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Darktrace, a global leader in AI-native cybersecurity, has appointed Ed Jennings as President and Chief Executive Officer. Jennings, a veteran technology executive with extensive experience scaling cybersecurity and software companies, will join Darktrace on March 23, 2026, succeeding Jill Popelka who stepped down at the end of January.
Darktrace continues to strengthen its position as a pioneer in AI for cybersecurity, leveraging proprietary behavioral AI to protect organizations from evolving threats. The appointment of Jennings aligns with the company’s focus on scaling its innovative ActiveAI Security Platform worldwide.
Charles Goodman, Chairman and interim CEO of Darktrace, said: “Ed is a veteran technology leader who has successfully scaled other cybersecurity and software category leaders. He will bring strong strategic focus to Darktrace as it brings more of its AI-native cybersecurity capabilities to organizations around the world. Ed is a people-focused leader with a skill for building high-trust, high-performance teams. I am delighted that he has chosen to join Darktrace.”
Jennings brings decades of leadership in high-growth technology environments. At Quickbase, a cloud-based work management platform, he drove annual revenue to double under his tenure. Before that, as Chief Operating Officer at Mimecast, he contributed to its successful IPO and significant global expansion.
His earlier roles include go-to-market leadership positions at Veracode, ADP, Copanion, and PTC, where he honed expertise in building and scaling enterprise software and cybersecurity solutions.
Commenting on his appointment, Jennings said: “Darktrace has incredible first-mover advantage. As an AI-native cybersecurity company, its behavioral AI platform is uniquely positioned to detect and respond to attacks, even if they’ve never been seen before. As society grapples with a fast-moving geopolitical landscape and unprecedented technology adoption, the market for Darktrace’s products and services is immense. I am excited to join such a talented and mission-driven team.”
Darktrace’s platform stands out for its real-time learning from each customer’s unique patterns, enabling pre-emptive visibility, automated operations via the Cyber AI Analyst, and autonomous threat response across the digital estate. With R&D centers in Cambridge, UK, and The Hague, Netherlands, the company has filed over 200 patent applications.
Supported by more than 2,300 employees worldwide, Darktrace protects nearly 10,000 customers across major industries, delivering essential cybersecurity in an era of accelerating threats and technology adoption.
Jennings’ leadership is expected to accelerate Darktrace’s strategic execution, team development, and market expansion as demand for advanced, AI-driven cyber resilience continues to grow.
About Darktrace
Darktrace is a global leader in AI for cybersecurity that keeps organizations ahead of the changing threat landscape every day. Founded in 2013, Darktrace provides the essential cybersecurity platform protecting organizations from unknown threats using its proprietary AI that learns from the unique patterns of life for each customer in real-time. The Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform™ delivers a proactive approach to cyber resilience to secure the business across the entire digital estate – from network to cloud to email. It provides pre-emptive visibility into the customer’s security posture, transforms operations with a Cyber AI Analyst™, and detects and autonomously responds to threats in real-time. Breakthrough innovations from our R&D teams in Cambridge, UK, and The Hague, Netherlands have resulted in over 200 patent applications filed. Darktrace’s platform and services are supported by over 2,300 employees around the world who protect nearly 10,000 customers across all major industries globally.
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