Nikesh Arora is turning cybersecurity into a platform business
The former Google and SoftBank executive has spent eight years consolidating security tools under one roof.
Most large companies buy security tools from dozens of vendors. Nikesh Arora’s strategy at Palo Alto Networks rests on the idea that they would rather buy fewer, connected products from one company.
Arora became chairman and CEO in June 2018. Before that, he spent about a decade at Google, rising to chief business officer, and then served as president and chief operating officer of SoftBank from 2014 to 2016.
Platformization
Under Arora, Palo Alto Networks expanded from firewalls into cloud security and security operations, largely through acquisitions, and organized its products into integrated platforms. The company calls this “platformization”: persuading customers to consolidate onto its products, sometimes by offering free periods to replace a competitor.
In 2025, the company agreed to acquire CyberArk, a leader in identity security, adding protection for user and machine identities to its platforms.
Beyond the company
Arora joined the board of Uber as a non-executive director in June 2025. He is among the few professional CEOs, rather than founders, to become a billionaire through equity in the company they run.
What to watch
AI is changing both attacks and defenses. Arora has argued that security teams will need automation to keep up, and the success of that bet depends on how well the acquired pieces work as one system.
- Company
- Palo Alto Networks
- Role
- Chairman & CEO
- HQ
- Santa Clara, California
- Founded
- 2005
- Section
- Cybersecurity
This profile draws on public reporting and company materials.
Sources: Carnegie Corporation: Nikesh Arora · Richemont: Nikesh Arora · Wikipedia: Nikesh Arora
Photo: TechCrunch, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
