CData Software, a leading provider of enterprise data connectivity solutions, has named Ken Yagen as its new Chief Product Officer (CPO). In this role, Yagen will oversee product strategy and engineering as CData expands its AI connectivity platform to support enterprises deploying agentic AI and software providers embedding AI capabilities.
The appointment strengthens CData’s position in the fast-emerging category of AI-native connectivity. With thousands of users already leveraging CData MCP Servers to connect enterprise data sources to AI systems, and following the recent launch of Connect AI—a fully managed Model Context Protocol platform—Yagen’s expertise will drive the next phase of product development and market expansion.
Connect AI delivers enterprise-grade infrastructure that combines live, governed access to business systems with embedded semantic intelligence. This enables AI agents and autonomous systems to understand data structure, relationships, and business logic across platforms such as Salesforce, NetSuite, SAP, and over 350 additional enterprise applications.
Yagen emphasized the critical need for system-level understanding in enterprise AI deployments.
"AI will fail to achieve meaningful outcomes if agents don't understand the systems they're acting in. The enterprises that will dominate the AI era are the ones whose agents have real system fluency—not just access," said Ken Yagen, Chief Product Officer at CData. "CData is eliminating a core blocker in enterprise AI by giving agents both the connectivity and the deep, system-level context to operate safely, predictably, and at scale across Salesforce, NetSuite, SAP, and 350+ business systems. We're building the context and control fabric that turns AI into a trusted digital operator inside the enterprise."
With over 25 years of experience in enterprise software and integration platforms, Yagen previously led AI and LLM initiatives at Warburg Pincus and held key product leadership roles at MuleSoft, Box, and Symphony.
CData continues to execute its dual-market strategy under Yagen’s leadership. Enterprises are standardizing on the managed MCP platform for internal AI initiatives, while independent software vendors (ISVs) increasingly embed CData connectivity to deliver AI-ready solutions without developing integrations in-house.
"We're building a comprehensive, secure MCP platform, and we're early in this market," Yagen added. "The opportunity is to make CData a go-to connectivity layer—one that enterprises can rely on internally and that product builders embed by default. This isn't just about better integrations. It's about making every AI system enterprise-ready from day one."
Amit Sharma, CEO and co-founder of CData, highlighted Yagen’s strategic fit: "Ken brings exactly the experience and vision we need at this stage of our growth. His track record building enterprise platforms at scale, combined with his deep expertise in distributed systems and AI infrastructure, makes him an ideal fit to lead our product organization as we help customers navigate the AI era."
The leadership addition positions CData to further solidify its role as a foundational connectivity layer for the next generation of enterprise AI applications.
About CData Software
CData Software provides data connectivity solutions for the AI era. Our AI Connectivity Platform provides universal, real-time access to business data across 350+ systems with enterprise-grade governance, security, and scale. Millions of users worldwide rely on CData to power advanced analytics, accelerate cloud adoption, and enable AI systems that understand the enterprise systems they connect to.
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