# Keith Krach

Keith Krach (born April 1, 1957) is an American businessman, former diplomat, and AI investor. He is known for leading DocuSign and co-founding Ariba, and currently serves as a partner at Khosla Ventures focusing on artificial intelligence investments.

Keith Joseph Krach (born April 1, 1957) is an American businessman, former diplomat, and technology executive. He is best known for his roles as chairman and CEO of DocuSign, co-founder and CEO of Ariba, and for being the youngest-ever vice president at General Motors. In 2019, he was confirmed as under secretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment in the Trump administration. More recently, Krach has become a partner at [Khosla Ventures](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/khosla-ventures), where he focuses on investments in [artificial-intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) and related technologies.

Krach's career spans over four decades, encompassing automotive manufacturing, enterprise software, digital transaction management, government service, and venture capital. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Harvard Business School Business Leader of the Year award in 2019 and the M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal in 2025.

## Early life and education

Krach was born in Lakewood, Ohio, to Elda and John Krach and was raised in the small town of Rocky River, Ohio. At age 12, he worked as a welder in his father's machine shop, an experience that inspired him to pursue a B.S. in industrial engineering from Purdue University. During his sophomore year in 1977, he received one of two General Motors scholarships awarded to Purdue engineering students, which covered tuition, books, a living stipend, summer jobs with the automaker, and a full-time position in Detroit after graduation.

After graduating from Purdue in 1979, Krach received a fellowship from General Motors to study for an M.B.A. from Harvard University Business School. He completed his master's degree in 1981 and joined GM full time.

## Business career

### GM and early ventures

Krach began his career at General Motors, working at the Cadillac Division, the Technical Center in Detroit, and the New York Treasurer's Office under Rick Wagoner. In 1984, at age 26, he was named GM's youngest-ever vice president. He was also one of the founders of GMF Robotics, a joint venture between GM and Fanuc Robotics, which became the largest provider of industrial robots in the world.

Krach left GM in 1987 to join startup software company Qronos as its number 2 executive, but departed after nine months over a conflict with the CEO. In 1988, he became a founding member of Rasna Corporation, a mechanical engineering design software company sold to PTC for $500 million in 1995. In 1996, he was the first entrepreneur in residence at Benchmark Capital, and in 2008, he became a Benchmark CEO in residence.

### Ariba and DocuSign

From 1996 to 2003, Krach served as co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Ariba, a business-to-business e-commerce company that created the world's largest business network, transacting $6 trillion in commerce annually. In 1999, he took Ariba public via an IPO on Nasdaq with an initial valuation of $6 billion, which grew to $40 billion by 2000. He led the $400 million acquisition of Trading Dynamics Inc. and the $1.4 billion acquisition of Tradex in 2000.

In 2009, Krach became chairman of DocuSign, and in 2011, he became CEO. He led the creation of the digital transaction management category and built the DocuSign Global Trust Network, which now comprises more than 1.7 million customers and over 1 billion users in 180 countries. He named his successor as CEO in January 2017, with his tenure as chairman ending in January 2019. DocuSign filed for its IPO in April 2018, with Krach as the largest individual shareholder unaffiliated with a venture firm.

## Board memberships and government service

Krach served on the boards of XOJet (2006-2009), Ooma (2007-2011), and as board chairman of Angie's List (2011-2014). He was CEO of 3Points, an investment holding company, from 2005 to 2011. In 2017, he was named to the NYCx Technology Leadership Advisory Council. He also founded the Global Mentor Network.

On June 20, 2019, Krach was confirmed by the Senate as under secretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment in the Trump administration. He was succeeded by acting senior official Marcia Bernicat in 2021.

## AI investing and philanthropy

Following his government service, Krach joined [Khosla Ventures](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/khosla-ventures) as a partner, focusing on investments in [artificial-intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence), [machine-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/machine-learning), and [generative-ai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/generative-ai) startups. His involvement reflects a broader trend of established enterprise technology leaders moving into AI venture capital.

Krach is chairman of the DocuSign IMPACT Foundation, which he established with $30 million to help recipient entities streamline operations using DocuSign technology. He co-founded the Children's Autistic Network and served on the board of governors for Opportunity International. Through the Krach Family Foundation, he funded the Keith Krach leadership scholarship at Purdue University.

## Awards and recognition

Krach has received numerous awards throughout his career. In 1998, he was named a top 10 entrepreneur of the year by Red Herring Magazine. In 2000, he received the Technology Pioneer award at the World Economic Forum and was recognized as one of the top 10 tech execs by Forbes. He was named National Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 2000 and again in 2015. He earned the Distinguished Engineer Alumni award from Purdue in 2006 and an honorary doctorate from Ohio Northern University in 2015. In 2018, he received the Transformational Leader of the Year award, and in 2019, Harvard Business School's Business Leader of the Year award. In 2025, he was named the recipient of the M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal and was recognized by Life & News Magazine for increasing global productivity by more than $4.5 trillion throughout his career.

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Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/keith-krach
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
Last updated: 2026-09-12T16:26:20.087924+00:00