Magnolia names Dave Wilby as CEO to lead next phase of global growth and AI innovation

BASEL, SWITZERLAND, NEW YORK, AND SINGAPORE – February 18, 2026 – Magnolia, a leading global Digital Experience Platform (DXP) provider, today announced the appointment of Dave Wilby as Chief Executive Officer. Wilby joins at a defining moment as Magnolia advances its mission to help our customers harness the power of AI within a safe, secure, and trusted environment.

As organizations seek to unlock new growth through intelligent digital experiences, Magnolia is uniquely positioned to combine modular architecture with practical, responsible AI. Wilby’s leadership marks a strategic evolution for Magnolia. His focus will be on scaling the company’s global footprint while delivering AI tools designed to reduce operational overhead for marketing and development teams.

"Dave understands that great technology is invisible, defined only by meaningful results." said Luc Haldimann, Chairman of the Board. "He brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and commercial leadership. As we scale internationally, Dave’s experience in growing SaaS and technology businesses will help our customers turn AI into tangible business value – securely and responsibly."

Following a structured transition, former Co-CEO Alain Kugelmann steps back into the role of CFO, while Samuel Staehelin takes on a dual role of Chief Services Officer and Chief Product Officer (CPO). By bringing Product and Services under a single leadership structure, Magnolia creates a seamless value chain that ensures innovation is always rooted in the real-world needs of customer delivery.

With over 25 years of leadership in engineering and product, Wilby has a proven track record of bridging the gap between sophisticated technology and business impact. Under Wilby’s leadership, Magnolia will focus on a multi-pillar strategy: