Vertex, a Pennsylvania-based tax technology firm, announced CEO David DeStefano’s retirement and named former Microsoft executive Christopher Young as his successor.
DeStefano joined Vertex in 1999 as CFO and became CEO in 2016, leading the company through its initial public offering (IPO) in 2020, the expansion of its cloud-native solutions, and several strategic acquisitions, including AI tax capabilities from Texas-based Ryan in 2024, and a 10% stake in SME compliance technology vendor Kintsugi for USD 15 million in May 2025.
DeStefano will step into a non-executive chair role, and newly appointed CEO Young will also sit on the nine-member board of directors at Vertex, bringing over three decades of technology leadership experience to the position.
Christopher Young was executive vice president of business development at Microsoft until March 2025, where he oversaw the business development, venture investing, and corporate strategy groups, apart from being responsible for the investment strategy for Microsoft, including investments in AI and other emerging technologies.
Young has also been CEO of cybersecurity company McAfee, where he oversaw the spin-off from Intel in 2017, as well as senior vice president at Cisco and vice president of safety and security premium services at AOL. His board experience includes previous roles at Rapid7 and Snap, in addition to his current role on American Express’ board.
Meet Christopher Young
Christopher Young was born in the United States. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Boston College. He continued his education at Harvard Business School, earning an MBA degree. This degree equipped him with the strategic and leadership skills needed for his future roles in the healthcare sector.
Before joining Vertex, Christopher Young worked in various leadership positions across consulting and the pharmaceutical industry. He worked as an advisor at McKinsey & Company. He used to advise healthcare clients on strategic and management issues. This experience formed the groundwork for his transition to the biotechnology industry. In the biotechnology industry, he honed his expertise in corporate development and commercialisation.
Christopher Young joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 2017. He joined as a Chief Business Officer, overseeing the company’s global commercial strategy and operations. His role played a major role in the company’s continued success. This helped the company advance treatments for cystic fibrosis. He guided Vertex not only on cystic fibrosis but also in expanding the company’s pipeline to include genetic medicines and gene-editing technologies.
The company strengthened its position as a leader in biotechnology under Young’s leadership. He also made sure that the company was in strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics. Vertex worked on gene-editing technologies, further broadening the company’s capabilities in treating genetic diseases. His vision continues to develop groundbreaking therapies that transform the lives of patients worldwide.
Image Credits: Vertex