Delivering experiences that matter

Soren Abildgaard is Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Avaya. Soren has more than two decades of experience in global software development and engineering at high-growth SaaS companies, with international experience leading cross-functional teams to create and bring software products to market.

He brings to Avaya his strong focus and deep expertise in delivering platforms and products that enable customers to design and deliver great digital experiences. Soren came to Avaya from Contentful where he was EVP of Engineering. Under his leadership, he scaled the Contentful Platform to service many of the world’s largest brands. He also served as EVP of Engineering at Zendesk, where his team enabled growth in excess of $1B. Prior to Zendesk, Soren was VP of Engineering at Adobe’s Advertising Cloud (through the acquisition of TubeMogul, where he led engineering). He has held senior product development positions at several companies including Autodesk and Microsoft.

Soren has a Master of Science in Engineering from Technical University in Denmark.

David Austin is Senior Vice President Corporate Development, Strategy and Alliances.  David is responsible for developing the company’s overall strategy for business operations and manages multiple strategic functions including corporate development, technology innovation and business alliances along with serving as Chief of Staff to the CEO.  David joined Avaya from Xeeva, Inc. a leader in cloud eProcurement, where he served as its Chief Operating Officer.  Previously, David worked in the advisory practice at PwC and prior to that he was co-founder of Contextware, Inc. an award winning business process and knowledge management software company.  He has held multiple management roles at Manugistics, Visteon and MCI Communications.   David earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Masters in International Business and Transactions both from George Mason University.

John Hoffman is the Chief People Officer at Avaya, bringing over 20 years of expertise in building high-performance teams that drive organizational success in the fast-paced tech sector. Known for his people-centric approach, John has led teams in talent acquisition, employee development, and cultural initiatives at leading technology companies, including ExtraHop, EMC, Oracle, Guidance Software, and Alvaria, Inc.

Before joining Avaya, John served as CPO at ExtraHop, where he fostered a culture of creativity and excellence. He was also Chief People and Productivity Officer at Alvaria, Inc., a leader in customer experience and workforce engagement. At Guidance Software, John managed Field Shared Services and Professional Services, building strong teams in a specialized tech environment.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master’s in Psychology from the University of Virginia.

Pete Lavache is the Chief Marketing Officer at Avaya, bringing over 25 years of experience in marketing and product strategy within high-tech industries. Pete has held leadership roles at companies including EMC, Dell, Venafi, ExtraHop, and Aspect Software (now Alvaria, Inc.), where he led teams across marketing, product, and operations.

Before Avaya, Pete served as CMO at Venafi, a CyberArk company, and ExtraHop, specializing in solutions for machine identity and network security. At Aspect, Pete served as SVP of Product and Program Management, where he helped drive the transformation efforts that contributed to its $1B acquisition by Abry Partners in 2021.

Pete holds a B.S. in Business Management & Information Systems and an MBA, both from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.

MaryLou (ML) Maco is the Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Experience Officer at Avaya, leading the charge in transforming customer and employee experiences to drive unparalleled business growth. Her bold vision and persuasive leadership are pivotal in steering Avaya, a global leader in Unified Communications, into a new era of innovation and success. With over 25 years of expertise in go-to-market strategy, sales channels, customer success, and field operations at high-growth software and cloud companies, ML is deeply committed to delivering transformative growth and exceptional customer experiences.

As a member of the Avaya Board of Directors, ML brings invaluable strategic insight, aligning people, processes, and technology to create a unified revenue engine that advances customer success and growth. Her extensive experience in global leadership roles at industry giants such as Genesys, Cisco, Oracle, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Anaplan has equipped her with a deep understanding of enterprise software, cloud services, and network computing. Throughout her career, she has consistently driven predictable revenue growth, expanded market share, and fostered customer and partner loyalty.

Recognized as a trusted thought leader, ML frequently shares her insights on cloud business strategies, digital transformations, and industry trends at conferences worldwide. Her influence and years of experience are propelling a new generation of growth at Avaya, embodying the company’s philosophy that combining Customer Experience with Employee Experience leads to business growth.

Alan Masarek, who previously served as Avaya’s Chief Executive Officer for two years, now acts as an Advisor to the CEO. He brings with him over three decades of experience in software and cloud-based businesses.

Alan is an industry innovator with deep expertise in enterprise communications, information technology and business services. Prior to Avaya, he served as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Vonage Holdings Corp. In this role, which he held from November 2014 to June 2020, Alan led the company through an era of transformation from a VoIP-based residential phone provider into a global enterprise cloud communications company. His leadership led a revitalization of Vonage’s culture, creating a talent-driven organization with a culture of agility, technology innovation and customer centricity.

Prior to Vonage, Alan served as Director, Chrome & Apps at Google, Inc. from June 2012 until October 2014, following Google’s acquisition of his prior company, Quickoffice, Inc. Alan was Co-founder and CEO of Quickoffice from June 2007 to June 2012. Under his leadership, Quickoffice became one of the world’s most widely used mobile productivity software solutions, engaging more than 26 million registered users at the time of Google’s purchase.

Alan earned his M.B.A., with Distinction, from Harvard Business School and his B.B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia.

Al Morales is the Chief Transformation Officer at Avaya. He brings more than 30 years of global leadership experience in finance, business transformation, controllership, pricing, contracting, and policy. Morales has successfully lead company-wide transformation programs focused on enabling business excellence and innovation. He has held leadership roles at organizations such as PwC, TD SYNNEX, Tech Data, AmerisourceBergen, and AT&T, and most recently served as the Chief Transformation Officer at automotive supplier Tenneco.

Al is a Certified Public Accountant and obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting and master of science, taxation, from Florida International University.

Amy O’Keefe is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Avaya, bringing over 30 years of global financial experience and leadership to her role in private and public companies. Most recently, she was the CFO for WW International, Inc, better known as Weight Watchers, a publicly held weight management company.

Before WW, she held CFO positions for over a decade for several private-equity portfolio companies, mainly in the consumer products space and all needing transformational change to unlock value. For nearly half of her career, she held various executive roles at The Black & Decker Corporation, culminating into the CFO of the Worldwide Power Tools and Accessories Division. She began her career at Ernst & Young and is a long-inactive Certified Public Accountant.

Amy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. She and her daughter currently reside in New York, New York.