Alan Trefler
Alan Trefler is the Founder and CEO of Pegasystems, the enterprise transformation company. He is a visionary leader, technology change-agent, innovative philanthropist, and a trusted advisor to senior executives around the world.
A chess master turned tech pioneer, Alan has led Pega over four decades to become a global powerhouse, revolutionizing how the world’s leading organizations harness AI to drive unprecedented business outcomes. His experience beating the odds to tie for first place in the 1975 World Open Chess Championship and working in his family-owned business, shaped his unique approach to strategy development and leadership.
Alan’s expertise in chess combined with his engineering background facilitated early AI work at Dartmouth College, where he began developing computer systems capable of playing the complex game. This work and experience as a lead software developer in the early 1980s keenly observing client frustrations with technology, laid the foundation for his vision to transform the development of enterprise software. At 27, inspired to apply his experience to bridge the gap between tech and business needs, Alan decided to forgo an opportunity to attend Stanford Business School and founded Pega.
Throughout its history, Alan has ensured Pega stays true to his founding vision, leveraging its unique architecture and the newest technology developments to deliver value for clients and partners. Under his leadership, Pega has emerged as a vanguard in the AI revolution, pioneering innovations in generative AI, intelligent automation, and AI-powered decisioning. His strategic vision has resulted in multiple patents and breakthrough technologies that enable global enterprises to achieve radical agility in an era of unprecedented change.
Today, under Alan’s leadership, Pega stands at the forefront of the enterprise AI revolution. The company's innovations in generative AI and intelligent automation are enabling many of the world’s largest companies and government agencies to achieve what was previously impossible – from real-time personalization at global scale to autonomous operations that continuously optimize themselves. This vision has propelled Pega's evolution to its place as a trusted partner for organizations undertaking mission-critical digital transformation initiatives.
Alan has earned multiple patents and has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades for his lifetime of effort both inside and outside of work, including Public Company CEO of the Year by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, Software CEO of the Year by the American Business Awards, and the Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. His book, “Build for Change,” is a best-seller.
Together with his wife Pam, Alan extends his vision for transformation beyond business through the Trefler Foundation. Established in 1999, the foundation works to create lasting positive change through initiatives in education, workforce development, and community health, especially in communities that experience significant disadvantages.