natural language processing firm, giving him a strong foundation in both enterprise scaling and AI innovation.
The leadership change comes at a critical time for SeekOut, as organizations increasingly compete for AI-skilled talent. The company is positioning itself at the forefront of “agentic AI” recruiting—an approach that goes beyond automation to actively manage and optimize the hiring lifecycle. Its platform combines AI capabilities with recruiter expertise to streamline sourcing, screening, and engagement. Solutions such as SeekOut Spot deliver interview-ready candidates in under two weeks at significantly reduced costs, while SeekOut Recruit provides access to a vast database of over one billion candidate profiles.
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“After more than a decade building SeekOut, this is the right moment to pass the baton,” said Gupta. “Sean is the right leader to take what we’ve built and scale it to its full potential. He brings deep enterprise experience and the humility, humanity, and values this team deserves. I’m excited to continue supporting Sean and the leadership team as Executive Chairman.”
“SeekOut is one of the most consequential companies being built in AI recruiting today,” said Thompson. “Anoop, Aravind, and the team have created something rare: a category-defining platform, world-class customers, and a culture that genuinely cares. Talent acquisition is being rewritten by agentic AI, and SeekOut is uniquely positioned to lead that shift. I’m honored to join, and eager to listen, learn, and help SeekOut win the next decade.”
With co-founder Aravind Bala continuing as CTO, SeekOut is poised to advance its next phase of innovation and global growth.
