Avalara appointed Hugo Sarrazin as Chief Executive Officer on May 28, 2026, with co-founder Scott McFarlane moving to an advisor role and Sarrazin also joining the board. Sarrazin arrives from Udemy, where, as CEO, the company scaled and was sold to Coursera. Before that came a run as President and Chief Product and Technology Officer at UKG, plus 26 years at McKinsey that included co-founding McKinsey Digital Labs.
McFarlane built Avalara from a 2004 startup into a category leader, with a 2018 IPO, more than $1.3 billion in annual revenue, over 1,400 integrations, and more than a million business customers.
It feels like the end of an era. When Darcy worked at Avalara from 2012-2014, Scott was a regular fixture around the halls of Bainbridge Island HQ. At conferences, you’d find him not just hosting the best parties, but being present and mingling with customers, partners, and employees alike. For the Avalaraians, he was friendly and down-to-earth, and you really felt like his door was always open for you. He’ll be missed!
Source: Avalara
