AuditBoard Taps Former Paycor CEO Raul Villar Jr. to Lead Next Chapter of AI-Driven Risk Platform
AuditBoard just made a high-stakes move—and it could pay off big. The risk and compliance tech heavyweight has appointed Raul Villar Jr., the former CEO of Paycor, as its new chief executive. The timing couldn’t be more strategic.
Fresh off Paycor’s $4.1 billion sale to Paychex in April 2025, Villar is stepping into the driver’s seat at a company already dominating its niche—and now aiming higher. With more than 50% of the Fortune 500 on its client list, a recent $3B+ acquisition by private equity giant Hg, and accolades across the board, AuditBoard is poised for an ambitious phase of global and product expansion.
A SaaS Operator with Exit Credentials
Villar’s resume reads like a SaaS success playbook. At Paycor, he led a major growth phase, pushing product innovation and expanding market share until the company was scooped up in one of the largest HCM software deals of the decade. Prior to that, he held key roles at AdvancedMD and ADP—companies that know a thing or two about operational scale and enterprise-grade software delivery.
His new challenge: leading AuditBoard as it scales its AI-powered Connected Risk platform, which integrates internal audit, compliance, and risk management in a single, collaborative system. It’s a fast-growing market segment, and AuditBoard’s timing is spot-on. Global enterprises are facing a perfect storm of cybersecurity threats, ESG mandates, and mounting regulatory complexity—and they’re hungry for tech that reduces risk exposure while increasing transparency.
“I’m incredibly excited to join a company that’s already redefining how organizations manage risk,” said Villar in a statement. “There’s massive opportunity to build on this momentum and deepen AuditBoard’s impact globally.”
Beyond Spreadsheets: Risk Tech Gets Smart
AuditBoard is part of a new breed of enterprise risk platforms that go far beyond traditional governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) tools. Its AI-first approach helps teams ditch fragmented spreadsheets and instead manage risk as a continuous, connected process—complete with workflow automation, audit trails, and real-time reporting.
That’s not just nice-to-have. In today’s risk environment, it’s survival tech. And Villar’s appointment suggests the company is not only serious about scaling up but doing so with precision.
The company’s recent expansion into Germany hints at broader international ambitions. Combined with its existing traction in North America and accolades like G2’s “Best Software Products” and the 2024 Cybersecurity Breakthrough Award, AuditBoard is building the kind of momentum that turns a category leader into a category definer.
A Planned Handoff, A New Growth Chapter
Villar replaces outgoing CEO Scott Arnold, who spent five years steering AuditBoard through explosive growth, customer expansion, and a hypercompetitive GRC tech landscape. Arnold’s customer-first ethos helped the company cultivate deep loyalty and high retention across its enterprise base—an asset Villar will likely be eager to preserve.
Jonathan Wulkan, a partner at Hg Capital, underscored the importance of this next phase: “Raul brings the right mix of growth leadership and enterprise software depth to lead AuditBoard into the future. We’re thrilled to have him on board.”
The Bigger Signal: PE-Backed SaaS Is Still Swinging
In a tech market where valuations have been volatile and growth-at-all-costs has taken a backseat to profitability, AuditBoard’s $3B acquisition by Hg and this CEO move send a message: enterprise SaaS, particularly in mission-critical areas like risk and compliance, is still a battlefield worth investing in—if you’ve got the right product, and now, the right leadership.
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