Bengaluru: New Relic, the Intelligent Observability company, has announced the appointment of Michael Frendo as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In his new role, Frendo will be responsible for aligning product vision with technical execution to deliver enhanced value to the company’s base of more than 85,000 customers globally.
Frendo brings over 25 years of experience as both a technical and business leader, having led global teams across software and hardware development with expertise spanning SaaS, cloud and embedded systems. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to several industry innovations, including delivering the world’s first DOCSIS cable modem, pioneering early VoIP products at Cisco, and developing a mobile firewall for Juniper Networks that captured a 42% market share. Prior to joining New Relic, Frendo served as CTO, Engineering at Proofpoint, where he helped advance the company’s product architecture and AI-led development initiatives. Earlier in his career, he also led global teams at multinational companies including Polycom.
“Michael is a seasoned technology visionary who has spent his career at the forefront of every major technological shift, from the early days of VoIP to the AI era of today,” said New Relic Chief Executive Officer Ashan Willy. “As we pioneer the next phase of intelligent observability, his track record as a disruptor makes him the ideal leader to bridge our product vision with world-class technical execution. I am thrilled to have Michael working alongside our team to help our customers scale their AI initiatives with confidence.”
In his new role, Frendo will report to Willy and work closely with Chief Product Officer Brian Emerson to drive the next phase of innovation for New Relic’s Intelligent Observability Platform. This includes supporting the global rollout of new platform capabilities announced at the company’s New Relic Advance event, aimed at helping organisations scale AI initiatives with greater operational stability.
“New Relic is the architect of modern observability, but what drew me here is the company’s bold vision for the AI era,” said New Relic Chief Technology Officer Michael Frendo. “I am thrilled to be part of Ashan and Brian’s world-class engineering leadership team, together delivering the AI-strengthened platform capabilities that will help our customers move from reactive firefighting to true innovation at scale.”
