‘It’s changed every aspect’: Airtree’s new CEO Elicia McDonald on its AI-led overhaul
The Sydney venture firm is changing as the “most significant platform shift in a generation” upends its portfolio companies, and VC itself.
Airtree is making progressive waves, and not just because it’s put a woman in charge. The $2 billion venture capital outfit has made a structural bet most of its peers haven’t — that the speed of AI demands a different shape of VC firm.
The Sydney-based VC and early Canva investor on Monday announced Elicia McDonald would become CEO with with co-founder Craig Blair moving into the role of chair of the investment committee. Airtree will also separate its operations and investing functions under the change.
“We’re building for the market we’re in right now, not the market of five or 10 years ago,” McDonald told Capital Brief. “The pace of change with AI demands a different kind of organisational clarity and velocity. This structure gives us that.”
The restructure lands as the broader question of whether AI is coming for the asset class itself becomes a live debate.
