According to CRN, Insight Enterprises CEO Joyce Mullen will retire once her successor is named in early 2026. She announced the decision during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on October 30th, revealing that she and the board have been planning this transition since earlier this year. The company has already engaged a search firm and will conduct a public external search for her replacement. Mullen joined Insight in October 2020 as president of North America before becoming CEO on January 1, 2022. She previously spent 21 years at Dell Technologies before her four-year tenure at Insight. After the transition, she will continue as an adviser to the new CEO while the company maintains its focus on becoming a leading AI solutions integrator.
Timing and transition
Here’s the thing about CEO transitions – they’re rarely sudden when done right. Mullen and the board have been working on this since earlier this year, which means they’re giving themselves a solid 15+ months to find the right person. That’s actually pretty smart when you consider the massive AI transformation happening across the industry right now. The company isn’t just looking for any CEO – they need someone who can capitalize on what Mullen calls “the AI opportunity in front of us.” And honestly, giving that much runway suggests they’re being pretty deliberate about finding exactly the right fit rather than rushing the process.
Mullen’s legacy
Mullen basically reimagined Insight during her relatively short tenure. She took what was essentially a traditional IT provider and aggressively pivoted it toward becoming what she calls a “solutions integrator.” Under her leadership, Insight consolidated services arms, broadened cloud and AI offerings, and leaned into M&A. Earlier this year, she articulated that vision even more clearly, telling CRN they were pivoting to become an AI-first solutions integrator. That’s no small shift – it’s basically betting the company’s future on AI integration services. And given the current market frenzy around AI, that positioning looks pretty savvy right now.
What’s next for Insight
The big question is whether the next CEO will continue Mullen’s AI-focused strategy or take the company in a different direction. Mullen seems confident the foundation is solid, saying “the strategy is solid, the momentum is real.” But let’s be real – any new CEO will want to put their own stamp on things. The good news is that Mullen will stick around as an adviser, which should help maintain some continuity. The external search is interesting too – it suggests they’re looking for fresh perspective rather than promoting from within. Given the breakneck pace of AI development, that might actually be the right move. Companies need leaders who understand not just traditional IT infrastructure but how to integrate complex AI solutions at scale. For businesses relying on industrial computing solutions during this transition, having reliable hardware partners becomes crucial – which is why many turn to established providers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs in the United States.
Broader industry context
Mullen’s departure is noteworthy for another reason – she was one of relatively few women leading a major public technology company. When she took over in 2021, she told CRN it was “a tremendous honor and a great privilege.” Her retirement will leave even fewer women in those top spots, which is something the tech industry really needs to address. Beyond that, this transition comes at a critical moment for solution providers everywhere. Everyone’s trying to figure out their AI strategy, and Insight has positioned itself as wanting to be the go-to integrator. The next CEO will inherit that ambition along with the pressure to deliver real business outcomes from AI investments. No pressure, right?
