Tien Tzuo

Tien Tzuo, widely recognized for his expertise in the software-as-a-service industry and the Subscription Economy, founded Zuora in 2007. As the CEO of Zuora, Tzuo has built one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies, pioneering the shift to subscription-based business models. His significant contributions include coining the term "Subscription Economy" and emphasizing the complex billing structures that these models entail. Under his leadership, Zuora progressed from Series A funding through to its IPO, marking significant milestones in the company's history.

Before founding Zuora, Tzuo was a key figure at Salesforce, where he was the 11th employee. During his tenure from 1999 to 2007, he held multiple executive roles, including Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. He was instrumental in overseeing the vision, direction, and design of the first 17 releases of Salesforce.com’s product line. Furthermore, his leadership helped Salesforce grow into a major player in the cloud computing space. Tzuo holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was named a CMO of the Year Finalist by the CMO Council and BusinessWeek Magazine while at Salesforce.

Tzuo is also an author, having written "SUBSCRIBED: Why the Subscription Model Will Be ‘Your Company’s Future — and What to Do About It," where he discusses the impact of subscription models on various industries, including technology, media, and manufacturing. His insights address the transformative shift in consumer behavior from ownership to subscription preferences, which affects major companies across different sectors. Tzuo continues to share his expertise on the Subscription Economy, helping businesses understand the growth opportunities within sectors like IoT and how it can rejuvenate US manufacturing. He serves on the Board of Directors for Network for Good, leveraging his extensive experience to influence broader business and technological transformations.