The global e-discovery and compliance technology company Relativity today named a new chief executive officer, Phil Saunders, who was most recently CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand. He succeeds Mike Gamson, who departs after five years as a board member and three years as CEO.
Saunders will become CEO effective Dec. 12, with Gamson staying through year-end to ensure a seamless transition, the company said.
Saunders had been president and CEO of the talent management software company Saba Software when it was acquired by another talent management software company, Cornerstone OnDemand, in 2020. He then became CEO of Cornerstone until January 2022.
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In an announcement of the news, Relativity said that Saunders brings significant expertise in sectors germane to Relativity’s business, including enterprise SaaS, infrastructure technology, and cybersecurity.
At Cornerstone, he served on the public company’s board of directors and he is currently a board director of Vertex, the Nasdaq-listed global tax compliance software company.
“Relativity is a rare company with both exceptional industry leadership and significant opportunities ahead,” said Saunders. “RelativityOne is already the market leader in its category with so much potential to continue to innovate in e-discovery, digital investigations, and beyond. I’m excited to work with Relativity’s employees and its ecosystem to deliver compelling technology solutions for the legal and compliance sectors.”
Gamson had been Relativity’s CEO since July 2019. During his tenure, Relativity achieved significant growth, accelerated industry adoption of its cloud-based RelativityOne product, expanded geographically, and developed the company’s social impact programs.
“The Relativity Board and I thank Mike for his many contributions to the company’s evolution over the years,” said Andrew Sieja, Relativity’s founder. “We are excited to welcome Phil, whose enthusiasm and track record of operational excellence at scale within enterprise SaaS position him well to lead our company and deliver an amazing offering for our customers and partners.”
Silver Lake, Iconiq and Relativity’s founder Andrew Sieja remain equity partners in the business, with each maintaining its existing board representation. Saunders will replace Gamson on the board, with Gamson remaining as a shareholder in the company.
