Similarweb names Michael Akkerman CEO as Or Offer ends nearly 20-year run
The former Digital Turbine and data.ai executive will take over in November as the Israeli digital intelligence company seeks to turn its data advantage into growth in the AI era.
Similarweb is preparing for its first major leadership change since its founding, appointing Michael Akkerman as CEO as the Israeli digital intelligence company tries to turn its vast store of data about online behavior into a bigger business in the age of artificial intelligence.
Akkerman, currently chief business officer at Digital Turbine, will take over on November 2, 2026, Similarweb said Thursday. He will replace founder Or Offer, who is stepping down after nearly two decades as CEO but will remain involved during the transition.
The appointment marks a faster timetable for a succession process that Similarweb disclosed in May. At the time, the company said its board had begun a formal search and expected the transition to be completed by mid-2027.
The company said there will be no change to its strategy, operations or financial outlook as a result of the leadership transition. Its focus remains on scaling AI-powered data products and expanding its commercial operations in existing and new markets.
Akkerman’s background suggests that the board was looking for a commercially oriented operator rather than another founder or technology specialist. He has spent nearly two decades in senior positions spanning digital advertising, data and technology. At Digital Turbine, he oversees sales, partnerships, marketing, product and business operations.
Before joining Digital Turbine, Akkerman was chief revenue officer at data.ai, formerly known as App Annie, an app and market intelligence company whose customers overlap with Similarweb’s enterprise customer base. He previously served as chief product and strategy officer at Cardlytics, where he led product alongside engineering, and held senior commercial roles at Uber and Pinterest. Earlier in his career, he held global sales and strategy positions at Kenshoo, the Israeli-founded marketing software company now known as Skai.
He will be based at Similarweb’s New York office.
“Similarweb sits on one of the most valuable data assets in the industry - years of insight into how people navigate the digital world, online and in-app,” Akkerman said.
That data has been at the heart of Similarweb’s business since Offer founded the company in 2007. The company sells intelligence on website and application activity to businesses seeking to understand their markets, competitors and customers.
“I've spent almost 20 years building this company, and I couldn't be prouder of where we stand today,” he said, describing Similarweb as a business that had “successfully navigated its transition into the AI era.”
