Chief Product Officer
Rifat Kerim Akgonul (also known as Kerim Akgonul), age 54, is the Chief Product Officer (CPO) at Pegasystems Inc. (PEGA), a Massachusetts-based software company specializing in AI-powered automation and low-code platforms.[[1]](https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/kerim-akgonul-chief-product-officer-at-pegasystems/)[[2]](https://fintool.com/app/research/companies/PEGA/people/kerim-akgonul)[[3]](https://www.pega.com/about/leadership/kerim-akgonul) He joined Pega in 1992 as a software engineer, developing applications for financial services and insurance clients, and progressed through roles in software engineering, product management, and executive leadership, including VP of Product Management (2007), SVP of Product Management and CRM Technologies, and SVP of Engineering (2014–2021), before becoming CPO in April 2021.[[1]](https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/kerim-akgonul-chief-product-officer-at-pegasystems/)[[2]](https://fintool.com/app/research/companies/PEGA/people/kerim-akgonul)[[3]](https://www.pega.com/about/leadership/kerim-akgonul)
As CPO, Akgonul leads over 1,500 engineers, product managers, designers, and architects to deliver Pega's Infinity platform products, focusing on customer engagement, service, intelligent automation, and innovations recognized by Gartner and Forrester.[[1]](https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/kerim-akgonul-chief-product-officer-at-pegasystems/)[[3]](https://www.pega.com/about/leadership/kerim-akgonul) A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in applied mathematics and computer science, he holds approximately 105,894 shares of PEGA stock (valued at around $5 million as of February 2026) and has engaged in recent insider trading, including net sales over the past 18 months.[[2]](https://fintool.com/app/research/companies/PEGA/people/kerim-akgonul)[[4]](https://www.gurufocus.com/insider/167490/rifat-kerim-akgonul)[[6]](https://www.quiverquant.com/insiders/1855325/Rifat-Kerim-Akgonul) Under his tenure, Pega achieved Rule of 40 status in 2024, 9% ACV growth, and record free cash flow.[[2]](https://fintool.com/app/research/companies/PEGA/people/kerim-akgonul)
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