Dave Merkel
Herndon, Virginia,United States
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Dave Merkel is a highly respected cybersecurity leader and entrepreneur, currently serving as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Expel. With a career spanning over 25 years, he has dedicated himself to making security accessible and effective. Before founding Expel, Dave was the CTO at Mandiant and later the VP of Products at FireEye following its acquisition of Mandiant. His deep expertise in security operations and incident response was honed during his early career as a Special Agent for the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), where he investigated computer crime. Dave is known for his practical, transparent approach to security, aiming to help organizations find and stop attackers before they can cause damage.
How Did Dave Merkel's Career Path Shape Their Journey?
Dave Merkel's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:
What Are Dave Merkel's Key Achievements?
Co-founder and CEO of Expel
Co-founded Expel in 2016, building it into a leading Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider recognized for its transparent, tech-forward approach and strong company culture. Under his leadership, Expel has secured major funding rounds and serves a global customer base.
Key Leadership at Mandiant and FireEye
As CTO of Mandiant, he was instrumental in shaping the technology and services that made the company a world-renowned authority on incident response. He continued this work as VP at FireEye after its landmark acquisition of Mandiant.
Cybersecurity Thought Leader
A frequent speaker at major industry conferences such as Black Hat and RSA Conference, where he shares his extensive knowledge on security operations, threat detection, and building resilient security programs.
Pioneering Cybersecurity Investigator
Began his career in cybersecurity as a Special Agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), conducting some of the earliest government computer crime and forensic investigations.
What's Dave Merkel's Educational Background?
BS, Computer Science
University of Colorado at Boulder - Year 1990
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Company Overview
ExpelExpel is a cybersecurity company that provides managed detection and response (MDR) services. From a customer's perspective, they function as an outsourced Security Operations Center (SOC), available 24/7 to monitor an organization's entire tech environment—from cloud services to on-premise networks. They use their own technology platform, Expel Workbench, combined with a team of expert security analysts to quickly identify, investigate, and help stop cyberattacks, allowing businesses to secure their operations without the high cost and complexity of building an in-house security team.
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