DNSFilter Strengthens Executive Bench with New CFO and CMO

Veteran software leaders bring critical skills to scale company's growth trajectory

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DNSFilter announced today that it has hired Mike Okoth as Chief Financial Officer and Chris Smith as Chief Marketing Officer. These executive hires come as DNSFilter continues to grow strategically and to build on the exceptional quality of its team in alignment with its commitment to innovation and excellence. DNSFilter has also promoted Mandy Cole to Chief People Officer and Lauren Romer to Chief Legal Officer.

Okoth joins DNSFilter from SaaS firm Crownpeak, where he served as CFO. He brings with him extensive experience in streamlining business operations to drive growth. His solid leadership in strategic business planning and analysis enables him to consistently increase efficiency and bottom-line profit.

Smith comes to DNSFilter with a wealth of experience leading strategic marketing efforts for fast-growing, innovative software companies, including recent stints with Delinea and Thycotic. DNSFilter's ability to address complex problems with its cutting-edge product and its commitment to solving customer challenges closely matches the dynamic, problem-solving environments he thrives in. His deep expertise in strategic marketing and robust financial planning will be instrumental in generating high-quality leads and opportunities as DNSFilter continues to grow, bringing the power of protective DNS to even more companies and partners.

Mike Okoth, CFO, DNSFilter, said: "I'm beyond thrilled to join DNSFilter as their new CFO. In meeting with the rest of the executive and senior leadership team, I was impressed by the product, the people, and the vision of this organization. My goal will be to focus on our operational infrastructure, and ensure we have what we need to scale within a high-growth environment. With my background, I have a firm understanding of both our MSP and mid-market audiences. My experience will influence not only our strategic planning, but also our innovation, as we continue to focus on what matters the most to our partners."

Chris Smith, CMO, DNSFilter, said: "I've worked with software companies of various sizes over the last 30 years of my career. My favorite organizations are small, hyper-growth companies delivering great products that solve tough customer problems—all while building a culture that is focused on doing right by our customers and partners. I have found exactly that at DNSFilter, with a protective DNS product that provides critical security to both our customers and their end users."

Ken Carnesi, CEO and co-founder, DNSFilter, said: "Mike and Chris both bring years of experience in their respective fields, and I couldn't be happier to welcome them both to DNSFilter. Each of these leaders have a tremendous track record demonstrating clear vision and thoughtful leadership. It was important to our executive team that we bring leaders to the organization who can execute strategically while also furthering the career development of their entire team."

About the company:
DNSFilter is redefining how organizations secure their largest threat vector: the Internet itself. DNSFilter is making the Internet safer and workplaces more productive, by actively blocking an average of 12 million threat queries every single day and resolving upwards of 130 billion daily queries. With 79% of attacks using Domain Name System (DNS), DNSFilter provides the world's fastest protective DNS powered by AI, blocking threats an average of 10 days faster than traditional threat feeds. Over 35 million users trust DNSFilter to protect them from phishing, malware, and advanced cyber threats.