SAS names Matt Parson as Chief Financial Officer

Seasoned finance and operations leader joins to drive growth, scale and market readiness

SAS, a global leader in data and AI, has appointed Matt Parson as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Parson succeeds long-time CFO David Davis, who is retiring after nearly 40 years of dedicated service and leadership at SAS.

As CFO, Parson will lead SAS’ global financial strategy, including forecasting, planning, capital management and investor engagement. He will also help shape operational priorities that support scalable growth, market expansion and long-term value creation.

“Matt joins us at a pivotal time,” said SAS CEO Jim Goodnight. “From auditing at Big Four firms to steering the finances of global tech companies, Matt brings a blend of technical expertise, strategic insight, and leadership acumen that will benefit SAS as we continue evolving our operations and growth strategy for the future.”

Over the past two decades, Parson has helped transform several high-growth technology companies. He spent 12 years at Red Hat, where he played a key role in its international expansion as the company scaled from $200 million to nearly $3 billion in annual revenue. He has since served as CFO at CloudBees and Paymentus—guiding the latter through a successful IPO—and most recently held dual roles as CFO and COO at ExtraHop, helping lead financial and operational strategy through a period of rapid growth. He earned both his undergraduate degree and a master’s in accounting from NC State University’s Poole College of Management.

“I’m honored to join SAS as it builds momentum for the future,” said Parson. “The company’s reputation for innovation and customer impact is well-earned, and I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to build on that momentum and support the next phase of growth.”