Headspace Announces Appointment of Tom Pickett as Chief Executive Officer

Headspace, the world’s most accessible, comprehensive mental health platform, today announced the appointment of Tom Pickett as Chief Executive Officer. Following a thorough search process and leadership transition, Pickett will join the organization, effective August 12, 2024 as CEO and member of Headspace’s Board of Directors.

Pickett joins the company from DoorDash, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer, leading business development, sales, and growth of DoorDash’s partnerships with restaurants, convenience stores, grocers and retailers. He brings a wealth of experience to Headspace as the former CEO of Ellation (now Crunchyroll), a fast-growth digital media company acquired by AT&T in 2018, where he led the growth of the company’s subscriber base and revenue by ~10x over a four year period. Prior to this, Pickett spent a decade at Google in various executive positions, ranging from business operations, sales and partnerships, ultimately serving as Vice President of Content and Operations at YouTube. During his tenure, the company grew from a 100-person startup to a global, multi-billion dollar enterprise.

“Addressing complex societal challenges through a combination of technology and human touch has been core to my career, whether it be growing and empowering local economies or building new ways for people to share their voices at scale,” said Pickett. “I’m inspired by the impact that Headspace has had on reshaping people’s relationship to their mental health, and am excited to support the company’s growth and scale as we execute our mission to provide everyone with lifelong mental health support.”

Earlier in his career, Pickett served as an F/A-18 pilot and “Top Gun” graduate in the U.S. Navy. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Pickett will assume the CEO role from Russell Glass, who led the organization through its 2021 merger with Ginger and the creation of the company’s comprehensive mental health offering, bringing together Headspace’s award-winning mindfulness and meditation platform with Ginger’s on-demand mental health coaching, therapy and psychiatry services, along with work-life resources. Today, Headspace’s brand and consumer app, which now includes mental health coaching, are beloved by millions. The company extends its reach through partnerships with over 4,000 organizations, ranging from small, independent businesses to large Fortune 500 enterprises; and over 75 million people have covered access to Headspace’s services through health plans and strategic partners.

“Tom brings a unique blend of expertise to Headspace, from scaling high-growth companies, to navigating complex consumer and B2B business models, to leading customer safety, trust and policy, all of which will be instrumental in supporting the company’s long-term growth and mission,” said Julia Cheek, Board Director, Headspace and CEO, Everly Health. “We’re grateful to Russell Glass for laying the foundation of Headspace’s combined culture, building the company’s integrated product and strategic vision, and for his leadership through this transition.”