LGBT advocate Scott McCorkle to leave Salesforce
Scott McCorkle, an executive known for innovative leadership and outspoken advocacy for LGBT rights, is leaving Salesforce.
The Salesforce Marketing Cloud CEO will step down Aug. 1 and take time off before deciding what to do next, McCorkle said in an email.
"It's been amazing 11 years with ExactTarget and Salesforce," McCorkle wrote. "Salesforce is an incredible company and I am proud to have been part of the company's growth and success."
Bob Stutz, the company's chief analytics officer, will succeed McCorkle, he said. McCorkle called Stutz a "proven leader with more than 20 years of enterprise software experience" at Microsoft Corp., HP Inc. and other technology companies.
Salesforce.com Inc. issued a statement thanking McCorkle for his time with the company.
"We appreciate Scott’s contributions to the success of Salesforce and wish him the best in his future endeavors," the statement said. "Indianapolis continues to be an important headquarters location for Salesforce, and we plan to continue to grow and invest in the region."
The transition comes amid a massive expansion for Salesforce in Indianapolis. The San Francisco-based company plans to move into 250,000 square feet at Chase Tower and rename it Salesforce Tower next year. Salesforce also expects to invest $40 million over 10 years and hire more than 800 people Downtown by 2021.
McCorkle's departure ends more than a decade with the company. McCorkle joined ExactTarget in August 2005 as president of technology and strategy. He succeeded ExactTarget co-founder Scott Dorsey as CEO in June 2014. The company was renamed Salesforce Marketing Cloud after Salesforce's $2.5 billion acquisition of ExactTarget.
Dorsey in an email praised McCorkle's work for ExactTarget and Salesforce.
"Scott and I worked together for nine years and built an amazing partnership," Dorsey said. "His contributions to ExactTarget’s success simply can’t be overstated. Scott played an active role in every company milestone — from company meetings to every Connections conference to our IPO road show and ultimate integration with Salesforce."
Dorsey said McCorkle "led Salesforce’s decision to double down on Indianapolis."
McCorkle announced Salesforce's Indianapolis expansion in May along with Gov. Mike Pence. In addition to touting his company's growth, McCorkle used the expansion as an opportunity to call for a statewide anti-discrimination law with the Republican governor by his side.
For McCorkle, it was just the latest push for expanded lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.
Salesforce last year threatened to disinvest in Indiana because of the 2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. McCorkle at the time said Salesforce chose to publicly criticize RFRA after a 100-member gay employee group, called Outforce, expressed fears that the law would cause discrimination.
The RFRA debate pushed Salesforce — and McCorkle — to the forefront of the RFRA debate. Salesforce was among nine companies with Indianapolis-area operations whose CEOs called on the governor to make changes. The General Assembly and Pence eventually amended the law to prevent it from overriding local ordinances, such as the one in Indianapolis, that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Former Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle, another critic of RFRA, called McCorkle's stance "absolutely critical" in forcing lawmakers to backpedal.
"I don't think there would've been a change in the law without Salesforce's vocal position, but also Scott's direct involvement," Oesterle said. "He was over lobbying in the legislature personally."
McCorkle in May said the fix made him feel comfortable with expanding in Indianapolis.
Oesterle expects McCorkle, an Indiana native, to remain active in the state regardless of what he decides to pursue. McCorkle recently turned 50.
"If he were to be lured away to something else, it would be a huge void, but I'm very hopeful he'll stay involved in the Indiana entrepreneurial community," Oesterle said.
Dorsey called McCorkle a "true Indiana success story."
"Our tech community is incredibly grateful for Scott’s leadership and courage," Dorsey said.
Call IndyStar reporter James Briggs at (317) 444-6307. Follow him on Twitter: @JamesEBriggs.
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