Linear Executives | Leadership Team & Company Leadership

Date August 22, 2025
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Linear

COMPANY INFO

Linear is a software development company founded in 2019 by Karri Saarinen and Tuomas Artman. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, with approximately 112-129 employees, Linear provides a purpose-built tool for tracking issues, managing sprints, and organizing project roadmaps to streamline software development processes. Their website is linear.app.

6 Key Linear Executives

Linear is a software development company founded in 2019 that delivers a purpose-built tool for tracking issues, managing sprints, and organizing project roadmaps to streamline software development processes. Headquartered in San Francisco, Linear helps teams achieve higher productivity, quality, and project visibility through intuitive product design.

The Linear leadership team combines deep expertise in software engineering, product management, and operations. With backgrounds at leading tech companies and strong entrepreneurial experience, the Linear management team drives innovation, operational excellence, and sustained growth. This foundation has positioned Linear as an industry leader, enabling it to scale rapidly and serve thousands of software development teams worldwide.

Key Executives

Karri Saarinen - CEO, Co-founder

Karri Saarinen is the CEO and Co-founder of Linear, shaping the company's vision to create a top-tier project and issue tracking platform focused on quality and speed in software development. Under Karri Saarinen's direction, Linear has emerged as a key SaaS player, supporting software teams globally and transforming how projects and engineering workflows are managed.

Karri co-founded Linear and has served as CEO since 2019, demonstrating a deep commitment to software craftsmanship and innovation. His background includes experience in software and product development, and he is frequently featured in industry forums for his thought leadership on product quality. Karri has played a central role in defining the Linear leadership culture, propelling the company’s technological and market advancements.

Jori Lallo - Co-founder

Jori Lallo is a Co-founder of Linear, instrumental in establishing its founding vision and developing the core product. He is pivotal in shaping company culture and guiding product evolution, bringing the Linear management team deep technical and design contributions.

Jori’s background spans software engineering and product design, equipping him to continuously enhance Linear’s user experience and technical quality. As one of the Linear founders, he is recognized for translating ambitious product goals into the robust functionalities that define Linear today.

Tuomas Artman - CTO, Co-founder

Tuomas Artman is the CTO and Co-founder of Linear, responsible for driving the company’s technology strategy, engineering architecture, and scaling infrastructure. Tuomas Artman ensures Linear’s performance and reliability, leading teams that deliver scalable features and platform innovation.

Before joining the Linear executive team, Tuomas held engineering and management positions at Uber and Groupon, focusing on distributed systems and user-centric product design. He holds a degree from the University of Helsinki and possesses multiple software-related patents, further solidifying the technical leadership within Linear’s management team.

Cristina Cordova - COO

Cristina Cordova serves as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Linear, where she builds and scales marketing, sales, operations, data, and talent teams to support company expansion. Cristina Cordova drives growth and operational efficiency, leveraging her prior leadership roles at Stripe and Notion.

Cristina holds a degree from Stanford University and brings a proven record in business operations and partnerships. Her experience in leading cross-functional teams in high-growth environments makes her a vital member of the Linear leadership team, orchestrating the alignment of departmental goals across the organization.

Nan Yu - Head of Product

Nan Yu leads the product organization at Linear, crafting and refining features that drive value for customers and deliver world-class user experiences. Nan Yu sets product strategy and oversees execution, ensuring alignment with both customer needs and company ambitions.

Nan’s expertise was shaped by previous product leadership positions at Mode, Everlane, and Bank of America. She studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Her technical background and multidisciplinary approach have been essential in advancing Linear’s product vision within the broader Linear executives team.

Casey Bertenthal - Head of Sales

Casey Bertenthal leads sales at Linear, focusing on revenue growth, customer acquisition, and retention. Casey Bertenthal excels at building high-performing sales organizations and developing strategies for engaging new and existing customers.

Casey brings extensive SaaS sales leadership experience, previously working with companies like Abstract and Wake. He studied Political Science at Northeastern University and has consistently delivered strong sales results, contributing significantly to Linear’s business expansion.

Company Leadership

The Linear management team is composed of experienced software engineers, product visionaries, and seasoned operators who collectively shape company strategy, drive execution, and nurture an innovative culture. Linear’s leadership consciously blends entrepreneurial spirit with operational rigor to support rapid growth, technical excellence, and a strong foundation for future expansion. With founding members still deeply involved and strategic executives steering daily operations, Linear’s leadership ensures the company remains at the forefront of modern software development tools.

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