Leadership Change At SADA As CEO Tony Safoian Retires

'I will continue to cheer you on and be here for you always!' Tony Safoian wrote on LinkedIn.

SADA CEO Tony Safoian–whose family founded the solution provider in 2000–announced his upcoming retirement from the company Tuesday, with Chief Operating Officer Dana Berg set to take the top spot.

Safoian’s last day with Los Angeles-based SADA–No. 108 on CRN’s 2023 Solution Provider 500 and a member of CRN’s 2024 MSP 500–is Oct. 17, he said in an emotional LinkedIn post.

“It is with some sadness, some angst, but ultimately maximum pride that today I'm announcing my” retirement, said Safoian, 46. “Some of my sadness comes from deciding to walk away from the only thing I’ve ever known professionally: leading this amazing company. More of it comes from knowing I’ll no longer be working with the incredible people at this company, our customers and our partners ― my daily purpose which I’ve grown to love dearly.”

[RELATED: Insight’s $410M Acquisition Of SADA: 5 Things You Need To Know]

Safoian CEO Change

CRN has reached out to Safoian, SADA and SADA parent company Insight for comment.

SADA is perhaps best known for its close relationship with cloud giant Google, winning multiple partner of the year awards including ones in 2024 for global sales and location-based services.

Safoian’s LinkedIn post continued: “The angst comes from having to define my own identity and purpose outside of SADA. For so many years, SADA has been me, and I have been SADA; indistinguishable in many ways. The pride comes from knowing that what we have built at SADA is one of a kind ― the best in the world at its tradecraft and full of incredible leaders and talented contributors at every level, delivering purposeful impact across our global customers.”

Safoian also thanked SADA parent Insight and “all my SADAians for your commitment to our purpose, our core values, our customers and each other. I leave with confidence knowing you’re all much, much better than me at precisely the skills and talents needed to take the mission further. I will continue to cheer you on and be here for you always!”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the post had received more than 400 reactions and more than 90 comments, including comments from SADA employees and executives from Confluent and Google.

In December, SADA sold to Insight–No. 17 on CRN’s 2024 Solution Provider 500–for $410 million.

As for Safoian’s next role, he said he will “spend the coming days, weeks, and months doing nothing except focusing on being a present husband, father, and son. After working non-stop for almost 24 years, I’m so fortunate to be able to prioritize my personal life and put my professional life on hold.”

Safoian also paid tribute to his mother and father on LinkedIn, posting a photo of the three. “They came here, and created a dynasty,” he wrote.

Safoian’s father, Hovig, retired on April 30 as chairman of the company he founded with his wife in 2000. Safoian’s mother, Annie, is staying on with SADA until the end of the fiscal year Dec. 31 until she retires as treasurer.

“Twenty four years ago, I was part of starting a company not knowing what would happen,” Hovig Safoian wrote on LinkedIn. “Now, the time has come for me to begin the next big chapter in my life's journey. Reflecting on the countless moments shared, I remember the good and the difficult times: hard work, collaboration, laughter, traveling, celebrating, failing and succeeding together.

He continued: “To all SADAians including Alumni, your unwavering support, dedication, and camaraderie have not only been the driving force behind our success but have also enriched my life in countless ways over the last 2 decades.”

Tony Safoian helped lead the company from four employees in a garage to 800-plus employees worldwide, his father wrote.

The Safoians came to the U.S. in 1987 from Armenia, then part of the Soviet Union, according to SADA. Hovig and Annie had only seen mainframe computers in pictures before the move. Hovig had graduated in applied mathematics from Yerevan University.

In the U.S., Annie used the family computer to make business cards, brochures and websites, and the family started their business once customers inquired about custom applications, according to SADA.