Nicholas Cumins Takes Charge as CEO of Bentley Systems, Ushering in a New Era

Following the CEO transition plan previously announced by Bentley Systems, Nicholas Cumins today takes charge as CEO. Cumins succeeds Greg Bentley, the eldest of the five brothers who founded Bentley Systems, who becomes Executive Chair of its Board of Directors.

Cumins is the first CEO in the company’s 40-year history who is not a Bentley family member, marking a significant milestone in the company’s development. The Bentley brothers redefined what was then computer-aided design (CAD) software when they developed MicroStation as a groundbreaking engineering application platform. Four decades of innovation and more than 120 acquisitions later, Bentley Systems is the leading provider of infrastructure engineering software, with its infrastructure digital twin solutions used to design, build, and operate critical infrastructure around the world.

The transition to Cumins’ leadership comes at a critical time for infrastructure sectors. There are not enough engineers to accomplish the work required to achieve global sustainability targets while also adapting aging infrastructure vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Cumins unveiled Bentley’s vision for infrastructure resilience, noting that engineering firms and asset owner-operators are looking to software to help them overcome the limitations of scarce talent.