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Salesforce CSO Gavin Patterson to Leave in 2023 as Company Tightens Belt

Salesforce President and Chief Strategy Officer Gavin Patterson plans to leave the company in 2023, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. The company has not provided any additional information about the exit, which will take place at the end of January 2023. Patterson has been with the company since 2019, when he joined as chairman of Europe, Middle East, and Africa, before becoming president and chief revenue officer in 2020; his most recent role began in August of this year.

Prior to joining Salesforce, Patterson spent 15 years with BT Group, one of the U.K.’s largest telecommunication companies, serving as group chief executive from 2013 to 2019. After joining Salesforce, he helped oversee a period of rapid growth for the company, according to co-CEO Marc Benioff. He leaves the company as one of its most highly-compensated executives, earning roughly $14 million including stock options.

Patterson is just the latest Salesforce executive to leave the CRM company, which boasts a market cap in excess of $150 billion. In October 2022, Julie Bennani — leader of Salesforce subsidiary Tableau — stepped down as the company consolidated its partner programs. Additionally, Salesforce plans to lay off hundreds of employees before the holidays due to slower vendor spending amid shaky economic conditions.