Palo Alto Networks today announced that Michael E. Lehman has been appointed chief financial officer of the rapidly growing network security company. Lehman brings more than 35 years of senior-level financial management experience with technology companies, including CFO roles at Sun Microsystems.
As Palo Alto Networks’ first CFO, Lehman will oversee its finance, accounting, and manufacturing functions.
“Michael Lehman achieved worldwide recognition as Sun Microsystems’ CFO, helping Sun manage through several business cycles to achieve a record of consistent growth,” said Lane M. Bess, CEO, Palo Alto Networks. “His financial acumen is a perfect match for Palo Alto Networks at this stage in our development, and will be of immense value when the company enters the public markets.”
Lehman served two stints as chief financial officer at Sun after joining the company in 1987. Before joining Sun, Lehman was a senior manager in the San Francisco office of Price Waterhouse.
“Palo Alto Networks is one of the fastest growing and most exciting companies in the networking and security industry, and I look forward to helping manage its growth as it continues to expand globally,” said Lehman.
Having a product available to the market for less than three years, the company has grown to over 1,100 customers, selling what it calls “next generation firewalls” which provide network administrators more granular policy control of applications and content than traditional firewalls.