Clay Nelson
Worldwide Industry Solutions Strategey Lead,
GitHub

Clay Nelson is a technology and automotive software executive with more than 25 years of experience in enterprise software, automotive, manufacturing, and regulated engineering.

He began his career in technology leadership roles, including CTO of ChangeAddress.com and Director of Technology at USWeb/CKS and marchfirst.

He then spent 13 years at IBM Rational Software, where he held a series of technical and sales leadership positions and helped Fortune 500 companies implement modern software engineering and compliance processes.

Since joining GitHub in 2015, he has held several senior sales and strategy roles and was instrumental in building the company's first automotive OEM relationships with Ford, Toyota, and GM.

As GitHub's Global Automotive Go-To-Market Executive, he established and led the company's worldwide automotive business, driving significant revenue growth.

Today, as WW Industry Solutions Strategy Lead for Regulated Industries at GitHub (Microsoft), he leads the global strategy for regulated sectors with a focus on software-defined vehicles, functional safety, compliance, and AI-enabled software development.