Early Life and Education
George Kurtz was born in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, on October 14, 1970. His interest in technology began early, programming video games in elementary school and building bulletin board systems in high school. He pursued his education at Seton Hall University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
Rise to Success
Kurtz's career began at Price Waterhouse as a Certified Public Accountant before transitioning to the cybersecurity field. He then joined Ernst & Young, where he contributed to the development of internet security protocols. His entrepreneurial journey started in 1999 when he founded Foundstone, a security products and services company. Kurtz served as the CEO of Foundstone, which was acquired by McAfee in 2004. At McAfee, he held several senior positions, including Worldwide Chief Technology Officer and EVP of Enterprise. In 2011, Kurtz co-founded CrowdStrike, a cloud-based cybersecurity company, serving as its CEO and leading the company to a successful IPO in 2019. Under his leadership, CrowdStrike has become a major player in the cybersecurity industry, with a market capitalization of over $129 billion as of December 2025.
Key Business Strategies
Kurtz's business strategies have focused on innovation and a cloud-native approach to cybersecurity. He recognized the limitations of traditional antivirus solutions and pioneered a cloud-based platform using AI to detect and prevent attacks in real-time. CrowdStrike's Falcon platform has been instrumental in its success, offering comprehensive endpoint protection and threat intelligence. His focus on research and development and strategic acquisitions, such as the 2020 acquisition of Preempt Security, have expanded CrowdStrike's capabilities.
Philanthropy
George Kurtz and his wife Anna support charities focused on adolescent mental health.
