LaunchDarkly, a leader in feature management, has announced the return of Co-founder Edith Harbaugh as Chief Executive Officer. Harbaugh, a pivotal figure in crafting the feature management category in 2014, previously steered the company until 2022 before transitioning to the role of executive board chair.
Harbaugh said, “I’m thrilled to return as CEO and reignite our mission at a moment when generative AI is reshaping every codebase. In an engineering environment moving at breakneck speed and constant change, LaunchDarkly is the guardrail that enables teams to innovate safely, reliably, and repeatably."
Over a decade, LaunchDarkly has expanded from pioneering feature flags to offering a comprehensive software release platform. Today, it provides AI-driven configuration management, large-scale experimentation, and in-depth release observability. These features empower enterprises to achieve faster releases without losing control or reliability.
LaunchDarkly board member Josh Stein commented on Harbaugh's influence, noting her enduring connection with the developer community. With the advent of AI-driven transformations in software, Harbaugh's return is seen as a significant step for the company's next growth phase, particularly in feature management and experimentation.
Harbaugh's impressive career includes leadership roles at TripIt and Concur, and holds two U.S. patents in software development. Beyond this, she is a respected speaker at global developer conferences and holds a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College.
Additionally, Marcus Holm has been promoted to President from his previous role as Chief Revenue Officer. His new role aims to unify the company’s sales, marketing, and customer success teams under a cohesive vision, directly supporting Harbaugh's leadership goals.
Today, LaunchDarkly collaborates with over 5,500 organisations worldwide, including 25% of Fortune 500 companies. The company evaluates more than 45 trillion flags daily and has earned accolades such as the Forbes Cloud 100 recognition five times and a ranking among the top 1,500 fastest-growing American private companies on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list.
