Meet the Team

Anand Kashyap is an inventor, engineer, entrepreneur, and technology leader. He co-founded Fortanix to pioneer the application of confidential computing in data security and AI, scaling the company first as CTO and later as CEO.

Before founding Fortanix, Anand worked at VMware, where he developed network visualization software, including at Arkin, which was acquired by VMware. Earlier in his career, he was a researcher at Symantec Research Labs, where he authored several research papers and filed over 25 patents in networking and cloud security.

Anand holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur. His educational background laid the foundation for his expertise in technology and innovation.

Patrick is a go-to-market leader that has been involved with may cutting edge IT and cybersecurity technologies, and as CRO leads that mission for Fortanix on a global basis. He has built successful revenue organizations and has led Startup exits with solutions as diverse as thin clients, 3D graphics, web server appliances, supercomputing and Java as well as network, IDAM and data security. Patrick has been with Fortanix since 2019 and has previously run global business development, alliances & channels and Americas Sales. He has been an evangelist for how Confidential Computing can solve problems for enterprises in data security, data collaboration, AI/ML and Generative AI. He has been in lead roles at Wyse Technology, Cobalt Networks, Sun Microsystems, Topspin Communications, Cisco Systems, Azul Systems, HyTrust among others.

Patrick holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and History, and a Masters Degree in International Relations. He is passionate about the Washington Commanders, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Akita dogs, Italian food and family.

Anuj is a seasoned product and engineering leader with an impressive track record spanning over 20 years. His experience is marked by notable achievements in product development within both established public companies and dynamic startups. Anuj's expertise lies in creating customer-centric cutting-edge products. Prior to his role as VP of Engineering at Embrace.io, Anuj was a pivotal figure at Arkin, a company that caught the attention of VMware and was subsequently acquired in 2016. During his time at Arkin, Anuj played a critical role in the acquisition process, showcasing his strategic vision and technical insight. Before Arkin, Anuj worked as a senior leader at FrontRange Solutions (acquired by Ivanti) and DBO2 (acquired by Predictive Solutions).

Anuj's domain knowledge is extensive, covering crucial areas such as cloud security, network security, cybersecurity, data security and Application Performance Monitoring (APM) for both cloud and mobile applications. His approach to product management — vision, strategy, customer-centric, roadmapping, partnerships and UX has consistently resulted in products that drove revenue and growth for organizations while meeting customer needs. Anuj holds Masters Degree in Computer Applications and Bachelors in Business Administration.

Anand Balasubrahmanyan is a proven strategic financial leader for high-growth businesses. Prior to joining Fortanix, he was Head of Finance & Business Operations for VeloCloud Networks, where he was a key member of the executive team navigating through the inevitable ups and downs of hyper-growth in the enterprise infrastructure space, and led VeloCloud's $50M Series D fundraising and subsequent strategic sale to VMware. Prior to VMware/VeloCloud, Anand had a 20-year career as an investment banker and private equity investor at DLJ, Morgan Stanley, and The Carlyle Group. Anand holds Bachelors degrees from Wharton and the Engineering School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters from Stanford's Graduate School of business

As a computer security expert, Jethro has been responsible for the overall design and security of the Fortanix software architecture and products from Fortanix's founding. Both in academia and industry, he's considered a pioneer in the confidential computing field, having published many papers, and filed several patents in the field of cloud computing security. Jethro holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

Vishal is an entrepreneurial and engineering leader with over 25 years’ experience in leading, building and mentoring multi-cultural teams across United States, EMEA and APAC regions. Before joining Fortnaix, Vishal was VP of Cloud Engineering & Security Operations at Aktana, a leading provider of AI powered insights and suggestions for life science companies. Prior to Aktana, Vishal was at OpenText as Sr. Director of Cloud Engineering. He has worked at Oracle for 17 years with various roles managing Product development and operations team. Vishal holds MBA from Pepperdine University and Bachelor of Computer engineering from University of Evansville.

With an extensive background in complex systems engineering and the application of machine learning for data discovery, Richard leads the deployment of Fortanix Confidential Computing technology for customers. Richard has served as General Members’ Representative to the Governing Board, and Chair of the End-User Advisory Council, of the Confidential Computing Consortium of the Linux Foundation and he is recognized as a thought leader on applications of Confidential Computing. Richard holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Henley Business School at the University of Reading, has filed patents and published papers on the application of Confidential Computing technology, and is conducting research on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems within the context of national security.

Connie leads the Legal function at Fortanix. Prior to joining Fortanix, Connie was VP, Legal at VeloCloud and joined VMware after VeloCloud's acquisition by VMware. Connie has over 20 years of legal experience supporting private and public companies in a variety of industries. She holds a J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA.