Ardoq names Brian Zeman chief revenue officer for growth

Enterprise Architecture software company Ardoq has appointed Brian Zeman as Chief Revenue Officer to oversee its global revenue operations and growth, with a particular focus on expanding in the Americas.

Zeman brings over 20 years of SaaS industry leadership experience and previously served as Chief Revenue Officer and President of the Americas at LeanIX, which was acquired by SAP. His appointment is seen as a strategic move by Ardoq amidst increasing demand for data-driven, business-aligned Enterprise Architecture solutions.

Ardoq, which is headquartered in Norway and operates globally, supports more than 400 customers across sectors including telecoms, financial services, consumer goods, and energy. The company's client list includes British Telecom, Carlsberg Group, MUFG, and ExxonMobil. Ardoq provides a cloud-native platform designed to help organisations manage business transformation and modernise enterprise architecture.

On Zeman's appointment, Erik Bakstad, CEO and Co-founder of Ardoq, stated: "Brian's track record of success in scaling SaaS businesses, combined with his deep domain expertise, makes him an exceptional addition to our leadership team."

Zeman will report directly to Bakstad and serve on the executive management team. His remit includes overseeing Sales & Business Development, Partners & Alliances, Solution Engineering, Revenue Operations, and Revenue Enablement globally.

Further outlining Zeman's fit with Ardoq's goals, Bakstad said: "Brian brings a wealth of experience in scaling high-growth SaaS companies and has a proven track record of driving consistent, exceptional results. His strategic approach to leveraging data for assessing market opportunities and optimizing operations aligns perfectly with our data-driven culture. As organisations worldwide increasingly recognise the strategic value of Enterprise Architecture in driving business transformation, Brian's leadership will be instrumental in our next phase of growth."

Zeman's career includes executive roles at technology companies such as NS1 (acquired by IBM), Prevalent (acquired by Mitratech), SevOne (acquired by Turbonomic), and RSA (the Security Division of Dell EMC). His responsibilities have spanned sales, consulting, professional services, customer success, finance, people operations, and product management.

Commenting on his new role, Zeman said: "I'm thrilled to join Ardoq at such a pivotal time for both the company and the Enterprise Architecture market. As organisations tackle increasing complexity in their digital landscapes, there's a clear shift toward more strategic, business-centric EA approaches. Ardoq's innovative, data-driven platform is uniquely positioned to help businesses transform effectively by connecting data, visualizing dependencies, and keeping architecture up-to-date. The company's commitment to customer success and its dynamic, collaborative culture were major factors in my decision to join the team."

The appointment comes at a time when Enterprise Architecture is evolving into a more strategic function, as highlighted in Gartner's 2025 Enterprise Architecture Operating Model Primer. The report states: "As CIOs focus on technology risk and modernization and CEOs stress digital growth, heads of EA must enhance EA performance. They must build and adapt their functions to define and realize future-state architectures aligned to CIO priorities and enterprise goals, delivering value to the organization."

Ardoq's platform aims to address market needs by moving beyond traditional diagram- and spreadsheet-based approaches to EA. It provides tools to connect data, visualise dependencies and keep architectures current, supporting organisations to make data-backed decisions and manage IT and business transformation.

Economic pressures and new tariffs have placed additional scrutiny on operational efficiency and cost savings, prompting greater investment in platforms that can deliver measurable business impact. Ardoq reports that its customers typically reduce their application portfolios by up to 29% and eliminate redundant systems, leading to average reported savings of USD $800,000 in the first year and up to USD $1.3 million annually in reduced technical debt. Heidi Mattison, CTO of Cabinetworks Group, said: "Ardoq helped us visualize everything and hit the market faster."

Ardoq has been recognised as a leader four times in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Architecture Tools and holds a 4.7 out of 5 user rating on G2. It was also named a Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice in 2024 and achieved a 99% customer satisfaction score. Other recognitions include multiple Spring 2025 G2 leader awards for support, business relationships, performance, and momentum.

Zeman's experience in scaling both early-stage and established software firms globally is expected to support Ardoq's continued expansion from its offices in New York, London, Oslo, and Copenhagen.