O.C. Tanner, a leader in strengthening organizational culture through employee recognition, has announced Scott Sperry as its new CEO and president. Sperry succeeds Dave Petersen, who retires after a notable 41-year tenure. Sperry, ascending from COO and president roles, aims to drive the company into its next century with expanded technology and global reach, serving clients in over 180 countries. The leadership transition includes the promotion of key executives and a continued commitment to philanthropy, reinforcing O.C. Tanner's mission to enhance workplace cultures globally.



Sperry marks the fifth CEO in the company’s almost 100-year history

SALT LAKE CITY--O.C. Tanner, the global authority for strengthening organizational culture through meaningful employee recognition, today announced the elevation of Scott Sperry to chief executive officer and president. Sperry succeeds Dave Petersen, who is retiring after serving as CEO for 15 years and a 41-year career at O.C. Tanner. Petersen will support a seamless leadership transition while serving as vice chair of the board. This announcement follows the promotions of Scott Archibald to chief operations officer and Michelle Colovich as chief financial officer.

With a tenure of 21 years, Sperry began at O.C. Tanner in finance, where he became CFO and then moved to COO in 2009 and president in 2022. Now as CEO, Sperry will usher in the company’s second century of business with a focus on transformative culture partnerships with the world’s top brands, broad technology capabilities, global expansion, and continuing to drive O.C. Tanner’s mission of helping people all over the world thrive at work.

“It’s an honor and a privilege for me to serve as O.C. Tanner’s new CEO,” said Sperry. “I’m proud to have worked so closely alongside Dave and to have learned from his leadership. Looking forward, I’m eager to lead O.C. Tanner as it enters the next 100 years of its journey. We have a strong company history, a talented workforce, innovative technology, and wonderful clients that we are honored to partner with. I look forward to fostering innovation to find new ways to help people all around the world thrive at work.”

Under Petersen and Sperry’s leadership, O.C. Tanner has experienced substantial growth, doubling in revenue while expanding its technology, research, and services to a growing global client base. Among its clients, O.C. Tanner proudly serves the world’s leading brands with employees in more than 180 countries, including more than 20% of Fortune 500 companies and nearly 25% of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Under their direction, the company added to its world-renowned manufacturing and distribution capabilities by developing a robust technology platform, Culture Cloud, that unites a suite of online and offline solutions to help enterprise organizations forge strong workplace cultures and improve business results. In addition to business growth, O.C. Tanner now employs more than 1,600 technologists, researchers, craftspeople, and other professionals in six global locations.

Sperry will continue O.C. Tanner’s long-standing commitment to giving back to the community. The company will sustain its philanthropic efforts by donating 10% of company profits to global and local organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, Utah Symphony and Opera, Utah Food Bank, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and several Utah universities.

“The culture and mission of O.C. Tanner creates an environment where individuals can learn and grow their careers for the long-term, and Scott is living proof of that,” said Stephen Tanner Irish, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “The Board of Directors and I are excited for our next era of growth and innovation that Scott will lead and are thankful to Dave for the years of leadership he’s devoted to making O.C. Tanner into the premier, global workplace culture partner it is today.”

To learn more about O.C. Tanner’s leadership team and commitment to helping organizations strengthen their corporate cultures, please visit O.C. Tanner's website.

About O.C. Tanner
O.C. Tanner is the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee recognition experiences. Our Culture Cloud employee recognition platform helps millions of people thrive at work.

Our team of more than 1,600 programmers, researchers, designers, client professionals, and craftspeople hail from 58 countries and speak 62 languages. Together, we create the technology, tools, and awards that help our clients shape productive work environments, drive innovation, and fuel positive business results. Learn more at octanner.com.