Tusker has appointed Matt Gaudio as Chief Executive Officer as the midmarket IT services company continues a growth strategy combining acquisitions with organic expansion.
Gaudio succeeds Matt Zafirovski, who has accepted a leadership position with a publicly traded technology company after six years at Tusker, including four years as CEO.
Gaudio is a 20-year technology industry veteran who most recently served as Tusker’s Chief Solutions Officer.
In that role, he was responsible for solutions, professional services, managed services and delivery operations and played a central role in implementing the company’s “One Tusker” strategy.
The initiative is designed to integrate Tusker’s acquired companies into a broader organization while combining their capabilities and customer relationships.
Tusker said roughly half of its growth to date has been organic and the other half has come through acquisitions. The company is ultimately targeting growth into a $1 billion organization.
Previously known as ACP CreativIT, Tusker traces its origins to Arlington Computer Products, a Chicago-area IT hardware distributor founded in 1984 and acquired by Zaf Group in 2017.
The company subsequently acquired Camera Corner Connecting Point in Green Bay in 2018, Citon Computer Corporation in Duluth in 2022, Boston-based Versatile Communications seven months later, Chicago-based Mindsight in 2025 and Cleveland cybersecurity company Fortress SRM in September 2026.
Tusker currently has major hubs in Chicago, Boston, Green Bay, Duluth, Eau Claire and Cleveland.
The company employs more than 450 people, including approximately 250 technologists, and serves customers across education, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and the government and public sectors.
KEY QUOTES:
“Matt Zafirovski’s leadership helped build the momentum we have today and set the stage for ongoing growth by establishing the ability to meet an increasingly broad range of client IT needs. Half of our growth to date has been organic and half has been achieved through acquisition, and we expect that to continue as we advance toward our goal of becoming a $1 billion company.”
Matt Gaudio, CEO of Tusker
“Matt Gaudio knows our people, our customers and our strategy, and he has been central to our One Tusker transformation. The Board and I appreciate Matt Z’s leadership over the past six years, wish him the best in his next post, and have full confidence that Matt G is the right leader for Tusker’s next chapter.”
Mike Zafirovski, Executive Chairman of Tusker
“Tusker’s growth has been remarkable, and I’m gratified to have played a role in that over the last six years. Matt G has been a driving force in fusing the capabilities of our acquired companies, and I can’t think of a better person to lead Tusker into its next phase of growth.”
Matt Zafirovski, Former CEO of Tusker
