Matt Kunkel is CEO of LogicGate, a leading AI-powered enterprise GRC platform.
In July, I officially transitioned out of the CEO role at LogicGate and into an executive chairman position. This was a big personal change for me. I started LogicGate in 2015 with my two cofounders, Jon Siegler and Dan Campbell, both of whom are still with the company and making a huge impact.
From the outside, it could have signaled an issue or been taken out of context. Inside the company, it was just the natural conclusion of nearly two years of preparation. No confusion. No disruption. Just a formal handoff from one executive to another, confident the company would keep growing.
This was not an accident. When I decided to transition out as CEO, I promised myself, my cofounders and the company board that I wouldn’t step into the executive chairman role until the process was seamless. That deliberate approach let us navigate the transition from a position of strength: finding the right candidate, gradually handing off responsibilities and building a long-term plan.
It wasn’t always easy. But it was the right decision—for both the company and me. It also gave me valuable insight into navigating a CEO transition.
Starting The Transition Process
First, it’s important to be transparent about what led to this change. I realized a little over two years ago that the business was reaching a critical juncture, and we needed to make big decisions about the future. We had strong financials, an outstanding reputation and a vibrant company culture. Many businesses in our position would have courted buyers or explored mergers. Instead, we recognized the market opportunity in the governance, risk and compliance (GRC) space was too great to leave value on the table. We wanted to take LogicGate to the next level.
Building a business isn’t a short-term proposition. When you’re the CEO, you need to look in the mirror and ask: Am I the person to lead our next phase of growth as we take the company to the next level? I’ve loved my time as CEO, and—believe me—I recognize how hard it can be to step away from something you’ve built. Frankly, it’s important to know where your strengths lie and understand how you can leverage them more effectively. Personally, I love working with customers. I love focusing on long-term strategies. I love working with our capital partners. Eventually, I realized I could do more of those things if we hired a new CEO with experience scaling businesses and managing operations.
Leading A Transparent Search Process
It’s not common for a CEO to step down while remaining actively involved, so my advice is to be as up front as possible during the search process. In our situation, we were not looking for someone to take over immediately but to come in, learn the business and transition over time. Being transparent about the transition period was the right thing to do, and it helped narrow our search and identify candidates who fit our company culture. We wanted someone who had experience running a business at scale, who shared our people-first values and (most importantly) had a lack of ego—i.e., someone who doesn’t always need to be the one taking the game-winning shot.
I also had my own litmus test. For each potential candidate, I asked myself: “In another life, would I be excited to work for this person?” When I first met Diego Panama—now LogicGate’s CEO—I immediately recognized a leader I would be excited to partner with every day. We set an exceptionally high bar for this role, and while the search took nearly a year, finding the right leader was worth every single day. If maintaining a strong company culture is important to you, you can’t shortchange the hiring process.
Internal Alignment And A Clean Handoff
Taking the time to find the right person makes everything that follows much easier. That’s especially true if you want to remain involved. During the transition period, Diego and I talked daily, and where each of our roles would land was never in question. Today, Diego owns day-to-day operations, people and the calls that used to land on my desk. I focus on growth and capital. Of course, we give one another advice and have been known to play devil’s advocate now and then, but every successful executive knows the value of a good sparring partner. Ultimately, LogicGate is Diego’s company to run. If you are transparent during the hiring process and clear about the transition process, it will help establish clear boundaries you can both respect.
For us, that alignment was a major strength. Behind the scenes, Diego was effectively running the show for a number of months, long before the “official” transition date. We had a clear timeline in place and regular check-ins with the board, with a plan to gradually inform employees, partners, and customers and ensure the formal announcement took no one by surprise. It wasn’t like we flipped a switch on July 1, 2026. There was no confusion, and no one worried about the company’s future. In fact, most of our customers and employees would be hard-pressed to tell you that anything was different—that’s how you know you’ve done a good job.
Life After The C-Suite
CEOs, rejoice. There is life after the CEO role, and you don’t have to walk away from everything you’ve built. In fact, transitioning leadership from a position of strength gives you the freedom to consider what’s best for the business and take the time you need to find the ideal candidate for the job. Better still, it lets you understand your strengths and build a complementary role that generates additional value for the organization. By prioritizing transparency, communication and long-term planning, your business can emerge from a leadership transition stronger than ever. Step back. Don’t step away. That’s the job.
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