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Sasan K. Goodarzi is the CEO of Intuit, a leading global fintech company that includes well-known brands such as TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Credit Karma. Born in Tehran and raised in the United States, Sasan combines technical expertise with strategic insight. Since becoming CEO in 2019, he has led the transformation of Intuit through digital innovation and the implementation of AI-driven solutions. In addition to his role at Intuit, he serves on the board of Atlassian. He is a co-founder of the Sasan Foundation, which focuses on empowering Iranian-American women students and reshaping the finance sector for the future.
Sasan was born in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated to the United States as a child, eventually making Florida his home. He pursued his academic interests in business and engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida between 1985 and 1989. He then obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University from 2000 to 2002. His simultaneous studies in both technical and management fields provided a solid foundation for his subsequent success in the finance and technology sectors, equipping him with the skills necessary to become a leader.
Sasan held various leadership roles at Honeywell for almost a decade before being transferred to Invensys as Global President of the Product Group. He worked at Intuit in 2004, managing various businesses, including Professional Tax and Intuit Financial Services. He was the CEO of Nexant, a clean energy software company, briefly before returning to Intuit in 2011 as CIO. He then moved into senior positions at the company, eventually serving as EVP of the Consumer Tax and Small Business Groups, before becoming CEO of Intuit in January 2019.
Intuit is harnessing AI to revolutionize financial services, providing personalized, automated solutions that equip users with data-driven insights for better decision-making, improved financial health, and smooth, efficient experiences across its platforms. Key initiatives include:
Turbo Innovation: Intuit's AI-driven innovation leverages a customized operating system, GenOS, empowering engineers to develop smarter solutions. This approach simplifies tax filing through TurboTax, enhancing speed and efficiency by transforming complex tasks into seamless experiences for millions of users.
Introducing AI Agent: Intuit is revolutionizing financial management through advanced AI tools, including agentic AI and code-free solutions. By combining AI with payments, fintech, and security, Intuit delivers seamless, personalized experiences, enabling customers to make smarter, faster decisions with control.
AI in Research: Intuit’s AI Research Program, launched in 2022, pioneers breakthrough technologies to create high-fidelity, automated financial experiences. Focused on trustworthiness, reasoning, and open-source collaboration, it transforms cutting-edge AI into practical tools that solve customers’ most complex economic challenges globally.
AI in Astrophysics: Led by astrophysicist-turned-AI expert Nhung Ho, Intuit pioneers an AI-driven platform by leveraging vast data as a cosmic map. Her team transforms complex information into tailored financial solutions, showcasing how curiosity, resilience, and data storytelling fuel innovation.
Operational Intelligence: Intuit is transforming operational excellence through AI-driven, customer-centric strategies, aligning observability and reliability engineering with real-time user impact. By prioritizing customer experience over system metrics, Intuit ensures scalable, resilient, and cost-effective platforms that deliver high availability and performance.
Financial Intelligence: Intuit Assist is a generative AI financial assistant designed to simplify decision-making and provide personalized, intelligent recommendations. It empowers users, whether individuals or small businesses, to achieve financial success by automating tasks and offering real-time, actionable insights.
Integrating Generative AI: Intuit is revolutionizing personalization by embedding generative AI across its platforms to deliver intelligent, real-time, and deeply tailored experiences. By combining automation, data quality, and flexible architecture, Intuit empowers users to make confident financial decisions across all products and segments.
Intuit in AWS: At AWS re:Invent 2023, Intuit demonstrated how it is harnessing the power of generative AI through Amazon SageMaker and Bedrock, enabling its proprietary GenOS platform to deliver personalized, scalable, and intelligent financial solutions to over 100 million customers.
Intuit and ICIC: Intuit and ICIC have launched the More with AI Tour, a nationwide initiative to empower small and mid-market businesses with hands-on AI education, practical tools, and policy advocacy, ensuring they thrive in the evolving digital economy powered by responsible artificial intelligence.
Sasan's net worth is estimated to exceed US$24 million, primarily due to his position as CEO of Intuit Inc. He holds approximately 37,869 shares of Intuit, which are valued at over US$24 million. Notably, in January 2025, he sold 26,562 shares, earning around US$17 million. These figures are based on publicly available information and SEC documents that reflect Sasan's effective management of finances at Intuit, though they may not necessarily represent his recent private actions.
Under Sasan’s leadership, Intuit grew from being a tax software company to a world-class fintech leader, achieving record revenue growth through the acquisitions of Credit Karma and Mailchimp. His vision expanded the company's product portfolio and established the company as a great place to work. Sasan's passion for social impact is seen in the establishment of the Sasan Foundation, which enables Iranian-American women through education. His vision harmonizes business achievement with a profound focus on innovation, diversity, and more wealth for society.
Intuit has drawn controversy over media censorship attempts, deceptive tax practices, AI-related layoffs, and political donations, sparking public backlash, investor concern, and regulatory scrutiny that challenge its credibility and corporate image.
Interview Clash: Intuit requested that The Verge remove part of a podcast interview with CEO Sasan, labeling the host’s tax-related questions as “egregious.” The Verge declined, emphasizing their editorial independence, and broadcast the unedited exchange to allow listeners to judge the situation themselves.
Trust Strained: At Intuit Connect 2024, CEO Sasan apologized for a controversial ad urging users to abandon accountants. Though he pledged support and withdrew the ad, many attendees questioned the sincerity of the gesture and its impact on future relations.
AI Layoffs: Intuit CEO Sasan's announcement of 1,800 layoffs, citing AI investment and underperforming employees, sparked immediate controversy. Critics online accused the company of unfairly blaming those impacted, overshadowing the technological shift with accusations of poor handling and a "blame game" narrative.
Deceptive Practices: Intuit CEO Sasan claimed the company hid its free tax filing site to better “educate” users, sparking backlash. Critics argue that the move deliberately misled low-income taxpayers into paying for services, prompting accusations of deception, misinformation, and profit-driven manipulation.
Public Scrutiny: Sasan, Intuit's CEO, faced controversy, a leaked video revealed the company concealed its Free TurboTax offering, claiming it was in the public's best interest. This decision, perceived as misleading, sparked widespread media criticism and public backlash.
Corporate Backlash: Intuit has come under scrutiny for its financial support of Planned Parenthood and anti-religious organizations. During an investor meeting, CEO Sasan faced tough questions about these donations, sparking concerns that the company was alienating pro-life customers. Intuit indicated it might reassess its philanthropic approach.
FTC Dispute: Intuit is appealing the FTC’s ruling, which found the company misleading consumers about its free tax filing services, claiming the decision was biased. Despite this, Intuit stands by its commitment to providing free tax preparation services and expects no business impact.
Media Mismanagement: Intuit's CEO, Sasan, faced significant backlash after a media interview where the company attempted to censor parts of the conversation. The fiasco highlighted the importance of practical media training, as Intuit's handling led to further negative publicity.
