Progress Software has named Bridget Collins as its new Chief Information Officer, handing her direct responsibility for the company's artificial intelligence and IT strategy.

The appointment puts a single executive in charge of two of the most consequential technology agendas at the Burlington, Massachusetts-based enterprise software vendor. Collins will steer how Progress applies AI internally across its operations and how it positions AI capabilities in its product portfolio, alongside overall IT leadership.

Who is Bridget Collins?

Collins steps into the CIO seat at Progress Software, the company behind infrastructure and devtools brands that include OpenEdge, MOVEit, Chef, Kemp and WhatsUp Gold. The vendor serves tens of thousands of enterprise customers globally and has placed AI at the center of its roadmap in recent years.

Her mandate, as stated in the announcement, covers both AI strategy and IT strategy — a combined portfolio that signals Progress intends to align its internal technology operations with its external product direction rather than run them as separate tracks.

What does the appointment signal?

Enterprises across the software sector are consolidating AI leadership under the CIO role. The move at Progress follows that pattern: the company has named one executive to own both the AI agenda and the IT estate, rather than splitting the responsibilities between a chief AI officer and a traditional CIO.

For Progress customers and partners, the change matters for several reasons:

• Product direction. AI strategy sits with the same leader who governs internal systems, tightening the feedback loop between what Progress builds and what it runs.
• Delivery accountability. IT strategy under the same executive means infrastructure, operations and AI initiatives share one owner and one set of priorities.
• Leadership clarity. A single decision point for AI and IT reduces the coordination friction that has slowed AI adoption at many enterprise vendors.

Why does the CIO role matter now for Progress?

Progress Software operates in markets — application development, data connectivity, infrastructure monitoring and secure file transfer — where AI-assisted tooling is reshaping buyer expectations. The company's developer-facing products in particular face pressure to embed AI capabilities that reduce manual work for enterprise engineering teams.

Naming a CIO with explicit AI responsibility positions Progress to accelerate that embedding on both fronts: in the tools it sells and in the systems that run its own business.

Collins' appointment is effective immediately, per the announcement from the company.

What comes next?

The industry will watch three things from Collins in her first months:

• How quickly AI moves from strategy language into shipped capabilities across the Progress portfolio.
• Whether internal IT operations begin showing AI-driven automation gains the company can cite publicly.
• Any organizational changes she makes to align IT and AI teams under a unified structure.

Progress Software has not disclosed further details of Collins' prior roles or reporting structure beyond the appointment itself. Watch for follow-on announcements as the new CIO settles the combined AI-plus-IT agenda.