Chris Malone

Chief Executive Officer Sumo Logic

Last Reviewed: September 25, 2026

Executive Summary

Chris Malone is Chief Executive Officer of Sumo Logic, a security and log analytics software company based in Redwood City, California, and owned by Francisco Partners since 2023. Sumo Logic announced his appointment in July 2026 and brought in Conor Burns, a colleague from his previous company, as Chief Financial Officer at the same time. Malone came to the top job through finance. He spent 12 years at the software testing company Applause, first as President and CFO and then, from 2021, as CEO. He succeeded Applause’s founder in that role, having earlier guided the company through its sale to Vista Equity Partners in 2017.

Career Highlights

• Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sumo Logic, announced 28 July 2026.
• Chief Executive Officer of Applause from September 2021, succeeding founder Doron Reuveni.
• President and Chief Financial Officer of Applause after joining in 2013, responsible for global operations and financial and strategic management.
• Took Applause through financing rounds with investors including Goldman Sachs and Accenture, and through its 2017 acquisition by Vista Equity Partners.
• Holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Babson College.

Professional Journey

Malone studied at Babson College, earning a bachelor’s degree and an MBA. Applause says that before 2013 he held leadership roles in public and private companies and managed global books of business exceeding $1 billion in revenue. It does not name those employers.

He joined Applause, a software testing and digital quality company, in 2013 as President and Chief Financial Officer. Applause says he was responsible for its global operations and for financial and strategic management. He led it through several financing rounds with investors including Goldman Sachs and Accenture, and in 2017 through its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners. In September 2021 Applause named him CEO, succeeding the company’s founder, Doron Reuveni, and said he would stay on its board.

On 28 July 2026 Sumo Logic announced him as its new Chief Executive Officer, after his 12 years at Applause, and named Conor Burns, previously Senior Vice President of Operations at Applause, as CFO. Sumo Logic sells an AI-driven platform that combines security information and event management (SIEM) with log analytics for security and cloud operations teams. It had been a publicly listed company until May 2023, when funds advised by Francisco Partners completed their acquisition of it and took it private. At the appointment, Francisco Partners’ Mark Ties, Sumo Logic’s chairman, said Malone “brings the strategic vision to help Sumo Logic deliver on its mission”. Malone said that “telemetry will fuel the agentic era” and that Sumo Logic’s Dojo AI agents build on it.

Education

Babson College

Bachelor’s degree

Babson College

MBA