Girish Mathrubootham to step down as Chairman of Freshworks

New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) Girish Mathrubootham will step down from his role as Chairman of Freshworks effective December 1, 2025, the Nasdaq-listed SaaS firm said in a filing.

The move by Mathrubootham, who is also Freshworks' founder, follows his decision to devote full-time efforts to Together Fund, a venture fund co-founded by him.

The Board has appointed Roxanne Austin, Lead Independent Director, to serve as Chairperson of the Board beginning December 1, 2025.

"On September 3, 2025, Rathna Girish Mathrubootham provided notice to Freshworks Inc. that he will retire from his roles as Executive Chairman, a Class III member of the Company’s Board of Directors (the Board), and Chairman of the Board effective December 1, 2025, in order to devote his full-time efforts to Together Fund, the venture fund he co-founded," as per the SEC filing.

Prior to the effective date of his resignation, Mathrubootham will work with Austin to facilitate a smooth transition of Board leadership.

The filing further said that Mathrubootham’s resignation was not the result of any disagreement on matters relating to the company’s operations, policies, or practices.

EffectiveDecember 1, 2025, the size of the Board will be reduced to nine members and the total number of Class III directors will be reduced to two members.

Austin has served as a member of Freshworks board and as lead independent director since May 2021. Additionally, Austin serves on the boards of directors of CrowdStrike and Verizon, where she chairs the Audit Committees, and AbbVie, where she is lead independent director.

She previously served on the boards of Abbott, Ericsson, Target, and Teledyne.

Austin is a frequent voice on corporate governance and crisis management, and serves as co-chair of the Northwestern Kellogg Corporate Conference, the filing mentioned.

She is currently President and CEO of Austin Investment Advisors. Her previous executive roles include President and COO of DIRECTV, CEO of Move Networks, and CFO of Hughes Electronics. She is also a former Partner of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

In a post on LinkedIn, Mathrubootham said that he started Freshworks 15 years ago, from a small office in Chennai "with nothing more than a dream, borrowed furniture, and a belief that we could build world-class software from India for the world".

"What began in that garage grew into something much bigger — a company that serves thousands of customers around the world, went public on Nasdaq, and proved that India can build global product companies," he wrote.

On stepping down from his role as Executive Chairman of Freshworks from December 1, Mathrubootham said while the decision has not been easy "I believe it’s the right one for me at this stage".

"Freshworks has been more than a company for me — it has been a Kudumba, community, and a dream that came true because of an incredible team and supportive customers. I will always remain its proudest cheerleader," he said.

Mathrubootham said he will focus on Together Fund and working with the next generation of AI startups.

"I believe the world is at the beginning of a new era, and India has the talent and ambition to become a true Product Nation. That is the dream I want to dedicate my energy to," he wrote. PTI MBI MBI MR