The board of directors of Lehi-based family history and DNA testing platform Ancestry has named Howard Hochhauser to succeed Deb Liu as the company’s president and CEO. Formerly the chief financial officer and chief operating officer, Hochhauser will take over from Liu, who has stepped down, on Feb. 1. Hochhauser will continue to serve as a member of the board.
“I’m honored to serve as Ancestry’s next president and CEO,” said Hochhauser. “I have never been more confident in the future success of the company. As the global leader in family history, we have a strong brand, exceptional talent, unparalleled content, the world’s largest consumer DNA network and a loyal base of subscribers. I look forward to building on our momentum.”
“Leading Ancestry over the last four years has been both demanding and fulfilling. I have been inspired by the company’s mission and by the journeys of personal discovery that we have enabled for our customers since I joined the company in March 2021,” said Liu. “I’m proud of all that the team has accomplished in service to our customers and I’m confident the company is well positioned for future success. Working alongside Ancestry’s talented and purpose-driven team has been an honor and I know I’m leaving the company in Howard’s very capable hands.”
“Deb has had a tremendous impact on the business, building a strong foundation for future growth, strengthening our team, and evolving our products,” said Mark Thompson, chairman of Ancestry’s board. “On behalf of the board and our employees, I want to thank Deb for her many contributions and wish her the very best in her next chapter.”
“Howard has been with Ancestry for more than 16 years and deeply understands the business, its culture and our customers,” Thompson added. “He has been instrumental in building our strategy and we’re confident that he and the management team will accelerate growth in the years to come.”
Ancestry maintains a collection of more than 60 billion records, has over 3.5 million subscribers and over 25 million people in its DNA network.