Gonen Fink

What is the biggest project you have recently led?

In recent years, we at Palo Alto Networks Israel have established an innovative and groundbreaking product line called Cortex, which revolutionized the field of Security Operations. Cortex harnesses the capabilities of AI to simultaneously identify and deal with millions of cyber alerts, identify and prioritize significant events, collect all relevant information, and automate the incident response process. We have actually turned the pyramid upside down and instead of the information security experts dealing with a huge amount of information and filtering out the threats that require attention, which takes a lot of time, Cortex does it for them and allows them to focus on and handle only the significant threats. Cortex's product line is based on a tight integration of technologies from four Israeli startup companies that were acquired and developed by the Israeli R&D center which is responsible for defining the products and building them. The technologies, knowledge and especially the people in the Israeli site of the company, are a significant engine of growth and innovation for the company's operations in the world.

In your opinion, what are the biggest strengths/advantages of the company?

Palo Alto Networks has a unique combination of the power and resources of a large company and is a major market leader with  a hunger for success and rapid growth, which characterizes companies at the beginning of their journey.

Another significant advantage relates to our business strategy, in the development of information security solutions. We do not focus on a particular niche of information security (information security in the physical network or information security in the cloud), but offer an overall integrative platform for all of the client's information security needs. Instead of purchasing different information security solutions that do not talk to each other, we offer a unified platform that answers all the customer's needs. This is a significant business advantage that we have.

What are the main moves that have been made recently and will lead to the strengthening of the company in the coming years?

Construction of two central growth engines: first is Cortex - the Security Operations and endpoint security platform based on advanced AI capabilities, and the second is Prisma - the information security platform in the cloud, and both are growing significantly. This, in parallel with the continued investment in the field of Network Security (Firewall solutions offered by the company) and the transition to cloud technologies in all our product lines. The investment in the Israeli R&D center, through acquisitions and organic growth, allows the company access to technologies and unique knowledge in the field of information security and is a significant part of the new product lines.

What are the company's main challenges in the coming years?

Palo Alto Networks' Israeli site develops the company's future growth engines and is strategic for the success of the global company. In order for us to continue to develop innovative products that create disruption in the cyber market, we must simultaneously deal with rapid growth and the recruitment of diverse and talented employees, alongside rationing our current employees, offering them prospects and professional challenges. This is a particularly significant challenge in Israel where there is tough competition for talented employees and a relatively limited number of people with significant experience in managing large development entities and products in the scope of billions of dollars.

Alongside the challenges of our growth and expansion is the challenge of designing the future work environment. At Palo Alto Networks, we implemented the FlexWork model that allows each and every employee to choose the work environment that best suits their personal needs. Our commitment to flexible working conduct requires the development of new work processes, training and communication to preserve our corporate culture and ensure the personal and professional success of both employees and the company.

What advice would you give to a manager beginning their career?

The important question every manager should ask is "Who can I learn from?". This is true both professionally and administratively. Find the people you are willing to listen to and learn from, and find the way you can learn from them.

Most personal growth requires leaving the comfort zones we know - that's why it's difficult. The better we know and understand the world outside our comfort zone, the more we can expand it and grow. If you are technologists, try to understand what it means to be a customer of the technology you develop, and what it means to try and sell it. If you are salespeople - try to understand what it means to use the product. Learn to meet people from different countries and understand them, it is difficult to succeed when we are limited to one country. Understanding and getting to know cultural differences and encouraging diversity and inclusion are the basis for finding the right way to combine the advantages of each and every one of the organization's people.

What would you say is important to remember even in difficult times?

Changing the world is a difficult task, but the more difficult it gets - the more rewarding it is to succeed. Therefore, do not measure the level of difficulty you are facing, but the level of progress you have made, if you are progressing in the right direction, even if the progress is slower than you want. You can learn from everything, both successes and failures – as long as we think about our actions, understand what is important, and are honest with ourselves.