Bitly Taps New CTO to Steer AI-Powered Growth and Fortify Security

NEW YORK, NY – March 19, 2026 – Bitly Inc., a cornerstone platform in the digital world of link and QR Code management, has appointed Matt Young as its new Chief Technology Officer. The move is the latest and most significant in a series of strategic leadership changes orchestrated by CEO Peter Krivkovich, who has been methodically reshaping the company's executive team since taking the leadership role in 2025. The appointment signals a deliberate pivot towards accelerating platform innovation, with a sharp focus on integrating artificial intelligence and fortifying the platform's already robust security infrastructure.

A New Era of Technical Leadership

Matt Young joins Bitly with a formidable track record spanning more than two decades in technology leadership. He is tasked with steering the company's engineering and data organizations, overseeing a technical vision aimed at ensuring the platform can scale to meet future demands. Young’s experience is not just in managing technology, but in transforming it. His background is deeply rooted in modernizing legacy systems, executing complex cloud transformations, and, crucially, adopting emerging technologies like AI.

Prior to Bitly, Young served as the Chief Executive Officer of UserVoice, a prominent customer feedback platform. There, he was instrumental in guiding the company's product direction and strategic growth, which culminated in a successful acquisition. His tenure at UserVoice, which also included roles as President and VP of Engineering, was marked by a focus on aligning product and engineering teams to better leverage customer insights for development. Before that, as CTO at Vodori, he honed his skills in building and enhancing high-performance software development teams. With a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Young brings a deep technical foundation to his new strategic role.

Krivkovich's Strategic Overhaul for Global Scale

The appointment of a new CTO is a cornerstone of the broader strategic vision championed by CEO Peter Krivkovich. Since stepping into the CEO role from his previous position as Chief Financial Officer, Krivkovich has been vocal about the need to evolve Bitly’s platform to support its next phase of growth. His strategy involves not just technological advancement but a comprehensive strengthening of the company's leadership and operational foundation.

"As demand for reliable, scalable link and QR Code management continues to grow, investing in the strength and evolution of our platform is essential," Krivkovich stated. He emphasized a nuanced view of artificial intelligence, noting, "AI is accelerating how quickly software can be built, but the real advantage comes from platforms that can do that while operating reliably at scale. Matt's deep experience building high-performing engineering organizations will help us continue evolving our platform and ensure it supports the next phase of growth for our customers and our business."

This holistic approach is evident in other recent leadership changes. Kelly Zitzmann has been promoted to Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, a role that combines oversight of legal, HR, IT, and global platform safety, underscoring the company's focus on compliance and trust. The promotions of Luke Reynebeau to VP of Product Marketing and Shannon Jankun to VP of Human Resources further illustrate a company-wide effort to align marketing, talent management, and technology under a single, cohesive growth strategy.

Doubling Down on Trust and AI-Powered Security

For a platform that manages hundreds of millions of digital connections each month for clients including over half of the Fortune 500, trust is not just a feature—it is the bedrock of the business. Bitly's platform boasts 99.99% uptime, but its commitment to security runs deeper. In 2025 alone, its proprietary Trust & Safety infrastructure blocked an estimated one million malicious URLs and protected users from nearly one billion potentially harmful clicks.

Young's appointment is set to amplify these efforts. The industry is increasingly turning to AI to combat the rising tide of sophisticated online threats, from phishing schemes to malware distribution. AI-powered systems can analyze vast datasets of link behavior to identify patterns and anomalies that would be invisible to human moderators, enabling proactive threat detection. Young's expertise in AI and scalable systems is expected to be pivotal in advancing Bitly’s capabilities in this critical area, enhancing its ability to safeguard the digital connections it facilitates.

This focus on security is a direct response to a market where digital trust is a significant competitive differentiator. As businesses and consumers become more aware of online risks, the demand for platforms that prioritize safety and reliability will only intensify. By investing in AI-driven security, Bitly is not just protecting its users; it is future-proofing its platform against an evolving threat landscape.

Navigating a Competitive Digital Landscape

Bitly operates in a competitive market that includes players like Rebrandly, which focuses on custom branded links, and Short.io, known for its deep analytics. In this environment, continuous innovation is key to maintaining a leadership position. The strategic moves under Krivkovich, culminating in Young's appointment, are designed to solidify Bitly's standing as the go-to platform for managing digital interactions at scale.

The integration of more sophisticated AI is poised to offer more than just enhanced security. It opens the door to smarter analytics, more effective link personalization, and more efficient management for its hundreds of thousands of customers. The promotion of a new VP of Product Marketing is timely, as communicating the value of these new, complex capabilities to a diverse global user base will be essential for driving adoption and retention.

Ultimately, the recent leadership overhaul represents a calculated effort to build a more resilient, innovative, and trusted company. By reinforcing its technological core, legal and compliance framework, and customer-facing strategies, Bitly is positioning itself not merely as a tool for shortening links, but as an indispensable partner for businesses navigating the complexities of the modern digital ecosystem.