Matt Gaudio Named CEO at Tusker

Chicago midmarket IT services provider Tusker announced on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, that company executive Matt Gaudio has been named Chief Executive Officer. Gaudio succeeds departing CEO Matt Zafirovski, who accepted a leadership position with a publicly traded technology firm after spending six years with Tusker, according to PR Newswire M&A. Zafirovski's tenure included multiple acquisitions and culminated in the strongest financial performance in the company's history earlier this year.

Internal Integration and Leadership Continuity

Gaudio is a 20-year technology industry veteran who previously served as Tusker's chief solutions officer. In that second-in-command role, he managed professional services, solutions, managed services, and delivery operations. He also played a critical role in executing the "One Tusker" strategy, an internal initiative created to unify the operations of acquired businesses and prepare the organization for multi-year expansion.

"Matt Zafirovski's leadership helped build the momentum we have today and set the stage for ongoing growth by establishing the ability to meet an increasingly broad range of client IT needs," Gaudio stated regarding the transition. "Half of our growth to date has been organic and half has been achieved through acquisition, and we expect that to continue as we advance toward our goal of becoming a $1 billion company."

The executive transition follows a series of corporate developments that parallels executive moves across various industries, such as when Mattel names Roger Lynch as CEO and Chairman, replacing Ynon Kreiz during leadership restructuring periods. Tusker aims to maintain its current trajectory under Gaudio, who noted that half of the firm's growth has been organic while the other half has come through strategic acquisitions.

Growth Targets and Acquisition History

Company leadership expects this balanced expansion model to continue as Tusker advances toward its corporate goal of becoming a $1 billion company. Mike Zafirovski, Tusker executive chairman, stated that Gaudio possesses deep familiarity with the firm's personnel, client base, and overarching strategy from his central role in the One Tusker transformation.

"Matt Gaudio knows our people, our customers and our strategy, and he has been central to our One Tusker transformation," Mike Zafirovski added. "The Board and I appreciate Matt Z's leadership over the past six years, wish him the best in his next post, and have full confidence that Matt G is the right leader for Tusker's next chapter."

Formerly known as ACP CreativIT before a rebranding in 2026, Tusker traces its origins back to Arlington Computer Products, a Chicago-area IT hardware distributor founded in 1984. The Zaf Group investment firm acquired that initial entity in 2017 to launch a broader plan for building a multi-service technology organization.

Regional Expansion and Workforce Footprint

Following the 2017 initial acquisition, the company expanded through a sequence of regional buyouts. It purchased Green Bay-based Camera Corner Connecting Point in 2018, Duluth-based Citon Computer Corporation in 2022, Boston-based Versatile Communications seven months later, Chicago-based Mindsight in 2025, and Cleveland-based cybersecurity specialist Fortress SRM in September 2026. Furthermore, related corporate changes can be observed when Matt Mullenweg tells Automattic staff he is back in control following board ouster.

These transactions brought together six companies that retained their owner-operators and established a footprint across multiple regional hubs. Tusker currently operates major centers in Chicago, Boston, Green Bay, Duluth, Eau Claire, and Cleveland, supporting a workforce of more than 450 employees that includes 250 technologists serving clients across education, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and public sectors.

"Tusker's growth has been remarkable, and I'm gratified to have played a role in that over the last six years," departing CEO Matt Zafirovski remarked. "Matt G has been a driving force in fusing the capabilities of our acquired companies, and I can't think of a better person to lead Tusker into its next phase of growth."