Alexander Lystad
ALEXANDER LYSTAD
Chief Technology Officer
Visma
Enterprise SaaS ERP Software
2025 TOP 30 EMEA CTOs 2025

Career History

Visma is a leading European software group delivering cloud-based business software for accounting, payroll, HR, invoicing and ERP to small, medium and public sector customers. Serving more than 2 million customers across Europe and Latin America and employing over 17,000 people, Visma has grown into one of Europe’s largest private technology companies. In 2024 it generated €2.8bn in revenue, up 17% year on year, with EBITDA reaching €893m, underscoring sustained double-digit growth and a highly recurring revenue base.

Alexander Lystad was appointed Chief Technology Officer in 2023, having previously served as Director of Cloud & Engineering. In his CTO role he has focused on modernising engineering practices, expanding use of the public cloud, adopting DevOps and continuous delivery, and transforming how product development is done across Visma’s portfolio of companies.

He holds a BSc in Computer Science from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and an MSc in Embedded Systems from the University of South-East Norway.

About Visma

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Oslo, Visma comprises more than 170 companies offering mission-critical software across Europe and Latin America, with nearly 2 million customers as of the end of 2024 and approximately 16,400 employees. The company is majority owned by private equity firm Hg, supported by minority stakes held by firms including GIC, TPG, and others.

Visma’s strategy combines strong organic growth with an active M&A agenda. In 2024 it acquired 33 software companies, entering new markets in Italy and Croatia, among others. The group invests heavily in product development, allocating about 20% of its revenue, while also emphasising cloud migration, AI and shared engineering practices across its constituent companies.

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