Amit Yoran, CEO and chairman of Tenable
H/O Tenable
Amit Yoran, who ushered cybersecurity company Tenable into the general public market as chief executive, died on Friday. He was 54.
Yoran’s passing was confirmed by Tenable in a Saturday press release. While the corporate said his death was unexpected, Yoran went on medical leave early last month as he battled cancer.
Funeral details haven’t yet been announced, the corporate said on Saturday.
Yoran took the helm of Tenable in 2016, his latest leadership role within the cybersecurity field. He previously served as president of RSA Security from 2014 to 2016. Yoran founded and led NetWitness as CEO between 2006 and 2011 before it was acquired by RSA, in line with his LinkedIn page.
His decadeslong profession in cybersecurity also included government and nonprofit work. Yoran was National Cybersecurity Director for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2003 to 2004. He sat on the board of the Center for Web Security since 2019.
Two years into Yoran’s tenure, Tenable went public on the Nasdaq. On the time, the IPO was seen as a hit story for cybersecurity corporations on Wall Street.
Yoran called the corporate’s give attention to the vulnerabilities of companies’ technology as unique out there, while also noting its successful shift to a subscription model. By 2018, Yoran said, greater than half of Fortune 500 corporations were Tenable customers.
“We have change into some of the trusted and beloved brands in cybersecurity,” he told CNBC on the time of Tenable’s IPO. “Only the perfect and highest-performing private corporations have the chance to go public. And that offers us a spot on a much larger stage to have the option to inform our story.”
Tenable CFO Steve Vintz and Chief Operating Officer Mark Thurmond have acted as co-CEOs since Yoran went on medical leave in December. They are going to proceed sharing the role while its board of directors looks for a everlasting successor, the corporate said.
Yoran had expected his leave to last only a number of months and said his condition was a “treatable situation,” in line with a note to employees published on his LinkedIn page. He had “complete trust” in Vintz and Thurmond to guide the corporate in his absence.
“We’ve got much to do and there isn’t any time to waste,” Yoran wrote. “As I take a temporary pause to prioritize my health, I’ll stay as connected as I can while giving myself the space to heal fully. I’m deeply grateful for every of you, not just for the dedication you bring to your work but for the sense of community we have built together.”
Yoran was also the chair of Tenable’s board, a position that now will probably be held by Art Coviello, the corporate’s lead independent director. In a press release, Coviello called Yoran an “extraordinary” leader, colleague and friend.
“His passion for cybersecurity, his strategic vision, and his ability to encourage those around him have shaped Tenable’s culture and mission,” Coviello said. “His legacy will proceed to guide us as we move forward.”
