Palo Alto Networks founder Nir Zuk steps down, marking end of an era in cybersecurity
Founder who pioneered the next-generation firewall steps aside as CTO as the cybersecurity giant prepares for its $25 billion CyberArk deal.
Nir Zuk, the Israeli entrepreneur who founded Palo Alto Networks nearly two decades ago and reshaped the cybersecurity industry, is stepping down. The company announced on Monday that Zuk, who has served as Chief Technology Officer and a member of the board, has retired after 20 years of shaping its rise into the world’s most valuable cybersecurity company. Palo Alto currently has a market cap of over $117 billion.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for Palo Alto Networks, which recently announced its intent to acquire CyberArk, another Israeli cybersecurity pioneer, in a landmark $25 billion deal. Zuk described that ambition as part of the company’s enduring vision to lead the industry. “I started Palo Alto Networks with a radical idea and the conviction to challenge a stagnant industry with a cybersecurity platform. Our vision has always been to lead from the front, and our recent intent to acquire CyberArk is a testament to that enduring ambition,” he said. “With the most comprehensive security portfolio today, I am confident in Nikesh’s leadership and thrilled to pass the torch to Lee Klarich.”
Lee Klarich, long-time Chief Product Officer, will step into Zuk’s role as Chief Technology Officer while also joining the company’s board of directors.
Zuk, 54, founded Palo Alto Networks in 2005 with the aim of reinventing the firewall. Zuk was previously one of the first employees at Check Point. His “next-generation firewall” became a model that transformed enterprise security. Palo Alto Networks went on to expand into a broad platform provider with offerings across cloud, network, and endpoint protection.
Nikesh Arora, Palo Alto’s chairman and CEO, paid tribute to Zuk as a visionary who permanently altered the cybersecurity landscape. “Nir is a legend in cybersecurity, and his contributions are forever etched in our history books,” Arora said. “In many ways, Lee has always been the architect turning that foundational vision into the platforms that define us today and will secure our future tomorrow.”
Zuk’s departure underscores a generational shift inside Palo Alto Networks as it attempts to cement its dominance through platformization and acquisitions at a time when AI is reshaping the field. For Zuk, however, the exit represents the closing of one chapter and the opening of another. The press release hinted at pursuing “untapped ideas” beyond Palo Alto Networks, though offered no details.
“This has been an incredible journey,” he said. “I leave with deep satisfaction, knowing the company we built together is stronger than ever.”
