Cerence Inc, AI for a world in motion, recently announced that Brian Krzanich has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Krzanich succeeds Stefan Ortmanns, who is departing as CEO and resigning as a member of the Board.
Mr. Krzanich is a seasoned executive with a track record of success at global public organizations. Most recently from 2018 to 2022, Mr. Krzanich served as CEO of CDK Global Inc., the leading supplier of software to the retail automotive industry. After stabilizing CDK’s business, he delivered ten consecutive quarters of growth and ultimately achieved a 2022 take-private exit to Brookfield Business Partners for $8.3 billion.
Before CDK, Mr. Krzanich spent 36 years at Intel, including as CEO from 2013 to 2018. During his tenure, he led Intel into emerging areas ranging from cloud computing and artificial intelligence to autonomous driving as the business scaled from $52 billion to more than $70 billion in revenue.
Leadership Change
“Cerence has a strong generative AI product strategy and the opportunity to bring the promise of generative AI to the transportation industry,” said Arun Sarin, Chairman of the Cerence Board. “At this critical inflection point, we believe a leadership change is necessary to execute the next phase of the Company’s transformation.”
“Brian is a proven public company CEO with a successful track record of driving large-scale business transformations, fostering innovation and achieving sustainable growth. His leadership skills and expertise in AI and cloud computing make Brian the right leader to guide Cerence through this transition, capitalize on Cerence’s growth opportunities and drive shareholder value.”
“The fast-changing automotive industry and potential of generative AI present exciting opportunities for Cerence,” said Mr. Krzanich. “I look forward to partnering with the Board and management team as we work to advance the Company’s generative AI and voice interaction capabilities, drive efficiency to deliver a high level of customer satisfaction and generate meaningful and consistent growth.”
Mr. Sarin continued, “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Stefan for his many contributions to Cerence. Stefan helped stand up Cerence as a public company following the company’s separation from Nuance Communications in 2019, and played an important role in developing the Company’s next-gen AI roadmap. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
“It has been an honor to lead Cerence and work with the exceptional team,” said Mr. Ortmanns. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together and believe the Company has the right mix of talent and cutting-edge products to achieve its goals.”
Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2024 Guidance
The company noted that it is reaffirming its fourth quarter fiscal 2024 guidance previously announced in conjunction with its third quarter fiscal 2024 financial results on August 8, 2024.
For reference, for the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2024, the company expects revenue in the range of $44 million to $50 million; GAAP net loss in the range of ($32) million to ($28) million; and Adjusted EBITDA in the range of approximately ($19) million to ($13) million. The adjusted EBITDA guidance excludes acquisition-related costs, amortization of acquired intangible assets, stock-based compensation, restructuring and other costs. The GAAP net income guidance excludes potential goodwill impairment.
To learn more about Cerence, visit www.cerence.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn.
About Brian Krzanich
Brian Krzanich most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of CDK Global Inc. from 2018 to 2022. Mr. Krzanich began his career at Intel in 1982 as an engineer, became the company’s COO in 2012 where he oversaw Intel’s China strategy, and was named the company’s CEO in 2013. He currently serves as a director of SES AI.
Mr. Krzanich holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from San Jose State University.
About Cerence Inc.
Cerence (NASDAQ: CRNC) is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the mobility world. As an innovation partner to the world’s leading automakers and mobility OEMs, it is helping advance the future of connected mobility through intuitive, AI-powered interaction between humans and their vehicles, connecting consumers’ digital lives to their daily journeys no matter where they are. Cerence’s track record is built on more than 20 years of knowledge and 500 million cars shipped with Cerence technology. Whether it’s connected cars, autonomous driving, e-vehicles, or two-wheelers, Cerence is mapping the road ahead. For more information, visit www.cerence.com.
