DeLisa Alexander

An accomplished executive leader and board director, DeLisa Alexander brings more than 25 years of unique experience in open leadership, with notable contributions across board governance, shareholder value creation, culture building, and legal management. The majority of DeLisa’s career focused on scaling, evolving, and leading employee experience at the multibillion-dollar open source enterprise technology company, Red Hat (NYSE:RHT). Earlier career experience includes corporate and business law.

In addition to board service with multiple organizations (four privately held technology businesses, two venture capital firms, and three nonprofits), DeLisa also devotes time to her coaching practice that serves executive leaders of fast growth technology companies and businesses in transition.

DeLisa brings a unique perspective to her work along with intellectual curiosity and an affinity for mission-driven business practices. As a systems thinker and innovator with a passion for people, she builds foundations for transformation, drives differentiation, and demonstrates a strong deference for data-driven decision making.

Representative Board Service:

DeLisa was recruited in 2022 as the first independent director to join Qlik’s Board of Directors and Compensation Committee where she helps the provider of cloud-based analytics solutions prepare for a transformative acquisition. Also, in 2022 she was invited to join the Board of Directors and Compensation Committee of Sophos, a worldwide leader in next-generation cybersecurity. In 2023, DeLisa joined the Board of Directors and Nominating Corporate Governance Committee of Synechron, an innovative global consulting digital transformation firm. In 2022, DeLisa became an advisor for Anchore, an early stage, high growth software supply chain security platform provider. In 2021, DeLisa was invited to join the Board of The General Henry Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at NC State University and joined Capri Venture Partners where she continues to advise the firm on their investments in software startups pursuing commercialization in the U.S. Since 2014, DeLisa has served as an advisor to Bull City Venture Partners, a VC firm that applies strong ESG values to inform their investments in technology businesses across the Southeastern U.S. DeLisa is also the immediate past Chair of Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Committee and completed two stints with the board between the years of 2009 and 2018; she has also served on the Chamber’s executive committee since 2018. Delisa’s contributions have included economic development, DEI, efforts, the ‘Innovate Raleigh’ program, and branding. Since 2013, DeLisa has served as Advisory Board Member and Chair of the Development Committee at the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute at UNC Chapel Hill. As part of this work, DeLisa has contributed to Congressional briefings and presented at the Frontiers conference. Previous board and committee appointments between 2014 and 2021 include the Council for Entrepreneurial Development; Innovate Raleigh; NC State University Poole College of Management; and Downtown Raleigh Alliance.

Professional Experience:

DeLisa drove corporate strategy and led global people operations for Red Hat (NYSE:RHT) between 2006 and 2021. During her tenure, the organization grew from 1,100 associates to 17,000+ associates and increased revenue exceeding $4 billion+ resulting in a $34 billion acquisition by IBM in 2019 — the world’s largest software transaction. Notably, DeLisa designed a groundbreaking open and participatory culture at Red Hat that differentiated the business, generated meaningful shareholder value, and created exceptional employee experience resulting in loyal and passionate teams as well as recognition on Forbes’ and Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For lists in recent years.

Before she was tapped by the CEO to lead the people organization, DeLisa served as Red Hat’s Assistant General Counsel. Between 2001 and 2006 the board and she created the governance framework for the Board of Directors and enabled Red Hat to venture into unchartered territories in addition to defining a new GTM business model innovation for enterprise software.

Prior to Red Hat, DeLisa practiced securities, M&A, franchise, and business law with several law firms serving entrepreneurs, startups, and Fortune 100 companies and she was appointed to a judicial clerkship with the Delaware Court of Chancery.

A Virginia native, DeLisa earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree at James Madison University, her Master of Business Administration at the University of Baltimore, and her Juris Doctor at the George Mason University School of Law, Arlington. Bar admissions include Virginia, 1995, District of Columbia, 1998, and North Carolina, 2001.