A
Alexander Fries
Guest
From Kemp to Progress: A Conversation with Deirdre Sarsfield on Her Career Journey
When Progress Software acquired Kemp Technologies, they didn’t just gain innovative technology, they brought in exceptional people. One of them is Deirdre Sarsfield, now VP of Demand Generation & Field Marketing at Progress, whose journey from being an employee at Kemp in its early days to a global marketing leader at Progress offers a rich lens into how effective integration and shared culture can unlock incredible value.
We sat down with Deirdre to reflect on her career journey, what made Kemp special and her impact on Progress.
At the time of acquisition, I was the General Manager for Kemp Ireland while serving simultaneously as the VP of Marketing. I was Kemp’s fifth employee in Ireland and one of its first international hires. I helped bring LoadMaster to international markets and eventually led public relations, demand generation and brand strategy as part of Kemp’s leadership team. I was also deeply involved in Kemp’s acquisition of Flowmon and its sale to Progress.
When I first came to Progress, I focused on ensuring a smooth transition, helping both people and systems integrate. After the first six months, I took on an expanded role in marketing where I gained responsibility for an extensive set of Progress products, in addition to Kemp’s. I built out the global demand generation function, going from being Director to VP within my first year.
Progress truly values learning from the companies it acquires. Even with a company like Kemp with fewer than 300 people, Progress adopted best practices; for example, how Kemp used influencers and had more streamlined digital marketing operations. One of the biggest reasons Kemp chose Progress as a buyer was the cultural fit: respect for employees, customers and a genuinely collaborative environment.
There are many leaders whom I’ve learned from. Coming from a smaller company where I knew everyone, I had to develop new skills around navigating broader and less personal networks. On the technical side, I’ve learned so much from John Ainsworth and Ed Keisling. From Yogesh Gupta and Dinara Doyle, I’ve gained a deep understanding of how to run a company at scale and make tough decisions using data and market insights. Jennifer Ortiz has helped me mature as a senior leader in her team and has been inspirational in how she pushes a team into unknown territories with positive intent and momentum.
Solving problems. Every day in marketing brings a new challenge—whether it’s creative, data-related or driven by market changes like AI. I also love seeing product evolution, especially when PMs and engineers deliver features that solve real customer problems. Telling those stories is incredibly rewarding.
Leading a large team. You can’t make everyone happy all the time and balancing workloads while keeping everyone motivated is tough. Ensuring every team member feels seen and valued is a constant and important challenge.
The AI journey. I love that I get to be part of that change—not just in the products, but also in how we work. We’re moving faster, being more creative and communicating better with customers. Since Progress keeps adding new products through our M&A strategy, I’m always learning something new.
The integration team. It was all so well organized—we had a dedicated SharePoint site, a detailed plan and a team that led the process with clarity. I never felt lost.
Centralizing the demand generation team. Previously, it was fragmented across groups. Now, under Jennifer Ortiz in corporate marketing, we’ve unified it and built a high-performing team. It’s much larger than the team I led at Kemp, I’m very proud of what we’ve built and excited for what we will do in the future.
Treat it like joining a new company—new people, new processes, etc. Be open, collaborative and patient. The first six months are all about learning who to go to and how things work. No one buys a company to watch it fail. So, trust the process.
I’ve had diverse roles across companies, industries and countries—all of which help me understand why customers buy the tech they do.
I have a degree in computer programming!
I am a mother of two wonderful children. I’m also a wife and a sibling of nine. So, family life keeps me busy and balanced. I enjoy playing basketball and gardening and I love going to concerts and music festivals!
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When Progress Software acquired Kemp Technologies, they didn’t just gain innovative technology, they brought in exceptional people. One of them is Deirdre Sarsfield, now VP of Demand Generation & Field Marketing at Progress, whose journey from being an employee at Kemp in its early days to a global marketing leader at Progress offers a rich lens into how effective integration and shared culture can unlock incredible value.
We sat down with Deirdre to reflect on her career journey, what made Kemp special and her impact on Progress.
What were your role and responsibilities at Kemp?
At the time of acquisition, I was the General Manager for Kemp Ireland while serving simultaneously as the VP of Marketing. I was Kemp’s fifth employee in Ireland and one of its first international hires. I helped bring LoadMaster to international markets and eventually led public relations, demand generation and brand strategy as part of Kemp’s leadership team. I was also deeply involved in Kemp’s acquisition of Flowmon and its sale to Progress.
How has your role expanded now that you are with Progress?
When I first came to Progress, I focused on ensuring a smooth transition, helping both people and systems integrate. After the first six months, I took on an expanded role in marketing where I gained responsibility for an extensive set of Progress products, in addition to Kemp’s. I built out the global demand generation function, going from being Director to VP within my first year.
What aspect of Kemp do you think Progress has maintained through the integration?
Progress truly values learning from the companies it acquires. Even with a company like Kemp with fewer than 300 people, Progress adopted best practices; for example, how Kemp used influencers and had more streamlined digital marketing operations. One of the biggest reasons Kemp chose Progress as a buyer was the cultural fit: respect for employees, customers and a genuinely collaborative environment.
Who have you learned the most from since joining Progress?
There are many leaders whom I’ve learned from. Coming from a smaller company where I knew everyone, I had to develop new skills around navigating broader and less personal networks. On the technical side, I’ve learned so much from John Ainsworth and Ed Keisling. From Yogesh Gupta and Dinara Doyle, I’ve gained a deep understanding of how to run a company at scale and make tough decisions using data and market insights. Jennifer Ortiz has helped me mature as a senior leader in her team and has been inspirational in how she pushes a team into unknown territories with positive intent and momentum.
What part of your job energizes you the most?
Solving problems. Every day in marketing brings a new challenge—whether it’s creative, data-related or driven by market changes like AI. I also love seeing product evolution, especially when PMs and engineers deliver features that solve real customer problems. Telling those stories is incredibly rewarding.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
Leading a large team. You can’t make everyone happy all the time and balancing workloads while keeping everyone motivated is tough. Ensuring every team member feels seen and valued is a constant and important challenge.
What aspect of Progress excites you the most?
The AI journey. I love that I get to be part of that change—not just in the products, but also in how we work. We’re moving faster, being more creative and communicating better with customers. Since Progress keeps adding new products through our M&A strategy, I’m always learning something new.
What aspect of the integration process surprised you?
The integration team. It was all so well organized—we had a dedicated SharePoint site, a detailed plan and a team that led the process with clarity. I never felt lost.
What are you most proud of since joining Progress?
Centralizing the demand generation team. Previously, it was fragmented across groups. Now, under Jennifer Ortiz in corporate marketing, we’ve unified it and built a high-performing team. It’s much larger than the team I led at Kemp, I’m very proud of what we’ve built and excited for what we will do in the future.
What advice do you have for others going through an acquisition?
Treat it like joining a new company—new people, new processes, etc. Be open, collaborative and patient. The first six months are all about learning who to go to and how things work. No one buys a company to watch it fail. So, trust the process.
If you had to describe your career journey in one sentence, what would it be?
I’ve had diverse roles across companies, industries and countries—all of which help me understand why customers buy the tech they do.
What’s something people may not know about you?
I have a degree in computer programming!
What do you like to do outside of work?
I am a mother of two wonderful children. I’m also a wife and a sibling of nine. So, family life keeps me busy and balanced. I enjoy playing basketball and gardening and I love going to concerts and music festivals!
Continue reading...