Upwind Security names Joe Sullivan, former CSO of Facebook, Uber, and Cloudflare, as Strategic Advisor. The appointment strengthens Upwind’s runtime-first cloud and AI security platform amid rapid enterprise adoption.
Upwind, the leader in runtime-first cloud security, has announced that Joe Sullivan has joined the company as a Strategic Advisor. Sullivan is widely recognized as one of the most experienced security leaders in the technology industry, having served as the first Chief Security Officer at Facebook, Uber, and Cloudflare.
As enterprises accelerate cloud and AI adoption, security teams face an expanding attack surface and rapidly evolving threats. Runtime visibility has become a foundational requirement for modern cloud security programs, moving beyond traditional perimeter controls to enable real-time detection and response.
“There is no one in this industry who has built security at the scale Joe has, across organizations that defined the modern internet,” said Rinki Sethi, Chief Security & Strategy Officer at Upwind. “I have known Joe for years and have admired the way he thinks about security not just as a technical discipline but as a business imperative and a matter of trust. This is an important moment for cloud security, and for Upwind. The pace at which enterprises are adopting AI infrastructure is extraordinary, and the risks are evolving just as quickly. Having Joe as part of our journey means our customers get access to one of the most influential voices in security, someone who has sat in their seat and understands what is actually at stake."
Sullivan has more than two decades of experience at the intersection of government, technology, and security. He spent eight years at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he co-founded the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Unit and handled landmark cybercrime prosecutions. He later built security programs at eBay and PayPal before becoming Chief Security Officer at Facebook in 2008, leading security as the company grew to over a billion users. He subsequently served as the first CSO at Uber and later at Cloudflare.
Sullivan has testified before the U.S. Congress, served on President Obama’s bipartisan Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, and advised the Department of Homeland Security. He is a frequent keynote speaker at major industry events and a member of the Cloud Security Alliance’s Safe AI Non-Profit Leadership Council.
"Security leaders are navigating something genuinely new right now,” said Joe Sullivan, Strategic Advisor at Upwind. “The tools, the risks, the speed at which everything is moving in 2026 is unlike anything I have seen in my career. And the enterprises that are going to come out ahead are the ones that invest in real-time visibility at the cloud and AI layer, not just controls at the perimeter. What Upwind has built addresses exactly what the industry needs: the ability to see what is happening at runtime, in the moment, and act on it. I am proud to be part of what this team is building and look forward to contributing to the team, their customers and the conversations happening across the industry."
Upwind is experiencing significant growth, reporting 900% year-over-year revenue growth and completing a $250 million Series B funding round led by Bessemer Ventures. The company continues to invest in expanding its runtime security platform and advancing AI capabilities to help security teams detect and stop threats in real time.
Sullivan’s advisory role will focus on enterprise strategy, customer engagement, and helping shape industry approaches to cloud-native security in the age of AI. This appointment positions Upwind as a strong challenger to legacy cloud security solutions amid ongoing industry consolidation.
This development is highly relevant for organizations in SaaS, IT, and technology sectors seeking advanced runtime intelligence to secure modern cloud and AI environments.
About Upwind Security
Upwind is the next-generation cloud security platform built to lead the Runtime revolution. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Upwind brings together a unified vision for cloud and application-layer protection, empowering organizations to run faster, detect threats earlier and secure their environments with unmatched precision. The company was founded by Amiram Shachar and the founding team behind Spot.io (acquired by NetApp for $450 million) and is backed by leading investors including Bessemer, Salesforce Ventures, Greylock, Cyberstarts, Leaders Fund, Craft Ventures,TCV, Alta Park, Cerca Partners, Swish Ventures and Penny Jar Capital. Upwind has raised $430 million since its founding in 2022 and is trusted by forward-thinking enterprises globally to bring real-time runtime intelligence to modern cloud security.
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