DeepL Bolsters Executive Team with Former Salesforce and ServiceNow Leaders as New COO and CRO to Drive Global Growth
COLOGNE, Germany, Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DeepL, a global AI product and research company, today announced the appointment of Gavin Mee as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Detlef Krause as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). These strategic additions to DeepL's executive team mark a significant step forward in the company's mission to redefine AI enterprise solutions and accelerate its global growth trajectory.
"With Gavin and Detlef joining our leadership team, we're starting 2026 with the strongest possible bench to grow adoption of DeepL's AI solutions for enterprise," said Jarek Kutylowski, CEO and Founder of DeepL. "Their expertise will be critical as we scale our operations, innovate for our customers, and solidify our position as a global leader in AI products and research."
Detlef Krause Joins as Chief Revenue Officer
Detlef Krause, a seasoned enterprise sales leader with over 25 years of experience, has held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP, and ServiceNow, where he successfully rebuilt and scaled global organizations. Recognised for delivering strong, scalable growth across global markets, Detlef advanced ServiceNow's presence in Germany, EMEA, and APAC. He grew the German organization from 150 to over 500 people and doubled the EMEA Central team, reinforcing his standing as a high-impact leader.
Detlef's decision to join DeepL was no coincidence. "From my first conversations with the DeepL team, two things were unmistakable: joining one of the most innovative European AI companies and a team unlike any I've ever met. This feels like the beginning of something truly exciting for me," said Detlef.
As CRO, Detlef is taking over the role from David Parry-Jones, who is retiring after an illustrious career in the tech industry. Jarek added "David has set a high bar with his leadership and contributions to DeepL's success. His dedication and expertise have been instrumental in helping us grow into a global leader in AI-powered communication. We are deeply thankful for his impact and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement. I am confident that Detlef will build on this strong foundation and continue to drive our growth in the years ahead."
Detlef's primary objective as CRO is to elevate DeepL's position as the market leader in AI solutions for the enterprise. "DeepL is already renowned for its world-class Language AI and is now emerging as a pioneer in agentic AI. My ambition is to bring our AI to every enterprise worldwide - scaling agentic workflows and embedding DeepL at the heart of global business operations," he added.
Gavin Mee Appointed as Chief Operating Officer
Gavin Mee joins DeepL as COO with an impressive background in scaling global go-to-market (GTM) organizations. Over the course of his career, Gavin has held senior leadership positions at prominent technology companies including Salesforce, Oracle, Adobe, UiPath, and Palo Alto Networks.
At DeepL, Gavin's role as COO will focus on driving operational excellence, ensuring alignment across teams, and unlocking the full potential of the organization. His mandate includes evolving DeepL's go-to-market strategy, fostering collaboration across engineering, research, and GTM teams.
"I'm thrilled to join DeepL at such an exciting time," said Gavin. "This company has an incredible product, a passionate team, and a bold vision for the future. My goal is to evolve our operations and ways of working, ensuring we're not only delivering for our customers but also maximizing value for our investors and partners. Together, we'll build a world-class organization that continues to lead in AI-powered communication. DeepL is at the forefront of innovation, and I'm eager to help the company scale its impact globally."
Driving the Future of AI-Powered Communication
These appointments follow DeepL's strongest year yet in 2025, marked by major product expansions, including the launch of its groundbreaking AI Agent, the introduction of the Customization Hub, and other key senior leadership appointments. As DeepL continues to build on this momentum, 2026 will be the year the company scales its AI solutions across Europe and beyond, delivering transformative innovations that redefine how businesses and individuals communicate and work thanks to AI.
About DeepL
DeepL is a global AI product and research company focused on building secure, intelligent solutions to complex business problems. Over 200,000 business customers and millions of individuals across 228 global markets today trust DeepL's Language AI platform for human-like translation, improved writing and real-time voice translation. Building on a history of innovation, quality and security, DeepL continues to expand its offerings beyond the field of Language, including DeepL Agent - an autonomous AI assistant designed to transform the way businesses and knowledge workers get work done. Founded in 2017 by CEO Jarek Kutylowski, DeepL now has over 1,000 passionate employees and is supported by world-renowned investors including Benchmark, IVP, and Index Ventures. For more information on DeepL, visit www.deepl.com.
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