Aaron Skonnard
Aaron Skonnard is CEO of Pluralsight, a technology learning platform that
empowers developers and CIOs to close critical skills gaps and innovate faster
than ever before. Aaron cofounded Pluralsight in 2004 and has since grown the
company to 1,000+ employees and 1,500 expert authors.
Aaron’s passion for technology began when his father bought him an Apple
Macintosh and one of the first Compaq PCs. His father taught him about the
impact and possibilities of technology from an early age, which is why
Pluralsight’s mission—to democratize technology skills—is so close to him.
Through his leadership, the company has flourished and made its public market
debut on May 17, 2018 (NASDAQ: PS). Pluralsight acquired eight companies in
the last several years to widen the scope of its library and add new features to
the platform to provide a seamless, robust experience. Aaron also led Pluralsight
through two rounds of funding, including a $135 million Series B round in August
2014.
He believes the key to a healthy business is establishing a strong culture and
hiring people who believe in its core values. In 2017, Pluralsight landed on the
Forbes Cloud 100 List, Entrepreneur 360 Top Company list, and Great Places to
Work® Best Workplaces List, among others.
As CEO, Aaron focuses on business strategy, future direction, product
development and strategic partnerships. On a day-to-day basis, he works closely
with the entire executive team in different capacities, including recruiting, brand
management, marketing, sales, feature planning, and content acquisition.
Prior to founding Pluralsight, Aaron earned his degree in computer science at
Brigham Young University. After college, he worked at 3M, Intel and Axiom
Technologies, and also as a professional instructor at DevelopMentor, where he
became passionate about teaching technology.
Aaron is a thought-leader in the industry, speaking at events around the world.
He is a founding board member of Silicon Slopes. The nonprofit empowers
Utah’s startup and tech community to learn, connect, and serve in an effort to
make entrepreneurship and opportunity in Silicon Slopes open and accessible to
all. As a result of his efforts in the business world and community, Aaron was inducted into the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame in 2017. Other
accolades include the 2015 Utah CEO of the Year from StartSLC and MountainWest Capital’s 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year.
Believing that technology has the power to create freedom, equality and opportunity around the globe, Aaron launched Pluralsight One in 2017.
Pluralsight One is the company’s commitment to serving a larger purpose by equipping nonprofits with the technology skills they need to drive significant,
lasting social impact and in turn equipping those they support with access to high-quality learning resources and the technology skills to chart their own futures and strengthen their communities.
