Christa Quarles is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience leading companies and spearheading financial and operational initiatives. Her background and experience have positioned her as a respected figure in the technology industry known for her contributions and insights into the future of work, innovative leadership approaches, and the benefits of diversity in tech.
Christa serves as the CEO and sits on the Board of Directors at Alludo, the global technology company behind award-winning software brands, including Parallels, Corel, MindManager and WinZip. Since joining the company in 2020, she has orchestrated an impressive transformation, unveiling a new corporate brand and a forward-thinking vision for the modern workplace.
As CEO of OpenTable, Christa led a period of transformational change, successfully navigating the company’s transition to cloud-based, small business solutions, and drove meaningful bottom- and top-line growth across its global operations. Christa also recently served as an Operating Partner at Advent International. Prior to joining OpenTable, she served as Chief Business Officer of Nextdoor, a marketplace connecting local communities to small businesses. Earlier in her career, she served as Senior Vice President, Interactive Games at The Walt Disney Company, where she led Disney Interactive to profitability. Christa also served as Chief Financial Officer of Playdom, which was later acquired by Disney. Prior to that, she held the role of Partner in Equity Research covering the internet sector at Thomas Weisel Partners LLC (now Stifel Financial).
Christa also currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Affirm and Kimberly-Clark.
Christa is a sought-after expert on topics such as the future of work (which Alludo refers to as Work3) as well as her innovative leadership concepts like Management by Haiku. Known for her advocacy for diversity and equality in the tech industry, she is a regular contributor to Fast Company, and frequently garners mentions in publications such as the Washington Post, Bloomberg, and Fortune. In fact, she was recently profiled in Fortune for her groundbreaking approach to leadership in an article titled, "Alludo CEO Christa Quarles says her 'leadership by haiku' style breeds creativity and innovation."
Christa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and German from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School. Today, she lives and works from her home base in San Mateo, California. Christa’s 20+ year passion for Iyengar yoga stands second to her favorite activity, spending time with her husband, her two boys, and their beloved dog.