FireEye has announced that CEO David DeWalt is to step down as CEO, to be replaced by Kevin Mandia.
DeWalt joined FireEye as CEO having previously been president and CEO of McAfee prior to the 2010 acquisition by Intel. Mandia joined FireEye in 2014 following the completion of the Mandiant purchase. The Mandiant founder has served as SVP and COO since the acquisition completed on New Year’s Day 2014. DeWalt will assume the role of executive chairman of the board.
FireEye said that the leadership changes are among a number of management moves to position the company for future growth. Mandiant president Travis Reese will become president of FireEye, and CFO Mike Berry will also assume the position of COO.
DeWalt will remain active in the company’s operations, working with the management team to increase adoption of the FireEye Threat Management Platform, with a focus on the company’s multi-channel go-to-market strategies.
DeWalt said: “Kevin Mandia is the obvious choice to lead FireEye in the next phase of our journey, as we expand our product and service offerings, extend our reach worldwide, evolve our business, and influence the way the world thinks about cybersecurity."
“Kevin was instrumental in bringing FireEye and Mandiant together and in the development of the security solutions, services and delivery models that are core to our strategy today. We are fortunate to have Kevin – one of the security industry’s most powerful and respected voices and most sought-after cyber defense experts – as a member of our executive leadership team. Kevin and I share a common vision for FireEye and our industry, and I look forward to supporting him in his new role as FireEye CEO.”
“I am passionate about combating today’s increasingly complex and widespread cyber threats, and I’m excited by this opportunity to take the battle to a new level as CEO of FireEye,” said Mandia.
“Dave and our management team have succeeded in creating a security company with the technology, intelligence and expertise necessary to confront today’s advanced cyber risks. With today’s leadership announcements, I believe we’ve positioned FireEye for even great success in the future.”
All of these leadership changes will be effective on 15 June 2016, following the FireEye annual shareholder meeting. FireEye has completed the acquisitions of threat intelligence provider iSIGHT Partners and automation technology Invotas.