Ajei S. Gopal has been the CEO of Ansys Inc since January 2017, after transitioning from his role as President and Chief Operating Officer. He brings with him a rich background in technology and management, having worked in various roles...

Ajei S. Gopal has been the CEO of Ansys Inc since January 2017, after transitioning from his role as President and Chief Operating Officer. He brings with him a rich background in technology and management, having worked in various roles at major companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Symantec, and CA Technologies before joining Ansys. Ajei holds a doctorate in computer science from Cornell University and a bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay. Under his leadership, Ansys has seen significant growth and innovation in simulation software. His sharp focus on performance is reflected in his compensation structure, which links earnings directly to the company’s performance metrics. Noteworthy is that Ajei has more than 23 U.S. patents to his name, showcasing his commitment to innovation in the tech field.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other Ansys CEOs

A

Ajei S. Gopal

CEO of Ansys

Education

Doctorate in computer science from Cornell University, bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay.

Field of Expertise

Technology & Engineering - Technology

Sector of Economy

Technology

Born

November 30, 1961 - 63 years ago

CEO of Ansys for

8 years 3 months (Jan 2017 - Present)

Previous Experience

Operating partner at Silver Lake, interim president and chief operating officer at Symantec Corporation, senior vice president at Hewlett-Packard, executive vice president at CA Technologies, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Symantec Corporation, chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of ReefEdge Networks, member of the technical staff at Bell Communications Research.

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Ajei S. Gopal

A

Andrew Anagnost

CEO of Autodesk

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.05M

Bonus

$1.51M

Other

$153.26K

Total Holdings

$37.20M

I

Sasan Goodarzi

CEO of Intuit

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.10M

Bonus

$1.98M

Other

$10.00K

Total Holdings

$26.59M

T

H. Lynn Moore Jr.

CEO of Tyler Technologies

2022 Compensation

Stock

$3.41M

Salary

$600.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$12.22K

Total Holdings

$46.69M

T

John S. Marr Jr.

CEO of Tyler Technologies

2022 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$300.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$7.50K

Total Holdings

$52.82M

N

Jen-Hsun Huang

Founder and CEO of Nvidia

2023 Compensation

Stock

$61.63M

Salary

$1.00M

Bonus

$4.00M

Other

$2.49M

Total Holdings

$99.30B

S

William R. McDermott

CEO of ServiceNow

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.35M

Bonus

$3.15M

Other

$351.09K

Total Holdings

$11.00M

Holdings

See how much did Ajei S. Gopal make over time.

Ajei S. Gopal’s wealth has largely been tied to his holdings in Ansys. His insider trading activity has seen his holdings fluctuate significantly over the years. For instance, from late 2019 to early 2020, his holdings increased from approximately $27.55...

Ajei S. Gopal’s wealth has largely been tied to his holdings in Ansys. His insider trading activity has seen his holdings fluctuate significantly over the years. For instance, from late 2019 to early 2020, his holdings increased from approximately $27.55 million to a peak of about $58.87 million. However, after that peak, there were notable declines, such as in mid-2020, where he witnessed a drop to $1.24 million. In 2023, his holdings surged again, reaching highs such as $72.24 million. These dramatic changes highlight the volatility often present in tech stock valuations and showcase Ajei's deep involvement with the company’s success.

Mar 18, 2025

A

shares

ANSS @ $323.82

Total Stock Sold

$75.57M

ANSS

$75.57M

243,129 ANSS shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Ajei S. Gopal didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra ANSS243,129 shares worth $57.85M.
This is -23.46% and $17.73M less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Ajei S. Gopal.

ANSS

68,542 shares

ANSS

Mar 1, 2024

Received

ANSS

48,038 shares

ANSS

Feb 14, 2024

Received

ANSS

$2.85M

ANSS at $298.29/share

Nov 14, 2023

Sale

ANSS

$9.39M

ANSS at $305.65/share

Oct 10, 2023

Sale

ANSS

$8.53M

ANSS at $350.41/share

Jul 18, 2023

Sale

ANSS

$17.10M

ANSS at $327.53/share

Jun 12, 2023

Sale

ANSS

80,282 shares

ANSS

Feb 15, 2023

Received

ANSS

32,792 shares

ANSS

Mar 3, 2022

Received

ANSS

48,274 shares

ANSS

Feb 16, 2022

Received

ANSS

$23.39M

ANSS at $367.06/share

Aug 10, 2021

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did Ajei S. Gopal make over time.

In 2023, Ajei S. Gopal's total compensation amounted to $3.25 million, which included a base salary of $850,000 and a performance bonus of about $2.4 million. This bonus was a result of exceeding financial metrics related to the company’s growth. Notably, in previous years, his compensation fluctuated greatly, with a peak of $21.18 million in 2022, largely due to vested stock awards and bonuses. This structure reflects Ansys’s focus on performance, as the bonuses are linked to measurable achievements. Although his compensation can seem high, it aligns with his performance-based philosophy, keeping him motivated to drive the company's success.

Year

2023

Total Compensation

$3.25M

Salary

$850.00K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is to align executive pay with performance, targeting total compensation at the 50th percentile of the market with opportunities for superior performers to earn above that level based on results.

Bonus

$2.40M

Board Justification

The performance bonus for 2023 was based on achieving financial metrics including GAAP revenue and non-GAAP operating income, with a target bonus opportunity of 150% of base salary, resulting in a payout of 188.4% of target due to exceeding performance goals.

Other

$0.00

Board Justification

No additional compensation was reported outside of salary and bonus for 2023.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 RSU)

Board Justification

No stock was vested in 2023 as the focus was on performance-based stock units (PSUs) and restricted stock units (RSUs) that are subject to future vesting conditions.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for 2023 included GAAP revenue and non-GAAP operating income.

Other Ansys CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Ansys

James E. Cashman

Founder and Ex-CEO of Ansys

January 1997 - December 2016