Dave Merkel

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Expel
Herndon, Virginia,United States
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Who Is Dave Merkel?

Total Experience35 years
CompanyExpel
CountryUnited States

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.

Dave Merkel LinkedIn pageCompany Website

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:

Expel - Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer(2016 to Present)
Town of Herndon - First Lady(2015 to 2020)
FireEye, Inc. - Chief Technology Officer(2014 to 2015)
Mandiant - Chief Technology Officer(2011 to 2014)
America Online, Inc. - Senior Technical Director, Technical Security(2001 to 2006)
U.S. Air Force - AFOSI - Asst. Chief of Intrusion Investigations(1997 to 1998)
US Air Force - AFOSI - Chief, Countersurveillance Operations(1997 to 1997)

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

Buying Intent Signals for Dave Merkel

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Hiring actively
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Company Overview

Expel
Total employees866
HeadquartersHerndon
Founded2016

Expel 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.

Company Website
Expel Funding Information
Unknown - Total Funding Raised
$140.3M - Most recent funding amount
5 - Number of funding rounds
Nov 18, 2021 - Latest funding round
Lead Investors:
CapitalG
Paladin Capital Group
Scale Venture Partners
Greycroft
Index Ventures
Battery Ventures
Palantir

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