Key Takeaways
- Siva Padisetty has been appointed as the Chief Technology Officer at GitLab, effective January 15, 2026.
- Padisetty brings over 20 years of experience in building and scaling distributed systems at companies like Microsoft, AWS, and New Relic.
- He will lead GitLab’s software engineering, operations, and customer support teams to execute the company’s technical vision and strategy.
- Padisetty succeeds Sabrina Farmer, who stepped down from her role and will remain in an advisory capacity until January 31, 2026.
- GitLab is the most comprehensive, intelligent DevSecOps platform for software innovation, with over 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100 trusting the platform.
Introduction to Siva Padisetty
Siva Padisetty, a veteran engineering leader, has been appointed as the Chief Technology Officer at GitLab, a company that provides the most comprehensive intelligent DevSecOps platform. Padisetty’s appointment is effective January 15, 2026, and he will be responsible for leading GitLab’s software engineering, operations, and customer support teams. With over 20 years of experience in building and scaling distributed systems, Padisetty is well-equipped to execute the company’s technical vision and strategy. He succeeds Sabrina Farmer, who stepped down from her role and will remain in an advisory capacity until January 31, 2026, to ensure a seamless transition.
Background and Experience
Padisetty’s experience in the industry is impressive, with stints at Microsoft, AWS, and New Relic. At New Relic, he led the transformation of the company’s monolith into modern, modular cloud services, while scaling the business to over $1B in revenue. Prior to New Relic, he spent over eight years at AWS, where he was the General Manager of Cloud Management. He also spent 18 years at Microsoft, leading engineering teams that built, transformed, and operated some of the world’s largest services. Padisetty’s experience in building and scaling distributed systems will be invaluable to GitLab as the company continues to grow and deliver on its vision of intelligent orchestration for DevSecOps.
Reaction from GitLab Executives
The appointment of Padisetty has been welcomed by GitLab’s executives, who are excited about the experience and expertise he brings to the company. Bill Staples, GitLab’s chief executive officer, said, "Siva is the engineer’s CTO. He’s spent his career building and scaling some of the most critical infrastructure platforms in the industry, including systems that manage millions of instances and foundational tools that enterprises rely on every day." Sid Sijbrandij, GitLab’s co-founder and executive board chair, added, "Siva brings deep technical expertise and a track record of building platforms at scale. He’s built systems that developers actually want to use while meeting the demands of enterprise customers, and he’s done it at a billion-dollar scale."
Padisetty’s Vision for GitLab
Padisetty is excited about the opportunity to join GitLab and contribute to the company’s vision of intelligent orchestration for DevSecOps. He believes that the real opportunity with AI is not just faster code, but a smarter software development lifecycle. GitLab’s end-to-end platform makes this possible, and Padisetty is looking forward to being part of it. He said, "Throughout my career, I’ve focused on building systems that improve the developer experience while helping them maintain the security and reliability needed to ship software at scale. GitLab is uniquely positioned to help enterprises navigate this shift, and I’m excited to be part of it."
About GitLab
GitLab is the most comprehensive, intelligent DevSecOps platform for software innovation. The company enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. With over 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100 trusting the platform, GitLab is well-established as a leader in the industry. The company’s platform provides a single source of truth for software development, allowing teams to collaborate and work together more effectively. GitLab’s intelligent DevSecOps platform also provides real-time feedback and insights, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions and improve their software development lifecycle.
Conclusion
The appointment of Siva Padisetty as Chief Technology Officer at GitLab is a significant development for the company. With his experience and expertise in building and scaling distributed systems, Padisetty is well-equipped to lead GitLab’s software engineering, operations, and customer support teams. The company’s executives are excited about the opportunity to work with Padisetty, and he is looking forward to contributing to GitLab’s vision of intelligent orchestration for DevSecOps. As the company continues to grow and deliver on its vision, Padisetty’s experience and expertise will be invaluable in driving GitLab’s success.