Early Life
Nikesh Arora was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, on February 9, 1968. His father was an officer in the Indian Air Force, which instilled in him values of discipline and adaptability. He completed his schooling at The Air Force School in Delhi. Arora earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi in 1989. He furthered his education in the United States, obtaining a Master of Science in Finance from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University.
Rise to Success
Arora's career began at Fidelity Investments in 1992. He then held positions at Putnam Investments and Deutsche Telekom. In 2004, he joined Google, where he held multiple senior operating leadership roles, including President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa and President of Global Sales Operations and Business Development. He became Google's highest-paid executive in 2012. In 2014, Arora left Google to join SoftBank as President and Chief Operating Officer, and was considered a potential successor to Masayoshi Son. He later joined Palo Alto Networks as CEO in June 2018.
Key Business Strategies
As CEO of Palo Alto Networks, Arora has focused on AI and cloud security. Under his leadership, Palo Alto Networks has transformed into a dominant cybersecurity company. His compensation has been substantial, reflecting his success and the company's growth. Arora's approach to acquisitions has been unconventional, often allowing founders to continue leading acquired teams.
Philanthropy
Nikesh Arora and Palo Alto Networks have established the IIT (BHU) Foundation Access Fund with a $2 million endowment to support underserved students in pursuing technology careers.
