Mike Burkland — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Chairman Emeritus at Five9
Served as CEO of Five9 for nearly 10 years, leading the company through its IPO in 2014
Received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Northern California in 2017
Holds MBA and BA degrees from the University of California at Berkeley
Serves as a Board Member for Reliaquest, Onestream Software, and Vocera Communications

Biography

Mike Burkland is the Chairman Emeritus at Five9, a position he transitioned to in February 2026, having previously held the role of CEO. He initially joined Five9 as CEO in January 2008, a role he held for nearly 10 years before transitioning to Chairman in December 2017 due to a cancer diagnosis. He returned as CEO in November 2022.

Under Burkland's leadership, Five9 established its vision and strategy, becoming a leading provider of cloud contact center software for the enterprise market.