OpenText Corporation has appointed Ayman Antoun as its new Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors, effective April 20, 2026. Antoun succeeds Interim CEO James McGourlay, who will transition to a role within the Executive Leadership Team, while P. Thomas Jenkins returns to Chair of the Board after serving as Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer.
Quick Intel
The leadership change marks a strategic step for OpenText as it accelerates its focus on enterprise AI and data-driven innovation. Antoun's extensive background in scaling complex technology organizations aligns with the company's emphasis on secure information management to support AI initiatives.
Antoun's career at IBM spanned over three decades, culminating in his role as President of IBM Americas from 2020 to 2023, where he managed the company's most expansive and intricate business unit. Prior positions included President of IBM Canada and General Manager of Global Technology Services, alongside earlier executive experience at Bell Canada. His expertise spans cloud transformation, cybersecurity, cognitive computing, and large-scale operational leadership across public and private sectors.
"The Board is very pleased to welcome Ayman to OpenText, and as we look ahead to the Company's future, the Board believes that he is the best leader to drive shareholder value by growing revenue in our core Enterprise Information Management for training Agentic AI business," said P. Thomas Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, OpenText. "Ayman's deep enterprise technology and software expertise and decades of leading large-scale global transformations will be a catalyst for OpenText's next phase of growth."
The CEO Search Committee, co-chaired by Lead Independent Director David Fraser, evaluated a diverse group of global candidates to ensure alignment with OpenText's direction in enterprise AI. Antoun's proven track record and international relationships positioned him as the ideal fit to advance the company's leadership during this growth phase.
"On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank James for his steadfast leadership as Interim CEO and for the strong results we are realizing by his commitment to our clients. I look forward to welcoming Ayman back home to Kitchener-Waterloo, where he grew up and went to school at the University of Waterloo, and to work with him, our Board and Executive Leadership Team as OpenText continues to advance its strategy," added Mr. Jenkins.
"The Board's CEO Search Committee conducted a thorough CEO search, assessing a strong and diverse slate of global candidates against the Company's strategic direction to identify the right leadership fit," said David Fraser, Lead Independent Director, OpenText, and Co-Chair of the CEO Search Committee. "We were impressed by Ayman's experience leading major technology organizations, particularly in cloud and digital modernization, along with strong international relationships across public and private sectors. It became clear in our conversations with Ayman that he is uniquely positioned to advance the Company's leadership in enterprise AI during our pivotal phase of growth."
Ayman Antoun expressed enthusiasm for the role, emphasizing OpenText's strengths in providing trusted data essential for agentic AI and modern business operations.
"OpenText's core product portfolio, which is the foundation for training agentic AI, combined with its worldwide client base offers the Company a competitive advantage as trusted data is now essential to how economies, nations and businesses operate around the world. I am energized by the opportunity to lead OpenText into its next chapter and look forward to working with the Board and leadership team to accelerate the Company's growth strategy and deliver long-term shareholder value."
Antoun holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's Executive program. He currently serves on the boards of TD Bank and CAE.
This transition reinforces OpenText's commitment to leveraging secure, contextual information management as the foundation for AI adoption, enabling organizations to govern and activate data confidently in an increasingly AI-centric world.
About OpenText
OpenText™ is a global leader in secure information management for AI, helping organizations protect, govern, and activate their data with confidence. Our technologies turn data into information with context to form the knowledge base for AI.
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