Brian Goldfarb on merger & acquisition
From Brian Goldfarb, CMO at Chef · · Heinz Marketing
“Chef is a Seattle-based configuration management and security company recently sold to Progress Software, a publicly traded software company.”
On , Brian Goldfarb, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer at SOLARWINDS CORP, spoke about merger & acquisition during Brian Goldfarb, CMO at Chef on Heinz Marketing.
About Brian Goldfarb
Brian Goldfarb, who served as Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Business Development at Chef Software, discussed the company's sale to Progress Software in a 2020 interview. He described it as a $220 million all-cash transaction that was completed entirely remotely, with no in-person meetings. Goldfarb noted that the capital markets ceased to operate in April 2020, causing business forecasts to freeze and funds to reallocate. He also reflected on marketing challenges during the pandemic, stating that his team significantly undervalued partner sponsorship for a virtual event, leaving "several hundred thousand dollars or more on the table." In earlier interviews, Goldfarb spoke about marketing transformation and data strategy. He stated that "the marketing department is the department going through the most transformation right now" and that CMOs face pressure to become digital-first and data-driven. He described data as "a huge asset" that is not measured on the balance sheet, and said that customer ROI from data projects comes from solving problems such as improved security and faster resolution times. Goldfarb also emphasized the importance of community and customer advocates, noting that most buyers complete 60 to 70 percent of their decision-making before engaging a brand.