Liongard announced this week that Michelle Accardi has been named CEO, effective April 17. Accardi succeeds co-founder Joe Alapat, who will transition to the CTO role, the company said.
Accardi has more than two decades of experience growing MSPs and technology companies. Accardi most recently served as CEO of Logically, one of the nation’s largest cybersecurity-focused MSPs, and previously as president and chief revenue officer of Star2Star. In those roles, she delivered value to partners to ensure their customers received significant value from their products and services, according to the statement. At Liongard, she will be responsible for accelerating growth and bolstering the product portfolio.
Accardi graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in political science and holds an MBA from American Intercontinental University. Outside of Liongard, she is an avid supporter of youth organizations, including Pop Warner sports and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Michelle Accardi Becomes Liongard CEO: Executive Perspectives
“The Liongard team has accomplished much in its first few years, and that’s a testament to the founding vision and hard work of the entire organization,” Accardi said. “With Liongard in a strong market leadership position, there is a unique opportunity to accelerate growth. Joe and team have built a dynamic company culture and robust technical foundation and I am looking forward to partnering with him to build on the company’s success.”
“Now is the right time for Liongard to transform for the long term as we welcome a new member to our executive leadership team,” Alapat said. “Michelle’s addition will help take Liongard to the next level and accelerate our growth as we address the evolving needs of the industry. This new role allows me to focus on driving Liongard’s innovation forward and helping our MSP partners navigate the modern business landscape.”
“We are excited to welcome Michelle to the team at Liongard,” said Carter Griffin, Liongard board member and general partner at Updata. “We believe that Michelle’s leadership experience and excellent track record will ensure Liongard continues to perform at a very high level.”
“Throughout this process, Michelle has stood out as the right person to build on the tremendous success Liongard has had,” added Jim Pastoriza, a member of the Liongard board and partner at TDF Ventures.
Liongard CTO Joe Alapat
ChannelE2E last caught up with Alapat in 2022, when he talked about MSPs' need to further automate their businesses and the mindset shift involved in doing so. In 2020, he discussed the company's Series B funding round, described what it meant for the Liongard Roar software platform and pinpointed the automation benefits for MSPs. You can find that interview here.
