- After nearly a decade at the business, Elona Mortimer-Zhika will transition from CEO role in New Year.
- Executive search is underway for a US-based global CEO who will bring IRIS into a new chapter of global growth.
- Executive Chairman, Gus Malezis appointed interim CEO.

LONDON, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IRIS Software Group (IRIS), a leading global provider of accountancy, education management, HR and payroll solutions, today announced that, in a planned transition, Elona Mortimer-Zhika has made the decision to move on from her CEO role to focus on her family, philanthropic priorities and expanding board responsibilities in the UK. This move comes a year after she led the sale of the business to Hg, Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (LGP) and Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) – in a transaction valuing the business at around $4 billion – and weeks after the acquisition of Dext. This represented the largest acquisition in IRIS' history and brought significant growth globally, adding c.20% to group revenues.

An executive search is underway for a global CEO based in the USA, who will drive continued growth as the company doubles down on global expansion, product innovation and customer success. The Board has appointed Gus Malezis, the company's current executive chairman, to the expanded role of interim CEO.

Ms. Mortimer-Zhika, CEO of IRIS, said: "I have had the incredible opportunity and privilege of leading a business I truly love, and it has been the best job in the world. IRIS is an amazing company with all the ingredients many dream of having: loyal customers, fantastic mission critical cloud solutions, amazing investors and, most importantly, a tremendously hard-working and brilliant team, committed to our customers' success. My heartfelt thanks to all our amazing employees and customers who make IRIS what it is."

"As we align our business for further global expansion, I am ready to focus on new priorities, including my family, joining other boards in a NED capacity, as well as my philanthropic work, including with The Hg Foundation. I am delighted that several key milestones were achieved in my last 12 months as CEO, and I am proud of what we have built together. I leave behind a business entering a new phase of growth, supported by a fantastically talented team. I want to give huge thanks to Hg, LGP and ICG for their backing and support, both personally and professionally; I couldn't have asked for better partners."

During Ms. Mortimer-Zhika's tenure IRIS has tripled in size, transitioned to a cloud SaaS platform business, expanded into the Americas, significantly improved its customer NPS (Net Promoter Score), acquired more than 30 new businesses and became a Great Place to Work for five consecutive years in the UK, and more recently, across all major geographies including the USA, Canada, India, Ireland, and Romania. Women now represent 49% of IRIS' employee base.

Gus Malezis, Executive Chairman and interim CEO, commented: "For almost a decade, Elona's leadership has helped to create a very bright future for an amazing business, leaving us in an excellent position for continued success. I highly value Elona's capacity to drive the business success, while steadfastly keeping the employees and the IRIS culture at the core. Hers are certainly big shoes to fill, but Elona has prepared us all well for the future."

This foundational success will catapult IRIS into a new phase of global excellence. An executive search is underway for a CEO who will bring IRIS into a new global chapter, with an ever-increasing impact in a broader range of key sectors, all of which will be critical to the business. This will look to conclude through 2025.

Nic Humphries, Board Member for IRIS and Senior Partner at Hg, the majority owner of IRIS for most of the last 20-years, commented: "IRIS and Hg share a long history, having grown together over the past 20 years. Elona initially joined IRIS as a transformative CFO before succeeding to COO and then CEO over five years ago. She is a natural leader, business builder and brand ambassador. Under her incredible tenure, IRIS has more than tripled in size and transformed into a modern, cloud business leading its sector in both the UK and USA."

"We are very grateful for everything Elona has accomplished for IRIS and Hg. We look forward to continuing to work with her as a trustee of The Hg Foundation and as she pursues non-executive and similar board roles. On a personal note, it has been a privilege to work with someone of such high capability and integrity and I would like to commend Elona for the great position she leaves IRIS in."

Media contact:
IRIS Software Group
[email protected]

About IRIS Software Group

Founded in 1978, IRIS Software Group is a global provider of mission critical, cloud-hosted software solutions and services to more than 100,000 customers across 135 countries. IRIS is a trusted partner to businesses, finance, HR and payroll teams, educational organisations, and accountancy firms of all sizes, providing innovative operational solutions that streamline complex processes, maintain compliance, and unlock growth. Through simplifying, automating and providing insights on everyday mission critical tasks for organisations of all shapes and sizes, IRIS ensures customers can look forward with certainty and confidence. IRIS is certified as a 2024 Great Place to Work in the UK, Ireland, India, Romania, Canada and the USA. Follow IRIS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. More information on its award-winning software solutions can be found here.

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