Darren Shimkus.

He has spent his career building and scaling high-growth technology companies, most recently as co-founder of Modal, an AI upskilling platform whose business BairesDev acquired in 2025. Earlier in his career, he was President of Udemy Business, where he transformed the business from a consumer platform to an enterprise SaaS business that drove the company’s IPO. 

Darren has been working with BairesDev since December 2024, first as an advisor, and full-time since June 2025. He served as President, where he defined the company's first purpose-built AI offerings, before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in August 2026.

Darren holds a BA in Economics from William & Mary and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller scholar. He also actively contributes to initiatives focused on leadership development and the future of work. Outside of work, Darren is most likely to be found traveling with his wife and two daughters or dealing with his two unruly dogs.