Kira Makagon

Chief Innovation Officer | Independent Board Director

Kira Makagon is a prominent technology executive and business leader with extensive experience in the communications and software industry. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors at Calix, where she is also part of the Compensation and Cyber Security Committees.1

Professional Background

Makagon is best known for her role at RingCentral, where she has been a key executive for over 12 years. At RingCentral, she holds the position of Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).1 In this capacity, she is responsible for:

Overseeing RingCentral's worldwide product strategies
Driving AI innovation initiatives
Leading global marketing strategies

Her leadership has been instrumental in RingCentral's growth, helping the company expand from pre-IPO status to achieving over $2.4 billion in annual recurring revenue.1

Achievements and Innovations

Throughout her career, Makagon has been recognized for her innovative contributions:

Spearheaded the development of RingCentral's open platform
Led the launch of RingCentral Video in 2020
Initiated RingCentral Ventures, the company's corporate ventures arm, in 2021
Pioneered multiple transformational technologies and companies

Awards and Recognition

Makagon has received numerous accolades for her work, including:

2021 Aragon Research Women in Technology Award
2020 Silver Stevie for Most Innovative Woman of the Year – Technology
2019 Gold Women World Award for Excellence in Industry Woman of the Year: Cloud Computing/SaaS/Internet
2018 San Francisco Business Times Forever Influential Honor Roll award
Multiple recognitions from Silicon Valley Business Journal and San Francisco Business Times1 2

Education and Board Memberships

Makagon holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. In addition to her role at Calix, she serves on the Board of Directors for the American Technion Society.1

Additional Activities

Makagon is actively involved in the technology community:

Regular lecturer at UC Berkeley
Participant in industry panels and podcasts
Advisor to entrepreneurs and early-stage companies1

Her LinkedIn profile (username: kiramakagon) showcases her professional journey and achievements in the technology sector.2

Experience

Chief Innovation Officer at RingCentral

Independent Board Director at Calix and American Technion Society, Founder and CEO at Red Aril, Co-founder & Executive/Board positions at Octane Software and Scopus Technology